The city is fairly clean and safe without being too modern. Many outlying villages surround the actual city in the surrounding mountains, providing plenty of places to explore within a short drive of the city center. One can also find a variety of restaurants with a uniquely Peruvian flavor, including El Fogon, which serves incredible lomo ...

i spent a month living in urubamba as part of a service project... there is not much to do there, but if you're looking to learn about peruvian culture, it's a great place to just go up to a stranger and start talking. of course, you'll need to be competent (not exactly fluent) in spanish... also, there are great, safe (water-wise) ...