The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

The SACRED VALLEY, or Vilcamayo to the Incas, is about 30 km northwest of Cusco. It traces its winding, astonishingly beautiful course towards Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu. It’s a steep-sided river valley that opens into a narrow but fertile alluvial plain, well exploited agriculturally by the Incas.

Several microclimates within 30 km of the canyon allow specializations in different fruits, corn, and other critical local plants. The river itself starts in the high Andes south of Cusco. It is called the Vilcanota, the same name as the mountain range from where it emerged until the Sacred Valley. From here on downriver, it’s known as the Río Urubamba. This magnificent and energetic river flows into the jungle to merge with other major headwaters of the Amazon.

They are standing guard over the two extremes of the Sacred Valley; the ancient Inca citadels of Pisac and Ollantaytambo perch high above the stunning Río Vilcanota-Urubamba.

They are among the most evocative ruins in Peru. Pisac is a small, pretty town with one of Peru’s best artisanal markets, just 30 km northeast of Cusco, close to the end of the Río Vilcanota’s wild run from Urcos. Further downstream are the ancient villages of Calca, Yucay, and Urubamba, the last of which has the most visitor facilities plus a developing reputation as a spiritual and meditation center yet still retains its traditional Andean charm.

Pisac Small Town

At the far northern end of the Sacred Valley, even the magnificent ancient town of Ollantaytambo is overwhelmed by the excellent temple fortress clinging to the sheer cliffs beside it. The city is a charming place to spend some time, with several good restaurants and a convenient location in the heart of a tremendous trekking country.

Unsurprisingly, it’s an ideal base to take a tent and trek above one of the Urubamba’s minor tributaries or tackle one of the Salkantay trails.

Beyond Ollantaytambo, the route becomes too tortuous for any road to follow. Here, the valley closes around the rail tracks; the Río Urubamba begins to race and twist below Machu Picchu itself, the most famous ruin in South America and a place that is never a disappointment, no matter how tired you are or how commercial it seems.

If you’re tempted to explore further afield, the bus journey from Ollantaytambo to Chaullay is exciting via a steep but newly laid road. From Chaullay, you can set out for the remote ruins of Vilcabamba, the legendary refuge of the last rebel Incas, in an excellent hiking country. However, the main road out of Chaullay continues to descend towards the jungle, following the presently defunct rail line to the tropical town of Quillabamba, a springboard to the Amazon rainforest.

Ollantaytambo

Getting to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

The traditional way to see the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu is to take the three- to five-day hike along the stirring Inca Trail, which is by booking nine months or more in advance due to the excessive demand. You can do this with an official guide or by taking one of the guided treks offered by the many operators in Cusco.

Machu Picchu

By road, you can only follow the Sacred Valley as far as Ollantaytambo; the Inca Trail starts just a few kilometers further.

Sacred Valley By bus or taxi from Cusco

Pisac and Calca leave Terminal Terrestre in the mornings and the afternoons, at 4 pm, 5 pm, and 5.30 pm, from a depot at Av Grau 525.

Near the Puente Grau, you’ll also find colectivos taking people in cars or minibuses to Pisac (40 minutes), Chinchero’s (50 minutes), Urubamba (1 hour), and Ollantaytambo (1 hour, 10 minutes), from around 6 am until midafternoon. Once in the valley, there are plenty of pickup points in Pisac, Calca, and Urubamba. For Urubamba (1 hour, 20 minutes), buses depart Cusco from the depot at Av Grau 525, traveling via Chinchero’s—you only pay according to where you’re going—every fifteen minutes from about 5 a.m. daily. Some buses departed from the Avenida Grau depot and were marked for Puputi Pass by Tambo Machay and Pisac.

Ollantaytambo

Smaller buses leave every thirty minutes for Pisac, Calca (via Tambo Machay), and some for Urubamba, from Puputi 208 and Tullumayo 207 most mornings, less frequently in afternoons.

Taxis to Pisac from Cusco cost more: about $8–15 one-way. You can also hail one of the many cheap buses or colectivos that constantly drive up and down the main road, which passes close to Sacsayhuaman and Qenko.

Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu By Train

The train connecting Cusco with Machu Picchu has a route almost as spectacular as walking the Inca Trail. Buying tickets online, from a tour agency, or directly at the station ticket office (Av Pachacutec, Wanchaq) is essential. Carriages are often fully booked in high season. There are three classes of railway tickets, and while itineraries are given below, more trains are usually laid on in the high season so that timings may vary.

Machu Picchu Inca Lost City

The cheapest type of train is the backpacker shuttle, which leaves at 5:05 am and arrives at Machu Picchu around 07.45 am. The Vistadome train ($93 one-way from Cusco, $142 return) has more windows than the Backpacker, better service, and a complimentary snack. Departing Cusco at 6.05 am and arriving at 9.52 am, the return journey departs at 3.25 pm, arriving in Cusco at 7.41 pm. By far the most luxurious—and significantly more costly—tour, its train is the Hiram Bingham ($588 return), which has elegant, old-fashioned-style carriages with quality table service, food, and guided entry to Machu Picchu, all included in the price.

Departures daily, except Sundays, are at 9 a.m. from Poroy station, half an hour’s drive from Cusco, up above the city on the high plateau dividing the Inca’s capital from the Sacred Valley. After a free brunch and coffee, listening to guides explain the landscape as it passes, the Hiram Bingham pulls into Machu Picchu station around 12.25 pm and departs the same day at 5.45 pm, arriving at Cusco around 9.11 pm.

It can work out faster and cheaper to catch either train from Ollantaytambo, where there’s a bit of a scenic station that can be reached more quickly by bus or car.

This option allows you to enjoy a night in Ollantaytambo and, if you want, get up later for the train. There are several daily trains, with the first round at 5.37 a.m. (Backpacker, $65 one-way) and 6.40 a.m. (Vistadome, $93 one-way). All Cusco departures for Machu Picchu leave San Pedro station, beginning a truly scenic journey.

Machu Picchu

It is sometimes possible to queue at 5 a.m. to buy tickets for the same day, but booking from the Perurail office at Wanchaq station in advance is less stressful. There is a slower local train, but for locals and people living and working in the valley, it’s problematic not to buy these tickets as a gringo.