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- Pisac Archaeological Park — Huge terraced hilltop complex with tombs carved into the cliff and sweeping views of the valley. Walk the terraces, check out the burial caves and watch how the town below still uses the same agricultural logic the Incas planned; sunrise here is quietly special.
- Pisac Market (Village Feria) — One of the best places to see everyday Andean life: farmers selling produce, handmade textiles straight from nearby communities, and local snacks you won’t get in the big tourist markets. It’s a lively, colorful contrast to the ruins above.
- Ollantaytambo Fortress & Living Town — A working Inca town where narrow streets, original foundations and an imposing stone fortress meet daily life; the terraces and carved stones feel raw and immediate. The town’s still-inhabited layout
- Pisac Archaeological Park — Huge terraced hilltop complex with tombs carved into the cliff and sweeping views of the valley. Walk the terraces, check out the burial caves and watch how the town below still uses the same agricultural logic the Incas planned; sunrise here is quietly special.
- Pisac Market (Village Feria) — One of the best places to see everyday Andean life: farmers selling produce, handmade textiles straight from nearby communities, and local snacks you won’t get in the big tourist markets. It’s a lively, colorful contrast to the ruins above.
- Ollantaytambo Fortress & Living Town — A working Inca town where narrow streets, original foundations and an imposing stone fortress meet daily life; the terraces and carved stones feel raw and immediate. The town’s still-inhabited layout — people living above and below the terraces — is a rare, living example of Inca urban planning. (Personal favorite)
- Pinkuylluna Inca Storehouses (Ollanta hillside) — Hidden gem: climb the short trail above Ollantaytambo to see the rounded Inca storehouses carved into the rock. Fewer people go up here, so you get quiet views of the town and terraces below — perfect for a low-key half-hour escape.
- Moray Circular Terraces — Those concentric, amphitheater-like agricultural terraces aren’t just photogenic; they’re an Inca experimental “laboratory” of microclimates. The strange, precise geometry and the way crops would have been trialed here make Moray unlike any other archaeological site in Peru.
- Salineras de Maras (Maras Salt Mines) — Thousands of stepped salt pans clinging to a hillside, still harvested by local families using ancient techniques. The color, scale and human continuity here are unique: it’s a landscape shaped by both nature and centuries of practical craft.
- Chinchero — Weaving Tradition & Inca Terraces — A small town where colonial church frescoes, Inca terrace backdrops and active weaving cooperatives sit together. It’s one of the clearest places to see living textile traditions: natural dyes, back-strap looms and the whole storytelling behind each pattern.
- Willoq (traditional Quechua community) — Hidden gem: a remote, authentic village near Ollantaytambo where residents still wear ancestral clothing and maintain old customs. Visiting is about quiet observation and respectful exchange — markets and homestays here are local, not touristy.
- Huchuy Qosqo (Little Cusco) ruins — Hidden gem: reached by a scenic hike above the Sacred Valley, this compact Inca settlement offers fantastic valley panoramas and fewer crowds than the big sites. The walk up is rewarding and the site’s atmosphere feels intimate and intact.
- Patacancha Valley & Community Treks — Local experience: short multi-hour treks into Patacancha take you past highland farms, alpaca herds and small weaving villages not flooded with tour groups. It’s the best way to see everyday high-Andean life and support local artisans directly.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.