Cusco: Sacred Valley Day Trip & Ollantaytambo with Lunch

Four Inca sites in one day, starting from your Cusco hotel at dawn

You visit Pisac ruins and market, eat a buffet lunch by the river, explore Ollantaytambo's Inca fortress and colonial streets, and return to Cusco by 7pm: all with a professional guide, transport, and meals included. If you're catching the train to Machu Picchu, the tour can drop you at Ollantaytambo station instead.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Pisac Market45m
2. Ollantaytambo Ruins45m

Explore Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo

• Visit Pisac Archeological Site
• Shop at Pisac Artisan Market
• Enjoy buffet lunch by Urubamba River
• Tour Ollantaytambo town and ruins
• Option to take train to Aguas Calientes
• Return to Cusco by 19:00 if preferred

The experience

Someone is climbing stone terraces carved into a mountainside at 3,300 meters, reading the landscape like a map. That's you, standing at Pisac Archeological Site with a guide who speaks Spanish, English or Portuguese. The ruins sit high enough that the whole Sacred Valley spreads below, and the morning light hits the agricultural terraces in a way that makes the engineering obvious: the Incas didn't just build here, they read the slope and the water and the sun first. You spend the early hours walking through the site, and then the guide takes you down to the Pisac Artisan Market, where the stalls are already crowded with locals buying vegetables and tourists picking through handmade textiles. It's not staged: people are actually shopping for dinner.

By mid-morning you're heading to Tunupa Restaurant, which sits right along the Urubamba River. The buffet includes Peruvian dishes (ceviche, lomo saltado, fresh trout), and you eat with the sound of the river underneath everything. After lunch, the group moves on to Ollantaytambo, a town that looks like someone froze a working Inca settlement in place. The cobbled streets are narrow enough that cars barely fit, and the archeological site sits at the edge of town, where the Incas held off Spanish forces for nearly fifty years. Your guide walks you through the temple and the fortress, and explains why this place mattered differently than Pisac. It was a last stand, not just a settlement. The whole day is structured so you're not rushing. You're moving through the valley in a way that makes the geography stick.

At Ollantaytambo, you have a choice. If you've booked a train to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, the tour can drop you at the train station. You just send your departure time when you book. If you're heading back to Cusco, the van leaves Ollantaytambo at 17:45 and gets you to your hotel around 19:00. The Sacred Valley tour includes roundtrip transport from most hotels in Cusco, so you don't arrange pickups or negotiate with drivers. The guide meets you in the morning and brings you back the same evening.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in Cusco, professional guide in your chosen language, entry to Pisac Archeological Site and Ollantaytambo, time at the Pisac Artisan Market, buffet lunch at Tunupa Restaurant on the Urubamba River, and roundtrip transport back to your hotel or optional drop-off at Ollantaytambo Train Station for onward travel to Aguas Calientes.

Options for this experience

3 options

Guide in Spanish or Portuguese08:00

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese08:00

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (4 to 70 years) · Under 4: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Viagens Machu Picchu

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see the main Sacred Valley sites in one day without arranging separate transport, entry fees, and timing: the fixed itinerary and included guide handle the logistics, and the choice to either return to Cusco or catch the train to Machu Picchu keeps your options open.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What time does the Sacred Valley tour start from Cusco?

Pickup is in the early morning from your hotel. You'll need to confirm your exact address and preferred pickup time when you book.

Is lunch included in the Sacred Valley tour?

Yes. Buffet lunch at Tunupa Restaurant on the Urubamba River is included in the price.

Can I take the train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo instead of returning to Cusco?

Yes. If you have a train ticket, provide your departure time when booking and the tour will drop you at Ollantaytambo Train Station instead of returning to Cusco.

Is transportation from my hotel included?

Yes. Roundtrip transport from most hotels in Cusco is included. Confirm your hotel address when you book.

What if I'm traveling with an infant?

Infants can sit on an adult's lap at no charge, or specialized infant seats are available. Let the operator know when you book.

What time does the tour end?

The tour ends between 17:00 and 17:30 at Ollantaytambo. If returning to Cusco, departure is 17:45, arriving around 19:00.