There are those who shell out for a private tour, and others who hire a taxi and go the independent route, but by far the majority of tourists who visit the Sacred Valley of the Inca do so through one of the package daytrips on offer in Cuzco. Typical tours include stops at the markets and/or archaeological sites of Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. You will not be alone.                                             

Not even close. No matter what day, what time of year, or what agency you book through, prepare to become one very small fish in one very large pond. And not just the 25-strong pond of your individual bus. All groups tour the sites in the same order, so you’ll be surrounded by hundreds of other camera-bound ooh-ers and aah-ers at any given time. This can get tricky in Pisac, where a steep, narrow path with an 80-foot drop on one side leads from the bus parking to the ruins, and in Ollantaytambo, with its flights of stairs and skinny terrace walkways. Possibly a nightmare scenario for someone suffering from both a fear of heights and a fear of crowds.

2. Your guide might be doing double duty.

People of all linguistic backgrounds visit this part of the world, and the tour guides have to be able to accommodate them. What I didn’t know when I reserved my spot on a bus was that my tour would be given in English AND Spanish. The guide would start a sentence in English, stop and translate into Spanish, get a little more out in English, back to Spanish again, etc. As someone studying Spanish, I found this routine quite educational, but it did get confusing at times.

3. Lunch will double the cost of your day.

The cheapest tours, for around 35 soles ($12), include transportation and guide only—no lunch. All tours stop in the town of Urubamba for lunch, where you are herded off the bus and into the grounds of a fancy buffet-lunch establishment. Cost of the buffet—35 soles. The adventurous could try slipping away and either breaking open a bag lunch or searching for a more reasonable eatery with à la carte offerings. However, this may be easier said than done.

4. Relaxation is not on the menu.

The three sites are relatively spread out, so the whole day is needed to visit them all. Consequently, each tour is on a very tight schedule. The slightest delay—the photographer who had to shoot “just one more,” the out-of-shape guy who had to stop and rest on the way back up the hill, the boulders strewn across the road requiring the driver to proceed more cautiously than normal—can disrupt the master plan. You have just enough time at the sites to stop, stand, gaze, admire, snap a photo, and move on.

5. The sites you visit are…amazing.

If your stay in Cuzco is limited in both time and budget, ignore the previous four points and book a tour. The sites included are nothing short of spectacular, and these popular daytrip outings represent an economical way to see them. Just remember to act respectfully towards locals and their environment, and to counter any unexpected glitches with a smile, and you’ll likely have a positive experience.