Visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas is a must for anyone traveling to Cusco. The name itself is a call to immerse in this enchanting place, which was an essential and strategic location for the development of the Inca empire.
This valley has an impressive beauty and is guarded and protected, according to the Andean culture beliefs, by its majestic Apus (sacred mountains) such as Pitusiray, Sahuasiray, Verónica, and Chicón. Are you interested in taking a trip to the Sacred Valley? Then read on to learn more about this beautiful destination!
Approximately six centuries ago, two Inca sovereigns created the Tahuantinsuyo empire that stretched over 4,000 km from southern Colombia to central Chile. The Andean territories of Peru and Bolivia and northern Argentina also belonged to this vast empire.
The Sacred Valley, which stretches along the Vilcanota-Urubamba River, joining two of the most essential Apus: Ausangate and Salkantay, converged the most important center of this empire. This river had and continues to have great significance for the Andean worldview, as it is believed that the Milky Way is reflected in it.
The most well-known towns that comprise part of this valley are Pisac, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray.
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The Sacred Valley (3000 m.a.s.l.), is surrounded by mountains that protect it from the cold winds coming from the flat highlands. This, among other factors, makes its climate ideal for agricultural activity. For this reason, to this day, we find vast and fructiferous fields where corn and potato crops stand out.
The climate and its fertile lands were the main reasons why the Incas chose this place as the most important center of the Tahuantinsuyo and why they called it “sacred”.
You may be interested in: Adventure tourism, exploring the inaccessible
The activities that can be carried out within the Sacred Valley are innumerable, whether they are adventure sports on ancient Inca trails or family walks with views that will leave you breathless.
Some of the activities we offer for people who like adventure are:
If you are in search of family activities, we have several experiences with less physical demand, which will also allow you to enjoy the outdoors and Peruvian cuisine, such as the following:
Now that you know more about the history of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and where it is located, do you want to visit this incredible place? At Terra Explorer, we have various itineraries for you. If you want to know that we will help you design the trip of your dreams!
To ensure the well-being and safety of our travelers and staff throughout our operational chain, Terra Explorer will comply with the health and safety measures and protocols established by the Peruvian Association of Adventure Tourism and Ecotourism (APTAE), and implement the Covid-19 health and safety guidelines for adventure tourism developed by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Our experiences are designed considering the least possible exposure, where the final destinations are usually remote places. By their very nature, our adventure activities are considered to be low risk, mainly because they are performed outdoors where ventilation is constant and making it easy to achieve social distancing.
During these times we are working together with a small staff of honorable people who have been part of the Terra Explorer family for many years. They and their families are aligned with the established health and safety measures. Employing these staff members also seeks to reactivate the local economy.
We guarantee a safe, soul-fulfilling trip to all our travelers for whom we make these adventures possible.
Terra Explorer will strictly comply with the safety, cleaning, and hygiene protocols during our internal processes, third parties, and throughout your trip. This involves:
Follow the instructions related to health and safety given by the Terra Explorer team and your guide, before and during your trip.
Stay home if:
With the intention of delivering the most flexibility at the time of confirming your trip, we will determine the amount of the initial deposit individually and according to your itinerary characteristics.
Secure your trip with a deposit and pay the rest in one or more payments, at a time that suits you best. Please make sure you adhere to our policy and pay in full at least 31 days prior to your trip date.
If you need to cancel your trip, we will apply the following flexible policies.
For more detailed information on our terms and conditions and Covid-19 policies, please contact us at [email protected]
