Sacred Valley of the Incas holidays
Sacred Valley of the Incas holidays at a glance
The Sacred Valley lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu and was once one of the most important regions in the Inca Empire. Blessed with fertile soils, a favourable climate and strategic importance, it became home to agricultural terraces, ceremonial centres and impressive fortifications that still fascinate us every time we visit.
Travelling through the valley reveals towering mountains, patchwork fields, traditional villages and ancient ruins. The River Urubamba winds through the valley floor, connecting many of its most important settlements and archaeological sites.
Despite its popularity, we think the Sacred Valley holds onto a strong sense of local culture. Traditional farming methods are still practised, Quechua heritage remains deeply rooted in the communities, and colourful markets continue to play an important role in daily life.
We’d say the Sacred Valley is more than simply a route to Machu Picchu – it’s a destination worth exploring in its own right.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Sacred Valley of the Incas
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
The Sacred Valley perfectly encapsulates Peru’s appeal. It’s a place where incredible history, beautiful scenery and living traditions come together in a way that few destinations can match.
When to visit Sacred Valley of the Incas
The Sacred Valley can be visited year-round, although weather conditions vary between the dry and rainy seasons.
These are the months with most rainfall – expect some on at least half of all days. Daytime temperatures are pleasant and there should be plenty of sunshine. Increased cloud cover keeps the nighttimes relatively mild.
Showers become less frequent as the rainy season draws to a close. Nearby Cusco is noted for its Easter celebrations
A glorious time to visit this fertile valley; landscapes are green and fresh after the rainy season, and there are a number of celebrations taking place in the region, culminating in Inti Raymi in Cusco in late June. Sunny days and cool nights
This is the driest time of the year, with rain unlikely; plenty of bright sunshine (take care, the Andean sun is very strong) and little in the way of cloud cover. The temperature drops markedly at night so go prepared with extra layers
Expect pleasant days with plenty of sunshine and the occasional shower as the dry season draws to a close. Nights are cooler, but less severe than the mid winter months.
The rains gradually increase, though tend to come in bursts and there should still be plenty of sunshine. Temperatures are pleasant, though still cool at night.
Top Things to do in Sacred Valley of the Incas
The Sacred Valley combines archaeology, culture, adventure and stunning scenery. Whether you’re interested in Inca history, traditional Andean life or active exploration, there’s no shortage of rewarding experiences throughout the region.
Loop around the highland rim of the Sacred Valley on a mountain bike, stopping to admire the Inca terraces at Moray, the salt pans of Maras and the village of Chinchero.
Visit a traditional weaving community and an ancient ruin while hiking through the gorgeous scenery of the Inca heartlands.
Accommodation in Sacred Valley of the Incas
Accommodation throughout the Sacred Valley ranges from boutique haciendas and luxury countryside retreats to charming Andean lodges and historic properties. Many of the region’s finest hotels make the most of the scenery, offering mountain views, tranquil gardens and easy access to the valley’s archaeological sites.
El Albergue is a rustic, friendly little hotel in flowery gardens beside the railway in Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Explora Valle Sagrado is a first-class Andean retreat offering an impressive menu of guided activities and ultra-relaxing accommodation.
Welcoming hotel with a traditional, rustic feel, set within attractive gardens with beautiful mountain views.
Beautiful boutique hotel backed by picturesque mountains, offering stylish accommodation in bungalows spread throughout tranquil gardens.
Peaceful, attractive mountain lodge in the Sacred Valley offering standard and luxury accommodation in stone cottages amidst flowery gardens.
Delightfully secluded and homely hotel surrounded by flower-filled gardens in the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley. All proceeds go to a charitable foundation for deprived youngsters.
