We are going to explore the Sacred Valley tour in a very exiting trip of 1 day, This trip will take you to the sites of Chinchero a textile center, Maras and Moray and Inca Experimental Site. Enjoy the incredible landscape of the Cusco region and the Sacred Valley tour of the Incas.
Peru Path invites you to take a step back in time and explore the fascinating history, culture, myth and land scape with the best staff, get the feeling of an adventure trip to the Special sites of the Incas.
You will be picked up at your hotel in the morning by a Peru Path representative. Then you will take a scenic drive in our private van entering into the Sacred Valley of the Inca. After about 45 minutes we will arrive to the famous textile market of Ahuanacancha. Here you will get to see and learn about traditional weaving practices, as they are still used to this day to create beautiful works of art integral to cultural and the way of life.
Here you can buy some original handcrafts and not only that, there are many opportunities to see llamas, vicuñas and alpacas and take your memorable Peru photo.
We then continue for another 45 minutes to the Inca site in Pisac. This is a breathtaking ruin site with relatively few tourists that lies high above the village on a triangular plateau with a vast gorge on either side.
Pisac draws people for two main reasons, typically the incredibly preserved Inca archeological sites and the huge artisan market. Many of the ruins sites have undergone full reconstructions to preserve history and give visitors an idea of what life would have been like when it was constructed in the mid-1400s.
The most impressive feature of Pisac’s ruins are the agricultural terracing which sweeps around the south and east flanks of the mountain in huge and graceful curves. A testament to the mastery and ingenuity of the Inca, this massive circular formations set in the mountains are almost entirely unbroken by steps which require greater maintenance. Instead, the terracing is joined by diagonal flights of stairs made of flagstone set in to the walls. Above the terrace are footpaths which hug the Cliffside and are surrounded by massive stone doorways, steep stairs, and a short tunnel carved from rock, all watched over by the caracara falcons.
This towering site does not only glimpse over the Urubamba Valley below but also a path that leads all the way to the Northeast into the jungle. Atop the terrace we will see the ceremonial center, which has an Intihuatana, which means ‘the hitching post of the sun’, this is one of the many astronomical tools the Incas used.
You will also see several working water channels, pristine masonry throughout the well preserved temples, a series of ceremonial bathing areas off a small path, and a military area. While at the back of the site, looking from across the Kitamayo Gorge you will see hundreds of holes in the cliff, appearing almost as a honeycomb. These are Inca tombs that were plundered by Huaqueros (grave robbers) and are now completely off limit to tourists.
After our tour of the fascinating ruins site, we have time to explore the huge artisans’ market. This is the perfect place to buy some souvenirs or an alpaca sweater.
Then we are off to our next destination, Ollantaytambo. We drive for another hour and a half and reach the beautiful town of Ollantaytambo engulfed in mountains of which was the home to the Inca elite of the time, strategically located in the far western reaches of the Sacred Valley.
Emperor Pachacuti lead massive reconstruction of the original town bringing the architecture and innovations that defines the incredible site today.
The primary attraction is the ruin sites that are on the outskirts of the settlement in the hills. Interestingly, these sites were originally built as a place of worship, however had served as the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish Conquistadors and is known as being one of the only battles that the Inca successfully defeated the Spanish forces. Not far from here are fortresses and the Wall of the Six Monoliths, a towering wall composed of six large sections.
The construction of the wall was abandoned and left undone for reasons unknown to this day. You will also get to explore the unfinished Temple of the Sun and the Princess Baths, both with carvings and engineering of incredible caliber.
After our extensive tour you will be taken back to your hotel in Cusco by private transport. If you are going to Machu Picchu the next day, another option would be to stay in Ollantaytambo, as the Ollantaytambo train station to Aguas Caliente is located here.
Meals: Buffet Lunch
Included
Not Included
What you need to take:
Camera and film and/or memory cards
Group Service
