5 Best Places To Visit In The Sacred Valley, Peru, With Kids

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Is The Sacred Valley Ok For Kids?

Yes! The Sacred Valley is great for kids! There is lots to do on a family trip and the kids will love visiting the ruins and staring at the awe inspiring landscapes of the Cusco region. The Sacred Valley, Peru, with kids will make a fantastic and educational family vacation.

It’s actually a good idea to visit the Sacred Valley BEFORE you stay in Cusco. So most people will fly or bus into Cusco and then immediately take transport down into the Sacred Valley where the altitude is lower. It’s a great way to get used to high altitude at a gradual pace and reduce the chance of altitude sickness. For reference Cusco is over 11,150 ft and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley is only 9,160 ft above sea level. You will still feel the affects of altitude and will need to take it slower for the first few days, but it’s easier than going straight to the highest altitude from the lower altitude of Lima!

As for safety for kids, it’s a very tourist’y’ area and we didn’t feel unsafe at any time. Easily used Ubers as well as local taxi’s, walked back to our hotel in the dark after visiting Machu Picchu and were always safe. As with anywhere else in the world keep your belongings safe, don’t leave things in your pockets.

Will Kids Enjoy The Sacred Valley, Peru?

I definitely think most children would enjoy visiting the Sacred Valley in Peru. It’s completely different to anything we’ve ever seen! The ruins are fun to explore and the huge stones they used kept the kids wondering how they moved them to create such fantastic structures. Of course the locals are all friendly, you can hire guides everywhere and even the local taxi drivers will act as a guide when they take you to different locations!

When Is It Best To Visit The Sacred Valley, Peru, With Kids

The Sacred Valley, Peru is located in South America and the best time to visit is outwith the rainy season. The high season is from June – August, when it’s dry but very busy! So it’s better to visit in the shoulder season between the high season and rainy season. Around April-May or September-October. We visited mid-September and although it was still fairly busy we could easily get away from the crowds and find peaceful spots wherever we were.

Do note that you should always book your entrance and train tickets to Machu Picchu as far in advance as possible, these do sell out!

Where To Visit In The Sacred Valley, Peru, With Kids?

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is filled with interesting ruins and craft markets, plus some adrenaline activities too! Most of the adventurous activities such as white water rafting, bungee jumping and rock climbing are not suitable for children. However, if you are going with teenagers this could be a fun option to do! There is of course the Inca Trail, which children can (and have!) done as well, whether it’s a section of the trail or the whole way along. But you will need to factor in enough time for this, including time to adjust to the altitude before the trek.

Although we stayed in a small town in the Sacred Valley, and I’d highly recommend this with kids, it is possible to visit from Cusco. Check out the many different tourist shops around the Plaza de Armas in Cusco to book tours. You may find some options that interest the kids, such as horseback riding to archaeological sites or meeting local people to watch weaving and other activities. Cusco itself has plenty to do with kids, from the Choco Museo to historical sites, you can read more about Cusco for kids here.

Ollantaytambo

We based ourselves in Ollantaytambo as it has its own amazing archaeological sites. It also has a train station where you can catch the train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). Aside this it’s a great place to just wander around, sit in the main square and people watch, plus plenty of restaurants for dinner. The tourist information here is great at advising on how to get to different locations and also ordering you a taxi and letting them know where to take you!

Don’t miss the fantastic craft market near the entrance to Ollantaytambo ruins, lots of beautiful items here!

The archaeological site itself is well worth a half-day exploration and a good first day activity. The huge rock bricks are amazing and it’s definitely an interesting thought about how they got them to those positions on the hillside. The Ollantaytambo archaeological site was the Royal Estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti, second in importance to Machu Picchu. The archaeological ruins include terraces for growing food, ceremonial sites, water channels and many different temples and other buildings. It’s a great place to start exploring the history of the Inca’s. Ollantaytambo is also where Manco Inca fortified the town in defence against the Spanish. The Spanish had already conquered Cusco in the 1500’s. He defeated the Spanish in 1936, but ultimately chose to move to the safety of the forest and create a new Inca site at Vilcabamba.

