Book: The Sacred Valley
An excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba (also called Vilcanota) River is a "must" for anyone visiting Cuzco. Here the wealthier Inca families had their country estates, a first experiment with private property in the Inca Empire. The circuit has excellent highways to most sites and can easily be made in one day. However, this does not leave much time for lingering, seeing some of the off-road archeological sites, or simply for taking in the view. The towns of Pisac, Calca, Yucay, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo offer several hotels and restaurants which allow the more inquisitive visitor to reside in the area without daily trips back to Cuzco.