The southern gateway to the Sacred Valley, about an hour from Cuzco. Pisac has two parts: a modern Quechua market town at the foot of the valley, and the magnificent Inca complex on the ridge above it.
The ruins are accessible by road or by a steep three-hour walking trail from the town below. The complex is among the most beautiful Inca sites in Peru — concentric terraces curving around the ridge, an Inti Watana (sun temple), and views down to the river valley below. Most travellers take a taxi up and walk back down.
The town below is best known for its Sunday market, which fills the central plaza with stalls selling Quechua textiles, pottery, jewellery, and Andean food. The market runs every day but Sunday is the biggest and the day on which villagers from the surrounding hills still come down to trade.