Sacred Valley Tour from Cusco: Comparing Maras, Moray, Pisac and Ollantaytambo Day Trips

A Sacred Valley tour from Cusco can mean quite different days. One listing in this guide builds the day around Pisac. A second runs through Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo. A third pairs Pisac with Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo. Pick the route first, then check what the listing books for you.

Below I compare the three listings on stops, inclusions and fit.

Which Sacred Valley Day Tour Fits Your Plan

The right Sacred Valley tour depends on two things: which sites you need to see, and how much control you want over the day. A private tour lets you set the pace at each stop. A small-group tour fixes the order and shares the timing with strangers.

Timing within your trip matters too. According to Wikipedia's Cusco entry, Cusco sits at about 3,399 metres above sea level, higher than Machu Picchu. Put the high day hikes after a few days in Cusco instead of on arrival, and build acclimatisation into the itinerary from the start. Our Cusco altitude page covers how to sequence those first days.

Private and small-group formats each fail a different traveller. If you want to share the cost of a guide and don't mind a fixed pace, a private day adds control you won't use. If you photograph slowly or need extra rest stops, a shared group schedule will feel rushed whatever the stop list says.

Private Sacred Valley Tour with Pisac: Your Pace and Your Stop Order

This listing is a private day that includes Pisac, with a licensed guide and flexible time at each site. It also states that there are no shopping stops unless you ask for them.

Flexible time still has an end point. The listing mentions a cutoff at the last park, so a slow morning pushes back everything after it. The card also asks you to confirm three things: the full stop list, whether entrance tickets are included, and whether lunch is included. Of the named sites, Pisac is the only one the description commits to.

Skip this format if you need Maras and Moray guaranteed in writing before you pay. The listing names Pisac and leaves the rest of the route for you to agree with the operator.

The Best Private Sacred Valley Tour in Cusco ( with Pisac)

★★★★★ 5.0 (227 reviews) on Viator · 8-10 hours

From $140 · Price checked: Oct 2026

Best for: Travelers who want a private, flexible Sacred Valley day including Pisac, with no shopping stops unless requested.

Not for: Skip it if you want a fixed itinerary upfront, since the description does not name the stops beyond Pisac.

An 8 to 10 hour private Sacred Valley tour including Pisac, with a licensed guide and flexible time at each site before a 4pm cutoff at the last park. Confirm the full stop list, entrance tickets and whether lunch is included.

Check availability

External booking on Viator · pricing and cancellations handled by Viator

Matching the Stop List to What You Want to See

Start your comparison with the stop list. Two listings in this guide name Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo, but one adds Chinchero and the other adds Pisac. If a particular site matters to you, find its name in the listing itself.

Buying a circuit without checking which sites it reaches is a mistake I want readers to avoid. The fix takes a minute: write down the two or three sites you care about, then cross off any listing that doesn't name them.

The Ultimate Full Day Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo

This small-group full day names four stops: Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo. The listing caps the group size and sets a defined block of time at each site, which suits travellers who want structure and a predictable rhythm.

The description is silent on three practical points: entrance tickets, lunch and hotel pickup. Silence is not the same as inclusion. Ask the operator about all three before you pay, and get the answers in writing.

Pisac is not on this tour's named stop list. If Pisac is the site you came to the valley for, look at the other two listings.

The Ultimate Full Day Sacred Valley Tour

★★★★★ 4.9 (711 reviews) on Viator · 12 hours

From $139 · Price checked: Oct 2026

Best for: Travelers who want Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo in one day with 40 to 50 minutes at each site.

Not for: Skip it if Pisac is a priority, since the four listed stops do not include it.

A 12-hour small-group day tour to Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo, with the group limited to 8 travelers. Confirm whether entrance tickets, lunch and hotel pickup are included, as the description does not say.

Check availability

External booking on Viator · pricing and cancellations handled by Viator

Sacred Valley VIP Tour with Maras and Moray: Tickets and Lunch Listed

This small-group tour names Pisac, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo. Of the three listings, it is the only one that states transport, entrance tickets, a guide and a buffet lunch as included.

Two points stay open. The card asks you to confirm the group size limit and the hotel pickup area before paying. A pickup zone that doesn't reach your hotel means a walk to a meeting point, so check your address against it.

Choose another listing if Chinchero is on your list, since this one does not name it. A set buffet and a shared group pace may also not suit travellers with strict dietary needs or a slow walking speed.

Sacred Valley VIP Tour with Maras and Moray

★★★★★ 5.0 (225 reviews) on Viator · 9-10 hours

From $160 · Price checked: Oct 2026

Best for: Travelers who want Pisac, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo in one day with tickets, guide and buffet lunch included.

Not for: Skip it if you prefer long stops, since Taray, Pisac, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo all fit into 9 to 10 hours.

A 9 to 10 hour small-group Sacred Valley tour with transport, entrance tickets, guide and buffet lunch included. Confirm the group size limit and hotel pickup area before paying.

Check availability

External booking on Viator · pricing and cancellations handled by Viator

What Changes Between Listings Beyond the Stops

Inclusions change from one listing to the next, and each card is the only reliable guide to its own tour. One listing here states that entrance tickets and a buffet lunch are included. Another does not say either way. The private listing asks you to confirm both. Read each line on its own and treat a missing line as unconfirmed.

Entry rules at the archaeological sites come from Peru's Ministry of Culture, and they can change between seasons. Even if a listing says tickets are included, confirm close to your date which sites they cover.

Assuming that every Machu Picchu tour includes an entry ticket causes the same kind of problem, so read those listings line by line as well. Our guide to getting to Machu Picchu sets out which parts of that journey you book separately.

A headline comparison will mislead you if you plan to compare these three listings on the title alone.

Planning Notes for Getting the Day Right

Where the day ends shapes what you can do next, and Ollantaytambo matters because of the rail connection. Before booking, decide whether you are returning to Cusco that night or continuing toward Machu Picchu.

In its guide to reaching the citadel, PeruRail lists about one hour thirty minutes by train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo. Two of these listings name Ollantaytambo as a stop, but none of the three says it can leave you there with your luggage. Ask the operator in writing. Then book your train as a separate purchase, and treat timetables as subject to change until PeruRail confirms them.

Skip this format if you plan to catch an evening train and the operator cannot confirm an Ollantaytambo drop-off.

If you would rather walk than ride between sites, look at a multi-day route instead. Our Lares trek page and our Inca Trail page cover those options.

What to Check Before Booking

Before you pay for any Sacred Valley tour, check five things: the named stops, the inclusions, the pickup area, the group size and the cancellation terms. Each listing in this guide leaves at least one of these for you to confirm.

• Find every site you care about by name in the listing, and confirm the full stop list with the operator if the card asks you to.
• Check whether entrance tickets and lunch are included, or whether you pay for them on the day.
• Read the meeting point and pickup area against your hotel address.
• Confirm the group size limit if the card does not state one.
• Read the cancellation terms against rail and weather disruption, especially if a train booking depends on the day ending on time.

Timing within the trip deserves the same care. I would place the more demanding outings after your first days in Cusco, and the altitude planning page shows how to order them.

Book a different listing instead when an operator cannot answer these points clearly.