Welcome to Pisac
Welcome to the international airport for the cosmic traveler, according to one seasoned local. It’s not hard to succumb to the charms of sunny Pisac, a bustling and fast-growing colonial village at the base of a spectacular Inca fortress perched on a mountain spur. Its pull is universal and recent years have seen an influx of expats and New Age followers in search of an Andean Shangri-la. The local tourism industry has responded by catering to spiritual seekers, offering everything from yoga retreats and cleanses to guided hallucinogenic trips. Yet it's also worthwhile for mainstream travelers, with ruins, a fabulous market and weaving villages that should not be missed. Located just 33km northeast of Cuzco by a paved road, it’s the most convenient starting point to the Sacred Valley.
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Sacred Valley of Incas, Pisac, Ollantaytambo Tour from Cusco
Travel back in time to the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a day that begins in Pisac. This native town was once where “exchange transactions” took place. In this type of transaction, customers would exchange one good for another instead of using currency. Visit the market of Pisac where you can purchase beautifully crafted products hand-made by the locals. On Sunday, the main attraction is a mass celebrated in Quechua and conducted in Spanish. It is attended by the mayors and their attendants who play traditional musical instruments called "pututos."Afterwards, you'll enjoy a typical Peruvian lunch (included in price) before visiting the fortress of Ollantaytambo and its main attraction, the Temple of the Sun. Built using massive stones, each one approximately 12 feet (3.5m) tall, this temple was used as a fortress during the time of the Incan civil war.
Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu 2-Day Tour by Train from Cusco
Day 1: Meet our guide between 7:35 to 7:45am in the lobby of your Cusco hotel and travel through the mountains to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Relax and take in the spectacular views along the drive, including the World Heritage-listed Saqsaywaman citadel and Tambomachay, a historic series of aqueducts, canals, and waterfalls. The winding road descends 1,500 feet (457 meters) and travels alongside the sacred Urubamba River. Arrive at the village of Pisac, where you can visit the lively traditional market and perhaps pick up some souvenirs. Then continue to Pisac's Incan ruins, which lie atop a hill with stunning views over the valley. Stroll around the ancient temples, altars, baths, water fountains, and marvel at the inti watana, a volcanic outcrop carved known as a "hitching post for the sun." Climb back into your vehicle for the 40-minute journey to Urubamba, where you can enjoy a buffet lunch (own expense) before continuing on to the town of Ollantaytambo, another Inca archaeological site. Stroll around the temples, terraces, and storehouses under the watchful gaze of the Inca god Wiracocha, whose image is carved into Pinkuylluna Mountain overlooking Ollantaytambo. Later, board the train to Aguas Calientes, or Machu Picchu Town. On arrival, you will be collected from the station and taken to your 3-star hotel, where your guide will meet you for a short briefing ahead of your tour of Machu Picchu the following day.* Enjoy a private Cusco city tour (optional, if you chose it instead of Sacred valley tour on day 1) before taking the train to Aguas Calientes. Visit Saccsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pucapucara, Tambomachay, The Cathedral of Cusco, and the Koricacha. Later, transfer to Ollantaytambo and take the train to Aguas Calientes.Overnight at 3-star hotel Casa Andina Classic or SimilarDay 2: Machu Picchu - CuscoAfter a restful night's sleep and an early breakfast, board a bus to Machu Picchu with your guide, arriving in time for sunrise. Head to Huayna Picchu (own cost, need to be requested in advance), the mountain which rises over Machu Picchu, and follow the steep path to the summit for incredible views of the ancient city of the Incas below. You can complete this trek on your own, without a guide, in around 2-hours. Return to Machu Picchu and re-join your guide for a 2-hour tour of this 15th-century Inca citadel, visiting the main plaza, the circular tower, the sacred solar clock, the royal quarters, the Temple of Three Windows, and various cemeteries. Afterwards, you will have some free time to relax and soak up the views before taking the bus back to Aguas Calientes for lunch (at own cost) and perhaps soothe your muscles with a dip in the hot springs (own cost). In the afternoon, take the train back to Ollantaytambo where tour driver will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.
Sacred Valley Private Tour from Cusco with Moray and Pisac
After a pick up and briefing at your hotel by your private guide, you will begin your day.8:00am: Start your tour of the Sacred Valley by visiting the impressive ruins of Pisac to appreciate the agricultural terraces and the mysterious cemetery around the site. Then visit the colorful handicraft market of Pisac, where you can see a variety of crafts, textiles, paintings, silver jewelry, and more things at affordable prices.10:30am: Drive for about an hour to visit the impressive Salineras of Maras. Walk along the ponds where the local people work on the salt evaporation process that has been in use since pre-Inca times.12:30pm: Next up is the Moray archeological site. It is thought to be an agricultural experiment laboratory built by the Inca. After visiting the site, you can choose to have an incredible lunch over 11000 feet (3500 m) high in a great restaurant overlooking the Moray site (own expense).2:30pm: Continue driving for about 45 minutes to visit the Ollantaytambo archeological site, once the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti during the Inca empire. Explore its impressive military and religious center before making the 2-hour drive back to Cusco.Optional to stay in Ollantaytambo to take the overnight train to Machupicchu.18:30pm arrive in Cusco City and drop you at your hotel.Enjoy the magic views of the valleys. Mountain ranges, local people doing farming activities, architecture and engineering constructions over the long period of the Andean Civilizations.
