Comparison

Classic or VIP? Choose your Sacred Valley

Q: What is the main difference between the Sacred Valley Classic and the Sacred Valley VIP?

The VIP adds Moray and the Maras salt mines and covers five sites; the Classic visits the Taray viewpoint, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. The service is identical: group of max. 17–18, bilingual guide and buffet lunch.

Q: Which one suits travelling with children or older adults?

Usually the Sacred Valley Classic: it leaves an hour later (7:20 AM), returns earlier (6:30 PM) and moves at a calmer pace.

Q: Which one if I only have one day for the valley?

The Sacred Valley VIP. For US$2 more you see Moray and Maras, two sites the Classic does not cover and that many travellers rate as the most photogenic of the day.

Same guide, same group and same lunch. The VIP adds Moray and Maras to complete the five sites; the Classic takes four stops at a calmer pace.

Classic · US$30 VIP · US$32 →

Short answer

Choose by your trip

Choose the Sacred Valley Classic if…

You travel with children or older relatives and prefer a shorter day.
You would rather leave at 7:20 AM than at 6:20 AM.
You care more about taking your time at Pisac and Ollantaytambo than adding sites.
You already know Moray and Maras, or will visit them another day.

Book the Classic →

Choose the Sacred Valley VIP if…

You have a single day for the Sacred Valley and want to leave nothing out.
The salt ponds and the circular terraces are what drew you here.
You do not mind an early start in exchange for two more sites.
You want the best value: five sites for US$2 more.

Book the VIP →

Side by side

Differences point by point

Aspect	Sacred Valley Classic	Sacred Valley VIP
Price from	US$30	US$32
Stops	Taray, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero	Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, Pisac
Moray (circular terraces)	✕No	✔Yes
Maras salt mines	✕No	✔Yes
Taray viewpoint	✔Yes	✕No
Pickup	7:20 AM	6:20 AM
Back in Cusco	6:30 PM	7:00 PM
Duration	11 h	12–13 h
Pace	Relaxed	Full-on, but well spread out
Maximum group	17–18 travellers	17–18 travellers
Guide	Bilingual: English and Spanish	Bilingual: English and Spanish
Buffet lunch (Rustica)	✔Included	✔Included
Tickets paid apart	Tourist ticket	Tourist ticket + Maras entry
Highest point	Chinchero, 3,762 m	Chinchero, 3,762 m

2026 data · Reference times · how long the tour lasts

Is it worth paying US$2 more?

For most travellers, yes. Moray and Maras are not on the way between the sites of the traditional circuit: going on your own means another transfer from Cusco and another half day. On the Sacred Valley VIP they fit into the same day at almost the same price.

The real cost is not in dollars but in time: the VIP starts an hour earlier and finishes half an hour later. If your body is still adjusting to the altitude, or you travel with small children, that early start may weigh more than the two extra stops.

What does not change

The transport, the certified bilingual guide, the buffet lunch in Urubamba and the maximum of 17–18 travellers are identical. You can also upgrade the restaurant on both: 14 Inkas, Don Angel or Tunupa, as shown in the price table.

Circular terraces of Moray, a stop only on the Sacred Valley VIP tour

Moray · VIP only

The two days

How each route unfolds

Sacred Valley Classic US$30

7:20 AM

Pickup in downtown Cusco

Pickup at your hotel, Airbnb or downtown meeting point. We confirm the time by WhatsApp the night before.

8:20 AM15 min stop

Taray viewpoint

First panoramic view of the valley and the Vilcanota river, a short photo stop.

9:30 AM1 h 30 visit

Pisac archaeological site

Farming terraces, the religious sector and the Intihuatana, plus a stop at the artisan market with silver workshops.

12:00 PM50 min

Buffet lunch in Urubamba

Andean buffet at Rustica, included, with the option to upgrade to 14 Inkas, Don Angel or Tunupa.

2:00 PM1 h 30 visit

Ollantaytambo

The temple-fortress, the Sun Temple and the streets of a living Inca town.

4:45 PM1 h visit

Chinchero

Weaving centre, archaeological park and colonial church in the late afternoon.

6:30 PM

Back in Cusco

Approximate arrival in downtown Cusco. Total day: about 11 hours.

Sacred Valley VIP US$32

6:20 AM

Pickup in downtown Cusco

We pick you up at your hotel, Airbnb or meeting point downtown. The exact time reaches you by WhatsApp the night before.

7:40 AM1 h 15 visit

Chinchero

Local weavers show how alpaca wool is spun, dyed with plants and woven on a backstrap loom; then the Inca terraces and the colonial church.

9:30 AM45 min visit

Moray

Amphitheatres of circular terraces the Incas used as an agricultural laboratory to test crops at different altitudes.

11:00 AM45 min visit

Maras Salt Mines

More than 3,000 salt ponds fed by an underground spring and still worked today by local families.

12:30 PM50 min

Buffet lunch in Urubamba

Andean buffet at Rustica, included. You can upgrade it at booking to 14 Inkas, Don Angel or Tunupa.

2:00 PM1 h visit

Ollantaytambo

Hillside temple-fortress, the Sun Temple and the only Inca town still lived in with its original layout.

4:50 PM50 min + 30 min in town

Pisac

Terraces, the Intihuatana and a stop at the artisan market with silver workshops before heading back.

7:00 PM

Back in Cusco

Approximate arrival in downtown Cusco. Total day: about 12.5 hours.

Common questions

Sacred Valley Classic or VIP: your questions

The VIP adds Moray and the Maras salt mines and covers five sites; the Classic visits the Taray viewpoint, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. The service is identical: group of max. 17–18, bilingual guide and buffet lunch.

No. "VIP" refers to the complete itinerary, not to a different service. If you want to travel only with your own group, the option is the private tour.

Usually the Sacred Valley Classic: it leaves an hour later (7:20 AM), returns earlier (6:30 PM) and moves at a calmer pace.

The Sacred Valley VIP. For US$2 more you see Moray and Maras, two sites the Classic does not cover and that many travellers rate as the most photogenic of the day.

Not exactly. Both need the tourist ticket, but the Sacred Valley VIP also needs the Maras salt mines entry. Details in our ticket guide.