Hotels near Sacred Valley of the Incas

The Sacred Valley follows the Urubamba River through a wide, fertile corridor between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, flanked by steep mountains and dotted with Inca ruins at nearly every turn. Pisac offers two draws: an extensive Inca citadel terraced into the mountainside above town, and a popular market in the main square (largest on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays). Ollantaytambo, at the valley's western end, is a living Inca town - its street grid and water channels still follow the original 15th-century layout. The fortress ruins above the town feature massive pink granite blocks transported from a quarry 6 km away across the river and up a steep slope, an engineering effort that remains difficult to explain.

Pisac ruins entry costs 70 PEN (17 EUR) via the Boleto Turistico partial circuit. Ollantaytambo charges 70 PEN (17 EUR) individually or is included in the same partial ticket. Most travellers visit both in a single day trip, often adding the Chinchero textile community. Ollantaytambo also serves as the main departure point for trains to Machu Picchu, so some travellers spend a night here before an early-morning train. The valley's lower altitude makes it noticeably warmer and easier to breathe than Cusco.

Pro Tip: Skip the packaged Sacred Valley group tour and take colectivos independently. You will save money, set your own pace, and eat lunch in Urubamba town - where restaurants serve the same dishes at half the price of tourist-oriented spots in Ollantaytambo.