Question 1

The Sacred Valley on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Most cruise travelers see the valley on a tour, but its towns are small and walkable, and minibuses called colectivos and taxis link them. Pisac and Ollantaytambo are the two places most worth your time. Pisac: The craft market fills the main square every day, with official market days on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; Sunday is the biggest, when Quechua communities come to sell produce. The Inca ruins on the ridge above are a steep 4 km climb from the square, about two hours up, so many people take a taxi to the upper entrance and walk down in about an hour and a half. Ollantaytambo: The town keeps its Inca street grid and some of the oldest continuously occupied houses in South America. The main square is about 400 meters from the station, and the terraced ruins are a short walk from the square; the climb to the top takes about 15 minutes by steps. Tickets: Pisac, Ollantaytambo and several other sites need the Boleto Turístico, which is sold at their entrances. At Pisac it must be paid in Peruvian soles, and you must show your passport. Taxis: Use licensed taxis or ones booked through your hotel or an app rather than hailing cars in the street. Keep to your tour's times: Trains and flights on a cruise-tour run to fixed times and will not wait. Protests have at times disrupted trains in southern Peru, including those to Machu Picchu, so follow your tour's guidance. Acclimatize first: Give yourself time to adjust to the altitude before a steep climb such as the Pisac ruins.

Question 2

Tipping in Peru

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not very common in Peru's basic and mid-range restaurants, but leaving about 10 percent for good service is polite. Prices are in soles, and US dollars are accepted less often than in some neighboring countries. Taxi drivers are not tipped. A few new, undamaged 10- or 20-dollar bills can help, but pay day to day in soles.

Question 3

Culture and Local Life

Accepted Answer

Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire, is still the first language of most people in districts such as Chinchero and Maras. Market days and weaving cooperatives are good ways to meet that culture respectfully. In 2007, about four in five people in the Chinchero and Maras districts had learned Quechua as their first language. In Ollantaytambo, the nonprofit Awamaki works with Quechua women weavers from the Patacancha valley and runs a fair-trade store. Maize grown here was used to make chicha, the fermented maize drink served at Inca feasts and religious festivals. Some market sellers do not like being photographed, so always ask before you take a picture of someone.

Question 4

History

Accepted Answer

People farmed this valley for more than two thousand years before the Incas, who made it a land of royal estates. In 1537 it saw one of the few Inca victories over the Spanish conquerors. Before the Incas: The Chanapata people farmed the valley from around 800 BC, followed by the Qotacalla from about AD 500 and the Killke from about 900. Inca control: Between about 1000 and 1400 the Incas brought the valley under their rule by conquest or agreement. Lower and warmer than Cusco, it became the heartland's main maize-growing area. Royal estates: In the 1400s emperors built country estates here. Pachacuti, who ruled from 1438, held Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and most archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was also built for him. Moray: At Moray the Incas built terraced circular hollows, the largest about 30 meters deep, where the temperature can differ by as much as 15 °C between top and bottom. They may have been used to test crops. The Battle of Ollantaytambo, 1537: The Inca leader Manco Inca defeated a Spanish force under Hernando Pizarro near Ollantaytambo, blocking its advance from the high terraces and flooding the plain. He withdrew the next year to Vilcabamba. Spanish towns: The modern town of Pisac was laid out below the ruins by Viceroy Francisco de Toledo in the 1570s. Explorers: Hiram Bingham passed through Ollantaytambo in 1911 on his way up the Urubamba River in search of Machu Picchu. To learn more ashore: The community museum of Pisac, opened in 2009 at the corner of Avenida Amazonas and Avenida Federico Zamalloa, covers local ceramics and weaving and the Inca presence in the area.

Question 5

The Sacred Valley with Children

Accepted Answer

For a family, the valley works best as a slow day with plenty of breaks, because of the altitude. Choose one ruin and one market rather than trying to see everything. Younger children: The Pisac market, with bakers and food sellers working the square, is an easy first outing. Let children set the pace. School age: The terraces of Ollantaytambo are a short walk from the main square, and the climb to the top takes about 15 minutes by steps, a good size of adventure for most school-age children. Teenagers: Walking down through the Pisac ruins from the upper entrance takes about an hour and a half and suits anyone who walks well and does not mind heights. If your tour goes to Moray, look for its circular terraces, the largest about 30 meters deep. At altitude: Altitude sickness is a serious risk around Cusco, so plan an unhurried day and check health advice before you travel.

Sacred Valley

Good to know

Getting to the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley on Your Own

Tipping in Peru

Culture and Local Life

History

The Sacred Valley with Children

Port crowds

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