Cuzco & The Sacred Valley, Peru
Festivals & Events
Pisac Ruins
Ollantaytambo Ruins
Walking Tour: Central Cuzco
Cuzco
Pisac
Ollantaytambo
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley, Peru
For the Incas, Cuzco was the belly button of the world. A visit to this city and its nearby ruins tumbles you back into the cosmic realm of ancient Andean culture – knocked down and fused with the colonial imprint of Spanish conquest, only to be repackaged as a thriving tourist center. The capital of Cuzco is only the gateway. Beyond lies the Sacred Valley, Andean countryside dotted with villages, high-altitude hamlets and ruins linked by trail and railway tracks to the continent’s biggest draw – Machu Picchu.
Two Days in Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Spend two full days exploring the city of Cuzco. On day one visit the Museo Machu Picchu and Qorikancha and enjoy decadent Andean fare at Chicha.
On day two, browse the wares at the Mercado San Pedro and the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cuzco. Take the Marcelo Batata Cooking Class and hear some live music at Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo.
Four Days in Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Head out early for a trip to the impressive Pisac Ruins. Take a taxi to the top, then make the walk down to Pisac for a visit to the famed Mercado de Artesanía.
On day four, catch a bus to ancient, cobbled Ollantaytambo and hike through the spectacular ruins above town. End the day with a meal at El Albergue Restaurante.
Arriving in Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Cuzco’s Aeropuerto Internacional Alejandro Velasco Astete, 6km south of the center, receives national and international flights. The combi lines Imperial and C4M (S0.80, 20 minutes) run from just outside the airport to Av El Sol. An official radio taxi from within the airport costs S40.
Where to Stay
The region offers a range of lodging options from hostels to luxury hotels. Cuzco has hundreds of lodgings of all types and prices, with some of Peru’s highest room rates. Booking ahead is recommended in high season (June to August). Rural areas may have lodging without adequate heating – ask ahead if you’re concerned.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Festivals & Events
Cuzco and the surrounding highlands celebrate many lively fiestas and holidays. Between them they provide riveting manifestations of both Andean and Catholic culture.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
June’s Inti Raymi, the drawcard festival of Cuzco.
8Need to Know
National holidays and local festivals are the most crowded times – book accommodations well ahead.
5Take a Break
Feasts are integral to most festivals in Cuzco, so expect plentiful, delicious street food.
oTop Tip
Book a seat for the Inti Raymi ceremony (though it can be more fun to stand with the locals).
El Señor de los Temblores
This procession through the Plaza de Armas takes place on Holy Monday, the Monday before Easter. It dates to the earthquake of 1650. El Señor de los Temblores’ crucifix of the savior (now charred with soot) is considered the patron saint of Cuzco, responsible for saving the city from further earthquake damage.
Crucifix Vigil
On May 2–3, a Crucifix Vigil is held on all hillsides with crosses atop them.
Corpus Christi
Held on the ninth Thursday after Easter, Corpus Christi usually occurs in early June and features fantastic religious processions and celebrations in the cathedral.
The Q’oyoriti Pilgrimage
Incredibly elaborate costumes, days of dancing, repetitive brass-band music, fireworks and sprinklings of holy water: welcome to one of Peru’s lesser known, but most intense, festivals, Q’oyoriti (Star of the Snow).
Held at the foot of Ausangate the Tuesday before Corpus Christi, in late May or early June, this is a dizzy, delirious spectacle, yet no alcohol is involved or even allowed. Offenders are whipped by anonymous men dressed as ukukus (mountain spirits) with white masks that hide their features.
At 6384m, Ausangate is the Cuzco department’s highest mountain and the most important apu (sacred deity) in the area. The subject of countless legends, it’s the pakarina (mythical place of sacred origin) of llamas and alpacas, and controls their health and fertility.
Q’oyoriti is a pilgrimage – the only way in is by trekking three or more hours up a cold mountain, arriving around dawn. The sight of a solid, endless line of people quietly wending their way up or down the track and disappearing around a bend in the mountain is unforgettable, as is Q’oyoriti’s eerie, otherworldly feel.
Many cuzqueños (inhabitants of Cuzco) believe that if you attend Q’oyoriti three times, you’ll get your heart’s desire.
Inti Raymi
Cuzco’s most important festival, the ‘Festival of the Sun’ is held on June 24. Visitors from throughout Peru and the world join the whole city celebrating in the streets with dancing and parades. The festival culminates in a re-enactment of the Inca winter-solstice festival at Sacsaywamán. Despite its commercialization, it’s still worth seeing the pageantry in the city and at Sacsaywamán.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Pisac Ruins
A truly awesome site with relatively few tourists, this hilltop Inca citadel lies high above the village on a triangular plateau with a plunging gorge on either side.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
Taking a taxi up to the ruins and walking the 4km back to town.
