Sacred Valley Excursion: Visit Ollantaytambo, Pisac Ruins, and Sample Local Farm Produce
5.0
46 Ratings
Ollantaytambo
Embark on a Sacred Valley excursion to explore the ancient Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisac. Sample local farm produce and experience the vibrant local market in Urubamba.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo - Pick up at 8:30 am at your hotel in Ollantaytambo, from Cusco at 7:00 am in private transportation, we will visit the Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo, which was the lodging of the Inca emperor Pachacutec and later served as a military checkpoint for the Incas trying to protect the roads to Machu Picchu from the invading Spaniards. Enjoy a guided tour of the terraced ruins, fountains and aqueducts and see storage houses that were used by the Incas to maximize winds to keep crops cool and preserved. We will then have time to wander the streets of one of the oldest towns in Peru, where many 15th century Inca buildings still stand today.
  • Sacred Valley - We will then drive 20 minutes to the town of Yanahuara where we will visit to a farm in the Sacred Valley, where we will tour the farm lands, cut alfalfa to feed the guinea pigs, and see first hand how chicha is made. This will be followed by a private gourmet picnic lunch prepared by our chef and will feature local organic produce, including some of our own crops. Enjoy a leisurely lunch outside while overlooking the Sacred Valley . After lunch, we will go to the local authentic non-tourist market in Urubamba. Here we will see local families selling things such as fruits, vegetables, flowers and natural medicinal plants. Your guide will give your a tour of the market and you can taste Peruvian fruits and foods such as passion fruit, lucuma, and chirimoya. We will also learn about the ingredients needed to make chicha, a corn beer that has been an important part of Peruvian culture since Inca times.
  • Pisac - Then we will drive one hour to the majestic ruins at Pisac where we will visit terraced Inca ruins that are situated high on a mountain. From here, we will climb to the top of the ruins and take in amazing views of the Sacred Valley Your guide will teach you about the religious, astronomical and military functions of the site and see the terraces that allowed the Incas to grow food above 11,000 feet. After visiting the Inca ruins, there will be a chance to hike on a little known, seldom used original Inca trail and through a tunnel that was build by the Incas. One of the largest Inca cemeteries is also located in the ruins at Pisac and we can tour this part of the site as well.

We will conclude the tour with a trip to Pisac handicraft market in the town to browse such things such as ceramics, jewelry, and weaving. Return to your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley by private transport.

What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Lunch
  • Local professional guide
  • Private transport
  • Food tasting
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fees (requires purchase of Boleto Turistico for entrance into Ollantaytambo and Pisac ruins (130 soles-$37 covers entrance to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray, multiple museums in Cusco, and Sacsayhuaman or 1/2 ticket: 70 soles–$23 which covers only some of these sites)
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

This tour visits two amazing Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley: Ollantaytambo and Pisac .You will have a private guided tour of these sites and will learn a tremendous amount about Inca history while taking in majestic views of the Sacred Valley. We will then visit a local farm where we will taste local fruits and vegetables fresh from the land and feed the guinea pigs that are kept in almost every local house as a source of heat and food. While you tour the farm, our private chef will prepare a gourmet, healthy organic lunch featuring local Peruviuan produce, including some of our own crops. We will then visit a local non-touristic market in Urubamba to see how the locals sell their produce and other goods. Finally, we will visit the terraced ruins at Pisac and learn about this amazing religious, astronomical and military site.

