How to Have an Incredible Day Trip to the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my trip to Peru. Honestly, every part of that trip was a highlight. The country is that amazing. Yes, I just stopped writing to sit here and daydream. Focus, Priyanka. No matter how many days you have in Peru, be sure to allocate at least one day to the Sacred Valley. Lucky for you, I am going to tell you how to have the perfect day trip to the Sacred Valley.

*Champagne Flight was welcomed as a guest of Machu Picchu Viajes Peru. As always, all opinions are own.

While you can rent a car and drive around, you won’t actually know what you’re looking at and that’s half of the beauty. Therefore, the best way to visit the Sacred Valley is to go with a tour. They’ll take care of everything for you and you’ll just get to sit back, relax and of course take a zillion photos. You’ll also have to try and stop yourself from having thoughts like “you can’t make me leave!”

The tour company I recommend going with is Machu Picchu Viajes Peru. They are incredibly easy to book with, the guide was very knowledgeable and energetic, and they really give you a wonderful overview of the Sacred Valley. I truly had such a memorable experience with them! Keep reading for an overview of what the day trip to the Sacred Valley was like.

Quick note: Don’t trust the weather forecast. Dress in layers. I wore a big thick sweater with nothing else on underneath because the weather said it would be on the chillier side and I regretted it so much. There may or may not have been a brief breakdown where I was so overheated that I contemplated just running around half naked. Don’t worry, I was quickly talked out of that.

Stop 0: Hotel Pickup

One thing about Peru is that everyone is incredibly punctual. Like scarily so. I can’t believe we were actually in South America. We barely put a fork to our mouths or had a sip of our coffee before the guide showed up. The panic I saw in my friend, Meghan’s eyes was enough for me to abandon my breakfast in search of to go cups. There was no way she was going to board that mini bus without caffeine.

Still Stop 0: Leaving Cusco and Driving to Stop 1

I know you’re at the edge of your seats. Did I find those to go cups or not? Well my friends, I am happy to report that I did find the cups so Meghan was able to have her morning coffee without any serious damage inflicted to herself or any of the others in the car. It’s about the small victories in life.

We left Cusco and started towards our first stop with the guide giving us some background about the area and what we could look forward to on the tour. Pretty soon into the drive I started seeing some of the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen. No exaggeration.

Stop 1: Quick Scenic Photo

Luckily, we made a stop to take a photo. Maybe the guide could tell I was basically trying to crawl out the window to see more of the surroundings. This was our first glimpse of the Sacred Valley and boy was I hooked.

Stop 2: Pisac

Our first real stop was in the village of Pisac. We went into a local store and had a demonstration of how they hand make silver jewelry. If you’re looking to buy yourself something nice, this is the stop to do it! The entire store was filled with gorgeous jewelry. I had to stop myself from going overboard but I did end up with some incredibly stunning earrings that I then proceeded to wear the rest of the trip.

Stop 3: Pisac Ruins

The Pisac Ruins are known for their steep hillside of agricultural terraces. Pair that with jaw dropping views of the valley below, and you will absolutely love this portion of the tour. Our guide gave us a brief history of the ruins and then we had some free time to walk around and explore on our own

On our way back to the bus we saw some locals making freshly squeezed orange juice. I almost went weak at the knees at the first sip. It was heaven.

Stop 3: Urubamba for lunch

A quick no frills buffet lunch in Urumbamba was the perfect way to take a break. I may or may not have returned to the buffet line a few times. Don’t judge me.

Stop 4: Ollantaytambo Ruins

The best part of these tours was undoubtedly the history our guide gave us as we got to each site. After all, the ruins are pretty cool on their own but how cool can they really be if you have no idea what you’re looking at? The Ollantaytambo Ruins were no different.

Bonus Stop #5: Moray

After the ruins we were in need of some major caffeine before we headed to our last stop. We quickly got some coffee para llevar (to go) and boarded our van with a big smile on our face. Coffee = life

One of the people in our group had apparently convinced our driver to make an additional stop. That dopey coffee smile was soon wiped off our faces. Though we were pumped to have an additional stop, our driver decided to take us on a very bumpy dirt road because it was a short cut. Our coffees weren’t safe. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Anytime the vehicle would pause, I’d try and chug my hot coffee with Meghan hysterically laughing next to me.

It was all beyond worth it because Moray was truly mesmerizing and such an incredible example of Inca innovation.

Stop 6: Chinchero

This was a unique stop. We got to see a dying and weaving demonstration by the local ladies.

And I got to hang out with this fella

After the demonstration, we had some free time to explore the textiles for sale before heading back to Cusco.

Post Tour Happiness: Pisco Sours

After we were dropped off in Cusco we made a beeline to a nearby restaurant. After all, it was time for some Pisco Sours to end our perfect day.

A day trip to the Sacred Valley will have you falling head over heels in love with Peru (if you haven’t already). Don’t forget to book your tour through Machu Picchu Viajes Peru. And please for the love of god, dress in layers.