7 Hours Tour
Medium
Min: 2 - Max: 8 people
Cusco - Perú
Our Maras Moray tour is a 7-hour journey through the Sacred Valley of Peru. You’ll visit a traditional weaving center in Chinchero, the ancient salt mines of Maras and the circular Inca terraces of Moray. Entrance fees are included, so you can simply enjoy the day.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 hours |
| Departs from | Cusco, Peru |
| Route | Cusco – Chinchero – Maras – Moray – Cusco |
| Max altitude | Approx. 3,760 m / 12,340 ft (Chinchero) |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Group size | Small groups (max. 8) |
| Includes | Hotel pickup, transport, professional guide, entrance fees |
| Price | $90 USD per person |
Our first stop is a local textile center in Chinchero, a traditional Andean town known for its weavers (learn more about Chinchero). Local women show how they clean alpaca and sheep wool, dye it with natural plants and minerals, and weave it using techniques passed down for generations.
Next, we visit the Maras salt mines (Salineras de Maras). Thousands of small salt pools are carved into the mountainside and fed by a natural salty spring. They have been used since before the Incas, and local families still harvest the salt by hand today. You can walk along the pools and buy pink salt directly from the community.
Our last stop is Moray, a stunning archaeological site that showcases the ingenuity of Inca engineering (learn more about Moray). Many researchers believe the Incas used it as an agricultural laboratory, adapting the landscape to test and improve different crops.
The circular terraces create a temperature difference of several degrees between the top and the bottom. This shows an advanced understanding of microclimates, soil and altitude-based farming.
Pickup in Cusco. We pick you up at your hotel and drive through the Andean countryside toward the Sacred Valley.
Chinchero textile center. Live demonstration of traditional weaving and natural dyes.
Maras salt mines. Guided visit and time for photos among the salt pools.
Moray terraces. Your guide explains how the terraces worked and their role in Inca agriculture.
Return to Cusco. We drive back to Cusco, completing the 7-hour tour.
One day before your Maras Moray tour, we’ll give you all the information about your trip: pickup time, what to bring, and any other details you need.
The Maras Moray tour is a great way to acclimatize before bigger hikes. Afterwards, walk to Machu Picchu on our 5-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, or explore Inca quarries on the Inca Quarry Trail Trek. For a complete trip across the country, see our Classic Peru 20-Day Tour.
Cusco to Chinchero. We pick you up at your hotel in Cusco and drive about one hour into the Sacred Valley. Along the way, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the Vilcanota mountain range, the snow-capped Salkantay and Veronica mountains, and Andean farmland where locals grow potatoes and grains and raise llamas, sheep, cattle and horses.
Chinchero textile center. Our first stop is a local weaving center in Chinchero. Here, women from the community show how they spin alpaca and sheep wool and dye it using only natural plants and minerals, with no chemicals. This knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation since Inca times. If you’d like a souvenir, buying directly from the weavers helps keep this tradition alive for future generations.
Maras salt mines. We continue to the salt mines in the community of Maras. Thousands of salt pools are carved into the mountainside and fed by a natural salty spring. Local families still harvest the salt by hand, as their ancestors did, and sell it in local markets and beyond. You’ll have time to walk along the pools and take photos.
Moray Inca terraces. From Maras, we drive to Moray, the highlight of our Maras Moray tour. The Incas took natural hollows in the ground and shaped them into circular stone terraces. Archaeologists believe Moray was an agricultural research center, where the Incas adapted crops like potatoes and corn to different microclimates. This tradition of crop diversity is one reason Peru has thousands of native potato varieties today.
Return to Cusco. We drive back to Cusco along the same route, arriving in the afternoon.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 1 – Easy |
| Start time | 07:00 am |
| End time | Approx. 03:00 pm |
| Total tour time | 7 hours |
| Walking time | Approx. 1 hour (light walks at each site) |
