Tips for Traveling in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru - What To Know Before You Go
by Rebecca Hollman
updated March 25, 2019
Cusco and the Sacred Valley of Peru
The Sacred Valley was the heart of the Incan empire. It spans 60 kilometres of fertile farm land in the valley of the Peruvian Andes. Because of its fertile soil, it became the main area of the Incan empire with the city of Cusco as its capital. It also contained other Incan cities or temple sites like Chinchero, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Urumbamba - many of which are still modern cities today. It runs west from the ruins of Pisac all the way to the infamous ruins of Machu Picchu. It is easily Peru’s biggest tourist destination, drawing in over 1.2 million people every year. I spent two weeks exploring the Sacred Valley and compiled this guide of everything you need to know about Cusco and the Sacred Valley of Peru.
Table of Contents
What to Know
LANGUAGE: The language of Peru is Spanish but most local peoples (especially in the Sacred Valley) area speak mostly Quechua and some Spanish. Because Machu Picchu and Cusco are very popular tourist destinations you can probably get by with speaking English here. Although, I always suggest learning at least basic Spanish before traveling to Central and South America. Speaking and understanding just a little bit will take you pretty far.
CURRENCY/BANKS/ATM: The Peruvian currency is called soles or “sun dollars.” One sole is equivalent to 0.30 US dollars and 1 USD is equivalent to 3.30 soles. A rough guide to to convert from soles to US dollars is to divide by 3. There are ample banks and ATMs throughout Cusco (less so in other towns of the Sacred Valley) so I would suggest getting enough cash out in Cusco to bring with you to Ollantaytambo/Machu Picchu/etc.
WEATHER: The weather changes a lot in Cusco - it can be super sunny, then cloudy, then a little bit rainy, then sunny again all within one hour. During the day, it is decently warm. I wore jeans and a short sleeve shirt most days. At night, it gets chilly so definitely bring long pants and sweaters. If you plan on hiking around, bring a puffer down jacket and lots of layers.
GETTING AROUND: Everything inside of Cusco is pretty much walking distance. I recommend just hoofing it to explore Cusco. To get to other attractions in the Sacred Valley you are going to need to arrange a driver. I had a taxi driver spend the whole day with me and take me to Chinchero, Pisac, Moray and Maras all in the same day for $90 (which was then split between my sister and I). If you are traveling with one other person, or a group, this could be a good way to explore other ruins in the Sacred Valley without having to go on a tour. Getting to Machu Picchu is a whole different story and you can read about it here.
SAFETY: Literally so safe. Just like any other city in the US or Canada.
ALTITUDE: Cusco is at 12,000 feet above sea level - which is pretty dang high. You are probably going to get altitude sick, especially if you fly directly from Lima. Take this into consideration when planning your activities. You are probably going to need at least one full day to get used to the altitude so don’t plan any hikes or strenuous activities for your first couple of days. You can get altitude sickness medicine at any pharmacy and you can also try drinking coca tea.
How to Get There
FROM LIMA:
Option 1 - Fly. You can get from Lima to Cusco on Peruvian Air (or other airlines) for around $40-50 one way. The flight is a quick 30 minute jump and save so much time. If you are only spending time around Cusco/the Sacred Valley while in Peru, I highly recommend flying straight there from Lima and saving yourself the hassle of taking the bus.
Option 2 - Charted bus like Peruhop. Taking a double decker bus designed for tourists traveling through Peru sounds appealing, but in the overall picture, is not worth the price. The Peruhop buses cost between $150-250 depending on your route/destination. It sounds appealing because they pick you up from your hotel in Lima, create an itinerary for you with stops along the way from Lima to Cusco, and drop you off right in Cusco with guides that speak English and Spanish. However, it feels like a trap once you are on the bus because you are stuck to their stop schedule. Also, the buses are mostly all overnight so most of your nights will be sleepless. Overall, I think there are better ways to travel in Peru that are cheaper and more authentic.
Learn more about my honest opinion on Peruhop here.
Option 3 - Local buses. Although I call them local buses (because this is how the locals travel) they’re not like the chicken buses or small vans you are imagining from other parts of Central and South America. These are legit buses, mostly double decker, like any Greyhound or Megabus bus. The quality of the buses ranges from the different companies so you need to do research about the best bus companies before booking. I’ve only ever heard good things about Cruz del Sur. These bus companies have schedules that run all the time and can take you to most parts of Peru. The only down side about traveling via bus is that the cities in Peru are so freaking far away from each other! Expect 10-12 hour bus rides.
