Over Thanksgiving, our family went on a little adventure to Peru’s Sacred Valley. My aunt, who lives in Lima, invited us to go on this trip with her and for us to get some good quality time together as we get to know Peru better.
Peru has such amazing natural and archaeological sites, that we have a long list of places we still want to explore. On this trip, we were excited to bring the boys to experience Machu Picchu, located in Peru’s Sacred Valley region.
Machu Picchu
I am guessing you have heard of Machu Picchu. If Machu Picchu doesn’t sound familiar, this photo might look familiar.
Machu Picchu is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Often referred to as the “Lost City” of the Incas, it was discovered pretty much in tact by American Hiram Bingham in 1911. What makes this find so amazing is that the Spanish conquered the Incas 400 years earlier, but never found Machu Picchu.
Despite its celebrity status, Machu Picchu is just ONE reason to make this trip. Today I want to share with you why we chose to spend 5 days enjoying the Sacred Valley and why you should not limit yourself to just seeing Machu Picchu if you come to Peru.
Flying into Cusco
Most people who come to Peru are flying into Cusco, and headed straight to Machu Picchu. Cusco has always been an important Peruvian city. As the former capital of the Incan Empire, it serves as the gateway to the Sacred Valley. No matter where you’re coming from, your flight will be landing in Cusco – the only major airport in the Sacred Valley.
Because of its historical significance, there are some incredible archaeological and colonial historical sites in Cusco. When Brian and I visited 15 years ago, it seemed a lot sleepier than it is today though. The drive from the airport on this visit was a huge eye-opener that this city has grown quite a bit since the last time we were here. And so has the traffic. The picture below gives you an idea of how congested the city is.
For this trip, we stayed in the rural part of the Sacred Valley for four nights, and then only one night in Cusco on our last night before our return flight.
Cusco, Peru
A view of the Sacred Valley from up high.
Sacred Valley: A Lay of the Land
Both Cusco and Machu Picchu are located in the Sacred Valley. But so are a lot of other villages and ruins that are equally as impressive.
In this mystical region, the Urubamba River weaves through the Andes mountains like a snake. Which is also why you might see it also referred to as the Urubamba Valley.
Outside of Cusco, the Sacred Valley will make you feel like you are going back in time. From our visit last year, I had heard several Peruvians saying how much they enjoyed staying in a village in the Sacred Valley as their home base to visit the many sites versus staying in Cusco. Now I can see why.
The picture below is an example of what the roads in the Sacred Valley were like. No billboards. No tall buildings. Just mountains. And farmlands. As we drove around to our destinations, we would see shepherds with flocks of sheep. Farmers plowing their fields with oxen. Women walking down dirt roads with their mules. Llamas munching on grass.
Coming from an overconnected, fast-paced world, this place felt like nourishment for an over-thinking soul.
Our itinerary:
For the sake of keeping this post fairly short and manageable, I will just outline our itinerary here. I will follow up with another post sharing details and photos of what we did each day.
Day 1: Flight from Lima to Cusco. Head straight to our hotel in Urubamba.
Day 2: Guided tours to Maras, Moray and Chinchero
Day 3: Machu Picchu
Day 4: Hike in Yucay, Hacienda Huayocari, Pisac Market
Day 5: Head back to Cusco. Explore the city and attend chocolate making class.
Day 6: Fly back home
I felt like we got to thoroughly enjoy our days in the Sacred Valley. It was a nice blend of adventure with rest and relaxation.
Would I have liked an extra day or two? For sure. I would have probably added one extra night in both Urubamba and Cusco. If you can swing it, you should.
Where we stayed:
There are several amazing places to stay in the Sacred Valley. We stayed at an incredible resort in the village of Urubamba, called Tambo del Inka. I cannot think of anything they could have done better. The service was top notch during our 4 nights with them. We loved everything about it. Even the smell. In the evening, the lobby had live Peruvian flute music. The flames from the fireplace seemed to dance along.
The lobby at Tambo del Inka
Like most of the resorts in the Sacred Valley, the scenery around you is jaw-dropping. Incredible views from every window, including our room. The resort grounds were kept in pristine condition and added to the peaceful environment of Tambo del Inka.
The rooms were super comfortable and amenities very well-thought out. I wish I had better pictures to show you.
The boys’ favorite part of the hotel was the pool and jacuzzi areas though. The swimming pool was part inside and part outside. I joined them on our last evening because I just had to experience looking up at the stars from the pool.
You could actually spend a whole day here without leaving. My aunt actually did that on the day we went to Machu Picchu. She stayed behind and had a massage at the spa, worked out at the gym and a nice lunch at the restaurant.
Max enjoying the indoor/outdoor pool
As I mentioned earlier, we did head back into Cusco on the night before we left. This allowed us to explore the city and also be close to the airport for our early flight home. We stayed at the JW Marriott El Convento. The hotel was very nice and was excellently situated. Walking distance to everything.
To be honest though, we missed our friends and the serenity at Tambo del Inka a little bit. And my aunt, who left us to go back to Lima.
I am so glad we stayed in the Sacred Valley as our home base for exploring and visiting this gorgeous region of Peru with my aunt.
If you make plans to visit Machu Picchu, I would strongly recommend staying in the Sacred Valley. You will not regret it!
For more on our Peruvian adventures from last year, check out THIS post and THIS post.
Leonor
You are the next Rick Stevens!!!!!!
Ale Post author
Ha! I wish 🙂 But thank you for the compliment.
Pierina
Dear Ale: I had loved spending those beautiful days with you, Brian and the kids. Your post just describes perfectly the experience!!!
Ale Post author
We had so much fun with you Pieri! Thank you for making time to make memories with us 😘