8Need to Know
boleto turístico adult/student S130/70; 
h7am-6pm
5Take a Break
Vendors sell drinks and snacks at the top.
oTop Tip
Note that organized tours, while often informative, are more rushed than private tours.
Terracing
The most impressive feature is the agricultural terracing, which sweeps around the south and east flanks of the mountain in huge and graceful curves, almost entirely unbroken by steps (which require greater maintenance and promote erosion). Instead, the terracing is joined by diagonal flights of stairs made of flagstones set into the terrace walls. On the terraces, the Incas could grow food crops that would feed much of the mountaintop city; many terraces are still planted today. Above the terraces are cliff-hugging footpaths, watched over by caracara falcons and well defended by massive stone doorways, steep stairs and a short tunnel carved out of the rock.
Temples
This dominating site guards not only the Urubamba Valley below, but also a pass leading into the jungle to the northeast. Topping the terraces is the site’s ceremonial center, with an intihuatana (literally ‘hitching post of the sun’; an Inca astronomical tool), several working water channels, and some painstakingly neat masonry in the well-preserved temples.
A path leads up the hillside to a series of ceremonial baths and around to the military area. Looking across the Kitamayo Gorge from the back of the site, you’ll also see hundreds of holes honeycombing the cliff wall. These are Inca tombs that were plundered by huaqueros (grave robbers), and are now completely off-limits to tourists.
No one knows the exact date of construction, but it was likely built no earlier than the early 15th century because no pre-Inca elements have been found. It probably served as a defensive outpost at the southern end of the valley, though some archaeologists believe it may have been constructed to celebrate victory over the Cuyos, a group living north of the Sacred Valley.
Hiking
At the time of writing, the trail starting above the west side of the church in town was closed. Check for updates in Pisac. When it’s open, it’s a two-hour climb and 1½ hours return. Worthwhile but grueling, it’s good training for the Inca Trail! The footpath has many crisscrossing trails, but if you aim toward the terracing, you won’t get lost. To the west, or the left of the hill as you climb up on the footpath, is the Río Kitamayo Gorge; to the east, or right, is the Río Chongo Valley.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Ollantaytambo Ruins
Both fortress and temple, these spectacular Inca ruins rise above Ollantaytambo, making a splendid half-day trip.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
Hiring a local guide is worthwhile to demonstrate how to turn on the faucet of the royal baths.
8Need to Know
boleto turístico adult/student S130/70; h7am-5pm
5Take a Break
There are bars and local restaurants just around the corner from the ruins.
oTop Tip
The boleto turístico tourist card, used for admission, is valid for 10 days and for 16 other sites across the region.
Inca Victory
The huge, steep terraces that guard Ollantaytambo’s spectacular Inca ruins mark one of the few places where the Spanish conquistadores lost a major battle.
The rebellious Manco Inca had retreated to this fortress after his defeat at Sacsaywamán. In 1536, Hernando Pizarro, Francisco’s younger half-brother, led a force of 70 cavalrymen to Ollantaytambo, supported by large numbers of indigenous and Spanish foot soldiers, in an attempt to capture Manco Inca.
The conquistadores, showered with arrows, spears and boulders from atop the steep terracing, were unable to climb to the fortress. In a brilliant move, Manco Inca flooded the plain below the fortress through previously prepared channels. With Spaniards’ horses bogged down in the water, Pizarro ordered a hasty retreat, chased down by thousands of Manco Inca’s victorious soldiers.
Yet the Inca victory would be short lived. Spanish forces soon returned with a quadrupled cavalry force and Manco fled to his jungle stronghold in Vilcabamba.
Construction
Though Ollantaytambo was a highly effective fortress, it also served as a temple. A finely worked ceremonial center is at the top of the terracing. Some extremely well-built walls were under construction at the time of the conquest and have never been completed. The stone was quarried from the mountainside 6km away, high above the opposite bank of the Río Urubamba. Transporting the huge stone blocks to the site was a stupendous feat. The Incas moved the blocks across the river by carting them to the riverside and then diverting the entire river channel around them.
Hiking & Views
The 6km hike to the Inca quarry on the opposite side of the river is a good walk from Ollantaytambo. The trail starts from the Inca bridge by the entrance to the village. It takes a few hours to reach the site, passing several abandoned blocks known as piedras cansadas – tired stones.
