Valle Sagrado de los Incas and the river valley around Urubamba

Valle Sagrado de los Incas around Urubamba stretches along the Urubamba River, with Inca sites and farming terraces in view.

Valle Sagrado de los Incas is the broad Andean valley around Urubamba, set along the Urubamba River in Peru. Its landscape combines river bends, cultivated slopes and Inca remains, including a cultural designation from 2006.

Valley floor, terraces and stone towns

The valley runs between Písac and Ollantaytambo, with Urubamba among its best-known towns. It lies in Cusco Department, and the area is tied to the ancient river corridor also called Vilcanota.

Valle Sagrado de los Incas carries the character of a lived landscape rather than a single monument. The valley’s identity comes from its settlement pattern, agricultural ground and the archaeological sites spread through it.

Inca agriculture and archaeological layers

Maize cultivation remains part of the valley’s reputation, and the region is linked with the cultivation of large-grained maize. That agricultural base sits alongside archaeological sites such as Písac, Chinchero and Ollantaytambo.

río Urubamba threads through the valley as its defining line. Around it, stone architecture and terraced slopes create a dense historical landscape, with the river basin remaining central to the place.

From Cusco into the Sacred Valley landscape

The valley belongs to the wider Andean setting north of Cusco, where steep terrain opens into farmed ground and settlements. Its recorded cultural status names it as an archaeological and historical cultural landscape, which underlines the mix of human use and place.

Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación marks the valley’s formal standing in Peru. The designation recognises the whole landscape, not only its individual ruins.

Visiting Valle Sagrado de los Incas: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The valley sits in Cusco Department, north of Cusco city. Rail and road routes connect the main settlements through the same river corridor.
• The terrain includes broad altitude changes, terraced slopes and stone-built sites. Some parts are set on hillsides, others on the valley floor.
• The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Peruvian sol.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Valle Sagrado de los Incas

Where is Valle Sagrado de los Incas?

It is the valley around Urubamba in Peru, in the Cusco area and along the Urubamba River. The place extends between Písac and Ollantaytambo.

What does a visit involve?

It is a landscape of river valleys, terraces, towns and archaeological sites. The main experience is moving between settlements and viewing the valley’s Inca-era remains.

What makes it distinctive?

Its combination of agricultural land, river corridor and archaeological sites defines it. The valley is also formally recognised as a cultural landscape of national importance.