Welcome to Sacred Valley… a peaceful and picturesque area tucked between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Stretching about 30km (60 miles) along the beautiful Urubamba River, Sacred Valley encompasses some of the most awe-inspiring snow-capped mountains backdrop scenery of all Peru. It also boasts so much of Inca and pre-Inca history, rich cultures, ancient agricultural terraces, archeological sites, old towns, and delicious Andean foods. Visitors often skip Sacred Valley, but in my opinion, Sacred Valley should be on your Peru travel itinerary.
The biggest draws to the area are Ollantaytambo town and ruins, Pisac market and ruins, Maras salt mines, Moray terrace, Chinchero ruins. And, of course, the world’s wonder Machu Picchu. There are also many activities around the valley for every traveler, from adventure seekers to families with kids. To name a few: water rafting, zip-lining, mountain climbing, stand-up paddle-boarding, hiking, learning how to weave, Pachamanca – traditional Andean cooking, and more.
I hope to inspire you to visit the Sacred Valley and help you plan a great trip with this 𝙎𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚. You will find information about how to get there, top things to do, the best places to go, where to stay, and tips for traveling in Peru. Whether you are a family, solo traveler, a couple, or traveling with friends, you could use this guide. Scroll down below for more travel tips, guides, inspirations, itineraries, safety tips, money-saving tips, and more. Happy exploring!
Altitude Sickness
Okay, 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 is a real thing. There is another benefit of making Sacred Valley as a base when visiting Machu Picchu. It has a lower altitude than Cusco. Sacred Valley sits at 7,000 – 9,000 feet above sea level, and Cusco is around 11,000 feet. While it might not sound much different, but altitude sickness typically occurs above 8,000 feet. So, Sacred Valley sits on the sweet spot, where you may feel much less fatigue and nausea compared to Cusco.
After doing extensive research for our family trip to Machu Picchu and Peru, I decided to base in the Sacred Valley for a few days before continuing our journey to Machu Picchu and Cusco. When my family and I flew from Lima to Custo, we directly transported ourselves to Ollantaytambo.
I experienced shortness of breath as soon as I landed at Cusco airport… which is perfectly normal. Some people may not feel anything. But, all of us acclimated very well and pretty quickly. We felt slight nausea and headache for the first few hours, but that’s about it. We didn’t do any activities other than just relaxing and resting on the first day we arrived. We also drank coca tea and ate carbohydrates (like Andean potatoes and corn on the cob snack) which help with the acclimatization.
Sacred Valley
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