Plan your trip to Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
When to visit Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
There is never really a bad time to visit the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The rainy season is officially November through April, with more rain in January - March, but even during the rainy season, it does not usually rain all day and some find the fertile valleys and quick changes in weather to add to the charm.
The weather in the Sacred valley is quite similar all-year round, with temperatures rising in the afternoon when the sun is strong and temperatures dropping sharply in the evenings.
Peak season is June through October, in particular July, when you are advised to book further in advance hotels, flights and train and entrance tickets for Machu Picchu.
The perfect amount of time to visit Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu is 5 days, including travel days, although you can easily spend up to a week. If you have very limited time and your main priority is visiting Machu Picchu, we recommend skipping Cusco and only staying in the Sacred Valley, with a suggested itinerary of:
Day 1: Arrival Cusco airport, transfer to Sacred Valley, and take it easy day
Day 2: Activities in Sacred Valley depending on your interests!
Day 3: Visit to Machu Picchu (day trip) returning to Sacred Valley in evening
Day 4: Departure day to Lima or elsewhere
This can be reduced to three days, but we don’t recommend it. If you have more time, we recommend an additional day in the Sacred Valley and a night or two in Cusco, especially if you have time to add in a night or two after your visit to Machu Picchu. Cusco not only has many archaeological and historical sites, but the best tourist shopping in Peru and a full range of restaurants and nightlife.
There is an additional option to stay overnight in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu base town), but it’s not necessary. Unless you are a real archaeological or photography buff, most people find that one visit to Machu Picchu is enough, and can easily be accommodated in a one-day day trip, especially from the Sacred Valley which is closer to Machu Picchu than Cusco, and it’s not worth it to check in and out of of hotels and bring a separate bag to Aguas Calientes (large suitcases are not permitted on the train).
Planning your trip
What to Pack
Layers, layers and more layers. The weather in Cusco and the Sacred Valley goes from quite cold to hot and sunny in the same day. Year-round in the Sacred Valley we recommend jeans or long pants, a T-shirt or long-sleeve shirt, sweater or fleece and puff or polar jacket. As you will add and remove layers during the day (and carry them with you), we recommend clothing and jackets that are flexible and light weight, as well as a lightweight day backpack or shoulder-cross bag.
In addition to your clothing, warm socks, and comfortable walking shoes, we recommend you bring: sunglasses and sun screen. a rain jacket (even if not rainy season), bug repellent, a hat, refillable water bottles, chapstick, and of course your camera. An iPad or light laptop is a nice addition to check your photos, stay in touch or watch movies in the evenings.
Altitude and how to get acclimated
Cusco is 3,400 (11,154 feet) above sea level, most of the Sacred Valley at 2,900 m2 (9,514 feet) and Machu Picchu is 2,430 (7,874 feet). To minimize the effects of altitude, we recommend that to first stay in the Sacred Valley, where it is lower, take it easy for your first day or two before you visit Machu Picchu, and then on to Cusco or elsewhere.
For most people, the effects of altitude - headache, fatigue, breathlessness, upset stomach, etc. - are minimal and can usually be solved by taking it easy and drinking lots of fluids (and avoiding alcohol and caffeine) the first day or two, but some do have more serious side effects, which can lead to cerebral or pulmonary edemas and even death.
If you have pre-existing conditions or if you have altitude sickness during the trip and your symptoms don’t improve in 1-2 days, you should always seek medical advice.