Our Maras Moray tour will take you to two of the most beautiful places of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Both locations are often ignored in most tours to the Sacred Valley. However, they are worth paying a visit.
The town of Maras is a small village located 46 km (28.6 miles) northwest of Cusco. Maras is famous for the nearby salt mines. They comprised thousands of small salt ponds, from where the famous pink salt of Maras is extracted. These salt mines are located on a mountain slope. The unique pink color of the salt mines of Maras creates an otherworldly scenery.
Moray is another overlooked place of the Sacred Valley. Unlike Maras, Moray is an ancient Inca archeological site. It comprises numerous circular terraces located at different altitudes. According to some theories, Moray was some kind of Inca research center. The different levels of terraces created various microclimates, which were used to grow plants from regions warmer than the Andes.
This half day trip is designed to give you the best travel experience while exploring Maras and Moray. During the tour you will get unique insights of the history of both places.
At Sanvil Turismo we offer the best travel packages in the region of Cusco. Our tour guides are professionals authorized by the local government to guide treks and tours in the region. They are experts in the history and traditions of each destination you will be visiting.
We also offer guided small group tours to the Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca, the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu. Explore the marvels of the Sacred Valley, the “Valle Sagrado”, of the Incas with us.
Your hotel in Cusco city
8:30 am
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 8:30 am. Then, we will board our private vehicle to Maras town, located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Once there, we will enter the town, and then we will explore the nearby salt mines. The unique pink color of the Maras Salt Mines create a beautiful landscape that contrasts with the rest of the Andean environment.
Before entering the Maras Salt Mines, you will need to purchase an entrance ticket. Once inside, our tour guide will explain to you the process used to extract and gather the pink salt from the numerous water ponds scattered around the site.
Afterwards, we will go to the Moray archaeological site. You will need to purchase a tourist ticket to enter Moray. From a distance, Moray looks like an ancient stadium or amphitheater. However, the real reason why Moray was built still remains in mystery.
Some historians suggest that the site served as a primitive research center used to grow plants from warm climates, such as coca leaves. While visiting Moray, you will notice that the temperature rises slightly while descending to the lower terraces of the site.
Finally, we will leave Moray to return to Cusco city. We will be arriving there around 2:00 pm.
