VIP Sacred Valley Full Day Tour from Cusco

Maras Salt Mines on the hillside of the Sacred Valley
Group of travelers at the entrance to the Moray archaeological site
Guide explaining Moray to the travelers
Circular terraces of the Moray archaeological site
Tour group on the terraces of Chinchero
DURATION 1 Day
DEPARTURE Hotel – San Francisco Square
GROUP SIZE 1–19 people
MAX. ALTITUDE 3750 m.a.s.l.
DIFFICULTY Easy

The beginning of the journey

The VIP Sacred Valley tour covers, in a single day, the five best-known sites of the Sacred Valley of the Incas: Chinchero, Moray, the Maras Salt Mines, Ollantaytambo and Pisac, with a buffet lunch in Urubamba. It is designed for travelers who are short on time and want to see as much of the valley as possible in one day from Cusco. We pick you up at your hotel between 6:35 and 6:45 a.m.

VIP or Classic? The VIP visits five sites, with stops of 30 to 40 minutes at each. If you prefer a slower pace, the Classic Sacred Valley tour focuses on three sites (Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero) with more time at each. If you want to continue to Machu Picchu, take a look at the VIP Sacred Valley tour connecting to Machu Picchu (2 days).

The sites you visit

  • Chinchero: a town about 30 km from Cusco, at 3750 meters above sea level, that keeps its traditional textile and pottery crafts alive. Its colonial church stands on the remains of an Inca palace.
  • Moray: circular Inca terraces that, according to many archaeologists, were used for agricultural experiments, with an irrigation system fed from high up in the mountains.
  • Maras Salt Mines: more than 3000 salt pools fed by a salty spring. The families of Maras work the salt and sell it, a centuries-old tradition.
  • Ollantaytambo: an Inca town and archaeological site about 90 km from Cusco. Pachacútec built the town and a ceremonial center here, and during the Conquest it was Manco Inca’s fortress. Today it is the starting point of the train to Machu Picchu.
  • Pisac: a town at about 2966 meters above sea level, known for its craft market, with an archaeological park at the top of the mountain.

Itinerary

We pick you up at your hotel in Cusco between 6:35 and 6:45 a.m. to begin the tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

First stop: Chinchero, a town that keeps its traditional textile and pottery crafts alive. We visit its colonial church, known for its paintings.

We visit Moray, the ancient Inca agricultural research center with circular terraces, and then the Maras Salt Mines, more than 3000 salt pools worked by local families.

We have lunch in Urubamba: a buffet with starters, main courses and regional desserts, with vegetarian options and hot drinks.

We visit Ollantaytambo and its Inca archaeological site. If you are continuing to Machu Picchu, this is where you take the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly Aguas Calientes); the rest of the group continues to Pisac.

Last stop: Pisac, with its archaeological site and its craft market. Please note that we usually arrive when the archaeological site is about to close, so the visit depends on our arrival time.

We return to Cusco. The transport drops you off two or three blocks from the Plaza de Armas.

What's included

Included

  • Hotel pick-up: Hotel pick-ups begin at 6:35 a.m. for group tours. For private Sacred Valley tours, the pick-up time can be arranged.
  • Professional bilingual guide (Spanish and English): On group tours, the tour is conducted in Spanish and English, one after the other. On private tours, you can choose between a Spanish-, English-, or Portuguese-speaking guide.
  • Transportation: Tourist transportation to the attractions is included.
  • Buffet lunch: We will enjoy a buffet lunch in Urubamba.
    • Lunch: Options may include spaghetti, white meat (chicken chicharrón, lomo, beef stew, trout chicharrón), red meat (lamb stew, beef tenderloin, pork chicharrón), quinoa chaufa, legumes, Andean potatoes, as well as white rice or arroz a la jardinera (Peruvian rice with vegetables). Lunch also includes two varieties of salad: cooked (carrots and broccoli) and fresh (lettuce, cucumber, and tomato), with excellent vegetarian options. If you would like soup, quinoa soup may be available. For dessert, you can enjoy mazamorra morada, rice pudding, gelatin, or peach stew. Hot beverages include muña tea, coca tea, and coffee.
    • Private tours: Breakfast and lunch are provided at higher-category restaurants offering a wider variety of gastronomic options.

Not Included

This tour requires a General Tourist Ticket or Partial Tourist Ticket to visit Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero. For more information about the Tourist Tickets, please see the “What to Bring” section.

