Peru Sacred Valley of the Incas

Overview

The Sacred Valley of the Incas was the Inca civilisation’s breadbasket and spiritual home. Their ancient terraces - still almost pristine - tumble down the mountainsides towards an earthy quilt of sunlit fields bursting with maize, fruit, flowers and vegetables.

The fast-flowing River Urubamba rushes relentlessly towards the Amazon basin beneath a parade of spiky, snow-stifled peaks. Adobe villages with traditional markets and colourful dress codes unfold in the shadow of the monumental ruined Inca cities and temples.

With so many of Peru's best features, this is a gorgeous place for visitors. The ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo are so impressive that they rival Machu Picchu. Now peppered with hotels from family hostels to first class boutique hotels, the Sacred Valley is increasingly a place to linger for a few days; lower in altitude than Cusco (3,399m), and conveniently en route to Machu Picchu (2,430m).