This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, Amazon associates and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n When I started researching how to visit the Sacred Valley attractions from Cusco, I was hit with a conundrum because I wanted to go without a tour. <\/p>\n Nothing sounded more like my idea of hell than a rushed day tour visiting with a thousand other people and being dragged away on a tight schedule, unable to explore them properly. <\/p>\n For starters, I wasn\u2019t in a huge rush with six weeks in Peru, so I didn\u2019t need to do that. Secondly, I just hate that style of tourism and prefer to do my own thing.<\/p>\n Since I was planning to hike the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu, I wasn\u2019t looking to do much extra hiking as I wanted to save my energy. <\/p>\n Ideally, I wanted to do the Sacred Valley during day trips (I had the time to do this across multiple days) from Cusco without taking a tour. In this guide, I\u2019ll help you do exactly that, using public transit.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a region in Peru\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> Andean Highlands. Stretching from the city of Cusco to the World Wonder of Machu Picchu, it was once the heart of the Inca Empire and remains full of ancient ruins and idyllic towns, dotted across the region.<\/p>\n Sadly, the public transport connections are limited. What you mostly find is \u2018colectivos\u2019: shared minivans mainly used by locals although tourists are welcome to hop in. I have many a time!<\/p>\n Colectivos usually leave when they\u2019re full, so if you find yourself waiting for an empty one, know you probably just missed the previous one, and be prepared to wait 30 minutes for it to fill.<\/p>\n Expect to pay between 3 and 15 soles ($1-5) for colectivo rides within the Sacred Valley, depending on distance. The longest one I took was from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (the other side of the valley) which took around 1.5 hours. <\/p>\n On the downside, there are often no direct journeys available, meaning you\u2019ll have to change vehicles in other towns which can be time-consuming. <\/p>\n Personally, I think those in charge of tourism in the Sacred Valley aren\u2019t incentivised to improve the public transport because it\u2019s more profitable when tourists take organised tours in the region. Doing it solo is certainly more of a battle, or shall we say an adventure, but worth it for independent travellers who want to avoid the crowds and take their time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Later in this guide, I\u2019ll explain in detail how to reach these places and what to do there. But, for now, a quick introduction.<\/p>\n The top places are\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The small town of Ollantaytambo is surrounded by cliffs, many decorated with ancient Inca relics. This town has historic relevance as the last stronghold against the Spanish.<\/p>\n The ruins are right beside the town and easily visited by foot (although there are several stairs to climb). It\u2019s very simple to visit this Sacred Valley site without a tour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another cute town with a mix of tourist-friendly cafes and authentic local markets (don\u2019t miss the Sunday one) in the sunny central square. The ancient Inca ruins sit 500m above the town, requiring a taxi ride or a steep, exposed hike to reach.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to visit from Cusco without a tour, as I\u2019ll explain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Now an archaeological site, the impressive Moray Circular Terraces<\/a><\/strong> were once used for agriculture and highlight the advanced nature of the Incas. The levels created separate microclimates in which different food products could grow.<\/p>\n Items considered super foods today like quinoa, amaranth and purple corn were staples within Inca diets. Perhaps that\u2019s what gave them the energy to build incredible structures like Machu Picchu!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Used since Inca times, the Salt Mines of Maras <\/a><\/strong>still create livelihoods to this day. The endless sea of layered terraces stretches as far as the eye can see, the different coloured saline pools creating a patchwork of colours.<\/p>\n Local families own selected pools, and they can\u2019t be bought or sold. The only way to acquire them is by marrying into the family that owns it. <\/p>\n The 500-year-old pans are man-made but the water source is natural. As it evaporates from the pools, it leaves behind salt crystals that are harvested and sold.<\/p>\n Entry is not included in the Tourist Ticket but only costs an extra 10 soles ($3).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Some people recommended hiking across the whole Sacred Valley, beginning in Ollantaytambo and arriving back in Cusco via a mix of hiking and colectivos.