Maras Moray Inca Ruins Tour 1 Day

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1 Day
Availability : Every Day.
Depart: Cusco
Destination: Maras and Moray
Max People : 12

About the 1 Day Maras Moray Inca Ruins Tour

One of our personal favourites, this one-day visit to the Salt Mines of Maras and Moray Inca Ruins offers breathtaking scenery of the mountains surrounding the Sacred Valley of Cusco.  In fact, we’d go so far as to say these are some of the BEST views you will experience on your entire trip! 

The Maras Salt Mines and Moray tour from Cusco is a great way to acclimatize for a longer trek. We also especially recommend this tour for families, and for photographers who want to capture the different moods of the awe-inspiring Moray amphitheatres and contemporary aesthetic of the Maras salt flats.

Click FULL DESCRIPTION to read more about this amazing one day Cusco tour!

See Full Description

We actually begin our Salt Mines of Maras and Moray tour from Cusco with a stop in Chinchero where you will gain insight into the ancient Andean weaving and dyeing techniques that this colourful community is famous for.

After that, you’ll spend the day in the heartland of the Incas, surrounded by rich agricultural farmland, as you take in the Inca site of Moray followed by the village of Maras and the namesake Maras salt flats (also known as the salineras de Maras).

Before heading back to Cusco, we will enjoy lunch together in the traditional community of Misminay. 

Read the full Itinerary below, and also check out the optional extras that you can include to add cultural authenticity and excitement to your Maras Moray tour!

Price

Prices are per person in USD, based on group size. We do not have fixed-date group departures. If you do not want to book a private trek, please see our Trekkers Wanted page for a list of open departures within your dates.

2 people

$259

3 people

$199

4-6 people

$155

7+ people

$135
WHY BOOK WITH US?

High quality personalized experience

Unique, off-the-beaten track routes

Experienced staff

Verified sustainability practices

$20 of every trek donated to Threads of Peru

Important Details About the 1 Day Maras Moray Tour

What is Included?

Transport

  • Collection from your hotel on the morning of your Maras and Moray tour departure
  • Private transport to/from Cusco or Urubamba as described in the itinerary

Additional inclusions

Trekking Team

  • English/Quechua/Spanish speaking professional guide

Meals

  • Lunch
  • Filtered water (*bring your refillable water bottle!)
  • Herbal teas
  • Fresh fruit snack

What is Not Included?

Meals

  • Breakfast on the first morning.

Other

  • Tips for the guide

Optional Extras & Upgrades

We offer you the opportunity to personalize your Maras Moray tour and make your experience more comfortable through our Optional Extras and Upgrades. All options are available during the reservation process; please ask your sales consultant for more information.

Equipment Available for Rent

  • Walking sticks

Optional Activities

  • Hands-on demonstration of ancestral farming techniques in Misminay community
  • ATV tour from the village of Maras to the salineras 
  • Add this day tour to any 3+ day trek for a complete Cusco experience & receive 5% off this tour!
  • Combine with a day trip to Machu Picchu

     

Important!

  • When calculating the cost of renting equipment, calculate using the length of the entire trip, not just the number of trekking days. Even though you won’t use the equipment on the final day it will still be ‘on the road’ and unavailable for others to use.
  • Please be careful with rented equipment! You are responsible for the cost of replacement if something is damaged or broken.
  • Any upgrades or trip extensions must be requested at time of booking.
  •  

What to Pack

Cusco can experience every season in a single day, so you should be prepared for sun and rain, cold and hot weather! We recommend a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, sweater, rain gear or plastic poncho, winter hat or toque and gloves. In addition, you should bring:

  • A light day pack to carry your things
  • Water bottle and snacks
  • Money for snacks, souvenirs and tips

You can also see What To Bring for our comprehensive recommendations on what to pack for a trek in the Andes. For more great suggestions, check out our blog about How to Prepare for a Trek in Peru.

Available Discounts

  • 5% off a day tour listed price when you also book a 3-day or longer trek operated by Apus Peru
  • Youth 12-17: 5% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking.
  • Children 5-11 years: 15% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking.
  • Children 0-4 years: 75% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking. Children under 4 will not count towards the total number of guests in a group, but will be charged 25% of the per person price based on final group size. For example, a group of 4 adults and one child under 4: adults will be charged the full price per person based on a group size of 4 and the child will be charged 25% of the per person price for a group of 4. Children under 3 will not be considered to occupy a seat on any train or bus, and instead must ride on a parent’s lap. Car seats, cribs and other baby needs may not be included and must be discussed in advance. For more information about travelling with infants and toddlers, please see this blog as well as the Age Requirements section of our Booking Conditions.

