The Sacred Valley Photo Essay

The Sacred Valley is a magical place where ancient history comes alive. Take a look at the photos below and be inspired to visit and learn about the civilisations that existed before us. For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

Erika xx

Visiting the Sacred Valley

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The Sacred Valley is the location of a fascinating world that you would not come across in everyday life. It is a lush green wonderland of treks, villages, ruins, agriculture, mountains and beautiful landscape in the interior region of Peru. The ruins of Machu Picchu are in the sacred valley but there is much more to do and see here and if you left your sightseeing to just Machu Picchu you would regret it!

For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley. If you are looking for tips on visiting Machu Picchu you can see my post here.

Top Tip for Visiting the Sacred Valley:

Get a guide! I usually like to steer away from organised excursions and do my own thing at my own pace but I also know when it just makes sense to have a guide. The Sacred Valley is one of those places! It is worth splurging for a private tour so that you don’t feel like a flock of sheep in this beautiful place and so that you can make your own decisions about where to visit but you really need a guide to explain what you are looking at and learn about the Inca culture as it is really fascinating history.

We arranged a guide through https://exclusiveinkatour.com/.

Where to stay:

It’s always best to check booking.com for the best accomodation deals.

Getting there, away and around:

You can take the Machu Picchu train in or out of the Scared Valley area, bus or get a private transfer from your guide. We took the train to Machu Picchu and then the train out to Ollantaytambo (a village in the Sacred Valley and the site of one of the ruins). Then our guide collected us from Ollantaytambo – taking us around the Sacred Valley by car before returning to Cusco.

The Sacred Valley is not walkable – except the ruins at Ollantaytambo are very close to Ollantaytambo town and you can easily walk to these if you are staying here.

Food:

The only location for food I can recommend in the Sacred Valley is the resturant at Ollantaytambo Train Station El Albergue. It is quite fine dining but they also don’t care if you arrive stinky and dirty and exhausted from Machu Picchu and its well worth a stop to work up the energy to walk back to your hotel. For other meals, your guide will be able to recommend stops that fit in with your schedule.

What to bring:

Comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothes + a good camera!

What to expect:

Our route around the Sacred Valley took in the sites of Ollantaytambo ruins – Moray – Maras Salt Mines and Pisac ruins and market. We had already visited Machu Picchu the day before. This is around about the amount of places you can fit in in one long day in the area (with a transfer in or out). You will need a minimum of one full day for Machu Picchu on its own (either a day trip or including staying overnight in Aguas Calientes.

Ollantaytambo ruins were our first stop and these are located on the edge of Ollantaytambo town. You will need to purchase a Boleto Turistico here for Circuit 3 which allows access into Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero and Moray. Ollantaytambo has some temples, interesting ways of building to examine, a small climb through the ruins and then a beautiful view towards some granaries in the mountains and over the town.

From here, you can drive to Moray; this visit will take about 40 minutes and consists of 2 sets of giant crop circles. You will learn all about the amazing knowledge that the Inca had of agriculture and the purpose of the layered crop planting that you see.

The next stop of Maras is an above ground, outdoor salt mine that you will spend around 40 minutes at. You can view the beautiful pink, brown and white terraces, each of which is used for extracting salt and learn about the production process and the traditional salt mining practice still in use today. This stop is not included in your Boleto Turistico so you will need to pay separately.

A possible last stop is Pisac. There are ruins and a market here – you will find the ruins up a very high hill which can be incredibly windy. This is a large complex with a lot to wander and some incredible views. There is also a large market at Pisac.

If you can spend more time in the Sacred Valley you definitely should! We had a pretty tight timetable but it is a wonderful place to explore more. If you have the budget there is also an amazing hotel here where you stay in pods attached to the side of a cliff. You need to rock-climb up to the hotel and zip-line back.

Erika xx

Visiting Machu Picchu

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to book a stay or purchase an item I may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Machu Picchu is everything that you think it is and then more. I have always wanted to visit this magical place and I definitely feared that the hype would leave me disappointed. However, the whole place just feels magical even when it is crawling wth tourists or pouring with rain or covered with workers restoring the walls. It helps if you have a tour guide that can explain some of the more fascinating facts of the history of this place while you are standing there within the ancient walls.

