The best time to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas
The best time to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas
https://www.ticketmachupicchu.com/best-time-visit-sacred-valley-incas/Know the ideal season to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco. In this blog we will discuss all the details that can define your next trip to the Sacred Valley. Here you will find information about the weather conditions, the best season to take pictures with clear skies. On the other hand, also, you will know the best route to make the trip throughout the Sacred Valley and have the necessary time to make the trip in one day. Also, we will talk about the options that can be done at the end of the route such as starting the trip to Machu Picchu and also the return to Cusco to start other adventures. Stay and learn more about the Sacred Valley in Cusco.
You will definitely agree with us that the best time to travel through “The Sacred Valley of the Incas” is before arriving in Machu Picchu; But if we talk about the best season to travel to Machu Picchu, certainly the best time to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas is during the dry season (April to October), but we know that there are people who prefer the rainy season to Know places like the valley, and the Inca city of Machu Picchu is the final part of this incredible tour.
In fact there are hundreds of good reasons to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas on your trip to Machu Picchu, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas will prepare you for what you will see in Machu Picchu, though not completely. Also long ago people stopped coming to the Sacred Valley of the Incas just by Machu Picchu. But what is the best time to go to the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
- When is the best time to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
- How to get to the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
- What to see and do in the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Sacred Valley of the Incas – Urubamba
When is the best time to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
The best time to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas is between the months of April and October, the sun shines, the weather is impressive, the rains are scarce and the breeze is truly delicious, the only thing that changes during the rainy season, Is that it rains in the afternoons; Although there may be those days when it does not stop raining all day, but still the climate of the Sacred Valley of the Incas is delicious.
However, people who come with the desire to get the best pictures of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, may be more interested in coming during the dry season, and the best time for this is in March just at the end of the rainy season, the Landscapes of the valley will be green and flooded with flowers; Or in October at the beginning of the rainy season.
Tour the beautiful villages of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, choose one and stay in it; Pisac is beautiful and you will find people from all over the world; The Inca constructions of Ollantaytambo are at the height of what you will see in Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu is the World Spiritual Center
| Details of the rainy and dry seasons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Rainy Season | Dry Season |
| Start | It starts in November and lasts until March. | The rains stop in April and last until October. |
| Weather | Presence of humidity, due to heavy and frequent rains. | Clear skies and abundant sunshine. |
| Temperature | Rainy days. Some cool mornings and overnight some coolness. | Cool days throughout the morning. During the night it may feel cold. |
| Landscape | Beautiful views of the valley and green nature. | Arid and dusty in some sections. Luckily it is still possible to appreciate the bluish sky. |
| Activities | It is possible to visit all the attractions of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. However, it is recommended to make the proper preparation for the trip. | The tour is much simpler and you can visit all the archaeological sites and activities of the main attractions. |
| Access to sites | Archaeological destinations have an easy access point. Be careful with the rains. | The travel experience will be easy to perform. It is unlikely to encounter problems on the road. |
| Photographs | It is possible to take landscape photos with rainbows. It is also possible to visit landscapes with haze and similar. | Sharp, open sky photos. It is ideal for photography because the weather provides vibrant colors and clear skies. |
| Flora and fauna | It is possible to find the variety of some birds, product of the ample vegetation of the place. | There is little vegetation due to the arid climate. This allows an easier experience to visualize the birds. |
| Important events | It will be possible to do only some of the activities from the large repertoire. | Most of the activities can be done without any problem. |
| Make reservations | It is simple, it is possible to plan the trip with only one day in advance. However, it is important to check the weather conditions on the day of the trip. | To make the tours through these places it is recommended to do it with an agency. They will help you to have everything ready from one day to the next. |
| Agglomerations | During this season it is possible to find few people. Most tourists return home during the rainy season. | It is possible to find some of the archaeological sites with many visitors. However, the tour will still be comfortable and on schedule. |
| The best route | The season will have little influence in deciding on a route. Most people opt for the traditional route. That is, leaving from Cusco, passing through Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo. | Sometimes you can change the route to get to have beautiful views. In some cases the guide will see that it is important or necessary to do the tour starting from the route of Chinchero and Ollantaytambo. |
| Tickets | The tickets needed to enter, correspond only to the Boleto Turístico Cusco or BTC. It is recommended to reserve the Integral Ticket. This will last 3 months, approx. | The BTC can be purchased in Cusco and also in the archaeological sites. There you will be able to buy the tickets without problems. The important thing is to make the trip with proper planning to avoid delays. |
| Travel to Machu Picchu | Machu Picchu can be visited throughout the year. In this case the most advisable is to make the trip by train, it will be important to choose a time after 16:00 hours. | On the other hand, during the dry season you can choose to make the trekking routes to Machu Picchu and also make the trip by train. The weather conditions are favorable for both cases. |
| Return trip to Cusco | The return trip can be done easily, there are public services that can transport you from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. If you have taken another route you can also find transportation in Pisac and Urubamba. | The visit to the Sacred Valley of the Incas can be done independently. However, you will have to look for the stops of these vehicles. On the other hand, from any place where the tour ends you will be able to find these vehicles. That is, from Ollantaytambo, Urubamba and Pisac. |
| Precautions | It will be important to bring:
| It will be important to bring:
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This is the river that forms the entire Sacred Valley of the Incas. That is why everyone who visits this beautiful place will be able to see it. Something that few know is that this river reaches Machu Picchu and practically accompanies the passage of the train.
