Where to Stay in the Sacred Valley
Urubamba for gardens and the easiest roads, Ollantaytambo for the train, Pisac for the market, or Cusco for the tours. Altitudes, distances and a hotel map.
If you have two nights or more, stay in the valley rather than in Cusco: Urubamba if you want a garden hotel in the middle of everything, Ollantaytambo if your next stop is the train to Machu Picchu. Both sit 500 to 600 m lower than Cusco, which makes the first nights easier on the body. Stay in Cusco if you are only doing the valley as a day tour, because that is where the tours pick up, and consider Pisac if the Sunday market and a quieter village are the point.
The bases compared
| Base | Altitude | From Cusco | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urubamba | about 2,870 m | about 47 km by the Chinchero road | Garden hotels, Moray and Maras close by, the middle of the valley | Spread out; you need taxis or a tour |
| Ollantaytambo | 2,792 m (town and station) | 61 km by the Chinchero road | The train to Machu Picchu, an Inca town on foot | Small, busy with day-trippers by day, quiet at night |
| Pisac | about 2,970 m | 33 km | The market, the ruins at sunrise, a village feel | Far from Ollantaytambo and the train |
| Cusco | 3,399 m | Tour pick-ups, restaurants, the city sights | The altitude on your first nights |
Altitudes from INEI, Inca Rail and Peru’s Ministry of Culture; distances from the Ministry of Culture’s Cusco office, and Urubamba measured along the road. Checked October 2026.
Urubamba: the middle of the valley
Urubamba is the market town on the valley floor, and the biggest choice of places to stay is around it: hotels set in gardens along the river and the road towards Yucay and Ollantaytambo. It is the closest base to the Maras salt mines, about 18 km away by road, and to Moray, and about 20 km from Ollantaytambo’s station. Its weakness is that it is spread out: you will move between places by taxi or tour, not on foot.
Ollantaytambo: the night before the train
Ollantaytambo is the old Inca town at the end of the valley road, with its fortress above the main square, its stone streets and the railway station a short walk away. It is the base for an early train to Machu Picchu: PeruRail’s 2026 timetable has departures from 05:05, and from a hotel in town you walk to the platform. It is also the best town in the valley to explore on foot. In the day it fills with tour groups; in the evening it is quiet.
Moving from Cusco to the valley? You do not need a separate transfer. The day below tours Chinchero, Moray and the salt mines with lunch in Urubamba and leaves you in Ollantaytambo at about 3 pm, from $26 in current promotion (usually $36), rated 4.7 from 243 reviews (checked October 2026). Bring only a small bag; leave big luggage at your Cusco hotel.
Cusco: for the day tours
If the valley is a single day out, stay in Cusco: every group tour picks up in the historic centre between about 5:45 and 6:30, and the city has the restaurants and the sights. Stay within walking distance of the Plaza de Armas, where the pick-ups and meeting points are.
See hotels near the Plaza de Armas
Your first afternoon in Cusco is a good time for a free walking tour of the historic centre: the guides meet in the old town most days, booking costs nothing and you tip the guide at the end. See the free walking tours in Cusco.
Other Days Around Cusco
More Tours from Cusco and the Valley
Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, the city and more: what else runs on your dates.
Pisac: the market village
Pisac, 33 km from Cusco, is the closest valley town to the city. Stay there for the Sunday market and for the ruins early in the morning before the tour groups arrive. It is the furthest base from Ollantaytambo and the train.
Staying in the valley, touring from it
Most group tours start in Cusco, but some start where you are. The private Sacred Valley day from Urubamba or Ollantaytambo picks you up at your valley hotel, and the private Moray and Maras half day from Ollantaytambo is back by early afternoon. The Moray and Maras page compares the plateau tours.
How these facts were checked
Altitudes are from INEI (Cusco, Urubamba), Inca Rail (Ollantaytambo station) and the commonly published figure for Pisac town. Distances are from the Ministry of Culture’s Cusco office, and the Urubamba and salt-mine distances were measured along the road. Train times are from PeruRail’s May to December 2026 timetable. Tour prices, ratings and pick-up times are from GetYourGuide, checked October 2026.
Move to the Valley on a Tour
Leave Cusco on a guided day through Chinchero, Moray, the Maras salt mines and lunch in Urubamba, and get off in Ollantaytambo at about 3 pm, the start of your valley stay. Pack light: tours take small bags.
Check Dates for the Drop-off Day