Backpacker tips for the Peruvian Sacred Valley

Cuzco is a Unesco World Heritage Site and the center of the Inca civilisation. It's a big city which has an historical center with the main place: Plaza de Armas. Cuzco architecture is between Inca typical houses and ruins and spanish colonization: San Blas is the famous and touristic neighbourhood where you can take a walk to enjoy it; starting just behind the cathedral.

The Macchupichu is on booking at least a few weeks before. You can buy your ticket on Internet or in agencies.

Activities:

- Free Tour on the morning from the Plaza de Armas

- Art galleries and expositions

- Granite walls preserved in San Blas

- Sun temple ruins of Qoricancha

- Santa Catalina Monastery

- Contemporaneous Museum 

- Alpaca boutique for clothes 

- San Pedro Market

Cuzco has a lot of diversity about food: try the typical breakfast, drink chicha or hot drinks in the San Pedro.

Menu from 1,50$ if you know where to go to a Mc Donald or Starbucks on the main place.

Nightlife is also really active, mostly on Saturday because of its discos, reggae bar or underground metal parties.

Until 10 pm, it's really 

Pisac is a small village by the river 30 minutes away from Cuzco, the first point of the sacred Valley.

Its streets and architecture are really typical from Incas art in the historical center. Discover its boutique, organic and homemade product in shops, thematical restaurants and bars for your best brunch, the market for fresh vegetables and fruisal or fruit salad freshly prepared. And the artisan market in the colorful main place: instruments, typical clothes or handcraft souvenirs.

On the top of Pisac, you will find the Peru's most intact ruins with its towards and terraces. Pisac ruins as two entrance and exit from the village to the top of the hill.

Pisac has a really peacefull, artistic and spiritual: yoga lessons, Hayuguaska and other sacred plants ceremonies, art atelier, alternative medicines...

Urumbamba is a city on the road to Macchupichu 40' minutes by bus from Pisac.

I did two volunteering projects in two months in Urubamba and I recommend this destination because from there, you can go for several trails and ruins around it. 

Urubamba has an historical part which is its center with the main place, markets and terminalbus, international accomodations in hostels or hotel in the center or agriculture farms or spiritual houses; variety of restaurants and typical foodtrucks ...

Urubamba has a sunset panoramic view and other trails with waterfalls really easy and safe even at night because Urubamba is really quiet. Nightlife in Urubamba is between party in discos and bars in the center and music jam sessions, spiritual activies or artistic exibitions.

Get to the salt mines of Maras or the agriculture laboratory of the Incas in Moray by bus from Urubamba by yourself or a guided tour.

Welcome into the sweetest weel preserved village and its ruins just before , the Macchupichu which ends the valley.

From the entrance of the village and the ruins, you have just three blocks. The main place is surrounded by a lot of restaurants and terraces which ones follow the main street to the ruins. Tambos´streets are typical and unic, it´s really nice to walk in and take picture, enjoying a good chicha drink.

Ollantaytambo has its own train station, the last one before Aguas Calientes (Macchupichu). Ruins and train are not free and are on your ticket to Macchupichu buy on internet or agencies in the main cities.