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This half-day tour takes you from Cusco to three historical sites in the Sacred Valley. The tour focuses on Inca history, agriculture, and local production methods. You will travel by vehicle through the Andean highlands to visit each location with a professional guide who will explain their significance.
The first stop is the town of Chinchero. This location is known for its textile production and its combination of Inca and Spanish colonial structures. The next site is the Salineras de Maras, a large area of salt evaporation ponds that have been in use for centuries. Here, you will see how salt is collected from a natural spring.
The final visit is to the Moray archaeological site. This site contains a series of large circular terraces built by the Incas. It is believed these structures were used to study the effects of different temperatures on crops. After visiting the three sites, the tour will return to Cusco.
We will start at 9:00 am with pick up from your hotel; we will go to the Quechua village of Chinchero where we will make a stop. This town is located 28 km outside of Cusco. Chinchero has colonial style buildings and was a major agricultural center during the Inca period. Here you can see stone walls with trapezoidal niches and a traditional market.
We will go on to the town of Maras. It is located at an altitude of 3,380 meters above sea level. This village is known for its salt mines, which consist of about 3,000 small wells where salt is extracted after a water drying process. The salt mines have been used since Inca times.
7 km from Maras, we will visit the archaeological site of Moray. Here we will see the circular terraces of Inca agriculture. Moray is a group of terraces that was used as an agricultural experimental center. The Incas used it to study the adaptation of plants to new ecosystems. The stone rings have a total depth of 150 m.
After a guided tour, we will go back to Cusco. The tour lasts about 5 hours and ends at Regocijo Square around 2:30 pm.
If your group has four or more travelers, contact us at info@andespathperu.com to get a special price.
To book the Maras Moray Tour, a $50 per person deposit is required. The remaining balance can be paid online or at our office in Cusco using any card, and there are no booking fees.
When to Visit: The dry season, from April to October, offers the most stable and sunny weather. The wet season, from November to March, has greener scenery but also a higher probability of rain.
Recommendations: Bring cash in Peruvian Soles (PEN) for entrance fees and local shopping. Drink coca tea, a local custom for managing altitude. Follow your guide’s instructions.
Climate: The region has a high-altitude climate. Days are often sunny and cool, but temperatures drop quickly if it gets cloudy or in the evening.
Local People: The people in the area are mainly from Quechua communities. Many maintain traditional farming and weaving lifestyles.
How to Prepare for the Tour: The most important step is to acclimatize to the altitude. Dress in layers and bring sun protection and water.
Recommended Age: There is no age restriction. The tour is physically easy and is suitable for children and older adults who have properly acclimatized.
How to Acclimatize: When you arrive in Cusco, rest for the first 24-48 hours. Drink plenty of water, eat light meals, and avoid alcohol. This allows your body to adjust to the lower oxygen levels.
Entrance fees are not included. Moray requires the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico). The Maras Salt Mines require a separate entrance fee of about 10 PEN. Your guide will help you purchase these.
The tour is rated as easy. Travel is by vehicle. The only physical challenge is walking at high altitude.
They are thousands of small pools fed by a saltwater spring. The water evaporates, leaving salt that is then harvested by hand.
Moray is an Inca archaeological site with several large, circular terraces. It is believed to have been an agricultural laboratory to test different growing conditions for crops.
To prevent altitude sickness, spend at least one or two days in Cusco before the tour to let your body adjust. Drink plenty of water and avoid heavy meals or alcohol.
Yes, the tour is suitable for all ages. The short duration and interesting sites make it appropriate for families.
No, lunch is not part of this half-day tour. It is recommended to eat breakfast before the tour and bring snacks.
The tour ends at Regocijo Square in Cusco, one block from the main square (Plaza de Armas).
The dry season (April to October) typically has clear weather. The tour operates year-round, but there is a higher chance of rain from November to March.
Yes, you will have the opportunity to buy textiles and other handicrafts in Chinchero.
Andes Path Peru is a locally-owned and operated family travel agency and tour operator based in Cusco, built on many years of first-hand trekking experience. As a 100% Cusqueñian company with no external shareholders, we are deeply rooted in our community.
Our vision as a local company is to craft small, customized tours and treks that are exclusively operated by our team of local professionals. We are dedicated to providing a PERSONALIZED and HIGH-QUALITY SERVICE.
We take great pride in our reputation as a RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE tour operator. We consider our staff to be our extended family and ensure they receive fair wages for their hard work. We are incredibly proud of our team! Without their dedication, we couldn’t offer the exceptional service and create the lifetime experiences our clients cherish.
Andes Path Peru understands the importance of trusting a reliable and honest operator to plan your adventure of a lifetime in Peru. We invite you to read our outstanding reviews and view our certificates of excellence on TRIPADVISOR! We also come highly recommended by publications such as Conde Nast Travelers and Lonely Planet.
To provide a more customized experience for our guests, Andes Path Peru has a strict policy of limiting our groups to a maximum of 8 people. This commitment to small group sizes is a key factor that distinguishes us from other companies that operate with much larger tour groups.
We are incredibly proud of our guides! They are consummate professionals who are fluent in English. They possess a deep knowledge of and a true passion for Inca heritage and history. Our guides are committed to continuous professional and personal growth, constantly researching to ensure you receive accurate and recognized information about Inca and Andean culture. Our crew is fun-loving, engaging, and highly educated. Each guide holds a university degree in a relevant field such as Archeology, Tourism, Botany, History, or Anthropology.
Trekking with Andes Path Peru is a life-changing journey. We offer a fully portered experience where your comfort and enjoyment are our highest priorities. We are dedicated to making sure you have the best possible holiday in Peru, allowing you to interact with local people, explore breathtaking sites, and rediscover remote ancient Inca towns. Our porters will carry your gear, prepare delicious meals, set up your tents in quiet locations away from crowded campsites, and take care of you, allowing you to simply sit back and relax.
We provide the following equipment to our porters at no cost: a jacket, sun hat, warm hat, t-shirt, pants, hiking boots, comfortable duffel bags, a canteen, a supportive girdle to protect their backs, sleeping bags, mattresses, and travel insurance. All of our porters are hired from isolated communities, giving them the opportunity to improve their economic situation and help support their children’s education. We ensure that every one of our porters is treated like family!
The quality of our team (guides, cooks, porters, horsemen) and our top-of-the-line equipment truly makes Andes Path Peru stand out from the competition. For all of our adventure hikes, we include the following:
At Andes Path Peru, we have always believed in the importance of giving back to the local, isolated communities. Therefore, as part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we consistently run social projects and prioritize local hiring.
Andes Path Peru is proud to be able to support our local people. We do more than just employ them; we go back to our grassroots as they share with their families. We are delighted to have this holistic and supportive relationship with our highland employees and their families!