Remember that scans of the student card (for students) or passports (for children) need to accompany the booking in order to be eligible for the discount.

Trekkers Wanted

Want to join a trek? Ready to confirm a departure date of your own, but interested in having others join you? Then Trekkers Wanted is for you! Our innovative Trekkers Wanted system matches people up who are interested in hiking the same trek, bringing costs down and multiplying the fun for everyone!

Read More about Trekkers Wanted, post your trek or search for confirmed departures!

Important Info

  • Each guide has their own preferred route and so the route you trek might not correspond exactly to the Maras and Moray route described here.
  • The times cited in this itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group, and the guide may change lunch spots depending on the progress of the group.
  • The program is subject to change, due to weather and other unexpected circumstances

Ready to Book?

  • Does this excursion sound like just what you were looking for? If you’re ready to book or just want to find out a bit more information, fill out the Inquiry Form in the top right-hand corner of this page to get the ball rolling. You’ll be connected with one of our amazing sales people who will be able to turn your dream of hiking in the Andes into a reality. For more information on the entire booking process, please see our How To Book page.
  • Travel insurance is a must! World Nomads offers travel insurance for adventure activities.

Salt Mines of Maras and Moray Inca Ruins Tour 1 Day Itinerary

  • Departure: 8 AM
  • Return: 4:30 PM

Departure and return times are based on pick-up/drop-off from your Cusco hotel.

First Stop: Weaving in Chinchero & the Moray Inca Ruins

Get ready for a packed and fun-filled day visiting Maras and Moray! We leave Cusco at around 8 AM, taking our comfortable private transport to nearby Chinchero. Here we will delve into the unique weaving and natural dye traditions of the Andes at an awana wasi, a weaving house.

From here, our jaws will drop as we descend towards the Sacred Valley and are greeted by the most spectacular views of towering snowcapped mountains. These are the apus of Peru, revered mountain gods keeping watch over the fertile valley. Remember – as this is a private tour, we can stop anywhere along the way to take photos of the stunning surroundings. Just tell your guide and he or she will tell your driver to pull over at the best miradores or lookout points.

After about 45 minutes of driving through rich Andean farmland, we reach the fascinating Moray Inca ruins, one of the most unusual and interesting in the area. A pre-Incan site also thought to have been used by the Incas, Moray is a series of circular agricultural terraces which are believed to have been an experimental agricultural station for different crop strains. We will spend about 1 hour exploring these huge amphitheatres.

From here, we continue to the community of Misminay, located close to Moray.  Here, the traditionally dressed ladies of the community will welcome you. We will have lunch around noon, enjoy a healthy and delicious meal featuring traditional Andean fare, including potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes.

Optional Extra:  If you wish to extend your day by about 1.5 hours, we can add a traditional Agricultural Demonstration in Misminay. You’ll witness ancestral farming techniques first-hand as well as traditional agricultural tools, and maybe lend a helping hand as you give it a try yourself!

 

Next Up: The Stunning Salt Mines of Maras

From Misminay we continue in our comfortable car about 30 minutes until we reach the charming village of Maras. Straight away, we descend to the Maras salt mines – a collection of watered terraces that take salt from an underground salty stream. Locals collect the salt through a fascinating process of evaporation.

The pools and salt embankments are an incredible sight against the stunning mountain backdrop – very Insta-worthy! We’ll have about 40 minutes to spend taking in this fascinating site from the lookout point.

Warning: it can get really hot in the salineras on a sunny day!

Optional Extra: If you feel like some thrills, we can organize for you to take an ATV tour from the village of Maras to the salineras and back again. Hot and dusty, this is a lot of fun for those craving an adventurous way to end the day!

 

Whether you add the thrill of an ATV ride or not, at the end of our Maras Moray tour, we get back in our comfortable vehicle to head back to Cusco. The drive takes about one to one and a half hours, and we will arrive back at your Cusco hotel around 4:30 PM, unless you have opted for one of the additional activities which will extend the day.

If you prefer, we can also leave you at a Sacred Valley hotel near Urubamba at no extra charge, though this may alter the arrival time. 

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1 Review
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Linda

Family Traveller

Very memorable, incredibly rich history and great stories to tell!

27 February, 2020
From$135
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