Chinchero: the weavers’ town and the highest stop in the Sacred Valley
Chinchero sits on the plateau above the valley, at 3,762 m, 412 above Cusco: it is the only stop on the tour higher than the city. People come for its living textile center (alpaca spinning, plant and cochineal dyes, backstrap weaving), its Inca terraces and the colonial church built on Inca foundations. On the Express it is the first stop, at 7:40 am; on the Classic, the last, at 4:45 pm. It is covered by the Tourist Ticket.
It is visited tomorrow if you book today before 8 pm, Cusco time. Express at 7:40 am, Classic at 4:45 pm.—Is there space tomorrow?
Book for tomorrow: Express US$32 · Classic US$30 · is there space? · how to book
Textile center
Terraces and church
Backstrap loom
Natural dyes
The square at 7:40 am
Sunday market
Which departure visits it, and when
| Departure | Time and duration | Entrance |
|---|---|---|
| Express · retorno a Cusco | 7:40 am · 1 h 15, first stop | Tourist Ticket |
| Express · final en Ollantaytambo | 7:40 am · 1 h 15, first stop | Tourist Ticket |
| Classic · retorno a Cusco | 4:45 pm · 1 h, last stop | Tourist Ticket |
| Classic · final en Ollantaytambo | Not visited | — |
What you will see
The textile centerA weavers’ association shows the whole process: washing the wool with saqta root, spinning with a pushka, dyeing with plants, minerals and cochineal (the red comes from an insect that lives on cactus), and weaving on a backstrap loom. What you buy was woven right there.
The terracesInca terraces stepping down below the square, still farmed, with the Salcantay snowpeak behind on clear days.
The colonial churchBuilt in the 17th century on the walls of the Inca palace of Túpac Yupanqui; inside, wall paintings and a painted wooden ceiling. It is the clearest example in the valley of a colonial building on Inca foundations.
The Sunday marketOn Sundays the square fills with stalls from local producers; the rest of the week the textile center opens just the same.
The altitude, plainly
Chinchero is the only place on the tour above Cusco. The Express visits it first thing, when you arrive fresh and have not exerted yourself, and from there the whole day drops. The Classic leaves it for the end, with six hours of valley and lunch behind you. If you landed in Cusco today and that worries you, the Classic is the route we recommend. The visit is flat: square, textile center and terraces all at the same level.
Tips for the visit
- Warm layers: from May to August it is below freezing at dawn and at 7:40 am the wind bites; at 4:45 pm on the Classic it cools down again.
- Cash in soles: the weavers sell directly and do not take cards. Buying here is what keeps the center going.
- The Tourist Ticket checkpoint is usually the first of the day on the Express; the guide sorts it before you go in.
- Ask before photographing the weavers at work; photos of the demonstration are fine.
Bookings for tomorrow: non-refundable; you can move the date if there is space, and we reschedule or refund if we cancel because of the weather.