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Cusco & the Sacred Valley: Route Guide

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Machu Picchu's terraces beneath Huayna Picchu
Photo: Martin St-Amant · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Cusco and the Sacred Valley put Inca history at four thousand metres. Stone terraces climb impossible slopes, markets spread beneath snow peaks, and the train along the Urubamba delivers you to Machu Picchu as the morning cloud lifts. Ceviche and pisco sours handle the recovery.

Cusco & the Sacred Valley is a 110 km one-way journey (mixed transport). It works best as 5–6 days; the plan below is the 6-day version for May, built from 176 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

5–6
days
110km
distance
5
Stops
176
curated stops

Plan your own version → 5-day plan · 6-day plan · best time to go

The route

Cusco→ 33 kmPisac→ 27 kmUrubamba→ 15 kmOllantaytambo→ 35 kmMachu Picchu

What you'll see

Sacsayhuamán
Stand in awe at the massive stonework of an Inca fortress.
Cusco
Pisaq Archaeological Park
Walk among Inca terraces and ceremonial structures high above the Sacred Valley.
Pisac
Moray Archaeological Site
Look into Moray’s immense concentric Inca terraces and their changing levels.
Urubamba
Pinkullyuna
See sweeping valley views from this hilltop dotted with Incan storehouses.
Ollantaytambo
Machu Picchu
You'll stand in awe before the perfectly preserved stone terraces and temples of this ancient Incan citadel.
Machu Picchu
Qoricancha
Stand in the sacred Inca temple now entwined with a colonial church.
Cusco
Museo Comunitario de Pisac
You will see vibrant textiles and ancient ceramic techniques on display.
Pisac
Salineras de Maras
See thousands of working salt ponds step down a steep Andean ravine.
Urubamba

Choose your length

5-day plan21 stops · 8.2 h transit4.2 stops/day · 1.6 h transit/daySee the full plan →6-day plan26 stops · 8.7 h transit4.3 stops/day · 1.4 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: May, June, July, August

Dry season: crisp blue days, freezing nights, and peak Inca Trail demand — permits and Machu Picchu slots sell out months out.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →