Although Machu Picchu is technically part of the Sacred Valley, most of the tours of the Sacred Valley cover the area between Písac and Ollantaytambo. (You can't get to Machu Picchu by road, so it's something you have to do separately.)
The tour I went on took us to the archaeological sites of Písac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, but first, we stopped off somewhere very special: a sort of zoo of South American camelids! Here we got to meet llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicuñas, and give them some food. It was really nice to see so many of these gorgeous animals - there was even one llama there who was only one week old!
At the zoo, there were also guinea pigs, whom I was very excited to see, as I used to have two pet guinea pigs when I was younger (Fluffy and Piggy)! In Peru, guinea pigs are eaten, which makes me sad (obviously, as a vegan, I find it just as sad that pigs and cows are eaten too). I hoped these particular guineas weren't destined for the dinner plate.
On our way into the gift shop, we saw this interesting statue, which certainly provoked some laughter!
In the gift shop, we listened to a presentation about the types of wool that the camelids produce and then we had a look around at the different products on offer.
Afterwards, it was time to visit the first archaeological site of the day: Písac, which was a place that really blew me away. After we showed our tickets, and entered the site, we were greeted with amazing views of mountains, Inca buildings and agricultural terraces. Then we climbed up to the top of the hill, where we could look inside the old houses and enjoy even more incredible views of the citadel and the Sacred Valley. On reflection, I would say this was the second most impressive archaeological site I visited during my trip (the first being Machu Picchu, obviously).
If I remember correctly, the next part of the tour involved going to a jewellery shop in the town of Písac and listening to a presentation about different stones, but I couldn't pay much attention to it, as I'd hit my head getting out of the minibus and it really hurt!
Afterwards, we drove across the valley to the town of Urubamba. On our way, we passed this beautiful waterfall in the mountains, which I did my best to get a picture of through the bus window.
In Urubamba, we had lunch at a hotel restaurant, which we paid for at the start of the tour. The cost was 30 soles (less than 8 dollars) and it was an "all you can eat" buffet, so like most things in Peru, it was good value (especially compared to the way things are in Chile and the UK at the moment!). The fact it was a buffet was very convenient for me as a vegan, because I could just load up my plate with vegetables, pasta and quinoa. For dessert, I had some stewed apples and something called purple porridge (mazamorra morada) made from purple corn. It looked like purple gloop, but tasted really nice!
Our next stop was Ollantaytambo, which is probably the most famous of the three archaeological sites we visited on the tour. I've heard it described as being the best alternative to Machu Picchu, but I actually preferred Písac (and also Moray, which I visited the following day). Ollantaytambo was definitely the most overcrowded of the sites I visited, and it's spread out over a huge area, so you don't really get a classic panoramic view of it like you do with Machu Picchu. However, despite this, it was still a super impressive place to see, with innovative architecture, a Temple of the Sun, and even a face carved into a mountain!
We walked up the steps to the top of the site (which was quite a workout!) to see the Temple of the Sun. As you can see from the picture of me, it was incredibly windy up there, but the views were great!
First of all, we went to a workshop, where we drank some muña (Andean mint) tea, and local women gave a presentation on how the wool from different animals gets made into products. Afterwards, we had some time to look around the shop and buy things. As I'd only taken a normal-sized backpack with me for the week in order to save money on my plane ticket, I didn't have space to bring back any large gifts or souvenirs, so I felt a bit awkward not being able to buy anything. But on the plus side, there were some cute guineas and a pretty cat to coo at!
The final place we visited on the tour was Chinchero archaeological site, which is similar in some ways to Koricancha, which I visited the previous day in Cusco, as it's a site from the Inca period with a Spanish colonial church built on top of it. Here you can see many agricultural terraces and great views of the mountains.
Overall, I had a great day on the tour, and felt really immersed in the Inca history, Quechua culture, and beautiful landscapes. Many people come to this part of the world just to visit Machu Picchu, and while it's definitely the most spectacular attraction in the area, I would definitely recommend touring the Sacred Valley too, as it just gives you a broader picture of the history of this region. And its archaeological sites are pretty amazing in their own right!
As it happens, I would be back in the valley again the following morning to explore two more of its most incredible places: Maras and Moray...
