Travel Articles: Sacred Valley

What is your dream adventure? Traveling to Peru (Mira Flores, Cusco, trekking to Machu Picchu, and Puerto Maldanado) was a check off our bucket list. We stretched our mind and bodies and surpassed a trip of our wildest dreams.

Ken and I are left thinking, what could possible surpass this dream?

We sought adventure and we conquered!!!

Just an hour drive from Cusco, the glorious Sacred Valley remains a living relic of Inca culture with terraced mountainsides with fortresses built into the towering Andes, and the raging Urubamba River below. Don't miss the market town of Pisac and spectacular Ollantaytambo a living Inca city below a towering fortress.

My wife and I set off on a traditional 10-day program including acclimatization days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Then there was the actual four-day hike to Machu Picchu and then the subsequent visits to Lake Titicaca and Lima. We had a lot of time of exploration to see the different cities that we visited.

A 50's something couple explore Cusco to Machu Picchu with their daughters because "Dad you should do it before you're too old" LOL. This trip was definitely bucket list worthy and Peru is so much more than just Machu Picchu. So whether you are 7 or 70 - just do it!

A nearly two-week long trip that my wife Nico and I took in August, spending time in Lima, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, and of course Machu Picchu!

A mother’s escape. A dream-fulfilled. At long last; wandering around with no extra baggage.

Peru is incredibly amazing- Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Cusco and Lima; a journey I will never forget. Here are just a few of the many things that surprised and delighted me during our trip.

If one was to drive from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, at the far end of the Sacred Valley, it might take 2.5 hours.But this would require putting on blinders to all the amazing spots along the way.In reality, there are probably two full days of explorationto be had along this route.To make the best of one’s time in what is normally one day in the …

Ollantaytambo is a walk back in time - a town and fortress laid out as it was in the time of the Incas. And a steppingstone to Machu Picchu, just a 90 minute train ride away...

After touring the Sacred Valley, you will arrive in Ollantaytambo town / fortress. Site of one of the big battles where the Incans were able to hold off the Spanish …

Machu Picchu is the prize, but beautiful sights exist along the way in the Sacred Valley. The salt mines of Maras and the wide vistas of Moray will take your breath away...

To get to Machu Picchu, you first must travel on 4 wheels through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo to catch the train. Along the way there are tremendous sites to see - and …

The day was amazing and started with a beautiful drive through small towns and ended with climbing a 1300' cliff (look for the pods in this post's main picture)!

Looking back, it was hard to imagine this was all in one day!

See those three little dots above our heads? That is where we are going, to the Sky Lodge! I have NEVER done …

Our final day before the trek began with a van ride (yes! a van ride!) to Maras, Peru and a visit to Sal Natural y Ecologica, the Salt Mines. There are thousands of ponds that are fed from a natural stream. We tried the water in the stream – it was warm and very salty. This stream originates underground and is a great natural source for …

We were lucky enough to have a day and a half in the Sacred Valley with our guides. We drove towards the Sacred Valley in the afternoon, stopping first at Chinchero. The town was quiet, so we got out of our car and wondered up the streets through town towards the ruins. There was not another tourist in site, and we had it all to ourselves. When we …

After exploring Cusco City, the next day we moved out to visit some towns in the Sacred Valley which is located Southeast of Peru. Our first stop was Cinchero (Munaypata Intiqhawarina) where we visited markets filled with colorful Peruvian handicrafts made from local materials such as alpaca wool and llama hide – perfect for souvenirs! We …

The journey was just getting started with Cusco as our plan was to venture onto the Sacred Valley the next day and then Machu Picchu. Descending into the Sacred Valley had much the opposite effect of going into Colca Canyon, as the elevation gradually decreased this time, going from over 11,000 feet to just above 9,000. Still, I was not going …

Woke up early for our trip to the Sacred Valley. The Pisac ruins is majestic! Perched atop a mountain overlooking the valley and Pisac town below.

Just WOW! A wonderful sight to behold!The combination of engineering skills of Inca civilization, history, and incredible landscape have been catching travelers' attention for decades.

After …