Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Sacred Valley, Cusco Region

September 9, 2021 Stefan Strunk

Discover the best top things to do in Sacred Valley, Peru including Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo, Choquequirao, Winay Wayna, Huayna Picchu, Lares Trek, Huchuy Qosco, Cerveceria Willkamayu, Catarata Perolniyoc, Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Three Windows.
Restaurants in Sacred Valley

1. Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo 08676 Peru
Excellent
77%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 5,507 reviews

Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo

Reviewed By Lufdoc

Great site for exploring and getting a feel for Incan beliefs, skills, etc. before heading to Machu Picchu or hiking the Inca Trail. Climb to higher levels to get full sense.

2. Choquequirao

Peru
Excellent
85%
Good
12%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 279 reviews

Choquequirao

Considered to be the "sister" to Machu Picchu, this ancient ruin complex consists of palaces and temples on two levels, canals, aqueducts and systems of fountains.

Reviewed By pikbeai - Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Searching the web, you’ll find yourself inundated with articles professing to tell you about the top ‘must-see’ destinations in the whole world; the places that you just have to go to if you’re travelling; or the top ten south american destinations that you need to fit into a three-week holiday. But I wanted to do something a little differently. I wanted to travel more profoundly, more consciously and off the beaten path and adventurous experiences from unusual hotels, alternative routes to a popular destination, trekking trails, offbeat attractions, street food tours, and other uncommon experiences. If you like to travel a bit differently and are willing to put in the effort for incredible experiences fewer people are having so let me tell you Thaqqinaqqa T.O. worth it! so that you can stop being a mute outsider and can start to learn more about the country from those who know it best and not from "swindlers" who think they are experts when they are not. For me, travel is best when it’s off the grind( peering beneath the manicured lawns of the tourist trail and see the raw, pumping veins of the life flowing beneath.) and meaningful; taking us away from the tourist hot spots and plunge us deep into the heart of this wonderful country. It’s about heading to a small town where no other tourists go or finding barely-known adventures a stone’s throw from the cities where everyone goes. We (9 of us: five 55-60yo + four 27-34yo )opted in total for one tour and two trekking tours with him : Millpu 2D; Huancacalle to Choquequirao 9D and from Cusco to Colca Canyon 6D; which gave us memorable(and often much more unique)experiences than merely following the hordes of other tourists as it brings you into closer proximity with the local people and their real common lives; rather we have not enough words for recommend him and in no way we are disappointed.

3. Winay Wayna

Machu Picchu Peru
Excellent
88%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 345 reviews

Winay Wayna

Reviewed By Annerbananers - Cambridge, United States

This was easily my favorite Inka site out of the 4-5 sites that we visited during the 4-day Inca Trail hike. Not half as crowded as Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountains and waterfalls are simply stunning. Not sure if you can get to this place easily on your own. I was glad I did it with Alpaca Expeditions. The site closes at 5:45pm in March (and I would guess all off-season) so if you were planning on seeing the sunset here you should probably check that the sunset happens before 5:45 on the day you’re going.

4. Huayna Picchu

Carretera Hiram Bingham Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu 08680 Peru +51 918 655 015
Excellent
87%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 4,238 reviews

Huayna Picchu

The Wayna Picchu mountain, Wayna Pikchu in Quechua, (with an altitude of 2667 meters above sea level) is part of the eastern foothills of the Salcantay massif, in Cusco, Peru. It is part of a large orographic formation known as Batolito de Vilcabamba, in the Central Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes and is known mainly as the backdrop of most photographs

Reviewed By sunnyore - Cerritos, United States

I knew I wanted to do this hike on my trip, but I was a bit scared. The mountain looked huge in photos, and it was even more massive in person. I was already feeling winded at the beginning of circuit 1 just to get to the Classic MP view. But I knew I had to try because who knows when I’ll ever get a chance again. So I lined up for my 7am entrance time and signed in. The beginning wasn’t bad until you get to the base of HP, and then it felt like you were taking neverending stairs. I don’t exercise on a regular basis, so I found the constant uphill hike pretty difficult especially at such a high altitude. But I allowed myself a ton of breaks and slowly made my way to the top. And when you see the view on top, you realized all your effort was worth it. Going down was not as easy as I thought it would be and I’m glad they have staggered entry times since we’re basically going down the same path we came up in. Once again I took a lot of breaks and I believe I signed out around 9:30am. The 10am group have already lined up outside the gates and all I could think was how glad I went in the first group since it was getting really warm. I know the risk with the 7am entry is there might be fog, but weather is so unpredictable and we ended up having a really clear morning so I was thankful for that and the cooler temperature. My suggestion is if you think you might struggle a bit, do the 7am entry time and then you can really go at your own pace like I did. They have park employees hiking the trail as well and the one I interacted with was super nice and even offered to take a bunch of photos for me. It was a hard hike for me, but I’m 100% glad I did it. Just look at the view!