For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

Top Tip for Visiting Machu Picchu:

I believe the best way to visit Machu Picchu is by walking the 1 day Inka trail which involves 1 day of hiking to reach Machu Picchu and then 1 day spent exploring Machu Picchu. You can also just visit Machu Picchu for the day or do a longer Inka trail but I feel the first option has the best balance and ensures you have enough time at Machu Picchu itself.

Where to stay:

We stayed at Hostel Machu Picchu Land in Aguas Calientes. There is nothing spectacular here but Hostel Machu Picchu Land was clean, tidy, comfortable and cheap. All you can ask for really! It’s always best to check booking.com for the best accomodation deals.

Getting there and away:

The train from Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu is the best way to travel between these locations. It also stops at KM 104 for the start of the Inca trail. You can book your journey on the train to fit around your plans at https://www.perurail.com/.

Getting around:

From the town of Aguas Calientes there is a bus that ferries tourists to and from Machu Picchu. It is possible to walk this route but it is long and hilly. Once at Machu Picchu your only form of transport is your feet and you will be doing a lot of walking so I highly recommend just taking the bus. If there is a long queue to get back down and you need to catch a train you can walk down to town in less than an hour.

Food:

Purchase some snacks in advance for Machu Picchu (as there are no places to purchase food within the ruins).

What to bring:

I suggest only bringing a small a small pack or day pack to Machu Picchu as you are restricted as to the amount you can carry on the train and particularly if you are doing the Inka trail you really don’t want to have to carry too much on your back. Here are the key items you should bring with you:

  1. Water in a reusable bottle (for inside Machu Picchu as no plastic bottles are allowed). 
  2. Snacks
  3. A change of clothing
  4. A rain-jacket and a jumper as weather conditions can change very rapidly at Machu Picchu
  5. Very comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots
  6. Camera and Go Pro
Ten seasons in a day at Machu Picchu

What to expect:

Prior to your tour you will be asked to attend a briefing session at the tour offices. This is a great idea to make sure that the itinerary meets expectations and go through any health and safety requirements.

You will then be picked up early in the morning the next day to take the train to the start of the Inka trail. You will do 3 hours of hiking and then stop at the ruins of Winay Wayna. From here, you will continue on to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu – arriving in the afternoon. This is a great photo spot high above Machu Picchu which you are unlikely to have time to walk up to if you visit the ruins for a day.

Once you have walked down from the Sun Gate and taken a few pre-sunset pics of Machu Picchu (its very quiet in the late afternoon and a great time to get a few pictures in) then you will head into Aguas Calientes to have dinner and stay the night.

The next day, you will rise early again and queue for one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu (the first bus is at 5:30am). Once inside the ruins you will have an informative guided tour of the complex from your tour guide. Afterwards, you have the option to climb Huayna Picchu which is a very steep and strenuous 2 hour return trip rewarding you with amazing views. You will then have more time to explore Machu Picchu on your own before heading back down to Aguas Calientes to take the train out of town.

Erika xx

Itinerary: 3 days in Hoi An

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Hoi An is like Vietnam that has been dressed up and put on a pedestal. Everything is picturesque and traditional and laid out for you in a small area so you don’t need to walk too far. Except for the beach – we didn’t visit the beach here as we decided to have a bit of a beach break in Da Nang instead. Hoi An is where we wandered and soaked up all the beautiful lanterns and lights and culture.

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away:

Hoi An is only about 1 hours drive from Da Nang Airport. Da Nang airport is a major hub and there are plenty of affordable flights around Vietnam from here particularly from Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City. Da Nang Train Station also has trains travelling the length of the country.

Getting around:

Once you have reached Da Nang, the easiest way to get into Hoi An is by private car – your hotel in Hoi An will arrange this for you. A transfer very affordable here (even more so than in the rest of the country) so I definitely recommend paying for the convenience in this instance.

If you wanted to visit some attractions outside of Hoi An then you can fit them in as part of a transfer also. We hired Mr. Tim (Private Car with Driver – Watsapp +84 (0) 775 518 084) who we found online to take us from Hoi An back to Da Nang with 2 out of the way stops – he waited for us and continued to Da Nang when we were ready.

