The Sacred Valley, at 2700 msnm, is 600m (2,000 ft.) lower than Cusco, making it much easier to adjust to for people who may have trouble with high altitude. For travelers likely to be affected by the altitude, or who’ve just arrived in Peru and haven’t yet acclimatized, a wise option is to stay in the Sacred Valley before visiting Cusco.

The Sacred Valley is spectacular from late March to November, and especially lush and green just after the rainy season (December to March). April is an especially good month, with fewer travelers at the most popular destinations. Note that the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is closed the entire month of February for environmental cleanup.

The Sacred Valley’s famed artisanal markets take place on specific days. Pisaq: Tuesday, Thursday and especially Sunday; Chinchero: Sunday; and Ollantaytambo: every day, especially Sunday. If you want to buy and visit the markets at their best, those are the days to go. If you’d rather avoid crowds, you should steer away from those market towns on principal market days. One lesser known market village is Chahuaytire (1 hr. beyond Pisaq, en route to Paucartambo), which holds its textile fair on Wednesday mornings. Chahuaytire’s textiles are probably the finest in the Valley.

We recommend going to Pisaq in the morning and then Ollantaytambo in the afternoon, to take advantage of the late-afternoon light and incredible sunsets across the Valley and over the fortress. Both Moray and Maras are best visited before 2pm for sun and good light.

The Sacred Valley is ideally positioned for easy access to Machu Picchu, making it unnecessary to spend the night in Aguas Calientes, the ramshackle town below the archeological site that is unfortunately little more than a train depot. Hotels in Aguas Calientes are for the most part either unappetizing backpacker hangouts or prohibitively expensive, and if you wish to spend two consecutive days at Machu Picchu, you have to pay the same high entrance fee each day. A growing option for many is to stay in the Sacred Valley and arrive very early at Machu Picchu to spend an entire day at the site (rather than the half day or few hours most visitors have at their disposal). Traveling by train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu, rather than Cusco, saves at least 2 hours’ travel time.

The best way to get to the Sacred Valley from Cusco is by taxi; the trip takes about an hour via Chinchero, and 90 minutes via Pisaq. Any Casa Andina hotels in Cusco can arrange a trustworthy taxi service, only a tiny bit more expensive than one you’d hail in the street, but much safer. If you travel via Pisaq, we recommend making a stop at Awanacancha, a textile center committed to keeping ancient traditional methods and techniques alive, using the wool of the four varieties of South American camelids. If you prefer to go via Chinchero, we recommend that you stop not just at the market but also visit the village of Chinchero (known not just for the quality of its textiles and less commercial market than Pisaq, but also its altitude, higher even than Cusco). Contact travel@casa-andina.com for current information about taxi services to the Sacred Valley.

Casa Andina’s Sacred Spa in the Valley is worth planning your trip, as it’s perhaps the most sumptuous spa in all the Peruvian Andes. After a day of outdoor activities in the Valley, there’s nothing better than a night slow in the Planetarium, dinner in the hotel restaurant, and finishing the day relaxing in the Spa.

Tickets are no longer available at the site entrance; they must be purchased at the Machu Picchu Cultural Center in Aguas Calientes (Av. Pachacútec s/n, Tel 084-211-196) or at the Instituto Nacional de Cultural (INC) offices in Cusco (Calle San Bernard s/n). Casa Andina can organize all-inclusive packages to Machu Picchu, including train, transfers, guide, and entrance to the archaeological site.

One of the joys of visiting the easygoing Sacred Valley is having time to savor it – going from village to village without hurry or the pressure of sticking to a strict plan. Rather than the time-honored package-tour that careens from town to town, try a leisurely pace, starting in the midst of a town square and wander about, something best done with a guide. This notion of “pueblear” permits you to discover the particulars of each place but avoid the conventional and superficial tourist jaunts though the Valley. Chinchero, Pisaq, Urubamba, Lamay, Calca, Ollantaytambo and Maras are all ideal places to explore leisurely.