  • A moderate amount of walking is involved with some stairs to climb at Ollantaytambo
Location
Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(46 Ratings)
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1 star
Jay
Aug 18, 2023
Local, professional, Nd passionate - Valentin’s Pachamama Journeys should be the only tour group you’re considering. valentin and his team made our visit to Peru incredible!!! They took care kf every detail and everything felt so personalized and stress free . Valentin was so proud to share his wonderful country with us and it showed every day. We did Lake Humantay, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain and the Pisac ruins.. My girlfriend and I’s bags were lost so we couldn’t hike the trail, but Valentin made sure we had everything we needed and helped us fill the time lost with some other great excursions to make up for the trail. I can’t imagine having any other tour group taking care of us the way they did. Amazing amazing amazing. Having a local who knew all the ins and outs of the area that also took the most care to make sure we enjoyed ourselves made the entire trip.
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Sherpa574881
Aug 11, 2023
Great tour!! Must do! - Be sure to make this day-trip a part of your experience in the Cusco area! It was our first bit of exploring after arriving, and was a perfect introduction to the Sacred Valley, learning about important Inca settlements, and seeing local farms and communities. The lunch made by Roger, who was also the chef during our 4-day Inca Trail trek, was delicious and couldn't have been more farm-to-table. Seeing him use the pachamanca technique was a highlight, and we enjoyed learning from Valentin about his family and the local area. Our driver for this day and for everything we booked was on time and super professional too, taking the stress out of any of the travel we did in and around Cusco.
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Kahredancer
May 30, 2023
Thank you for an unforgettable experience! - Dear Valentin and the Pachamama Journeys Team, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the fantastic experience our Journey and Serve group had with you recently, in April 2023. Our journey with Valentin, Nilton, and Kenny was nothing short of extraordinary. Your staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke great English, making the whole journey effortless. I was also very impressed with how professional yet personal each activity felt; it truly felt like a personalized experience! Thank you for being so accommodating and for making our trip unforgettable. I will definitely recommend your services to all our friends and family! Sincerely, Nicole Kahre
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Cruzerj3
Apr 22, 2023
Need a Guide? Use them - We did a full week with them with Carlos as our guide. The entire experience from pickup to drop off was excellent. We visited everything the Machu Picchu area had to offer and Carlos filled us with so much knowledge. Valentin, the owner, opened up his home and gave us a tour of his farm with an amazing lunch. What made this even more special is the amount he gives back to his community. We came home feeling fulfilled and that we didn't miss a thing. Highly recommend to book them for any length, but with a week, you really get to know the people of Valentin's and how great they are.
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Linds7513
Oct 3, 2022
The Best Guides for Cusco and The Sacred Valley - I had an incredible experience with Valentin and his guides. The love for their sacred land is evident in their delivery of the ancient wisdom. My group really enjoyed the gourmet lunch and visiting the farm. There was so much to learn and marvel at. We were so happy to see him for our adventures and I look forward to seeing him again in the future.
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J6489vilisab
Jun 21, 2022
Wonderful Experience - My husband and I booked a tour with Valentine's Pachamama Journeys and couldn't have been happier. It was truly an amazing cultural experience. Our guide Carlos was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. We also had a driver (Julio) who took photos and videos of our trip and then sent them to us, which was totally unexpected. This allowed us to just enjoy the experience. I highly recommend booking a tour with this company. They are very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable.
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M1571bosaraha
May 15, 2022
Una Experiencia Inolvidable - What an incredible way to explore the Sacred Valley. I truly can’t think of a better way to have spent a day in this area. Valentin and Kenny went above and beyond to help me learn more about life as a local. The time we spent at each place was well paced, not rushed at all like many other tours can be in this area. A perfect mix of educational, entertaining and enlightening. I will cherish this experience forever!
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Paul
Oct 5, 2021
Can’t get better than this tour operator! - One of the absolute best tour operators in Peru. You can’t go wrong with them. Our time touring the sacred valley, Valentin’s farm, the school, and sites in Cusco were huge highlights in my wife and i’s trip to Peru. not only was Valentin’s English and translation skills amazing. The care Valentin put into making our visit memorable was evident at all times. Our luggage was lost at the airport and when it did finally turn up we were taken to the airport, given time to get ourselves ready and then taken on an amazing tour. Thank you Valentin’s Pachamama Journeys for everything!
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Priyatm35
May 19, 2021
Very personalized sacred valley tour - We couldn't have been happier with this trip to sacred valley, followed by the 2 day trip to Machu Picchu. Valentin was highly responsive throughout the planning process, and was a deeply knowledgeable guide during the trip. He was always well on time to pick us up. (I had read Mark Adam's book Turn Right at Machu Picchu in which he employed a much costlier tour company, which I had also contacted, which was late for pick-ups stating Peruvian standard time runs late, so I was pleasantly surprised). We were driven around in a very clean and spacious car by his older brother Daniel, while Valentin sat at the passenger seat sharing wealth of information. We started our trip from Chinchero, and visited these wonderful women who weaved from Alpaca and sheep wool in-house. We saw some amazing science experiments that showed how natural dyes were made, and the whole process of turning wool to beautifully designed woolen clothing. If you want to buy woolen clothing, this place had good variety, and you could trust you are buying the real deal, while the money directly going to weavers. The price was similar to what you would find in San Blas neighborhood in Cusco (near the Cusco square things get costlier and the quality dubious). Next we visited Moray and Maras, where Valentin shared with us the history, flora and fauna and many attributes of local lives. We were never rushed, and if we wanted to hike down or up or do whatever that was allowed, Valentin was up for it. He also took amazing pictures. We went to Urubamba market and bought algae balls (as seen on Chef's table episode on Virgilio Martinez) and cheese on impulse, and Valentin got us made a salad with these for our lunch. The lunch was at a gorgeous setting outside Valentin's home (absolutely fresh food, yummy soup) followed by a tour of the farm with a chance to try fresh produce right off the plants. Everything was planned so well, that we could just walk one-way at most of these places, and Daniel would be waiting with the car on the other end. Valentin was more than just a guide, he as like a friend who has invited us in his country and shared his time and stories with us. He is also incredibly well-connected. The Ollantaytambo archeological site closed sooner than usual, but he could let us in after some persuading the guards. We were picked at Cusco and were to spend the night at Ollantaytambo before taking off for the one day Inca trail to Machu Picchu with Valentin. Once we were at the Ollantaytambo archeological site, Daniel took our luggage to our room in Ollantaytambo, which was away from the main square and unreachable by road due to narrow streets. We never had to worry about any detail, everything was taken care of by this wonderful family. We are curious people and kept peppering Valentin with questions, and he patiently answered them all. We even got his help to figure out some logistics in Lima, and wherever he didn't know any detail, he reached out to folks to get us the resources we needed. It was amazing to see all the social projects that they have undertaken. And not to get a certificate of goodwill, but out of genuine drive for the cause, motivated by the stories of their own past, and how they came a long way from their humble beginnings. The other reviewers are right, this is an A+ service. I contacted at least 8 companies for sacred valley tour, but none was as responsive and personable.
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Lubenr20
Dec 31, 2020
BEST Local Experience - One of the best experiences i’ve had in Valle Sagrado; amazing service, amazing hosts, and wonderful food. Definitely a MUST in Cusco and Valle Sagrado!
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