Once in Hoi An, you can walk to all of the attractions in the ancient town and this is a great way to see the town as Hoi An is a great place to wander around.

Accommodation:

There are so many nice, affordable hotels all over the ancient town. Do a search on booking.com and you will come up with plenty of viable options. We stayed at La An Central Boutique Villa which was perfect as it was right next to the night market and the river and it had a pool which was very necessary in the sweltering heat.

Food:

Hoi An is a particularly pricey place to eat but there are definitely some great spots if you are prepared to pay a little more than usual!

  • Madam Kieu – We had a lovely drink by the water here. They also played Cocomelon songs for my daughter to keep her entertained while we were here so big ups to the staff.
  • The Soul – This restaurant is attached to a nice hotel. It’s pricey but well located, beautiful and has really tasty traditional Vietnamese dishes.
  • Pho Xua Restaurant – This is one of the few really good budget options in Hoi An – plus its very close to the Fujian Assembly Hall so you can time a visit to this with lunch or dinner. The Pho here is excellent. 35 Phan Chau Trinh Street.

Top Tip:

My top tip for Hoi An is to time your visit for the monthly Lantern festival (although Hoi An is such a drawcard that its pretty festive every night). During the lantern festivals hundred of lanterns are lit and boats are out on the water while people release lanterns into the water. The largest and most spectacular lantern festival is the first one of the new year.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Get some clothes tailor made

Hoi An is famous for its hundreds of affordable and very capable tailors and they are so fast. You will find tailors everywhere and its a great opportunity to get something custom made. In high season you may need to wait 2-3 days for your clothing to be made so make sure this is the first thing you do. In low season, the tailor we went to produced 2 custom blazers in less than 24 hours.

Visit the Hoi An Night Market

The Night Market is located on An Hoi Islet right in the midst of the action. It opens at 6pm and closes around 10pm and it’s bustling atmosphere is perfect for nighttime when the temperature drops just slightly and you can brave coming out of your hotel. Many of the shops on either side of the market sell lanterns and they are beautifully lit and displayed. If you want to pose for a picture with the lanterns you will have to pay. The vendors here make most of their money charging for photographs rather than selling lanterns but we purchased one of the beautiful silk lanterns to take home as a souvenir.

There are stalls in the middle selling all types of knick-knacks and this is a great place to practice your bargaining. You can also have some local snacks (such as grilled octopus or banana crepes) here as there are a few street food stalls or you can eat at one of the many restaurants or bars in this part of town.

Be wowed by the Fujian Assembly Hall

The Fujian Assembly Hall is one of the most opulent buildings in all of Hoi An and is well worth a look – you can go inside and take a look there is no fee.

Explore the Ancient Town

Walk along the riverside and the streets around the ancient town taking in the atmosphere and doing some shopping in the little stores. Explore the cobbled lanes around the Japanese Covered Bridge and watch the boats in the water of the river.

Visit Sunworld Amusement Park

Sunworld Amusement Park is about 40 minutes drive from Da Nang or 1 hour drive from Hoi An. It is a very strange (but quite typical for Asian countries) theme park. The entry price is very expensive for Vietnam and its probably not worth it unless you make a full day of the theme park but there are a few worthwhile attractions here such as a very very high cablecar (the theme park is situated up a mountain), a stunning bridge called the Golden Hand Bridge and a few good rides.

Visit My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO world heritage site very close to both Da Nang and Hoi An (approximately 1 hour’s drive). It is a well preserved ruin of the ancient base of the Champa Kingdom. Its a bit of a walk to the ancient site and around in heat and it gets quite busy so I recommend visiting early in the morning/ Exploring the area should take about 2-3 hours. There is a traditional dance show performed every morning also that is worth watching.

Take in the Bamboo Circus Show

I didn’t personally go to this as I had to look after my kids and the circus is adult only but a couple of my family members went to see the bamboo circus and said it was absolutely phenomenal. It is a great local show to take in and also see the bamboo performing centre which is stunning too.

If you have an extra day to spend in the area I would head to the beach or out to the Cham Islands (there are lots of day tour options or you can head out onto the Islands and stay overnight). We didn’t do either this time around but would love to fit this in next time.

Erika xx