One of my biggest surprises when visiting the Sacred Valley in Peru was the exceptionally high quality of the food. Again and again, I enjoyed high-end restaurant food and presentation, but for surprisingly low prices. Ollantaytambo, my favorite town in the Sacred Valley, is home to only a few thousand people. It is most famous …
Ollantaytambo is my favorite town in Peru’s Sacred Valley, and I’m not alone. So many visitors rush through Ollantaytambo on their way to Machu Picchu, or as a part of a Sacred Valley day tour like this one, and wish they had budgeted more time for it. Personally, I fell in love with Ollantaytambo from …
People often associate Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, with Machu Picchu, the most famous Inca site. Many visitors fly into Cusco, rush to see Machu Picchu, and then fly out. But did you know that the Cusco region has nearly 100 other major archaeological sites, and countless other smaller ones? In this article, I’m going …
Pisac was special for me. It is the first place I visited not just in Peru but in all of South America! After flying in directly to Cusco via Lima, I spent the first four days of my trip acclimatizing in laid-back Pisac, which is 427 m (1401 ft) meters lower than Cusco. One of …
The Pisac ruins are some of the most important Incan ruins in Peru’s Cusco region and the Sacred Valley, along with the ruins at Ollantaytambo and more remote Huchuy Qosqo. They are a great addition to any Machu Picchu visit. I especially recommend visiting these and other Sacred Valley ruins BEFORE Machu Picchu so you …
Pisac (also spelled Písac or Písaq) is one of the largest towns in the Sacred Valley of Peru. The Urubamba River flows through this valley towards the famed Machu Picchu. As the furthest east town in the valley (or furthest away from Machu Picchu), most visitors bypass Pisac altogether in their rush to get from …