The waters of the Vilcanota River can also be seen when visiting the archaeological site of Pisac. In the case of Machu Picchu it is possible to see them when doing short trekking routes, as in the case of the route to Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain.
To this day, it continues to be one of the most important water sources for the region. Since, as in the past, the Sacred Valley is still a region dedicated to the cultivation of corn.
How to get to the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
There are 2 ways to get to the Sacred Valley of the Incas One goes along the north side of Cusco, through the town of Chinchero; The other one goes by a highway to the east side of the city and its first stop is in the town of Pisac; But you can also enter from below, through the South Valley of Cusco, by the town of Tipón. You can take the carts to Pisac from Puputi Street.
The price of transportation on your own could cost a total of between 40 to 60 soles round trip. This taking into account that you will have to board different services to visit the 3 Inca sites.
On the other hand, the prices offered by a travel agency can be considerably higher. However, they offer additional and complementary services to guarantee a pleasant adventure in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Travel agencies normally include services such as:
- Transportation from the door of the hotel.
- Transportation to all archaeological sites or activities in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
- A professional tour guide to indicate the activities and give information about the sites to visit.
- In some cases they offer lunch. In the Sacred Valley of the Incas you can find a great variety of prestigious restaurants.
- Entrance tickets ready to enter the enclosures or archaeological sites of the tour.
- When contracting a travel agency, only one payment is made. Additional payments are not usually required. Tourists are free to tip the guides or transporters on duty.
- Some travel agencies also offer the service of advice for many more adventures when visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Routes to travel through the Sacred Valley
What to see and do in the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
Most of the villages in the Sacred Valley of the Incas are colonial towns built near or over ancient Inca settlements, each of which has different customs, traditions and clothing.
The town of Pisac is the spiritual center of the Sacred Valley of the Incas; Hundreds of people from all over the world gather in this beautiful village in search of spiritual retreats, which in some cases involve psychoactive herbs used since the time of the Incas, as medicine for the soul body. But you can also enjoy its peculiar market.
In Ollantaytambo you will have to take the train to Machu Picchu, but do not pass up the opportunity to see the amazing Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo archaeological complex, are spectacular only comparable with Machu Picchu or with his twin sister, the Inca city of Choquequirao.
Urubamba is the best place to practice adventure sports in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, you can do from trekking to level rafting (II III and IV), although in the rainy season the level can go up something more. From the city of Urubamba you can go to places like the salineras of the town of Maras and take some pink salt, because in case you do not know it Maras is one of 4 places in the world where you can get pink salt. The beautiful village of Yucay is also located in Urubamba, the village itself is beautiful and enjoys one of the best climates in the entire Sacred Valley.
There are other towns like Chincheros or Calca, which although they do not shelter Inca constructions, are beautiful and can entertain for hours, the villages of the Sacred Valley are the best places to enjoy Peruvian food in the area.
Tourist observing the circular terraces of Moray
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Frequently Asked Questions
1) Do I have to make the tour reservation in advance?
In the case of the tours to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, it is not necessary to make reservations in advance as in the case of Machu Picchu, which requires reservations 3 to 4 months in advance to have a schedule or entrance that we like. You can book the tour service to the Sacred Valley just days in advance. In addition, upon arrival you will be able to make the entrance without much complication.
2) Is it possible to feel altitude sickness in the Sacred Valley of the Incas?
This is very unlikely. In fact, in the Sacred Valley it is possible that you may feel better if you have had some discomfort when you arrive in Cusco. The Sacred Valley of the Incas is located below 3,000 meters above sea level. This altitude decreases in some sectors that reach about 2 000 meters above sea level. The altitude sickness tends to be much more hostile after 3,000 meters above sea level.
3) Are there any private tour services?
Yes, you can even make the tour as you wish or make any changes you would like to make during the tour. In the private services you will be able to count on a guide who will provide you with information about the tour and also about the archaeological sites. This service is important because it allows you to learn more about the mysteries and history of the Incas and the fascinating constructions they built in the Sacred Valley.
4) Can everyone do the route or are there any restrictions?
Yes, it is one of the easiest and safest routes to do. To begin with, at least 90% of the circuit is done by road. Likewise, stops are scheduled in certain places such as viewpoints, to prevent tourists from getting tired. On the other hand, it is also worth mentioning that the trip is non-stop. For example, to get to Ollantaytambo, only requires 2 hours of travel.
5) Is it possible to visit the Sacred Valley all year round?
Yes, it is possible to visit the archaeological sites of the Sacred Valley of the Incas all year round. The schedules that are normally followed are those that begin minutes before 8:00 am and end at 5:30 pm. It will be important to have a good planning to make this trip possible without time or similar problems.
Advice from people who have been there
By: Lorena P.“Excellent tour“
“We visit Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Pisaq and Chincheros in the sacred valley of the Incas, it is a very beautiful tour, you can see excellent landscapes and Inca ruins, it is much better to do it with a good guide.“
By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, October 9, 2024