Urubamba River in the context of Cunurana (Melgar)

The Apurímac River (Quechua: Apurimaq mayu IPA: [ˈapʊ ˈɾɪmaχ ˈmajʊ]; Spanish: río Apurímac, IPA: [ˈri.o apuˈɾimak]; from Quechua apu 'chief' and rimaq 'the one who speaks, oracle', thus 'the chief oracle') rises from glacial meltwater of the ridge of the Mismi, a 5,597-metre-high (18,363 ft) mountain in the Arequipa Province in the south-western mountain ranges of Peru, 10 km (6.2 mi) from the village Caylloma, and less than 160 km (99 mi) from the Pacific coast. It flows generally northwest past Cusco in narrow gorges with depths of up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft), almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, its course interrupted by falls and rapids. Of the six attempts to travel the full length of the Apurímac so far, only two have been successful.

After 730 kilometres (450 mi), the Apurímac joins the Mantaro River and becomes the Ene River, 440 m (1,440 ft) above sea level; then after joining the Perené River at 330 m (1,080 ft) above sea level, it becomes the Tambo River; when it joins the Urubamba at 280 m (920 ft) above sea level the river becomes the Ucayali, which is the main headstream of the Amazon. Sometimes the complete river from its source to its junction with the Ucayali, including the rivers Ene and Tambo, is called "Apurímac", with a total length of 1,070 km (660 mi).

Cusco or Cuzco (Latin American Spanish: [ˈkusko]; Quechua: Qosqo or Qusqu, both pronounced in Cuzco Quechua as [ˈqosqɔ]) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range, and the Huatanay and Urubamba rivers. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Cusco Province and Cusco Department. It has historically been one of the largest cultural, economic and political centers of Peru.

The city was originally founded in the 12th century as the capital of the Inca Empire. The region was conquered in the 16th-century by the Spanish and reestablished on 23 March 1524, with most of the city being constructed over monuments left from the Inca Empire. In 1983, Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with the title "City of Cusco". It has become a major tourist destination, hosting over 2 million visitors a year and providing passage to numerous Incan ruins, such as Machu Picchu, one of the Seven modern wonders of the world and many others. The Constitution of Peru (1993) designates the city as the Historical Capital of Peru.

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at 2,430 meters (7,970 ft). It is situated in the Machupicchu District of Urubamba Province about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cusco, above the Sacred Valley and along the Urubamba River, which forms a deep canyon with a subtropical mountain climate.

Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most iconic symbols of the Inca civilization and a major archaeological site in the Americas. Built around 1450, it is believed to have served as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, though no contemporary written records exist to confirm this. The site was abandoned roughly a century later, likely during the Spanish conquest. Modern radiocarbon dating places its occupation between c. 1420 and 1530.

The Tambo River (Spanish: Río Tambo) is a Peruvian river on the eastern slopes of the Andes. The name only refers to a relatively short section of the waterbody; about 159 km (99 mi) long. It starts at the confluence of the Ene and Perené Rivers at the town of Puerto Prado. From here the Tambo flows 70 km (43 mi) in an easterly direction and then turns north. When merging with the Urubamba River at the town of Atalaya, it becomes the Ucayali River.

The Tambo is part of the headwaters of the Amazon River whose origin is the Mantaro River at Cordilerra Ruminator Cruz.

Atalaya is a town in the Ucayali Region of Peru. It is the capital of the Atalaya Province and the Raymondi District. It is located where the Tambo and Urubamba Rivers converge to form the Ucayali River.

It is served by the Tnte. Gral. Gerardo Pérez Pinedo Airport.

The Pongo de Mainique ('gate' in Quechua) is a water gap (canyon) of the Urubamba River in Peru. Inside the water gap, the river is constricted to a width of 45 metres (50 yd). The Pongo de Mainique is 3 kilometres (2 mi) long. The elevation of the river is approximately 450 metres (1,480 ft). The steep cliffs on each side of the river rise sharply to mountains with elevations of more than 1,200 metres (3,900 ft).

The Pongo de Mainique is the only break in the Vilcabamba mountain range. It also divides the Urubamba River (a headwater of the Amazon River) between the turbulent Upper Urubamba and the more placid Lower Urubamba. It is considered the most dangerous whitewater pass on the Urubamba; however, many boats traverse it, depending on seasonal river conditions. According to legend, the river was once crossed by the so-called Inca Bridge, although the Pongo was outside the boundaries of the Inca Empire. The bridge no longer exists.

Yucay (Quechua: Yukay) is a town in southern Peru. It is the capital of the Yucay District, which is near the center of Urubamba Province in the Cusco Region of southern Peru.

The area where Yucay is located is commonly called the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Many Inca ruins are in the Sacred Valley near the Urubamba River and extending up the nearby hillsides in agricultural terraces called andenes. The town is located at an elevation of 2,860 metres (9,380 ft).