Sacred Valley Tours & Tickets

The Sacred Valley sits at 9,000–11,000 feet (2,743–3,353 m) above sea level, which is why many visitors experience altitude sickness on their first day.

Ollantaytambo, one of the valley's main towns, was built by the Inca around 1460 and still functions as a living settlement with original Inca stonework intact.

The valley's name comes from the Quechua people's spiritual reverence for the Urubamba River, which they believed to be a reflection of the Milky Way.

Terraced agricultural sites like Moray feature concentric circular platforms that may have been used by Incas as an agricultural laboratory to test crop adaptation to different altitudes.

The Sacred Valley produces over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, more than anywhere else on Earth, and local markets still sell dozens of heirloom types.

Machu Picchu can be reached by hiking the Inca Trail (4 days) which starts in the Sacred Valley, or by train from Ollantaytambo.