Pisac – Sacred Valley, Peru, With Kids

The town of Pisac is not only known for its Inca ruins clinging to the cliffside, it’s also an important market town. Pisac market is partly for locals (fruit and vegetables), but also lots of tourist stalls. Check what days the market is currently open. So if you’re looking for a particular souvenir, this is where you are likely to find it!

The Inca ruins are high up the hillside. Although it’s possible to walk up to them, I’d recommend taking a taxi if you have kids! It’s a long way up and very steep. Arrange with a taxi driver to take you to the ruins and then pick-up a couple of hours later. This is completely normal for them and they’ll happily wait to pick you up.

When the area was claimed by the Inca empire the Pisac citadel was created. The Inca emperor Pachacuti built a residence that was partly a religious site, observatory and citadel. It’s considered that this would be used by Pachacuti and his descendants as a retreat between military campaigns, well away from Cusco. The kids will love exploring this hilltop town, just take it slow!

Moray

The archaeological sites of Moray and Maras can be done together in one day. They are up the top of a rather steep hill. Which is easy to take a taxi to or an organised tour. Although Moray is know to be an Incan site, it still isn’t known EXACTLY what they used it for. The steep sided pit is terraced in circles and scientists have found different soil types throughout the terraces. This suggest that it was used as a sort of greenhouse to grow different crops from around the area or perhaps even testing which crops grew best and where. The design and orientation to the sun and wind means there is a difference of up to 5 degrees Celsius between the top and bottom of the structure. Something we definitely noticed when we descended from the very windy and cool top level to the bottom!

This is the perfect example of scientists using clues to theorise what the site was used for. Our children were certainly interested with coming up with their own theories too!

Salineras de Maras

A totally different site to everything else on our list! Maras is actually a huge area of salt mines or ponds. The Maras salt mines were created pre-Inca times and are still used today. As salt was a highly valued commodity to the Incas it would also have been used by the Incan empire. When the Inca’s gained control of the area, they gave local families ownership of their own salt ponds. They use them to produce salt for themselves and to sell. These salt ponds have passed down through these local family generations ever since.

The ponds are high up in the hills above the valley. So the salt actually comes from a large ancient salt water reservoir deep inside the mountain. The water runs into the ponds by a stream. Once a pond is full the family block the stream to prevent it overflowing. The water then evaporates and leaves behind delicious dry salt that is raked up and sold.

You can buy salt and salt products such as salted chocolate from the stalls above the ponds. It’s definitely a fun place to visit and taste the produce with the kids!

Machu Picchu

The citadel of Machu Picchu is of course a UNESCO World Heritage Site and somewhere everyone visits when they come to Peru. When you explain the history of Machu Picchu to children they will be amazed to hear about how it was constructed on top of a mountain. There are plenty of books and podcasts about Machu Picchu, aimed at children. So I highly recommend listening to these before arriving in Peru. It is also one of the best places in the Sacred Valley to visit with kids. You have an awesome train journey along the Urubamba River with the snow capped Andes mountains rising on either side. It can be done as a full day trip from Cusco or the Sacred Valley easily. Or you can also stay overnight at one of the many hotels in Aguas Calientes.

I write about everything you need to know for visiting Machu Picchu in this blog post here. It includes information on time slots, the Vistadome train and how to get the bus and where you buy tickets for this in the village, to where to get a tour guide at last minute! These are definitely the most important Incan ruins in the Urubamba Valley. Make sure you book entrance tickets and the train ride well in advance of your visit.

Huayna Picchu is also an amazing site to visit. However it has a an age limit for a reason and is not an easy climb. So this one is not for young children. Do check the minimum age for hiking up if you have teenagers.

5 Best Places To Visit In The Sacred Valley, Peru, With Kids

Is The Sacred Valley Ok For Kids?

Will Kids Enjoy The Sacred Valley, Peru?

When Is It Best To Visit The Sacred Valley, Peru, With Kids