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Author: Yapa Explorers Editorial Team
Quick Summary: Yapa Explorers offers two Sacred Valley tour formats from Cusco: a standard Sacred Valley Tour covering Pisac ruins and Ollantaytambo, and a Sacred Valley Max Tour that adds Maras Salt Mines and Moray Ruins. Both include private transfers from Cusco, a professional bilingual guide, lunch, and a maximum group size of 10. Contact Yapa Explorers for current 2026 pricing.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas stretches roughly 60km along the Urubamba River between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. It was the agricultural and spiritual heartland of the Inca Empire, chosen for its microclimate — warmer and lower than Cusco — and its position framed by mountains the Incas considered sacred. A day here, done with the right guide, is as memorable as the main event at Machu Picchu.
Yapa Explorers offers two configurations — both run as full-day tours from Cusco with a maximum of 10 people and locally trained professional guides.
The core itinerary: Pisac Archaeological Site guided tour, included lunch in the valley, Ollantaytambo fortress guided tour, return to Cusco. Right for travelers who want a focused, well-paced day at the two most significant Sacred Valley sites. Yapa’s guides are local — they grew up near these ruins, they know the back routes and the details that don’t appear in any guidebook. View the Sacred Valley Tour →
The extended version — adds Maras Salt Mines and Moray Ruins to the core itinerary. A longer day (more driving, more sites), but if you’re only visiting the Sacred Valley once, seeing Maras and Moray properly with a guide who can explain the context is worth the extra hours. View the Sacred Valley Max Tour → Both tours include private hotel pickup from Cusco and drop-off on return.
Most visitors walk through Pisac and see impressive stonework. A Yapa guide helps you understand that the terraces weren’t just agricultural — the specific crops grown at specific altitudes were part of an Inca redistribution system that fed armies and built political alliances. The burial niches in the cliffs above contained elite Inca mummies, looted by Spanish conquistadors within years of the conquest. The water channels running through the site are still functional after 600 years — that engineering is what your guide should be pointing at, not just the view. At Ollantaytambo, a Yapa guide takes you to the sun-worship platform at the top of the terraces and explains why those six monolithic granite blocks were being assembled at the time the Spanish arrived in 1532 — and what it means that the construction was never finished. That historical moment lands differently when you’re standing inside it. Yapa guides are bilingual (Spanish/English), locally trained, and leading groups of 10 or fewer — which means you can actually ask questions and get answers without competing for the guide’s attention with 40 other people.
Booking with Yapa Explorers covers the following:
You pay separately: Boleto Turístico (required for Pisac and Ollantaytambo entrance) — approximately 70 soles (~$19 USD). Buy this in advance at COSITUC offices in Cusco, not at the gate.
If you have 2 days: do the Sacred Valley on Day 1 (after at least one acclimatization day in Cusco) and Machu Picchu on Day 2. Yapa’s 2-Day Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley Combo at $399 packages this exactly and is their best-selling tour. If you have 3+ days: Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu as separate full days gives you more time at each. Add Rainbow Mountain or the Inca Trail on additional days. If you only have 1 day: the Sacred Valley tour alone is worth doing. Pisac and Ollantaytambo in a single guided day is 8–9 hours that reshapes how most people think about pre-Columbian civilization.
Yapa Explorers holds a 96.5% approval rating across 1,000+ verified reviews on TripAdvisor. Here is what Sacred Valley travelers shared.
“Pisac completely caught me off guard — I had no idea it was that large or that significant. Our guide explained the cemetery, the water systems, and the temple alignment in detail. We were there for 90 minutes and I could have stayed longer. Ollantaytambo was jaw-dropping. Yapa did a perfect job.” — ThomasB_Bruges, Belgium, March 2026
“Did the Max Tour with Maras and Moray. The Salt Mines were unlike anything I’d seen. The guide explained the family ownership system that has operated for generations — that context made it so much richer than just walking past pretty terraces.” — IsabelC_Mexico_City, Mexico, February 2026
“The group size of 10 is genuinely different from the big bus tours. You can actually hear your guide, ask questions, and spend time at the parts that interest you. The included lunch was excellent — locally prepared and generous.” — NinaG_Toronto, Canada, January 2026
What’s the difference between the standard Sacred Valley Tour and the Max Tour? The standard tour covers Pisac and Ollantaytambo — both full archaeological sites with guided tours. The Max Tour adds Maras Salt Mines and Moray Ruins, extending the day by about 2–3 hours. If you’re only visiting the Sacred Valley once, the Max Tour covers more of what makes the region extraordinary.
Do I need the Boleto Turístico? Yes, for both tours — required to enter Pisac and Ollantaytambo. It’s approximately 70 soles (~$19 USD) and must be purchased separately at COSITUC offices in Cusco before your tour day. Yapa Explorers will remind you when you book, but buy it yourself the day before.
Can I combine this with a Machu Picchu tour? Yes — Yapa’s 2-Day Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley Combo packages Day 1 Sacred Valley with Day 2 Machu Picchu from $399. It’s Yapa’s best-selling tour for exactly this reason.
Is this tour suitable for older travelers or families with children? Yes. The sites involve walking and some stairs but no trekking — this is one of the most accessible ways to experience Inca archaeology. The Sacred Valley is also significantly lower in altitude than Cusco, making altitude sickness a much smaller concern.
What language are the tours conducted in? All Yapa Explorers guides are bilingual in English and Spanish. If you have a specific language requirement, contact them before booking.
Tour inclusions and pricing in this article are based on Yapa Explorers’ published information as of April 2026. The Boleto Turístico price and the sites it covers are subject to change by the Peruvian government. Opening hours and access conditions at individual sites may vary. Always request a current quote directly from Yapa Explorers to confirm pricing and inclusions for your specific travel dates.