Superlative first class hotel characterised by towering ceilings, wooden beams and huge Inca-inspired stone walls. It even has its own railway station for trips to Machu Picchu.Voted number 10 in Trip Advisor’s top 25 Hotels in the World (Jan 2015)
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to Sacred Valley of the Incas
Group Sacred Valley of the Incas Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Andean Flamingo: Andes laid bare
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Lake Titicaca – Bolivian side · La Paz and the altiplano · Uyuni salt flats · Atacama Desert · Santiago and the vineyards
17 days from £5,636
Condor: Peru in depth
Places visited: Lima · Arequipa and Colca Canyon · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Lake Titicaca – Bolivian side · La Paz and the altiplano · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · The Peruvian Amazon (south)
20 days from £3,851
Galapagos Hawk: Peru and Galapagos
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Guayaquil
15 days from £7,009
Hummingbird: Ocean to ocean
Places visited: Rio de Janeiro · Iguazu Falls – Brazilian Side · Iguazu Falls – Argentinian side · Buenos Aires · Sucre and Potosi · La Paz and the altiplano · Lake Titicaca – Bolivian side · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lima
21 days from £5,861
Jacana: Crossing the continent
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Lake Titicaca – Bolivian side · La Paz and the altiplano · Asuncion and the heartland · Iguazu Falls – Argentinian side · Iguazu Falls – Brazilian Side · Rio de Janeiro
19 days from £4,583
Pato Andino: Panorama of the Andes
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Salta · Atacama Desert · Uyuni salt flats · La Paz and the altiplano · Lake Titicaca – Bolivian side · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lima
20 days from £5,222
Pelicano: Essential Peru
Places visited: Lima · Arequipa and Colca Canyon · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu
14 days from £4,087
Swift: Ultimate highlights of Peru
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side
10 days from £2,790
Tailor-Made Sacred Valley of the Incas Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
A Taste of Peru
Places visited: Lima · Paracas, Ica and Nazca · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco
12 days from £4,470
Active Peru: Cycling, rafting and the Inca Trail
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu
12 days from £3,500
Active Peru: The Ausangate Trek
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu
11 days from £2,920
From Paddington to Peru
Places visited: Cusco · Lima · Machu Picchu · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Northern Peru
14 days from £4,050
Luxury Peru and Galapagos: Machu Picchu and the Enchanted Islands
Places visited: Lima · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Quito
14 days from £10,310
Peru Birdlife: Machu Picchu to Pristine Amazon
Places visited: Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · The Peruvian Amazon (south)
12 days from £2,450
Peru by Rail
Places visited: Lima · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Arequipa and Colca Canyon
11 days from £10,420
Peru Odyssey – 21 Days of Discovery
Places visited: Lima · Paracas, Ica and Nazca · Arequipa and Colca Canyon · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · The Peruvian Amazon (south)
21 days from £6,230
Peru: Beyond the Sacred Valley with the Lares Adventure
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu
11 days from £4,470
Signature Andes: Highlands of Peru, Bolivia and Chile
Places visited: Lima · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side · Lake Titicaca – Bolivian side · La Paz and the altiplano · Uyuni salt flats · Atacama Desert · Santiago and the vineyards
16 days from £5,510
Signature Peru and Brazil: Machu Picchu and Rio de Janeiro
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Rio de Janeiro
12 days from £4,240
Signature Peru and Chile: Machu Picchu and Easter Island
Places visited: Lima · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Santiago and the vineyards · Easter Island
15 days from £5,930
Signature Peru and Colombia – Andean Wonders to the Caribbean Coast
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Bogota · Coffee Region (Zona Cafetera) · Medellin · Cartagena · Caribbean coast and islands
20 days from £6,030
Signature Peru: Classic highlights of Peru
Places visited: Lima · Arequipa and Colca Canyon · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side
15 days from £3,940
Signature Peru: The Inca heartland and Amazon Rainforest
Places visited: Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · The Peruvian Amazon (south)
10 days from £2,510
Value Galapagos and Peru
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Machu Picchu · Sacred Valley of the Incas
13 days from £4,930
Value Peru: Sacred Valley of the Incas to Lake Titicaca
Places visited: Cusco · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Lima · Lake Titicaca – Peruvian side
12 days from £1,950
FAQs about visiting Sacred Valley of the Incas
Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When is the best time to visit The Sacred Valley?
The Sacred Valley can be visited throughout the year. The dry season, when sunny days can be expected, runs May-Oct. Travel in Apr-Jun and you’ll find the l fields full of ripening produce.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- What language is spoken in The Sacred Valley?
The languages spoken in The Sacred Valley are Spanish and Quechua.
- What currency do I need in The Sacred Valley?
The Peruvian Nuevo Sol is the main currency used in The Sacred Valley. US dollars can be exchanged for local currency in a couple of small shops in Ollantaytambo and Pisac but you are better off using an ATM in Cusco or at the airport before heading into the valley.
- What is the time difference between The Sacred Valley and the UK?
The time difference between The Sacred Valley and the UK is GMT -5 hours.
- What does a visit to The Sacred Valley combine well with?
Cusco, 53 km by road; Machu Picchu, 23km by rail; Tambopata and the lodges of the southern Amazon, 1 hour by air from Cusco; Lake Titicaca, 6-9 hours by road or 10 hours by train from Cusco; Colca Canyon, 280km by road.
- How do I get to The Sacred Valley?
Flights to Cusco from Lima take one hour. You will then need to drive approximately 2 hours to The Sacred Valley.
- What key events are there in The Sacred Valley?
Semana Santa, Easter. Processions and other celebrations in towns and villages.
Carnival: Feb/Mar. Celebrations start in Pisac 7 weeks before Easter Sunday with competing dance groups and continue in local villages.
Reyes Magos: 6 Jan in Ollantaytambo. Commemorates the Three Wise Men, with statues of poncho-clad Jesus brought down from the mountains. A fair, bull-fighting and dancing.
Señor de Choquekillca: Variable, 50 days after Easter Sunday; but spreading over 4 days. Ollantaytambo celebrates its patron saint’s day with dances, processions, masses, a cockfight and bullfight.
- Is the Sacred Valley higher than Cusco?
No – much of the Sacred Valley sits at a lower altitude than Cusco, which makes it a great place to acclimatise.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.
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