Peru Route: Machu Picchu to Vinicunca and the Sacred Valley
Explore Peru's most significant Inca heritage sites and natural wonders across the Cusco Region and Sacred Valley. This route spans approximately 3,471 km, connecting the architectural masterpieces of Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuamán with stunning alpine landscapes including Humantay Lagoon and Vinicunca's multicolored peaks.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Peru: Land of Extremes
- End
- Intipuncu Sun Gate
- Stops
- 12
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Peru: Land of Extremes
- Aguas Calientes — Gateway town nestled in a steep valley at the foot of the Urubamba River, serving as the primary access point to Machu Picchu amid dense cloud forest vegetation.
- Temple of the Condor — Sacred Inca temple within Machu Picchu where living rock was integrated into masonry to create the proportions of a sacred condor figure using advanced polygonal construction…
- Humantay Lagoon — Sacred turquoise glacial lake at 4,200 meters altitude in the Cusco region, fed by snowmelt and revered as an apu (mountain deity) governing water balance and valley life.
- Cordillera Blanca and Laguna Parón — Mountain range featuring Peru's highest peaks with turquoise alpine lake, offering stunning trekking routes and pristine glacial scenery.
- Vinicunca Mountain of Seven Colors — High-altitude peak displaying natural mineral-striped slopes in vivid reds, purples, and yellows due to mineral deposits and oxidation.
- Andean Camelids
- Sacred Valley of the Incas — Extensive geographical corridor above 2,800 meters crossed by the Urubamba River, serving as the agricultural heartland and spiritual center of the Inca Empire with nutrient-rich…
- Moray Agricultural Laboratory — Pre-Incan terraced amphitheater near Cusco used by indigenous peoples to study crops at different altitudes and microclimates.
- Maras Salt Ponds — Hundreds of evaporation ponds cascading down mountainside since pre-colonial times, producing artisanal salt through traditional methods.
- Pisac Archaeological Complex
- Intipuncu Sun Gate — Monumental stone gateway on Inca Trail serving as ceremonial entrance to Machu Picchu, framing mountain vistas at sunrise.
Useful for your trip
- Transport
- Train tracks run alongside the Urubamba River and serve as the main connection from Aguas Calientes town to the rest of the region.
- Tip
- Machu Picchu remained hidden from the outside world for nearly 400 years until its formal rediscovery in the early 20th century.
- Tip
- Humantay Lagoon is located at 4,200 meters above sea level and fed directly by snowmelt from surrounding peaks; its turquoise color results from mineral microcrystals in glacial water.
- Tip
- Laguna Parón in Cordillera Blanca is the largest freshwater reservoir in the mountain range at 4,155 meters altitude, stretching almost 4 kilometers.
- Tip
- Vinicunca Mountain of Seven Colors is located at over 5,200 meters above sea level and displays colored mineral bands: red (iron oxide), green (copper sulfide), and yellow (sulfur).
- Tip
- The Sacred Valley is located at over 2,800 meters above sea level and is crossed by the Urubamba River.
- Tip
- Moray's terraces descend 150 meters creating microclimates with temperature differences up to 15°C between highest and lowest levels, used to cultivate over 250 plant species.
- Save money
- Maras Salt Ponds continue operating under a cooperative community system with unchanged harvesting cycles for over 1,000 years; more than 3,000 pools remain in operation.
- Timing
- During summer solstice at Intipuncu Sun Gate, the first rays of sun pierce the stone gateway frame, projecting light directly onto sacred sites in Ollantaytambo valley below.
- Tip
- Pisac Archaeological Complex features gigantic agricultural terraces that functioned as retaining walls preventing soil erosion and channeling rainwater runoff.
- Tip
- Ollantaytambo is one of few cities maintaining its original urban layout uninterrupted; it functioned as administrative center, ceremonial sanctuary, and fortress simultaneously.
- Tip
- Cusco served as the geographical and religious center of the Inca Empire; its Coricancha temple walls withstand violent seismic activity without cracking due to curved wall precision.
Video on this route
MARAVILLAS DE PERÚ | El Documental Más Impresionante de la Cultura y Paisajes Peruanos