<\/p>\n This would be a 2-3 day trip and quite an intense one with early starts and long, exposed hikes in the heat. It\u2019s certainly doable (and here are detailed instructions<\/a><\/strong>) but not exactly leisurely. <\/p>\n I chose to use Cusco as my base and explore the Sacred Valley attractions, splitting them across multiple days without any hiking. Keep reading if that\u2019s what you\u2019re after, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC)<\/a><\/strong> is a pass allowing you to visit the main attractions. It\u2019s confusing with \u2018circuits\u2019 valid for differing amounts of time and including different attractions.<\/p>\n Circuits I and II are for attractions nearer to Cusco (such as Sacsayhuaman), but what you want is Circuit III (Sacred Valley Ticket)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Option #1 <\/strong>\u2013 Partial Ticket valid for two days including Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero. The price is 70 soles ($20).<\/p>\n Problem with this option <\/strong>\u2013 if you choose to visit the Sacred Valley without a tour relying on public transport, you can\u2019t realistically make it to Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Moray in two days. You could in three days but such a pass doesn\u2019t exist, the next option up is\u2026<\/p>\n Option #2: <\/strong>Full Ticket valid for 10 days and including Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, Chinchero AND 12 other sights (including museums and archaeological sights near Cusco). The price is 130 soles ($36); obviously the best value option.<\/p>\n Buy it at the first attraction you visit, in cash. It will activate including that day in the total number of days\u2019 validity (2 days or 10 days depending whether you buy the Partial or Full ticket).<\/p>\n They may ask for your passport<\/strong> so remember to bring it with you.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a breakdown of what\u2019s to come, followed by more details about each place.<\/p>\n This was my favorite Sacred Valley town apart from perhaps Pisac. Although they both have a similar vibe \u2013 small towns with Inca ruins that are well equipped for tourism with cute cafes etc \u2013 I found Ollantayambo more authentic without so many foreigners living there (more on that when we discuss Pisac).<\/p>\n The Ollantaytambo ruins are the most famous thing to do here (and also the easiest Inca ruins to visit in the Sacred Valley<\/a><\/strong> because they are on ground level by the town, rather than up a steep hill like in Pisac). <\/p>\n Organised day tours will only <\/strong>allow time for the ruins before rushing you out of town. If you stay for a whole day or overnight, there are several other things to do in Ollantaytambo<\/a><\/strong>, most of which are free.<\/p>\n How to visit Ollantaytambo as a day trip from Cusco: <\/strong>This one is easy. Regular colectivos take around 1.5 hours. Set off early to avoid exploring them in the hot midday sun. They depart from Calle Pavitos in Cusco.<\/p>\n To return from Ollaytaytambo, take a colectivo from the main square outside Valentino\u2019s Cafe<\/a><\/strong>. Expect to pay around 15 soles each way.<\/p>\n What about staying overnight? <\/strong>I chose to stay overnight in Ollantaytambo which I think was a good idea. I visited the ruins at 7am and had them to myself, then went inside to chill when all the tour groups were visiting. In the late afternoon and evening, I had the town to myself again.<\/p>\n For a homey place to stay with a local family, I suggest Casa Inka<\/a> B&B<\/a><\/strong> for $30 a night. <\/p>\n Ollantaytambo is where the train to Machu Picchu arrives and departs (the train station is a 20-minute walk from the centre of town). After visiting Machu Picchu, most companies will collect you from the train station via minibus headed back to Cusco, meaning you won\u2019t see Ollantaytambo while transiting.<\/p>\n Since I wanted to visit this Sacred Valley attraction without a tour, I decided the easiest option was to tell my trekking company I didn\u2019t need the minibus back to Cusco, and stay in Ollantaytambo overnight. I ended up staying a couple of nights as I was tired after trekking, but I\u2019d say one is enough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Built by Emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century to conquer local tribes, this site became historically important as the last stronghold against the Spanish. They were even defeated once here by the Incas, but sadly, they managed to conquer most of Peru and South America eventually.<\/p>\n Entry to the Ollantaytambo archaeological site is included in your Tourist Ticket mentioned above. If it\u2019s the first site you\u2019re visiting, buy your ticket in cash at the entry desk.<\/p>\n The ruins are right beside the town and visible from wherever you are. You can\u2019t miss them! <\/p>\n After climbing the main stairs, you\u2019ll reach the famous Sun Gate and the Temple of the Sun. The views down over the town are beautiful, and you may be lucky to see lots of alpacas in the grounds like I did.<\/p>\n Do you need a guide? <\/strong>It will never hurt to learn more about the history and context of this fascinating place. However, the site is smaller than the Pisac ruins so, if you only hire one, I suggest doing it there instead.<\/p>\n Opening times: <\/strong>7am to 5pm. Go early or late if possible. Not only is it crowded when the groups arrive, but it\u2019s also hot and exposed in the middle of the day without any shade.