Sacred Valley of the Incas 1 Day Tour

6:30am pick up from your hotel to drive 40 minutes north out of Cusco to the archaeological center of Chinchero, an important lively town located in a fertile agricultural area that still preserves the original Inca structure. The church and tower are from the colonial era, built on the basis of Inca temples. The artisans offer locally made textiles, using ancestral techniques. We continue by bus to Moray, which is a circular system of platforms built using the natural subsidence in the area. The terraces have micro climates, for experimental purposes, such as domestication, acclimatization, hybridization and in general, the investigation of plants.

Then, we visit the salt mines, that have been in use since pre-Inca times. There are more than 3000 shallow pools, owned by almost 380 families. This salt water comes from natural sources that filter from the same hill, called Qoripukiu (golden fountain). Next on our trip is a delicious tourist buffet in Urubamba, prepared with products from the Sacred Valley. After enjoying lunch we drive for 30 minutes to reach the archaeological center of Ollantaytambo. This area was occupied successively by different cultures. In Inca times it was another of the many multi functional towns. It was an administrative, military, social and economic center, a check point to various ecological sites.

Next is Pisaq archaeological center, the name derives from the Quechua word P´isaca (partridge). The land was utilized with a system of terraces with their respective irrigation channels, which allowed the cultivation of the best corn in the world “parcay sara” or giant white corn. Religious, urban, social and economic zones can be distinguished. Generally, the Incas built in high and safe parts to avoid being vulnerable, as well as in lands not suitable for agriculture. Originally colonial Pisaq was only a typical market dedicated to the purchase and sale of various products, but because of all the tourist who visit the place daily handicrafts made by local people are now widely available.

We return to Cusco approx 7:00 pm at night.