Looking back towards Ollantaytambo, you can see the enigmatic optical illusion of a pyramid in the fields and walls in front of the fortress. A few scholars believe this marks the place where the legend says the original Incas first emerged from the earth.
Cuzco
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
Cuzco
1Sights
Cusco PlanetariumMuseum
(
%974-877-776, 084-23-1710; www.planetariumcusco.com; Carr Sacsayhuamán, Km 2; per person with transport S75; hpresentations 6pm)
An excellent way to explore the fascinating Inca cosmovision. They defined constellations of darkness as well as light, used astronomy to predict weather patterns, and designed Cuzco’s main streets to align with constellations at key moments. After an indoor presentation in English and Spanish there’s high-powered telescope viewings outside. Reservations are essential; price varies with group size, and includes pickup and drop-off. The planetarium van picks up visitors at 5:40pm from Plaza Regocijo.
Museo de Arte PrecolombinoMuseum
(map Google map; %084-23-3210; www.map.museolarco.org/museo.html; Plazoleta Nazarenas 231; S20; h8am-10pm)
Inside a Spanish colonial mansion with an Inca ceremonial courtyard, this dramatically curated pre-Columbian art museum showcases a stunningly varied, if selectively small, collection of archaeological artifacts previously buried in the vast storerooms of Lima’s Museo Larco. Dating from between 1250 BC and AD 1532, the artifacts show off the artistic and cultural achievements of many of Peru’s ancient cultures, with exhibits labeled in Spanish, English and French.
La CatedralChurch
(map Google map; Plaza de Armas; adult/student S25/12.50; h10am-5:45pm)
A squatter on the site of Viracocha Inca’s palace, the cathedral was built using blocks pilfered from the nearby Inca site of Sacsaywamán. Its construction started in 1559 and took almost a century. It is joined by the 1536 Iglesia del Triunfo (map Google map; Triunfo s/n) to its right and the 1733 Iglesia de Jesús María to the left.
QorikanchaRuins
(map Google map; %084-24-9176; Plazoleta Santo Domingo; admission S15 or boleto turístico; h8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)
If you visit only one Cuzco site, make it these Inca ruins forming the base of the colonial church and convent of Santo Domingo. Once the richest temple in the Inca empire, all that remains today is the masterful stonework. The temple was built in the mid-15th century during the reign of the 10th Inca, Túpac Yupanqui. Postconquest, Francisco Pizarro gave it to his brother Juan who bequeathed it to the Dominicans, in whose possession it remains.
CCourses
Marcelo Batata Cooking ClassCooking
(map Google map; %984-384-520; www.cuzcodining.com; Calle Palacio 135; 4hr course S297; h2pm)
If you’ve fallen for Peruvian cooking, this four-hour course is a worthwhile foray. A fully stocked market pantry demystifies the flavors of the region and the kitchen setup is comfortable. Includes appetizers, a pisco tasting and a main course. In English, Spanish or Portuguese. Accommodates vegetarians, and there’s a private-course option.
TTours
Alpaca ExpeditionsHiking
(map Google map; %084-25-4278; www.alpacaexpeditions.com; Heladeros 157, piso 2 No 24; h9am-7:30pm Mon-Fri, 4:30-7:30pm Sat & Sun) 
S
A popular outfitter for the Inca Trail, Sacred Valley treks, Salkantay and Choquequirao, this is one of the few companies to prioritize hiring female guides and porters. Also uses portable bathrooms, plants trees and participates in trail cleanup.
Apus PeruHiking
(map Google map; %084-23-2691; www.apus-peru.com; Cuichipunco 366; h9am-1pm & 3-7pm Mon-Sat)
A recommended outfitter for the Inca Trail and others, also offering conventional tours. Responsible and popular with travelers. The company joins the Choquequirao trek with the Inca Trail for a total of nine days of spectacular scenery and an ever-more-impressive parade of Inca ruins, culminating in Machu Picchu.
Museo Machu Picchu
This newish museum (map Google map; Casa Concha; %084-25-5535; Santa Catalina Ancha 320; adult/child S20/10; h8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat) exhibits 360 pieces from Machu Picchu taken by Hiram Bingham’s expeditions and recently returned by Yale University, including lithic and metals, ceramics and bones. The collection shows the astounding array of fine handicrafts and ceramics acquired from throughout the vast Incan empire. There’s also good background on the Bingham expeditions with informative documentaries (subtitled). Signs are in English and Spanish.