5. Lares Trek

08002 Peru
Excellent
88%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 161 reviews

Lares Trek

Reviewed By J1098YTrobinj

“I have no garden to play in so I go up the mountain and try to hunt for birds” says 6 year old Joel, brother of the horseman and cousin of the chef as he joins us and gives a running commentary in Quechua as we walk through the village towards the hot springs. It is the wildness of the landscape and the moments of insight into a vibrant indigenous culture that made this Lares treck the right one for me, along with the knowledge that the tour company gave blankets and school computers to the village. Happy Gringo had me listed as ‘one senior’ but possibly had not realised that at 78 I am 13 years above the age limit set by others. I sensed some unease about whether I could manage the Sicllakasa Pass at 4,830M and with Mauro the tour guide in charge I felt very safe and well protected. I had trained as for a half marathon, travelled to Cuzco slowly by bus and adapted to the thin air, having experienced similar altitudes in Yunnan and Uttar Pradesh. We learn on the way of disaster on the Inka trail, a landslide in which three people have died. I wonder why hundreds of people every day feel compelled to do the most dangerous and possibly least enjoyable route up and down steps so they can say they walked to Machu Pichu when they could be following an Inka trail anywhere in the Andes from Ecuador to Chile. I love mountains in the rainy season, and Mauro in the end answered all my questions, showed me the quarry and explained how they moved the stones. Best surprises were that they are Quechua people who follow an Andean religion, that the word Inka just meant king and that their language has a click sound which I thought was exclusive to African languages such as Zulu and Khosa. It is written as a ‘ as in Calle Q’apchikijllu.

6. Huchuy Qosco

Oficina 212 Calle Triunfo 392 Main Square of Cusco, Calca Peru
Excellent
85%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 46 reviews

Huchuy Qosco

7. Cerveceria Willkamayu

Jr. Comercio Nro 116, Urubamba Peru +51 992 752 878 https://www.facebook.com/dcasapino/
Excellent
98%
Good
2%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 63 reviews

Cerveceria Willkamayu

Reviewed By itsjamesmiller - Idaho Falls, United States

An awesome little brewery with the best hospitality. Dario was super friendly, very informative, and opened up his home/brewery for our group. Amazing artisanal beers and lots of friendly conversation. Will definitely be back when we visit Peru again ???? Muchas Gracias Dario! -James

8. Catarata Perolniyoc

Calle Marquez 231 Oficina 115, Urubamba 08000 Peru http://catarataperolniyoc.blogspot.bg/
Excellent
80%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 25 reviews

Catarata Perolniyoc

9. Temple of the Sun

Machu Picchu Peru +51 992 059 069 http://www.sungate.com.pe
Excellent
74%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 971 reviews

Temple of the Sun

Built in the form of a circular tower on a massive slab of granite, this sacred edifice contains the famous Intiwatana, or sun dial, which the Incas used to "tie down" the sun at the winter solstice each year.

Reviewed By GoGo2SlowGo - Denton, United States

The Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu swas a sacred temple built by the Inca for ceremonies to pay tribute and give offerings to the sun. Only priests and other high ranking Incas were likely only permitted access into the Temple of the Sun, one of the most sacred temples in all of Machu Picchu. The site was adapted to natural environment.The construction is semi-circular and built atop an enormous granite rock. There is a tower with a trapezoidal window. In this sacred temple, it’s believed that Incas worshiped their Sun God, Inti and it may have served as a royal tomb. This is definitely worth your visit at Machu Picchu

10. Temple of the Three Windows

Machu Picchu Peru +51 992 059 069 http://www.sungate.com.pe
Excellent
64%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 662 reviews

Temple of the Three Windows

Located west of the main square, this sacred temple is known for its huge walls and three trapezoidal-shaped windows through which the sun's rays would pass illuminating the "Sacred Plaza" beyond.

Reviewed By deborahk3 - Maidstone, United Kingdom

The Temple of the Three Windows is located on the Sacred Plaza in the main Urban section. The long main wall features three large windows, facing east. This allows the rising sun to shine through, illuminating the sacred plaza. When visiting, take some time to appreciate the wonder of this structure.

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