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The Sacred Valley of the Incas is the place where the ancient civilization of the Incas and Inca Empire emerged. The valley itself was regarded as sacred by the Incas as the territorial correlation to the Milky Way. The legend has it that four Ayar brothers, Uchu, Manco, Cachi and Auca, created by Viracocha (the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology), who lived in a cave in Tampu Tocco mountain close to the Pacaritambo, house of daybreaks, (settlement 33km from Cusco) were looking for a place to settle. Finally, after several years, only one Ayar Manco with his wife Mama Ocllo reached the place where Cusco was built. According to legend he became the ancestor of the Inca dynasty, changing his name to Manco Capac. The descendants of Manco Capac built a vast and strong empire which was defeated by Spanish conquistadors. Beautiful views, enchanting history, ancient ruins and mystery made the place unique for any visitor.

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By Plain to Peru: The best way to get to Urubamba Valley and Urubamba town in Peru is by plain. You need to make quite a trip - first getting to capital of Peru Lima and than to Cusco. Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA: LIM, ICAO: SPIM), in Spanish Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chavez, is Peru main international and domestic airport. It is located 7 miles (11 kilometers) from the historic center of Lima and 11 miles (17 km) from Miraflores - a famous district of beautiful homes, villas, parks and flower gardens.

By Plain from Lima to Cusco: You can get from Lima to Cusco by air too. Cusco airport the full name - Teniente Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport (IATA: CUZ, ICAO: SPZO) is located in an unusual place for airports - in the center of the city of Cusco at the altitude of 10,860 ft (3,310 m) There are several daily flights Lima - Cusco. Duration of flight is about one hour. To get to Urumbamba from Cusco you need to use a bus, train or car. The distance from Cusco Airport to the center of Urumbamba town is 44 miles (71 km). The route is picturesque passing many small, attractive towns with colonial churches and Incas' sacred ruins surrounded by fields with world famous maize (corn) and terraced gardens.

By Train: Cusco - Urubamba: You can get from Cusco to Urubamba by train.The Urubamba train station is located near Hotel Libertador. The trip takes about two hours and a half and one way ticket is about $60 per person. This website might help you with sceduling the train trip: http://www.perurail.com/en/

By Car from Cusco to Urubamba: You can get to Urubamba by taxi. You can take a private taxi ( one way trip is about $11 (30 PEN - Peruvian Nuevo Sol) or a shared taxi (about $2.2 (6 PEN - Peruvian Nuevo Sol per person) but it takes more time to reach your destination. There is a taxi station in Pavitos in Cusco near the bus terminal next to Avenida Grau.

By Bus from Cusco to Urubamba: You can get the bus to Urubamba from Cusco. It costs about $2 (5 PEN - Peruvian Nuevo Sol) and the journey takes from one hour and a half to two hours. You need to get to the bus terminal in in Pavitos in Cusco near Avenida Grau. Buses leave about every 15 minutes from dawn till 6:30 PM

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October, November, April, May are the best months to enjoy breathtaking sceneries. Located at 2800 meters altitude and surrounded by mountains it enjoys mild climate with rainy and dry seasons.

The dry period in Urumbamba Valley lasts from May till September, rainy season is between November and April.

Rainy season brings humidity but warmer nights. During dry season nights are cold and you can see frost at early morning hours. The average day temperatures all year round is from about 66 ºF (19 ºC) to 70 ºF (21 ºC ) and night temperatures from about 34 ºF (1 ºC) to 45 ºF (7 ºC).

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We can recommend Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa (Avenida Ferrocarril S/N, Valle Sagrado, 000 Urubamba) five star hotel with rates starting from $235 to $595 per room/night. Taxes and 10% service fee are not included in the room price. It is the only hotel in Urubamba with a private train station that provides services to Machu Picchu. There are 128 rooms in the hotel.

Amaru Valle Hotel (Jiron Grau, c-4, 84 Urubamba) three star hotel with rates starting from $48 to $65 per room/night breakfast included. Hotel is located four blocks from Urubamba Main Square. There are 30 rooms in the hotel.

Research and book hotels in or near Cuzco, Peru

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You can do whitewater rafting to navigate the Urubamba River and other streams with rapids and waterfalls in the Sacred Valley, trek through its hills and mountains, hike the Inca Trail, or explore what the towns have to offer.

Cusco is considered to be the rafting capital of Peru offering popular one or two day trips on the Urubamba River and three or four day trips on the whitewaters of the Apurimac River.

You can hike from Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail, a very well known part of vast road system of Incas Empire will lead you to it. You can cover about 28 miles (45 km) trek in four days, arriving at Machu Picchu at sunrise than return to Cusco Cuzco) by train in the afternoon. To make this hike you must be prepared for a high altitude and have a good fitness levels, the trail may be sometimes intimidating because of its narrowness and heights.

You wold like to see Fortress of Ollantaytambo located about 12 miles (19 km) from Cusco (Cuzco), Chinchero a village of the Inca's royalty in the Sacred Valley 15.5 miles (25 km), villages of Yucay and Calca provide a glimpse of life that has remained practically unchanged in centuries, Princess Baths, Temples of The Sun and The Moon and beautiful towns Pisaq 25.5 miles (41 km), Maras 10.6 miles (17 km), Urubamba a good base for exploring Urubamba Valley.

Calca - about 12 miles (20 km) from Pisac. It is a market town within the Sacred Valley of the Incas. There are some small Inca ruins and hot springs in there.

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Warm clothes are essential in your trip to the Sacred Valley because the nights may be cold. It wold be wise to have hats, sun glasses and sun block - ultraviolet radiation is the highest in the world in this region.

You do not need mosquito repellant in Urubamba Valley. Though the valley gets a lot of rain during its wet season there are no mosquitoes due to the valley altitude.

The valley and its towns especially Urubamba serve as a natural base for acclimatization with altitude if you are planning to explore Cusco and Machu Picchu. The Valley gives a good start for understanding of local culture traditions and beliefs.

It is a good idea to consult CDC site - http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/peru.htm - in advance to know what vaccinations are required for travelling to Peru.

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Tags: Cuzco (3); Incas (2); Incas Empire; Inca Trail; Machu Picchu (3); Peru (4); Sacred Valley of the Incas; Urubamba River; Whitewater rafting (3)

Web Sites:   Sacred Valley of the Incas

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