7Shopping
Center for Traditional Textiles of CuzcoArts & Crafts
(map Google map; %84-228-117; Av El Sol 603; h7:30am-8pm)
This nonprofit organization, founded in 1996, promotes the survival of traditional weaving. You may be able to catch a shop-floor demonstration illustrating different weaving techniques in all their finger-twisting complexity. Products for sale are high end.
Mercado San PedroMarket
(map Google map; Plazoleta San Pedro; h6am-7pm)
Cuzco’s central market is a must-see. Pig heads for caldo (soup), frogs (to enhance sexual performance), vats of fruit juice, roast lechón (suckling pig) and tamales are just a few of the foods on offer. Around the edges are typical clothes, spells, incense and other random products to keep you entertained for hours.
5Eating
Monkey CafeCafe $
(map Google map; %084-59-5838; Tandapata 300; mains S15-20; h8am-8pm Wed-Mon)
Cuzco’s finest coffee shop is shoehorned into a tiny locale at the top of San Blas hill. All espresso drinks feature double shots made with Peruvian-origin roasts. There are also very tasty sweets and hearty breakfasts ranging from healthy to heart-stopping.
CicciolinaInternational $$
(map Google map; %084-23-9510; www.cicciolinacuzco.com; Triunfo 393, 2nd fl; mains S38-59; h8am-11pm)
On the 2nd floor of a lofty colonial courtyard mansion, Cicciolina may be Cuzco’s best restaurant. The eclectic, sophisticated food is divine, starting with house-marinated olives, and continuing with crisp polenta squares with cured rabbit, huge green salads, charred octopus and satisfying mains like red trout in coconut milk, beetroot ravioli and tender lamb. With impeccable service and warmly lit seating.
Marcelo BatataPeruvian $$
(map Google map; %084-22-2424; www.cuscodining.com/marcelo-batata; Palacio 121; mains S43-56; h12:30-11pm)
A sure bet for delectable Andean cuisine with a twist. Marcelo Batata innovates with traditional foods to show them at their best – like the humble tarwi pea, which makes a mean hummus. The chicken soup with hierba Luisa (a local herb) is exquisite, alongside satisfying beet quinotto (like risotto), tender alpaca and twice-baked Andean potatoes that offer crispy-creamy goodness.
ChichaPeruvian $$$
(map Google map; %084-24-0520; Regocijo 261, 2nd fl; mains S30-65)
A Gastón Acurio venture serving up haute versions of Cuzco classics in an open kitchen. Its riff on anticuchos (beef skewers) is a delectable barbecued octopus with crisp herbed potato wedges. Other contenders include papas rellenas (stuffed potatoes), curried alpaca with quinoa, and chairo (lamb and barley soup) served in a clay pot.
6Drinking & Nightlife
LimbusRooftop Bar
(map Google map; %084-43-1282; www.limbusrestobar.com; Pasñapakana 133; h8am-1am Mon-Sat, noon-midnight Sun)
Billed as the best view in Cuzco, it’s all that (even after climbing to the top of San Blas). Don’t worry, if you come during peak hours you’ll have plenty of time to catch your breath while you queue to get in. With gorgeous cocktails and glass-walled panoramas, this was the hottest city spot when we visited.
Republica de PiscoBar
(map Google map; %084-24-4111; www.facebook.com/republicadelpiscocusco; Plateros 354; h5pm-2am)
A wonderful, elegant bar with attentive bartenders and drinks that merit seconds. It’s popular with locals and travelers alike.
Museo del Pisco
When you’ve had your fill of colonial religious art, investigate this pisco museum (map Google map; %084-26-2709; www.museodelpisco.org; Santa Catalina Ancha 398; hnoon-1am), where the wonders of the national drink are extolled, exalted and – of course – sampled. Opened by an enthusiastic expat, this museum-bar is Pisco 101, combined with a tapas lounge. Grab a spot early for show-stopping live music (9pm to 11pm nightly).
3Entertainment
Ukuku’sLive Music
(map Google map; %084-24-2951; Plateros 316; h6pm-2am)
The most consistently popular nightspot in town, Ukuku’s plays a winning combination of crowd-pleasers – Latin and Western rock, reggae, reggaetón, salsa and hip-hop – and often hosts live bands. Usually full to bursting after midnight with as many Peruvians as foreign tourists, it’s good, sweaty, dance-a-thon fun. Happy hour is 8pm to 10:30pm.
Centro Qosqo de Arte NativoPerforming Arts
(map Google map; %084-22-7901; www.centroqosqodeartenativo.com; Av El Sol 604)
Has live nightly performances of Andean music and folk dancing at 6:45pm.
