Chinchero, Maras, and Moray Tour

Chinchero, Maras, and Moray Tour

The Cusco region has many of its most interesting destinations folded into the pockets of the Sacred Valley. Take a tour Chinchero, Maras, and Moray for a full day of sightseeing some of the most striking innovations of the native Andeans.

Featured in:Archeology, Guided Tours, Ruins, Chinchero Market, Salt Mines of Maras
Duration:
8 hrs
Available Days:
Every day
Schedule:
7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
Hotel Transportation Offered
Mobile Ticket Included
Offered in English, Spanish

The trip starts at Chinchero, a small town best known for its marketplace. Chinchero’s marketplace hosts a multitude of vendors selling textiles that are woven using traditional Andean methods. Spread out over the plaza, the fabrics look especially colorful next to the white walls of the church on one side of the town square. This is a popular place for visitors to purchase souvenirs and practice their bartering skills.

From Chinchero, you’ll descend to the small town of Maras. Maras has a number of churches from the colonial era, and a few other colonial buildings. Here you’ll get to see the famous salt mines of Maras. Hundreds of years ago locals used stones to section off pools of salt water along the side of the mountain. Once the water evaporates, it leaves behind a glistening patchwork of salt.

Next you’ll visit Moray. Moray is best known for its terraced pits. Archeologists believe that rain formed these large indentations in the soft soil. Using stones, the Inca divided the depressions into distinct levels, each concentric circle growing smaller toward the bottom. The largest of the pits is 118 feet (36 m) deep.

Historians have deduced that these terraced pits aided the Inca’s experimentation with crops. The temperature gradually dips toward the bottom of the pit, protecting plants that need less heat. Stones that make up the border of the terrace absorb heat during the day, gradually releasing warmth into the soil overnight, preventing plants from getting too cold before the sun returns. Using these different elevations, the Inca could experiment to figure out what conditions worked best for which crop.

Textiles and beautifully engineered agriculture give some insight into the Andean aesthetic. On this tour of Chinchero, Maras, and Moray, you’ll get to see firsthand the creativity and ingenuity that this rugged terrain inspired.

To take this tour, travelers are required to have a Cusco Tourist Ticket. You have the option of getting either a Full Cusco Tourist Ticket or a Sacred Valley Partial Tourist Ticket. We'll help you get the ticket, but to do so we'll need your passport number, birthdate, and nationality.

These tickets allow you to visit a number of attractions in the area. Some of these attractions are visited during the course of this tour, while others are not. You can use the ticket after the tour is over to visit the attractions that are not covered in the tour. Below are the places that each ticket allows you to visit, as well as the length of time that each ticket is valid. Think about how long you'll be in Cusco and what you want to see before you decide on a ticket. We can help you with this, too.

Full Cusco Tourist Ticket: The Cathedral, Santo Domingo Convent (Qoricancha), Saqsayhuamán, Qénqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, Tipón, Pikillacta, Pisac, Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo, Qoricancha Site Museum, Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art, Regional Historical Museum, Folk Art Museum, and the Qosqo Native Art Center. This ticket is valid for 10 days.

Sacred Valley Partial Tourist Ticket: Pisac, Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo. This ticket is valid for 1 day.

Attractions Visited

Chinchero Market

Set within an Andean village in the Sacred Valley, the Chincero market is colorful and interesting. It’s less touristy than the Pisac market but no less impressive.

Read more:Chinchero Market

Salt Mines of Maras

The salt mines of Maras are found in the high plains above Urubamba. These ancient salt mines were created by the Inca and are still in use today.

Read more:Salt Mines of Maras

What to Bring

Cursco Tourist Ticket, camera, sunglasses, and comfortable walking shoes.

What's included

Transportation, lunch, and guide.

Transportation

Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.

Traveler Comments

Our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. We really enjoyed the tour with her.

- RORI G, JUL 2019

We loved that part of the trip!

- GERALD M, MAY 2019

Loved these tours. Natalie and Niko did a wonderful job. Natalie was so knowledgeable and Niko seemed to know everyone!

- JILA J, AUG 2016
The Cusco region has many of its most interesting destinations folded into the pockets of the Sacred Valley.Chinchero, Maras, and Moray Tour31