We have set up an incredible three-day hike through this valley, which in our opinion rivals Tuscany in Italy for its scenery. The Sacred Valley Trek is unique to Zephyr Adventures -- we created it with our local Peruvian partners. The Sacred Valley runs from Pisac, just outside Cusco, along the Urubamba River to the town of Ollantaytambo and beyond. Most people simply take a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, missing all the beauty. 

• We visit Incan ruins, small towns, and a weavers village. 

• The terrain is moderate but the hiking distances are slightly longer than on our other treks. 

• We camp en route, our gear delivered to our next camp site by truck, and the trek ends at Piscaycucho (KM 82 of the railroad), the start of the Classic and Royal Inca Trail Treks. 

• You can choose to spend three amazing days hiking through the Sacred Valley of the Incas or combine it with our Classic or Royal treks to make one longer journey from Cusco all the way to Machu Picchu, just like the Incan rulers did before you and like almost no one else does today.

PRIVATE TREK:
Your choice of dates (minimum two people)
$800 per person* / 3 days & 2 nights
Single Supplement: $200 (always optional)

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate

INCLUDED: double occupancy lodging in tents, camping gear (except sleeping bags), all meals, professional and knowledgable guides, horses for carrying gear, initial shuttle from Cusco to start of trek, and transportation back to Cusco or as detailed below.

NOT INCLUDED: transportation to and from Cusco, gratuities to guides and porters, sleeping bag rental ($75 optional but free if you also sign up for the Classic or Royal Inca Trail treks), alcoholic beverages, and personal expenses.

*optional third night of camping to combine with the Royal or Classic Inca Trail Trek is $100 more per person.

DAY 1 :: We meet you in Cusco early in the morning and transfer (avoiding two big uphills at high elevation) a short 45 minutes to Chinchero, a weaver's village where we visit the market and Incan ruins - comparable to Ollantaytambo without all the tourists. It is then on to Allpachaca on a ridge above the Sacred Valley where we begin our hike. We hike through beautiful scenery to Huaypo Lake for lunch. We continue in the afternoon (including an 800-foot uphill section) past terraces and fields to the Incan ruins of Moray, an agricultural laboratory, where we camp for the night. At night and in the morning we will have beautiful, unrestricted views of the Andes and Mount Veronica. Hiking time is about six hours and 12 miles with rolling terrain and a 1000-foot elevation loss. A shorter option is available by transfering to start at Huaypo Lake.

DAY 2 :: After breakfast we visit the Moray ruins and then hike downhill from the plateau through an amazing cut in the hillside to the valley floor, where we continue past small villages, through patchwork farms, and among all sorts of animals including ducks, chickens, pigs, and donkeys. You'll see almost no other tourists on this stretch. We finally reach our campside within the native community village of Cachiccatta, where we set up camp (with hot showers available!) and eat dinner. You have the option to hike up switchbikes to the ancient Incan quarry above Cachiccata, where you'll see stones left in the process of cutting when the Incans vacated the area. Cachiccatta is home to almost all the porters who help us with our treks, so if you continue on the Royal or Classic Inca Trail trek, you might meet some of your porters here. Total hiking time is about seven hours and 10 miles with a net altitude loss of 2000 feet when dropping down to the valley floor.

DAY 3 :: We hike along the left bank of the Urubamba River, passing the native communities of Sillki and Primavera, before reaching Chillca and our lunch spot. After lunch we complete our trek by hiking along an incredible, mostly-unvisited section of the original Inca Trail to Piscaycucho, Kilometer 82 of the railroad and the start of the Classic and Royal Inca Trail treks. From there you can spend the night if you are continuing your trek the following day ($100 extra per person) or we will transport you to the train station, to Ollantaytambo, or back to Cusco. Trekking time is about 7.5 hours and 10.5 miles along a mostly-flat route with some substantial rolling hills towards the end. As a shorter alternative, you can instead visit the quarry this day and then hike to nearby Ollantaytambo rather than continuing along the river path.