Sacred Valley, Pisac and Ollantaytamb Full-Day Tour from Cusco
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco RegionAt 8.30am, we pick you up from your hotel and take you to the start of the tour. We travel from Cusco, past Saqsaywaman over the mountains towards the Sacred Valley. We descend 1500 feet to the valley floor, where we find ourselves by the sacred Urubamba River and the village of Pisac. In Pisac, we stop to visit a traditional market, where you can browse and buy some local souvenirs if desired. We will spend about 30 minutes here.Then, we drive up to the ruins of Pisac. Here, we explore the extensive ruins whilst enjoying stunning views over the valley. You will be given a guided tour of the Citadel of Pisac, in which we will see temples, homes, altars, carvings, tunnels, caves and the famous Intihuatana, "The hitching post of the sun". We have about 90 minutes to explore the ruins.For those who would prefer to spend more time in the market instead of visiting the ruins, advise your guide so he can organize a time and place to pick you up when returning through the market.We continue on towards Urubamba, where we make a stop (45 minutes) for lunch(not include). A 30 minute drive takes us to Ollantaytambo, which is surrounded by the sacred mountains. Here, we will spend about an hour. In Ollantaytambo, we get further exposure to Incan constructions, mainly the amazing temple of the sun, enormous blocks of rock perfectly carved and polished, stone water fountains, stairs and terraces. We also get to see the beauty of the local people in their traditional dress surrounded by the sacred mountains and Valley of Patacancha and Willoq.On our return, we make a quick (30 minute) visit to the famous church and archaeological site in Chincheros. We return to Cusco at about 6:30-7pm.Duration: 10 hours
Sacred Valley Full-Day Tour with Pisac Market and Chinchero
Early in the morning you will be picked up from your hotel between 7:15am-8am, followed up by an excursion to the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit the Inca monuments around Pisac and the picturesque Indian Pisac Market, the shopping paradise of the Andes where bartering is still practiced. Enjoy the unique atmosphere together with a typical lunch.In the afternoon, while you pass through the Towns of Calca and Urubamba, you'll visit the Inca Fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo, built to guard the entrance to this part of the Valley, and protect it from possible invasion from the tribes in the Lower jungle. There you can walk through the quaint streets of the town and get a good idea how this strategic military, religious, and agricultural center was like during the era of the Inca Empire. On your way back to Cusco, you'll stop of at the picturesque Andean Village of Chinchero to visit the ruins of the Royal Hacienda of Tupac Inca Yupanqui. Admire a well-preserved Inca Wall in the Main Square and visit the beautiful Colonial temple built on Inca foundations, with interesting frescoes in the portico.Late in the afternoon (around 6:40pm), you will return to your selected hotel to spend the night. The evening is free-time, so feel free to stroll around the Main Square and enjoy the night atmosphere, trying a delicious Pisco Sour in some of the many pubs around the Square. Note: The visit to the Village of Chinchero depends on the time available.
Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Sacred Valley 5-Day Tour
Day 1: Cusco Arrival After your pickup from the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure before beginning a 4-hour city tour listening|walking into history of the Incas (starting at 1:30pm) or wait the panoramic bus for a 2 hours exploration ride in the surrounding of Cusco (starting at 3h00pm). The guided visit are: the Convent of Santo Domingo, Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay. Return back to the city in the evening. Day 2: Sacred Valley VIP Tour (B)We will start our VIP excursion through the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Chinchero, where we will join a traditional weaving workshop. We will be part of the most remarkable textile handmaking display and see how the locals are working fashion. Then, we continue with a guided tour to the non-traditional Maras Moray circuit, a unique archaeological group that is one of a kind. The gigantic circular depressions in theground surface were believed to be an agriculture investigation centre of the Inca’s but also a vibration complex. Then we drive to the salt mines located 7 km from Moray, pass through a typical Spanish village called Maras. In the afternoon we will visit the village of Ollantaytambo and the Inca Archaeological site which was inhabited 500 years ago and still remains in pretty good state... TWe will return back to Cusco via Pisac, a colonial town were we will find the indigenous and traditional market with hand crafted goods and souvenirs. After exploring town we then head towards the P’isaq RuinsDay 3: Cusco - Aguas Calientes (B)Enjoy an early breakfast in the hotel and then transfer to the train station in Ollantaytambo. You are going to the Machu Picchu!!! After arriving in Aguas Calientes, the day is yours and nearby hot springs can help you relax or maybe you like hiking and would like exploring several small trails in the area?Day 4: Machu Picchu (B)After an early wake-up at 4am, start your one-hour trekking up to Machu Picchu. Meet your guide at the entrance to marvel at the breathtaking sunrise, then continue on a 2-hour guided tour. Afterwards there will be free time to explore the site more in details. For those who reserve in advance a climb to Huayna Picchu is possible (usually at least 1 month in advance), for the rest the Old Mountain will be the way. Make the 1-hour trek up to the mountain of Huayna Picchu and experience beautiful views. Enjoy lunch, before making your way back to Cusco by train from Aguas Calientes.Day 5: Cusco Departure (B)Head to the airport to meet your departing flight after breakfast in the hotel.