Urubamba

Where to stay

Budget beds cluster tightly around the Plaza de Armas and along Jirón Palacio and Jirón Grau, keeping you within walking distance of the bus terminal on Grau Street and the local market. Staying in this central block means you can reach colectivos and restaurants on foot, whereas lodgings further out near the river or agricultural terraces require a taxi for evening returns.

Getting around

• Use Urubamba as a high-altitude acclimatization stop. At 3,000 meters, it is lower than Cusco, making it a safer place to spend your first night before tackling higher ruins or the Inca Trail, and the town is calm enough for actual rest.
• Take the bus from the terminal on Grau Street to Cusco rather than a private taxi. Buses leave every 15 minutes from dawn until late afternoon and cost a fraction of what a shared taxi or private car charges for the same hour-long ride.
• Visit the local fruit and vegetable market for cheap, fresh produce and a non-touristy atmosphere. It is a good place to buy snacks for day trips to Moray or Salineras, which are easily reached by colectivo from the town center.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest during the rainy season from November through March, when fewer tourists visit the Sacred Valley. Prices spike and beds fill fast from June through August, the dry season, and especially during the first week of June for the El Señor de Torrechayoc festival, when the town swells with dancers and visitors.