Activities in Cuzco & The Sacred Valley
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Reserv Cusco Ltda
Offers cheap Sacred Valley mountain-biking trips and Inka Jungle Trail tours, which start with mountain biking downhill from the Abra de Malaga, then trekking to Aguas Calientes to reach Machu Picchu.
reviewed
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Amigos
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
A long-established non-profit school with an admirable public-service record.
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Samana Spa
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
For some pampering or a post-trekking splurge, a blossoming number of spas offer massage services, one of them being the luxurious Samana Spa. Beware of cheap massages touted in the street; there are reports of massages getting much more, er, intimate than expected.
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Amauta Spanish School
Big, professional and popular. Also offers Spanish programs in the Sacred Valley and the Amazon jungle.
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Birding in Peru
Englishman Barry Walker, owner of the Cross Keys Pub, is a self-confessed 'birding bum' and the best resident ornithologist to give serious birders plenty of enthusiastic advice. He has also written a field guide, The Birds of Machu Picchu, and runs a tour agency, Birding in Peru, for bird-watching trips all around Peru, as well as into Bolivia and Chile.
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Amazonas Explorer
This professional international operator with top-quality equipment and guides offers rafting trips on the Ríos Apurímac and Tambopata. Private trips on even more remote rivers, such as Río Cotahuasi near Arequipa, can also be arranged. Also offers excellent two- to 10-day mountain-biking adventures.
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Llama Path
Friendly, small trekking company that has received good reports from some travelers.
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Enigma
Specializes in tailor-made treks for small groups, and in alternative tourism.
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River Explorers
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
Runs all sorts of sections, including trips of up to six days on Río Apurímac.
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Sacred Valley via Ferrata
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
The via ferrata – ‘Iron Way’ in Italian – is a series of ladders, holds and bridges built into a sheer rockface. First developed in the Italian Alps in WWII, it’s a great way for reasonably fit people with no previous experience to experience rock climbing. The Sacred Valley Via Ferrata, located amid stunning scenery in the Sacred Valley, was constructed and operated by rock-climbing and high-mountain professionals. It features a 300m vertical ascent, a heart-hammering hanging bridge 200m above the valley floor, and a 100m rappel. Active, adrenaline-pumping fun. The price includes pickup and drop-off in Cuzco or Urubamba, rock climbing and lunch.
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Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco
14 hours (Departs Cusco, Peru)
by Viator
Take an all-inclusive day trip to breathtaking Machu Picchu from Cusco. Visit the world-famous Incan ruins and learn about the city, its history and the people …Not LP reviewed
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Aguas Calientes de Marangani
Twenty minutes past Sicuani – just before Abra la Raya, the high pass that marks the boundary between the Cuzco and Puno departments – are the Aguas Calientes de Marangani. This complex of five fabulously hot thermal pools, linked by rustic bridges over unfenced, boiling tributaries, is quite a sight in itself. The added spectacle of locals washing themselves, their kids and their clothes in the pools makes this an excellent, accessible yet off-the-beaten-track experience.
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Patabamba Community Tourism Association
The Patabamba community tourism association offers a fascinating participative demonstration of the weaving process, all the way from picking the plants to making dyes, to shearing sheep and setting up a loom – with explanations of the meanings of colors and patterns. Campsites and homestays are available with advance notice. To get here, you can hire a taxi from Cuzco for about S30 each way.
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Sacred Valley, Pisac and Ollantaytambo Full-Day Tour from Cusco
8 - 10 hours (Departs Cusco, Peru)
by Viator
Discover the Sacred Valley of the Incas on this full-day excursion from Cusco. Travel to the scenic town of Pisac where you'll visit the local market and see ma…Not LP reviewed
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Action Valley
Action Valley is an adventure park with paintball (US$20), a 300m-long zipline ride (US$15), a giant tower swing (US$20), a 122m bungee jump (US$64) and a bungee slingshot (US$64) at the ready. The park is 11km outside Cuzco on the road to Poroy (taxi S12 or Pachacutec combi S0.60 each way). It’s closed between January 15 and February 15.
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Hot Springs
Weary trekkers soak away their aches and pains in Aguas Caliente's hot springs. These tiny, natural thermal springs, from which Aguas Calientes derives its name, are nice enough but far from the best in the area (that would be Santa Teresa’s Cocalmayo), and get scungy by late morning. Towels can be rented cheaply outside the entrance.
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Perol Chico
Perol Chico, run by Dutch-Peruvian Eduard van Brunschot Vega, has an excellent ranch outside Urubamba with Peruvian paso horses. Eduard organizes horseback-riding tours that last up to two weeks; a one-day trip to Moray and Salinas costs roughly US$150. Advance bookings are required.
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Cusco City Sightseeing Tour
4 hours (Departs Cusco, Peru)
by Viator
Discover the magic and beauty of Cusco, the capital of the Incan Empire. The flawlessly built Incan roads spread to all regions from the “Plaza” which was thoug…Not LP reviewed
from USD$37.99 -
Cusco Spanish School
Prices include 20 hours of Spanish-language instruction per week, three meals per day, a city tour and salsa-dancing lessons. The intensive program doubles the amount of class time.The school can also arrange classes in Peruvian cookery, the Quechua language, Andean musical instruments and ceramics.
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Cconoc
The natural thermal baths of Cconoc are a 3km way downhill from a turnoff 10km east of minor transport hub Corahuasi, 1½ hours east of Abancay. They have a restaurant, a bar and a basic hotel. A taxi from Corahuasi costs S50 with waiting time.
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Andean Treks
Andean Treks is your best source for information and guides for scaling any of the high peaks in the Cuzco area. There are no commercial skiing areas, but adventurous and expert mountain skiers have been known to carry their skis to an Andean summit and ski back down - quite an adventure!
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Sacred Valley Community Small Group Tour from Cusco
9 hours (Departs Cusco, Peru)
by Viator
Escape from the hustle and bustle of Cusco and explore real Quechua community life in the sacred valley on a small group tour. Get lost in the labyrinth of the …Not LP reviewed
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Cusco Markets and Ruins Small Group Tour
5 hours (Departs Cusco, Peru)
by Viator
For a great introduction to Peruvian culture, join a small-group walking tour of Cusco's vibrant markets and impressive Inca ruins. Start at the vibrant San Ped…Not LP reviewed
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Fairplay
A unique non-profit NGO, Fairplay trains Peruvian single mothers to provide Spanish lessons and homestays. Students pay two-thirds of their class fees directly to their teachers. Individual classes only, priced according to the teacher’s level of experience.
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Sota Adventure
Sota Adventure is highly recommended, particularly for horseback riding. The family-run business also offers mountain biking, multi-day hikes and river rafting; however, this area is not recommended for rafting.
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