  1. Partial Tourist Ticket
    • S/. 70.00 – Foreigners | S/. 40.00 – Peruvians
  2. Entrance to the Maras Salt Mines
    • (S/ 20 for foreigners and S/ 15 for Peruvians, paid on site)

Recommended to bring

What to Bring

  • Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico): To visit various cultural attractions in Cusco, you need either a Partial Tourist Ticket or a General Tourist Ticket.

    • If you plan to visit most of the main tourist attractions in Cusco during your stay, we recommend purchasing the General Tourist Ticket to save on entrance fees and simplify your trip.
    1. General Tourist Ticket: S/. 130.00 – Foreigners | S/. 70.00 – Peruvians. Includes admission to 16 tourist attractions in Cusco: the Regional Historical Museum, Puca Pucara, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tambomachay, Museum of Popular Art, Pisac, Qorikancha Site Museum, Ollantaytambo, Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, Chinchero, Pachacutec Inca Monument, Moray, Sacsayhuaman, Tipón, Q’enqo, and Pikillacta.
    2. Partial Tourist Ticket: S/. 70.00 – Foreigners | S/. 40.00 – Peruvians. Includes one-day admission to one circuit of attractions. There are three circuits:
      • Circuit I: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara.
      • Circuit II: Regional Historical Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Popular Art, Qorikancha Site Museum, Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, Pachacutec Inca Monument, Tipón Archaeological Park, and Pikillacta Archaeological Park.
      • Circuit III: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, and Moray.
  • Camera
  • Sunscreen
  • Water bottle
  • Sunglasses
  • Windbreaker jacket
  • Long-sleeved shirt
  • Walking or trekking shoes
  • November to March: A rain poncho is recommended.
  • Appropriate clothing for a full-day excursion
  • Peruvian soles in cash

To purchase your Tourist Ticket, as well as admission to the Maras Salt Mines, you must bring Peruvian soles.

Bring your passport or ID: the Tourist Ticket is issued in your name and is checked together with your ID.

Frequently asked questions

From USD 40 per person on a group tour. It includes hotel pickup, transport, the guide and the buffet lunch. It does not include the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico) or the entrance to the Maras Salt Mines.

Five sites, in this order: Chinchero, Moray, the Maras Salt Mines, Ollantaytambo and Pisac, with a buffet lunch in Urubamba.

Hotel pickup from 6:35 a.m. (on private tours the time is arranged with you), tourist transport to the sites, a professional bilingual guide and a buffet lunch in Urubamba with hot drinks (muña tea, coca tea and coffee).

We pick you up at your hotel between 6:35 and 6:45 a.m. At the end of the day we drop you off two or three blocks from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

The Partial Tourist Ticket (S/ 70 for foreigners and S/ 40 for Peruvians; it covers circuit III: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray) or the General Tourist Ticket (S/ 130 for foreigners and S/ 70 for Peruvians; 16 sites in Cusco), plus the entrance to the Maras Salt Mines (S/ 20 for foreigners and S/ 15 for Peruvians, paid on site). They are paid in cash, in soles (PEN).

The VIP visits five sites (Chinchero, Moray, Maras Salt Mines, Ollantaytambo and Pisac) with 30 to 40 minutes at each. The Classic visits three (Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero) and spends more time at each site.

Pisac is the last stop and we usually arrive when its archaeological site is about to close, so the visit depends on our arrival time. If exploring Pisac at a relaxed pace matters to you, we recommend the Classic Sacred Valley tour.

Yes. In Ollantaytambo you can take the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo while the rest of the group continues to Pisac. To have everything organized, take a look at the VIP Sacred Valley tour connecting to Machu Picchu (2 days).

On group tours the guide speaks Spanish and English, one after the other. On private tours you can choose Spanish, English or Portuguese.

Yes. The group tour is for 1 to 19 people, with the pickup time set by the program and a buffet lunch. The private tour is from 2 people: the pickup time is arranged with you, you choose the guide’s language (Spanish, English or Portuguese), breakfast and lunch at higher-category restaurants are included, and you go at your own pace.

Cash in soles (for the Tourist Ticket, the Maras entrance and your own expenses), a camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, a water bottle, a windbreaker, a long-sleeved shirt and hiking shoes. From November to March, a rain poncho. Bring your passport or ID: the Tourist Ticket is issued in your name and is checked together with your ID.

All payments are made online through WeTravel. You pay the deposit stated in your quote and the balance when you arrive in Cusco or on the agreed date. More details in Payment Methods and Policies.