8INFORMATION
iPerú (www.peru.travel; %084-59-6159; Portal de Harinas 177; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) has excellent source for tourist information for both the region and entire country.
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
AIR
Cuzco’s Aeropuerto Internacional Alejandro Velasco Astete (CUZ; %084-22-2611) has regular flights to Lima, Bogota and La Paz.
BUS
All international and most long-distance buses depart from the Terminal Terrestre (%084-22-4471; Vía de Evitamiento 429), about 2km out of town toward the airport. Take a taxi (S30) or walk via Av El Sol.
TRAIN
Cuzco has two train stations. Estación Huanchac (Wanchaq; %084-58-1414; Av Pachacutec s/n; h7am-5pm Mon-Fri, to midnight Sat & Sun), near the end of Av El Sol, serves Juliaca and Puno on Lake Titicaca. Estación Poroy (Calle Roldan s/n, Carr Cuzco-Urubamba), east of town, serves Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu.
8GETTING AROUND
TAXI
There are no meters in taxis, but there are set rates. At the time of research, trips within the city center cost S8 and destinations further afield, such as El Molino, cost S12.
Pisac
It’s not hard to succumb to the charms of sunny Pisac, a bustling and fast-growing colonial village with a fabulous market at the base of a spectacular Inca fortress perched on a mountain spur. Located just 33km northeast of Cuzco by a paved road, it’s the most convenient starting point to the Sacred Valley.
1Sights
Mercado de ArtesaníaMarket
(Plaza Constitución; h8am-4pm)
Pisac is known far and wide for its market, by far the biggest and most touristy in the region. While there are still some local arts and crafts of note, watch out for mass-produced goods invading from as far as Colombia. Its success has it filling the Plaza Constitución and surrounding streets every day.
2Activities & Tours
Parque de la PapaEcotour
(%084-24-5021; www.ipcca.info/about-parque-de-la-papa; Pisac)
Day treks and cooking workshops are some of the offerings of this wonderful nonprofit, which promotes potato diversity and communal farming.
5Eating
Doña ClorindaPeruvian $$
(%084-20-3051; Urb San Luis, La Rinconada; mains S18-35; h9am-5pm)
In a lovely colonial home, this longtime Pisac mainstay serves up hearty Andean fare. Order some homemade chicha morada (blue-corn juice) to go with heaping plates of arroz chaufa (Peruvian fried rice), trout, beef and rocoto relleno (stuffed peppers) with kapchi. A classic.
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
Minibuses to Pisac (S5, one hour) leave from terminals at Tullumayo 207 and Puputi 208 in Cuzco.
Ollantaytambo
Dominated by two massive Inca ruins, the quaint village of Ollantaytambo, also called Ollanta, is the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century. After the hordes passing through on their way to Machu Picchu die down around late morning, Ollanta is a lovely place to be. It’s perfect for wandering the mazy, narrow byways, past stone buildings and babbling irrigation channels, pretending you’ve stepped back in time. It also offers access to excellent hiking and biking.
TTours
Coffee & distillery toursFood
(%084-20-4014; www.elalbergue.com; Estación de Tren, El Albergue; tours S50)
Led by El Albergue B&B, these tours offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a small-scale coffee roaster and distiller of cañazo, a sugarcane alcohol that’s the oldest spirit in the Americas. Brought by the Spanish colony, the rustic Andean digestif is now taking on new dimensions as a high-end spirit. Participants get a free coffee or cocktail.
7Shopping
AwamakiArts & Crafts
(%84-43-6744; www.awamaki.org; Ventiderio s/n; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun)
A nonprofit boutique selling gorgeous locally woven sweaters, hats and gloves made with organic dyes, as well as handmade leather handbags and wallets. Products are high quality and design conscious; they’re wonderful gifts for those back home. The foundation also runs worthwhile tours to nearby weaving villages.
5Eating
El Albergue RestauranteInternational $$
(%084-20-4014; Estación de Tren; mains S29-45; h5:30-10am, noon-3pm & 6-9pm; 
v) S
This whistle-stop cafe serves elegant and well-priced Peruvian fare. It’s inviting, with an open kitchen bordered by heaping fruit bowls and candles adorning linen-topped tables. Start with the causas (potato dish) or organic greens from the garden. Lamb medallions with chimichurri (herb sauce) are a standout, as is as the molle-pepper steak spiced from the tree outside. Access via the train platform.
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
Minibuses to Ollantaytambo (S12, two hours) leave from near the Puente Grau in Cuzco.
There are also several trains daily between Cuzco and Ollantaytambo.