In my experience as a professional guide in Cusco and the wonder of the world Machupicchu, I have seen many times travelers make the same mistakes: Spending more time inside the transport than getting to know the cities.
Spending more time inside the transport than exploring charming villages, interacting with locals and their traditions.
Taking a whole day for these two places is the best thing travelers could do, although it is true that many companies offer combined tours that include many places in the sacred valley such as Chinchero - Maras - Moray - Ollantaytambo - Pisac, most travelers will be happy impression that they are in a rally race in the Dakar, racing against time and spending a short time in each place, and all this because the distances between each place are very long, it will seem to you that you spend more time inside the transport, traveling without stopping, that having moments of tranquility and even more so if you travel in a large group waiting for other people, with their steps and distractions, it is almost an impossible mission to do all that journey without running out of light at the end and feeling that all the time they are rushing you
However, dividing the Sacred Valley of the Incas into a two-day tour could give you greater satisfaction and an opportunity to get to know the small towns and the inhabitants who live near these two archaeological sites, such as: Visiting local artisans to learn about their technique in textiles, recognizing the diversity of styles depending on each community or visit a potter's workshop in Pisaq and take the time to try designing your own tea cup, molding the clay in a class 101 and maybe even find time to stop at a traditional and authentic Andean bar, known as " Chicherías" (Where Chicha is served) where the locals quench their thirst with one of the oldest alcoholic beverages on the continent, following the ancestral recipe of corn fermentation to obtain Chicha de Jora.
The director of that promotional video below, spent more than a week throughout the Sacred Valley, managing to capture daily activities, entering the chicherias, living in agricultural communities of Ollantaytambo such as Willoq and Patacancha dressed in their beautiful red ponchos and others. jewels captured by his lens and that of his team.
Pisaq is the name of an Archaeological site built in Inca times, a city built on top of a mountain with stone and clay walls with a beautiful agricultural sector, made of terraces or staggered floors where crops were planted taking advantage of spaces on the hillside, the archaeological site shares the name with the entire town and getting to know the Inca citadel of Pisaq without walking through the small streets of the town, full of boutiques, with antique shops, art, and crafts and not taking time to try their famous empanadas (Patties or pies) made with wheat dough and quinoa harvested from local crops, prepared in their ancient and picturesque clay ovens, it is almost like leaving without having been to Pisaq .
From Pisaq to Ollantaytambo there are many options for lunch, almost all offer buffet service from noon, it is advisable to arrive at the restaurant early, either because if we arrive long after noon we could find the food overheated or a little cold until not being able to find some dishes for having run out before.
Perhaps the longest and somewhat exhausting distance is the one from Pisac to Urubamba, but it is also the most picturesque as we cross the valley traveling to the banks of the Vilcanota River (later, the same river changes its name to Urubamba due to its location) and passing through small and picturesque towns such as Coya, Lamay , Calca , Urquillos , Huayllabamba and Yucay , this last one was the capital of the Vilcanota Valley in Inca times.
From Urubamba to Ollantay-tambo there are only 30 minutes away, with a journey full of beautiful landscapes, due to its greenery, fertile lands, with flashes of the river due to the sunset rays.
Ollanta, is another town that deserves to be taken easy and that is that in addition to the Archaeological site and its impressive gigantic buildings of beautifully polished stones, which is a few meters from the main square, the town has a completely preserved neighborhood, which was built in the Inca that still serves as homes for today's people, cobbled streets and houses with walls, doors and windows made more than 500 years ago, it is not surprising that TIME magazine has mentioned it in the list of the 50 best destinations in the world
Witnessing the sunset from orange to red tones, with its rays illuminating the brilliant stone-paved streets, from the balcony of a cafeteria that looks towards the sunset, is something that definitely cheers the soul.
On this occasion I met a group of friends from Mexico who, thanks to a mutual friend among them, decided to expand their group.
On this tour to the two gems of the Sacred Valley Sacred Valley of the Incas we leave Cusco around 10 in the morning, heading towards Pisac, located about 32 km east of the city.
Our first stop was at a textile factory in Tambomachay, where they were able to learn about the different types of wool from South American camelids, such as the alpaca, vicuña and llama, and see the process of weaving these fibers. Afterwards, we will go to the Taray viewpoint, where they enjoyed an impressive view of the Vilcanota Valley and the surrounding mountains.
Continuing the tour, we arrive at the town of Pisac, a picturesque Andean town famous for its artisan market and its empanadas prepared in wood-fired clay ovens. There we make the most of time to walk through its cobbled streets, visit its craft, antique and art shops, and enjoy local food and try its famous empanadas, highly nutritious, made from wheat dough with quinoa. Then we will go to the archaeological site of Pisac, where we were able to explore the agricultural terraces and a housing sector of the Inca citadel, which is located about 3 km from the town of Pisac.