*I do not recommend driving yourself to Cusco. The roads in the south are treacherous and cross the Andean mountain range via small, windy roads. Cusco also is very confusing to drive in with tiny, cobblestoned streets and virtually no parking. If you want to drive yourself around the Sacred Valley (which would be a great way to explore it!), I recommend flying from Lima to Cusco and renting a car in Cusco.
What to Do There
1. OLLANTAYTAMBO RUINS: The main attraction of Ollantaytambo are the architectural ruins of the original palace and temples of Emperor Pachucuti. The original site was made up of many stepped levels of agricultural terraces, leading to the military zone at the top of the fortress which gives a view all the way down the Sacred Valley. From there, it enters into the temple area with the Temple of the Sun. As you move horizontally from the temples, the area changes into agricultural storehouses and more terraces. At the bottom of the terraces are royal bathhouses, which served as both an irrigation system and as a religious center.
Entrance into the Ollantaytambo ruins are included in the Boleto Turistico and are open from 8 AM to 5 PM everyday. I highly suggest dedicating at least three to four hours to fully explore the ruins. There are a few smaller trails that lead to different viewpoints, so going to all the spots in the ruins will take some time. These ruins are arguably better than Machu Picchu because there are very few people in the ruins at the same time and the ruins are just as impressive.
2. MACHU PICCHU AND HUAYNA PICCHU: Let’s be honest - this is probably the reason you’re in the Sacred Valley in the first place. Or maybe even the reason you’re in Peru, so it’s obvious that if you’re in the Sacred Valley you will probably be going to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu doesn’t really need its own introduction, however I have a lot to say about getting there/how you buy your tickets/the best time to go/etc.
3. INCA TRAIL (OR OTHER TREKS TO MACHU PICCHU): One of the best ways to truly appreciate an area is to trek through it. The same applies to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Looking out over Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate after 4 days of trekking makes it that much more beautiful. The most common trail is obviously the Inca Trail - which ends at Machu Picchu. However, there are a few other multi-day treks that go through the Sacred Valley. The Inca Trail is super popular and so therefore is expensive and needs to be booked in advance. Most of the other trails are just as, if not more, beautiful than the Inca Trail and are exponentially less crowded. Make sure to research a good tour guide company in advance since you will need a guide to go on any of these treks. Expect to pay around $200-500 USD for any of these multi-day treks.
4. MORAY: The Incan ruins of Moray are a series of concentric terraces that create a bowl/ampitheatre-like shape in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It’s not known exactly what the circles were used for but its assumed that it was a crop research center. Each level of the circle is a different temperature, with a difference of 15 degrees from top to bottom - representing all the different temperatures of Peru from coastal sea level to high altitude Andes mountains. Also, each level had soil imported from different areas of Peru. It was likely that the Incans were testing which crops grew best in which places, since their empire spread over many different climates of Peru.
It is easy to walk around the ruins in about 30 minutes to an hour. Entrance into Moray is included in the price of your Boleto Turistico. This ticket costs $25 and includes your entrance into Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac. You can purchase the ticket in Cusco or at entrances to any of the ruins included in the ticket. Please note that it is only valid for 2 days. I highly suggesting hiring a cab driver from Cusco to take you to Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Pisac all in one day and waiting for you at each of the ruins.
There are infinitely more things to do in Cusco and the Sacred Valley besides these top 4 I’ve listed above. Learn more about everything to do in Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas below.
Where to Stay
There are literally unlimited places to stay in Cusco. Because Cusco is a huge city with a million tourists, there are so many accommodation options to choose from. I personally stayed in Airbnbs the entire time I was in Cusco and I found places for about $40-60 a night (which was then split between two people). This was only slightly more than a private room in a hostel and we had an amazing Airbnb located at the high point in San Blas overlooking all of Cusco. Cusco offers hostels with dorm beds from $8 a night to high end resorts located in old colonial buildings for $500 a night, and everything in between.
HOSTELS:
Selina
Purawasi
MID RANGE:
Airbnb
HIGH END:
Hotel Aranwa
Belmond Hotel Monasterio
Where to Eat
Pachapapa - A gourmet dining experience that includes traditional Peruvian food and also a mix of contemporary dishes, or contemporary takes on Peruvian dishes. Amazing patio dining area and amazing service. $$$
Green Point Organic - My go-to place in Cusco! Has a breakfast buffet, or you can order breakfast dishes off the menu, smoothies, coffee, lunch and dinner. This place is a vegan’s dream. All the food is vegan and also some of the best food I had in Peru. Greens has two different buildings right next to each other that make up the same restaurant. The space on the right is for breakfast/lunch and the space on the left is for dinner. $-$$
The Meeting Place Cafe - A coffee shop in San Blas that has Belgian waffles and amazing hot chocolate, plus a delicious assortment of coffees and teas. $-$$
