The Sacred Valley in Peru has been on the tourist map for years with many visitors spending a night or two in Urubamba on their way to Machu Picchu. Many people fly through the valley and miss out on some of the Sacred Valley’s best spots including the town of Pisac. Pisac is a small village nestled in the crook of the Inti Huatana Mountain. Famous for it’s Sunday market and ruins, most people spend a brief hour or two here before boarding their tour bus again and heading back down the valley. Big mistake!
Pisac is one of the most vibrant villages in the Sacred Valley and is a great place to use as a base from which you can explore the surroundings including the rest of the Sacred Valley. Book a room at the Pisac Inn, run by Peruvian-American couple Fielding and Roman. This charming 10 room boutique Inn is a great option if you’re looking for something comfortable, cozy and just a little bit different from the norm. It’s smack bang in the middle of Pisac’s main square and is the perfect base for spending several days exploring this corner of the valley.
Fielding and Roman are also very involved in preserving the local Andean culture and offer a variety of tours and cultural activities in and around Pisac. Their tours give you a lovely insight into the local culture and Andean cosmovision that is often easy to miss on the mainstream tourist circuit.
Some of our other favourite self-guided activities to see and do in Pisac include:
- Pisac ruins
- Pisac Sunday Market
- Felipe Marin Moreno Botanic Gardens
- Unucha Spa for a flower bath and relaxing massage with one of the best views in town.
- Museum of Corn.
- Museo Comunitario (Community Museum).
- Wander around the streets of Pisac to discover great handcrafts and colourful souvenirs to take home.
- Visit Pisac’s famous and traditional wood-fired ovens and try a delicious empanada at the Pumachayoc Colonial Oven.
- Catch a local bus and spend the day in the town of Ollantaytambo.
Eagle-eye view of Pisac and the Sacred Valley in Peru.
