Sacred Valley tour from Cusco: Pisac, Ollantaytambo & lunch

Four archaeological sites and a market in one day, starting from your hotel

A full-day Sacred Valley tour from Cusco visits Pisac Market, Ollantaytambo Ruins, Chinchero and a colonial temple, with buffet lunch and hotel pickup included. The route runs 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, and many travelers book it before taking the train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo. A professional guide speaks English or Spanish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sacred Valley tour with lunch

• Start the tour in Cusco
• Visit Pisac Market archaeological site
• Enjoy buffet lunch
• Visit Ollantaytambo Ruins
• Visit colonial temple in Chinchero
• Finish the tour in Cusco

The Experience

The Sacred Valley was the agricultural, spiritual and political heart of the Inca Empire, and this tour strings together the major sites in a single day. You start from your hotel in central Cusco and travel in an air-conditioned vehicle through the valley, stopping first at Pisac Market—an active marketplace set among Inca ruins—then moving on to Ollantaytambo Ruins, one of the most intact fortress complexes the Incas built. Between the two, you sit down to a buffet lunch. The day also includes Chinchero, a high-altitude town with its own colonial temple and Pre-Inca terraces.

The timing matters: starting at 8:30 a.m. and finishing at 6:30 p.m. gives the guide room to linger at each stop without rushing. Many travelers choose this route as a warm-up before Machu Picchu, partly because the Sacred Valley sits lower than Cusco itself, which helps with acclimatization. If you end the day at Ollantaytambo instead of returning to Cusco, you can catch the evening or next-morning train to Aguas Calientes from there—the guide can arrange that detail when you book.

What’s included

• Professional tour guide in English or Spanish.
• buffet lunch.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup from central Cusco.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Chullos Travel Peru

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup from central Cusco means you don't need a car or a driver—the tour collects you in the morning and returns you in the evening, which works whether you're staying in the city or just passing through before heading to Machu Picchu.

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Top questions

What exactly is there to see at Pisac?

Pisac Market is an active marketplace built into and around Inca ruins, so you walk through both at once—the market still operates as a local trading hub, and the archaeological terraces and structures rise above the stalls.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though you will be on your feet at each site; the guide sets the pace and you can rest whenever you need to.

Do I need to buy entrance tickets separately?

Entrance fees to the archaeological sites are not included in the tour price and are paid separately at each location.

Can I skip Cusco and start the tour from somewhere else in the valley?

Hotel pickup is included from central Cusco; if you are staying elsewhere in the valley, contact the operator to arrange an alternative meeting point.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide speaks English or Spanish, and you choose which one when you book.

Is there time to catch a train to Machu Picchu the same day?

The tour finishes at 6:30 p.m., so an evening train from Ollantaytambo is possible if you end there instead of returning to Cusco; the guide can help coordinate the timing.