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Pisac is an idyllic Inca town known for its weekly Sunday market. Stands selling everything from colourful fruit to fresh, ready-to-drink coconuts sprawl across the central square. It doesn\u2019t feel like a touristy market, however there are several craft markets in town where you can buy all the rugs and llama keyrings your heart desires!<\/p>\n I had heard before visiting that Pisac was \u2018spiritual\u2019 and decided that had one of two possible meanings: it was full of authentic holistic practices passed through generations of local people\u2026 OR pretentious foreigners had taken over.<\/p>\n It was the latter, reminding me of San Marcos in Guatemala. You can try everything from sound healing to yoga and even ayahuasca, but the workshops are mostly run by foreigners from wealthy countries, not supporting local infrastructure. Many of the activities are more global, holistic trends rather than unique to Peru or even South America.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n To visit this stunning place in the Sacred Valley without a tour, board a colectivo from Calle Puputi\u00a0on the edge of Cusco. The journey takes around 45 minutes and vans leave when full. Expect to pay around 7 soles each way.<\/p>\n Instead of walking two minutes to the ruins like in Ollantaytambo, you can take a taxi or embark on an uphill climb. The ruins sit overlooking the town at 3,350 meters above sea level. <\/p>\n I decided to take a taxi up and walk down. <\/p>\n Pisac ruins are included in your Touristic Ticket (mentioned at the top of this article).<\/p>\n I found the site to be larger than Ollantaytambo and a guide<\/strong> is highly recommended to learn about it all. However, as I was travelling solo, I couldn\u2019t justify the cost and ended up doing my own research later.<\/p>\n Opening times: <\/strong>7am to 5pm. <\/p>\n An advantage of staying overnight is visiting early before the groups arrive. <\/p>\n I got there by 10am after taking a colectivo from Cusco and was dismayed to find the place packed. From looking at the itineraries of day trips that visit the whole Sacred Valley in one day, I had deduced that groups visit in the afternoons. However, I think there are so many different types of tours that it just can\u2019t be avoided.<\/p>\n Give yourself 1-2 hours to explore the site, and another 30 minutes to hike back down to town.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I organised one from where the colectivo from Cusco dropped me. As they\u2019re official tourist cabs, the price doesn\u2019t change much: I paid 25 soles ($8). My driver must have been 90 years old. Quite the experience up very dusty, sandy roads!<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t yet bought your Tourist Ticket, tell your driver who will stop at the ticket office. The entry is five minutes further on, so stay in the car if you already have your ticket.<\/p>\n Find an entry gate on ground level, a few streets back from the town. I\u2019ve pinned it here<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s a steep uphill hike that should take around 1-1.5 hours. <\/p>\n To hike down, simply head towards the back of the site and hike with the sweeping landscape on your left, passing layered terraces. The trail is pretty easy to follow, and you\u2019ll soon see Pisac town in sight. It\u2019s much quicker going down than up, obviously. I think it took me between 30 and 45 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is where it gets tricky! I was scouring the internet for ways to visit Moray and Maras by public transport but sadly there aren\u2019t direct buses.<\/p>\n In the end, I decided to take a day tour not to ALL the Sacred Valley attractions but just these two. I was feeling tired from a food poisoning contracted in the Amazon and only had two days until my 5-day Salkantay hike so I wanted to preserve all the energy possible.<\/p>\n I was hoping this day tour would spread Moray and Maras across the whole day, meaning less rushing\u2026 but sadly not! We whizzed between the two attractions at the same time as endless other tour buses (without time to properly appreciate the places) and spent the rest of the day at forced shopping shops.<\/p>\n Overall, I hated it. <\/p>\n Still, you feel it\u2019s the best option given the lack of transport between Cusco, Moray and Maras, especially if you\u2019re a solo female traveller in Peru<\/a><\/strong> and hesitant about hiking and navigating local transport alone. <\/p>\n If so, it\u2019s this tour with MP Reserva<\/a>tions<\/a><\/strong>. But know what you\u2019re letting yourself in for.<\/p>\n If I had been in a better situation, health and energy-wise, here\u2019s what I have researched since and would do instead\u2026<\/p>\n Step #1: <\/strong>Find a minibus (colectivo) travelling from Pavitos Street in Cusco bound for Urubamba. Tell the driver you want to get off close to Maras Salt Mines (in Spanish, say \u2018Salineras de Maras\u2019 or show a photo). The journey should take 1.5 hours and cost around 6 soles.<\/p>\n Step #2:<\/strong> Hike for 30 minutes to the Salt Mine. Entry is not included with the Sacred Valley ticket so pay 10 soles ($3) in cash. <\/p>\n Step #3: <\/strong>After visiting Maras, take a 4.5-kilometer hike to Moray Circular Terraces. Alternatively, get a taxi the 30-minute drive.