After Pisac, we headed to Urubamba, where we enjoyed a buffet lunch at RÚSTICA del Valle Restaurant and had a moment of rest. Then we continue our trip to Ollantaytambo, an Inca city located about 20 km northwest of Urubamba, where we visit the sector of ceremonial sources and other archaeological remains located at the base of the mountain.
Finally, we accompany them to the train station around 5:30 pm, after having traveled approximately 130 km in total.
Some historical facts about the Sacred Valley of the Incas: this valley was one of the most important regions of the Inca Empire, thanks to its fertile land and its strategic location between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The Incas built numerous citadels and temples in this area, including Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero, which today are some of the most visited archaeological sites in Peru.
As travelers, you will be able to enjoy the natural and cultural beauty of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, learning about the customs and traditions of the Andean communities and exploring some of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world. Although our time at the archaeological sites was limited due to shopping stops in Pisac and the textile factory in Tambomachay, we hope you enjoyed this unique experience in Peru.
Going out the night before some tours is rarely as good an idea as leaving it for the last night.
Either because one thing leads to another and almost without noticing after dinner the first toasts begin to appear, sounds of glasses and drinks, sometimes perhaps celebrating the end of a long day of a required walk many meters above the level from the sea, it may not end there at the restaurant since Cusco is characterized by its many nightlife options, almost all located very close to the main square of the city.
With people called by the same locals as "Pullers" encouraging everyone who passes by to have fun, it is even a bit annoying for many the harassment that walkers receive to buy something, it happens in Bombay and in Cairo, it is something very common in tourist places but almost always looking away or saying the magic spanish word "No gracias" will make the pullers disappear.
With many of them launching promotions for bars and nightclubs, with drinks offers, with free admission, even salsa classes, it is surely very easy to be seduced and enter the nightlife of Cusco.
In my experience, a tour of Cusco's fun nightlife is almost always best enjoyed by closing your days in Cusco with a flourish, preferably after doing physical exertion activities, which in addition to already being acclimatized, (Because altitude sickness is not a myth) it is preferable to leave until the end hikes up the mountain that last all day such as Laguna Humantay and the other required and also full day rainbow mountain of Vinicunca and of course how not to celebrate At the end of the day, a feat as special as the conquest of mountains above 5K meters above sea level.
Many travelers find it appropriate to also have a night of fun and a morning to recover after multi-day treks to Machupicchu such as the famous 4-day Inca Trail to Machupicchu's Puerta del Sol, the less demanding but somewhat exhausting 2-day Inca Trail to Machupicchu or other strenuous ones, such as the one from Lares to Machupicchu and Salkantay to Machupicchu of three and five days respectively.
How to have a better experience?
In addition to the above, whether or not in the middle of the days of stay in the Cusco region or at the end of the entire trip, the ideal is to consider a free morning to recover and perhaps plan it beforehand and participate in a tour of various places. night since the parties in some Hostels are more than memorable, almost every day, regardless of whether it is a weekend or not, visit places with local bands and live local Folklore shows or experiences to taste the different distillations of the flag drink of Peru, which has the name of the Peruvian city that gave rise to it "Pisco" served in cocktails with local fruits with the well-known formula of Pisco sour but with purple corn or the super tropical fruit of the Cusco jungle "The golden andean gooseberry" with other delicacies such as Chirimoya and of course, also getting to know the various craft brewery bars in the city, one of the oldest being La cervecería del Valle . Visiting all these places instead of spending all your time in just one, is a Very fun experience that gives a great vision of the great nightlife in the city of Cusco.
Obviously, the second good idea would be to book the flight out of Cusco in the afternoon, saying goodbye to the city with breakfast in the local market of San Pedro trying a chicken broth, a tender pork marinade that wakes up even the zombies. or a local fruit juice as a veggie option and of course restaurant options with continental breakfast or the one that most hotels and some Airbnbs include.
In any case, it is important to keep in mind that a free morning to recover from a hangover is ideal. The tours in Cusco that can be done in the afternoon and last half the day are the visit to the Salineras de Maras and the circular terraces of Moray or the tour in the city of Cusco, an option would also be a walking tour of the city of Cusco for souvenir shopping in the most artistic and charming neighborhoods of Cusco such as the neighborhood with narrow streets and one of the most romantic viewpoints from Cusco in San Blas and like many other options that are short-lived and perfect for recovering from a hangover.
All this could increase the satisfaction of your stay in Cusco much more during your trip to Machupicchu.
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