Maras Salt Terraces, Cusco, Peru

Sacred Valley

At a lower altitude to the dizzying heights of Cusco, the Sacred Valley offers a welcome place to stay for a few days, acclimatise and enjoy an old-world charm whilst exploring traditional market towns and impressive Inca sites.

For those seeking adventure, the Sacred Valley can also be explored on horseback or by raft along the raging rapids of the Urubamba River. It also serves as the starting place of many trekking routes, including the celebrated Inca Trail.

Hiram Bingham Train, Sacred Valley, Peru
Train, Peru

Exploring Pisac

To the Incas, the Urubamba River symbolised the flow of life and was therefore guarded by the watchful gaze of numerous ancient citadels perched on the lofty mountain ridge above. Constructed for worship and astronomical observation, the first of these is at the lively market town of Pisac. Etched out of the terraced hillsides, the ruins comprise some of the finest examples of Inca masonry in the valley with the Templo del Sol (Temple of the Sun) being the most impressive. Pisac, itself, is a quaint town, famous for its artisan markets where you can find extraordinarily fine jewellery, ceramic and textile craftwork.

Visit the Sacred Valley

Inca Terrace Ruins, Moray, Sacred Valley, Peru
Inca Terrace Ruins, Moray, Sacred Valley, Peru

Exploring on Horseback

Known for their docile character, comfortable gait and willing nature, the beautiful Peruvian Paso horse offers one of the smoothest rides to explore the land of the Incas. Originally from Spain, the Paso was bred for its endurance and hardiness, making light of the toughest terrains from deserts to mountains. From the delightful Sol y Luna Lodge, armed with a picnic, spend a day riding through the Sacred Valley, passing maize fields, local communities, the mighty Urubamba River and abandoned Inca terraces.

Horse Riding from Sol y Luna Lodge

Experiences

What do you really love doing? We curate your itinerary especially for you.

Pisac Market, Sacred Valley, Peru

Peruse the Sacred Valley Market

Attend the bustling Sunday edition of the local Pisac Market, looking out for trinkets and delicious empanadas being sold by indigenous Quechua communities.

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Ollantaytambo Ruins, Sacred Valley, Peru

Discover Ollantaytambo

Marvel at Inca stone masonry at the fortress of Ollantaytambo or visit the adobe city of Chan Chan.

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Mountain biking, Sacred Valley, Peru

Sacred Valley Mountain Biking

Brave a mountain bike and journey through the twists and turns of the undulating valley landscape.

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Maras Salt Terraces, Cusco, Peru

Explore Maras and Moras

Travel to the dug-out amphitheatre-style Inca ruins of Maras and Moray, the Sacred Valley’s lesser known archaeological sites.

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Where to Stay

Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.

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Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

Paul Bird

Reaching the sun gate and marvelling over Machu Picchu unveiled one of the most impressive landscapes that Paul has seen in his global travels.

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Roxy Dukes

If your passion is the outdoors and you are looking to delve into South American culture, Roxy recommends one of the lodge-to-lodge hiking programmes to explore the Sacred Valley and beyond. Hopping between the quiet mountain towns, meet the locals that live off the grid and immerse yourself in the welcoming spirit of Peru.

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Paul put together a spectacular trip through the highlights of Peru, and no detail was missed. His recommendations for acclimatising were particularly helpful, and something no one else I spoke to had mentioned.

Destination: Peru
Travel Expert: Paul

Our trip to Colombia and Peru, organised by James, exceeded all of our expectations! We travelled initially to see our eldest son who lives in California and then decided that (while close by) we would "nip" to Peru with the aim of visiting Machu Picchu, and onward to Colombia. A spectacular and memorable trip of a lifetime.

Destinations: Colombia & Peru
Travel Expert: James

Once again, I would like to thank James for organising our trip. Our visit to Peru was perfect. Each of the expert guides in Peru made the whole thing run like clockwork, and I cannot thank all of you enough.

Destination: Peru
Travel Expert: James

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