Cusco served as the Inca capital with the Coricancha sun temple beneath colonial Santo Domingo, the Sacred Valley villages of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu reachable by train through the Urubamba canyon.
Highlights
Cusco
Sacred Valley
Machu Picchu
Ollantaytambo
When to Visit
May-Sep
Dry season with Machu Picchu at peak photographic clarity, Inti Raymi sun festival on June 24 fills Cusco with Inca-costumed processions, and the Inca Trail at full operation.
Oct-Apr
Wet season with afternoon downpours but mornings clear, the Sacred Valley emerald green, and the Inca Trail closes February for maintenance.
Jun
Inti Raymi the country's biggest indigenous festival on June 24 reenacts the Inca winter solstice ceremony at Sacsayhuamán above Cusco.
Apr-May
Wet-dry transition with the Sacred Valley at peak greenery, Cusco's plaza walking pleasant, and Inca Trail reopening in March after maintenance closure.
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