This full-day excursion includes two fascinating sites located at an altitude of 3380 meters (11,088 feet), on the plains above the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The salt pans of Maras have been exploited since pre-Inca times. The series pools constructed to evaporate the salt water produced by a subterranean stream offer visitors a uniquely photogenic sight, with their flat, white surfaces contrasting with surrounding green, vertical scenery.
The concentric agricultural terraces of Moray are the other attraction on this tour. They were designed and constructed by the Incas as an agricultural laboratory. The circular terraces form a 150 meter deep amphitheater, with each level reproducing the temperatures found in different parts of the empire of Tahuantinsuyo, thus enabling the Incas to develop new crop strains and increase yields.Moray entrance fee (10 soles / approximately US$ 3.50). You can also visit
Moray with the Cusco Tourist Ticket (approximately US$ 46.00) or the Partial
Cusco Tourist Ticket (approximately US$ 25.00)
Maras salt pans entrance fee (7 soles / approximately US$ 2.50)
Tips
We will pick you up from your hotel in the morning for the drive from Cusco to the high plains of Chinchero. Great snow-capped peaks dominate the horizon, and every square meter of the high plain is used by local farming communities to grow a variety of Andean crops.
At the Inca agricultural terraces of Moray, our guide will explain how the Incas developed complex farming techniques in order to increase their crop yields. After visiting Moray we will continue to Maras. Our guide will explain how these salt pans have been exploited since pre-Inca times, and how they remain important to the local economy. After the tour we will have lunch at a local restaurant, before returning to Cusco in our private vehicle in the late afternoon.
Distances by road
Cusco – Chinchero: 45 minutes (30 kilometers / 18.6 miles)
Chinchero – Moray: 20 minutes (26 kilometers / 16.2 miles)
Moray – Maras: 20 minutes (12 kilometers / 7.5 miles)
Local restaurant – Cusco: 1 hour 30 minutes (61 kilometers / 39.7 miles)Visiting times: Chinchero: 1 hour; Moray: 1 hour; Maras: 45 minutes
Meals: Lunch
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.
Andean Adventures Peru is located in the ancient city of Cusco, at the heart of any trip to Peru. We have been offering and operating cultural, ecological and adventure travel in the Andean region and the Amazon basin since 1985. Know more..
