Almost everyone planning Cusco ends up with the same doubt in front of two tours that look very alike: the Classic Sacred Valley, which enters through Pisac, and the Sacred Valley VIP, which swaps Pisac for the Moray terraces and the Maras Salt Mines. Both are full-day trips, both stop at Ollantaytambo and both cost about the same (prices for all our tours are in Cusco private tour prices). The difference lies in what you see, how much you walk and what you are doing the next day. This guide compares them stop by stop so you can choose without guessing.
The two routes in one table
| Classic Sacred Valley | Sacred Valley VIP | |
|---|---|---|
| Stops | Pisac (ruins and market) → Ollantaytambo → Chinchero | Chinchero → Moray → Maras Salt Mines → Ollantaytambo |
| Departure and return | 7:30 from your hotel · back in the late afternoon | 8:00 from your hotel · back around 7 p.m. |
| Duration | About 11 hours | About 10 hours |
| Lunch | Valley restaurant, between Pisac and Ollantaytambo | Urubamba, after the salt mines |
| Walking | Stone stairways and terraces at Pisac and Ollantaytambo | Short and flat at Moray and Maras; stairs at Ollantaytambo |
| Entrance fees | Tourist Ticket (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero) | Tourist Ticket (Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo) + Salt Mines (~10 soles) |
| Private price | From USD 95 per person | From USD 85 per person |
What you see on each
Classic: the two major sites and the market
The classic route gathers the valley’s two largest archaeological complexes. At Pisac you climb to an Inca site whose terraces cover the whole hillside, with a religious sector, the astronomical observatory and, across the ravine, the largest known Inca cemetery. Down in the village is the most complete craft market in the area: textiles, ceramics and silver, with time to shop unhurried because the tour is private. After lunch in Urubamba (here is what the valley eats) you reach Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town still inhabited on its original plan, and climb the fortress to the Temple of the Sun. The last stop is Chinchero, with its weavers and the colonial church on the walls of Túpac Inca Yupanqui’s palace.
It is the route that gives context: terraces, temples and Inca town planning you will later recognise at Machu Picchu.
VIP: landscape and fewer people
The VIP gives up Pisac to fit in the two most photographed places in the valley. Moray is a set of circular terraces sunk into natural hollows, an agricultural laboratory where the Incas tested crops at different temperatures. The Maras Salt Mines are more than three thousand stepped salt pools on the hillside, worked by the community since before the Incas. The day starts at Chinchero, with the full weaving demonstration, and also ends at Ollantaytambo, so you see the fortress just the same.
It is the landscape route: Maras and Moray take half the photos of any trip to Cusco, and Pisac is the spot in the valley where most groups overlap at midday.
Which to choose for your situation
- First time in Cusco and Machu Picchu is next. Classic. Pisac and Ollantaytambo are the best preparation for understanding the citadel.
- You already know Pisac or photography comes first. VIP. Moray and the salt mines are not on the classic route and cannot be replaced.
- Travelling with children or older people. VIP. The walks at Moray and Maras are short and flat; Pisac has stairs and slopes.
- You want to buy crafts. Classic, for the Pisac market. On the VIP you can buy salt and textiles in Chinchero, but there is no large market.
- Little time and you want it all. Ask for the extended version: privately we can join the six stops — Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, lunch in Urubamba and Pisac — in one long day, leaving early and returning around 5 p.m.
The detail almost nobody checks: altitude
The Sacred Valley sits about 500 metres below Cusco, which is why either route makes a good first day. But they are not the same. The Classic ends at Chinchero, 3,762 metres — the highest point of the day — when you have already been out for ten hours. The VIP starts at Chinchero at nine in the morning, when you are rested, and then only goes down. If you have just arrived and feel the altitude, the VIP is gentler (here is how to acclimatise in Cusco). If you have already spent two or three days in Cusco, it makes no difference.
Tourist Ticket and entrance fees: what you pay separately
Neither tour includes the Cusco Tourist Ticket, bought at the start of the route. There is a partial ticket for the valley circuit and a full one that also covers Sacsayhuaman and the city sites; if you are doing the City Tour as well, the full ticket pays off. On the VIP add the entrance to the Maras Salt Mines, run by the community and charged separately at about 10 soles. In both cases bring cash in soles: card payment is not always available in the valley.
If Machu Picchu is next, finish at Ollantaytambo
Both routes pass through Ollantaytambo, the train station for Aguas Calientes. On either you can ask for the tour to end there instead of returning to Cusco: we drop you at the station with your luggage in time for your train, you visit Machu Picchu the next day and you never backtrack. On the Classic, in that case, we reorder the day to do Chinchero in the morning and close at Ollantaytambo.
Short on time? The short version, Chinchero, Maras and Moray, takes about seven hours. And if you would rather hike or spend the day with an Andean family, see the Huchuy Qosqo hike or the authentic Andean experience.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do both routes on different days?
Yes, and they complement each other: they repeat no stop except Chinchero and Ollantaytambo. Many travellers do the Classic on the first day and the VIP after coming back from Machu Picchu.
Which has fewer people?
The VIP. Pisac at midday is the busiest point in the valley. Moray and Maras receive the large groups after twelve, so leaving at eight you have them almost empty.
How much walking is there on each?
On the Classic, about an hour at Pisac and another at Ollantaytambo, on stone stairways and terraces. On the VIP, short flat walks at Moray and Maras, plus the climb up the Ollantaytambo fortress. Neither requires any fitness preparation.
Is lunch included?
Yes, on both: at a valley restaurant on the Classic and in Urubamba on the VIP. Extra drinks and tips are not included.
Book your route
Both tours are private: only your group, a professional bilingual guide and transport from your hotel in Cusco.
- Classic Sacred Valley — Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, from USD 95.
- Sacred Valley VIP — Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo, from USD 85.
- All our Sacred Valley tours, including the short versions and the quieter routes.
