Regional travel in Peru – Travel program PTW-CUS002-en

Urubamba valley – the Sacred Valley of the Incas

1 day

Excursion to the Urubamba valley, the «Sacred Valley of the Incas», with the cities of Písac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo.

• At 08:10 h pickup from hotel in Cusco.

• Drive to the Sacred Valley.

• Pisac, traditional Andean town with Spanish influence, with narrow cobbled streets, mostly adobe and tile-topped houses. The church shows the influence of the art movement of the «Escuela cusqueña». Holy Mass is celebrated here in Quechua, the language of the Incas. An arts and crafts fair is held daily with a variety of eye-catching items made of fabric, ceramics, wood and leather. In the same place we also find the local market with typical local products coming from the countryside such as vegetables, potatoes, corn and much more. The «Varayocs» (mayors) of the surrounding towns bring a particularly colorful touch to the city with their typical clothing.

• A special attraction are the partly very old bakeries with their wheat bread and the famous and very enjoyable «Empanadas de queso» and «Empanadas de cebolla» (dumplings with cheese and onions). A treat for visitors.

• From Pisac to the city of Urubamba for a varied, fresh and exquisite buffet lunch.

• In the afternoon visit to Ollantaytambo, one of the most original places in the Sacred Valley. Time seems to stand still here. One of the few places in South America that looks the same as it did 500 years ago. The descendants of the earlier inhabitants still live in the buildings, houses and palaces of the Incas.

• Visiting a family to learn about their way of life.

• As we walk through the city we observe canals and springs of crystal clear water that still flow with great roar through the old streets.

• In the upper part of the town there are terraces and Inca temples that, because of their size, appear as cyclopean constructions. Unfinished stones show that the previous residents had to leave the site at short notice.

• Return to Cusco. Ascent to about 3800 m altitude. We drive through fertile fields and the sunset can be watched from the plateau. A great landscape with the surrounding snow-capped mountains!

• Return to the hotel in Cusco.

Photos: ANDINA