Maras and Moray Tour
with Andean Experience

Overview

This tour will take you to two incredible sites! During this half-day trip, you will have the opportunity to learn how the Incas thrived in the high Andes by using the natural resources found in the Sacred Valley.

Our private van will pick you up directly from your hotel in Cusco around 8AM. You will have a beautiful 1.5 hour drive from Cusco to reach the terraces of Moray, one of the largest and best preserved examples of the famous Inca terracing farm technique.

After enjoying a tour of Moray, you will drive a few miles down the road to Maras, which is a collection over 3,000 salt pools that are over 1,000 years old!

After touring Maras, you will drive to the Andean town of Chinchero. This is a small Andean village, about 18 miles (30 km) from Cusco. This village boasts incredible views of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the snow-capped peak of Salkantay Mountain.

Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Once you enter the town, you will be able to experience an "Andean BBQ" with a local family comprised of various potatoes, green beans, alpaca, chicken and for those brave enough to try it - Cuy!

After lunch you will watch a demonstration on how to make beautiful, natural sweaters from Alpaca wool. Following the textile lesson, you will head back to Cusco, arriving around 4PM.

Trip Highlights

Experience Peruvian culture and learn about Inca history
Excellent option to acclimate to the elevation
Visit one of the oldest operating salt mines on the planet
Visit the best preserved example of an Inca terrace-farm
Learn how to make quinoa soup
Share lunch with a local family in the Andean town, Chinchero

Activities

Light-Moderate Walking
History
Culture
Great company

Accommodations

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

TRANSPORTATION

All transportation for the tour.
This includes:
- Pickup from your hotel (or nearby) in Cusco in a private van
- Drop-off in private van from the same place we pick you up

PROFESSIONAL GUIDE

Kusa Treks strives for greatness and this begins and ends with our people. All of our guides are local to this region and studied Tourism and/or Archaeology in University. They are all fluent in English and are passionate about their work. Trust us when we say, there is no better person to be on a trip with than a Kusa Treks guide. You will be in incredible hands!

LUNCH

Learn how to prepare quinoa soup with a local family, which you will enjoy for a delicious lunch!

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED:

ENTRANCE TICKETS

In order to enter the majority of archaeological sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley (including Moray), you will need the Boleto Turistico (Tourist Ticket). These Tickets are sold as a one-day pass or a ten-day pass and grant access to several areas.

The one day pass is 70 Soles and the ten day pass is 130 Soles. A valid Student ID allows for a discount, which makes the 10-day pass 70 soles.

The ticket must be purchased in person with Soles and a valid passport. You will be able to purchase the ticket directly at the first site.

Maras requires a separate entrance fee of 10 Soles (~$4).

Pricing:

We offer Private service for our Day-Tours. The price is based on the number of people in your group.

2 – 4 people: $200 total per group
5 – 9 people: $240 total per group
10+ people: Our customer service representative will work directly with you on pricing and arrangements.

NOTE: Based on the time of year, and with your permission, we are sometimes able to combine multiple private groups into one larger group, which allows us to provide you with a discount.

Please inform your booking agent if you are open to being paired with other groups.

PRICES ARE IN USD ($)

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Itinerary:

MARAS AND MORAY TOUR w/ ANDEAN EXPERIENCE

MORNING

This tour will take you to two incredible sites along with an Andean village! You will have the opportunity to learn how the Incas thrived in the high Andes by using the natural resources found in the Sacred Valley.

Our private van will pick you up directly from your hotel in Cusco around 8AM. You will have a beautiful 1.5 hour drive from Cusco to reach the terraces of Moray. This site is home to one of the largest and best preserved examples of the famous Inca terracing farm technique, which allowed the Incas to grow a variety of different plants all year long.

After enjoying a tour of Moray, you will drive a few miles down the road to Maras, which is a collection over 3,000 salt pools that are over 1,000 years old! It is a visual marvel and one of the most stunning sites in the Sacred Valley.

After the tour of Maras, you will travel to the Andean town of Chinchero. Your visit to Chinchero will consist of 3 parts: (1) Tour of the Rainbow Temple, (2) Visit to a Catholic cathedral and (3) demonstration of local weavers and lunch during a visit with a local family.

The first stop is the Rainbow Temple, which is one of the biggest Inca temples. You will enjoy a professionally guided tour and learn why the Incas worshiped the rainbow.

You will then visit a church with beautiful murals depicting the Cusqueñan style of painting. This style of art combines traditional Inca imagery with Christian motifs. After visiting the cathedral, you will walk through a beautiful village in Chinchero, ending in the Women’s Weaving Cooperative where you will enjoy a demonstration of local weavers who still use traditional Inca patterns and techniques for dyeing fabric.

Following the demonstration, you will have time to browse their shop which sells Inca style purses, tablecloths, wall hangings, and many other colorful and exquisitely patterned artisan goods.

AFTERNOON

In the afternoon, you will enjoy a cooking lesson, where a local family will teach you how to make quinoa soup, a staple of their diet. After sharing lunch with them, you can dress up in the traditional clothing and hats of Chinchero and take photos with the locals!

You will have a private van ride back to your hotel in Cusco, arrival to Cusco is between 3-4pm.

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One of the best tours I have ever been on. Our guide made this a trip of a lifetime. His knowledge and passion for the Inca culture is amazing. He is really patient and makes sure the entire group is well taken care of. Another great feature of Kusa Treks is how great they treat their porters/staff. You could tell that they really care about the community and the locals in that area. The food was also top notch! The courses were plentiful and also amazingly decorated/garnished. I did a lot of research before this trip and Kusa Treks blew away all my expectations.

Daniel H • Trip Advisor Review

Maras and Moray Tour
with Andean Experience