<\/p>\n Step #4: <\/strong>outside Moray on the main road, wait for a colectivo destined for Ramal (20 minutes) then switch to one for Chincero (also 20 minutes). Here you can visit Chincero Ruins (included in your Tourist Ticket), shop at the textile market or, if you\u2019re feeling done for the day, simply board another colectivo (45 minutes) back to Cusco.<\/p>\n Yes, this day out is complicated with plenty of hiking and four colectivos in total. But it may be worth it to see the Sacred Valley without a tour! Set out early (Maras Salt Mines opens from 8am and it takes two hours to get there by bus and hike). Check when you arrive in Chinchero what time the last bus to Cusco departs.<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> The first colectivo should cost 6 soles and I anticipate the others will be under 5 soles each. The whole day\u2019s transport should cost around 25 soles (under $8). The Salt Mine entry is 10 soles and the other attractions are included in your Tourist Ticket. <\/p>\n If you opt for a taxi between Moray and Maras, you may not save any money on the price of the day tour I took ($15) but I feel you WILL have a more authentic and less crowded experience.<\/p>\n Tips: <\/strong>Wear comfy shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and pack snacks and water (you can buy it at Moray and Maras but it will be overpriced). Chinchero will be your best bet to have a proper meal. Ask locals for directions when hiking; they\u2019re a friendly bunch.<\/p>\nWhat and where is the Sacred Valley?<\/h2>\n
![\"cusco](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sacred-Valley-1024x687.png\")
<\/a>Public transit in the Sacred Valley (or lack thereof)<\/h2>\n
What are the main Sacred Valley sights?<\/h2>\n
Ollantaytambo (ruins and town)<\/h3>\n
![\"Ollantaytambo\"](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ollantaytambo.jpg-town-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nPisac (ruins and town)<\/h3>\n
![\"Pisac](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Pisac-ruins.jpg\")
Moray Circular Terraces<\/h3>\n
![\"Moray](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MORAY-TERRACES-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nSalt Mines of Maras<\/h3>\n
![\"Salt](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Maras-salt-mines.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nTo hike or not to hike?<\/h2>\n
Archeological tickets for the Sacred Valley <\/h2>\n
How to buy the pass<\/h3>\n
![\"Visiting](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Salt-mines-scared-valley-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nVisiting the Scared Valley sights without a tour<\/h2>\n
\n
Visiting Ollantaytambo in the Sacrey Valley without a tour<\/h3>\n
![\"Ollantaytambo](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ollantaytambo-ruins-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHow to combine with visiting Machu Picchu? <\/h3>\n
Ollantaytambo ruins<\/h3>\n
![\"View](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ollantaytambo-sacred-valley-peru-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Alpaca\"](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Alpaca-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhat else to do in Ollantaytambo <\/h4>\n
\n
Where to eat in Ollantaytambo <\/h3>\n
\n
Visiting Pisac from Cusco as a day trip without a tour<\/h3>\n
![\"Scenery](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pisac-scenery-sacred-valley-1024x768.jpg\")
![\"Pisac](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pisac-town-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Sunday](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Market-day-pisac-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGetting to Pisac from Cusco by public transport<\/h3>\n
Visiting Pisac ruins<\/h3>\n
![\"Circular](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pisac-ruins-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGetting from Pisac to the ruins by taxi<\/h4>\n
Getting from Pisac to the ruins by hiking<\/h4>\n
What else to do in Pisac<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Food](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lunch-in-pisac-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Coffee](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mama-mamita-cafe-pisac-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nVisiting Moray and Maras as a day trip from Cusco without a tour<\/h2>\n
![\"Salt](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maras-salt-flats-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Locals](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Locals-working-te-salt-mines-768x1024.jpg\")
Colectivo \/ hiking expedition to Moray, Maras and Chinchero<\/h3>\n
![\"Salt](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/salt-pans-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Salt](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Salt-crystals-in-salt-mines-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"sacred](\"https:\/\/www.wheregoesrose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/The-sacred-valley-without-a-tour--683x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n