GENERAL INFORMATION
Duration: 1 Day
Starting point: Cusco City (pick up your hotel).
Point of Arrival: Cusco City (historic downtown).
Travel style: Archaeological, experiential, natural and Cultural.
Level of difficulty: Easy.
Tour time: Around 8 hours
Tour dates: Every day
Altitudes of the Walk:
• Cusco City: 3400 m.s.n.m. (Main Square).
• Salineras de Maras: 3600 m.s.n.m.
• Archaeological site of Moray: 3600 m.s.n.m.
• Chinchero: 3800 m.s.n.m.
TOUR DETAILS
Information
INTRODUCTION
Visiting the Moray archaeological site and the Maras salt mines, and experiencing living tourism in the Humasbamba rural community in Chinchero, is the best combination for a full-day tour. You will have the great opportunity to get up close to a native Andean community, where you can learn about the ancestral, traditional, and customary ways of life and the living culture that still endures in this place despite the passage of time.
DESCRIPTION
Visit the most iconic tourist destinations around Cusco in a single day. Marvel at the vast rural highlands that define the great Sacred Valley and discover the Maras Salt Mines, harvested since the Inca era and whose origin remains a mystery to this day. With our tour, you will arrive at each site without being surrounded by large tourist groups, allowing you to enjoy a peaceful visit entirely at your own pace.
Next, you will head to the Moray archaeological site, recognized as an ancient Inca agricultural laboratory where the Incas experimented with growing different crop species across multiple elevation levels. You will have approximately 20 minutes at each site to explore and take as many photos as you like.
To close the day, we will take you to Chinchero to experience authentic living culture with the Humasbamba community. You will immerse yourself in living Andean culture, actively participate in the community’s traditional activities, and pick up words and phrases in Quechua with the help of your guide, who will serve as interpreter throughout the entire experience.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Pickup from your hotel at 8:00 a.m. to begin this tour. From here, you and your guide will head north of Cusco city toward the Moray archaeological site, approximately a 1 hour and 20 minute drive through absolutely stunning scenery, passing through lush yellow wheat fields and small Andean villages along the way. You will finally arrive at the fascinating terraced complex of Moray, a site featuring three amphitheater-shaped terraces built by Inca stonemasons.
It is believed that these terraces, carved deep into the earth in a bowl-like shape, were used to determine the optimal growing conditions for different crop species. Here you will enjoy your visit with detailed and engaging explanations from your tour guide.
After Moray, we will board our transport for approximately 30 minutes and make our way to the Maras Salt Mines, an ancient salt-producing center believed to date back to pre-Inca times. You will witness saltwater springs emerging from the high-altitude mountains and flowing down the hillside into individual evaporation chambers, which have been worked entirely by the local population for hundreds of years. There are more than 4,000 salt pools carved into the mountainside.
We will then travel for about 1 hour to the community of Humasbamba in the Chinchero district, where we will take part in a community living culture experience. You will be welcomed with a traditional reception featuring music and dance, and local families will invite you into their homes to share their customs and daily way of life. You will take part in everyday activities such as farming, weaving, and dyeing garments using natural ingredients, and enjoy a traditional Andean lunch together as a family.
At the end of the living culture experience, we will return to Cusco at approximately 5:00 p.m.
NOTES
- The schedules of this itinerary are for reference only, this may vary according to the physical condition of each person.
- Up to one day before, please call or inform us via email the name of your accommodations in Cusco City, where we will pick you up on the day of the excursion.
Included services
THIS TOUR INCLUDES
- Hotel pickup on the day of the tour.
- Private tourist transport throughout the entire tour.
- Professional licensed tour guide. All entrance tickets included: Moray archaeological site and Maras Salt Mines.
- Living culture experience at the Humasbamba community: you will dress in traditional local clothing, practice traditional weaving, take part in a spiritual ceremony, and join the community in other customary activities.
- Andean lunch prepared by the community.
- Vegetarian meals and special diets available upon request at no extra charge.
- Return transport to Cusco with drop-off at your hotel.
What should you bring
LIST OF PERSONAL ITEMS TO TAKE TO THIS TOUR
Please check this list and remember that everything is very important to the success of your Tour.
Documents
- Passport.
- Printed or digital Tour voucher, issued by our company.
Essentials
- Small backpack.
- Bottle of water and some snacks such as: cookies, candies, chocolates, cereals, fruits, among others.
- Extra money, if you want to buy some souvenirs and handicrafts of the Tour.
Clothes and shoes
- Jacket for the cold.
- Waterproof clothing: rain jacket and/or rain poncho.
- Hat to cover from the Sun.
- Hiking boots or comfortable sneakers.
Pharmaceutical products
- Sunscreen.
- Lip cream.
Other articles
- Sunglasses.
- Rubber-tipped hiking sticks (optional).
We recommend prior acclimatization, at least arriving in Cusco City 1 day before this Tour, and good health in general
* If you have any Questions or Queries about the Items you should bring to the Tour, please contact us at WhatsApp: +51 984 525 006 / +51 984 683 047 or write to: info@incredibleperutours.com
Frequent questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here you will find the Most Frequently Asked Questions from our Customers. Before doing anything, we invite you to carefully read these questions and answers, as well as all our links about this Tour. This will help you obtain information in a simple, quick and practical way.
1. WHAT DOES THE EXPERIENTIAL TOUR IN CHINCHERO, MORAY, AND THE MARAS SALT MINES INCLUDE?
This tour combines culture, tradition, and Andean landscapes. During the tour, you will visit Chinchero, where you will enjoy an experiential activity related to Andean textiles. You will also visit Moray, an ancient Inca agricultural center, and the famous Maras Salt Mines.
2. WHAT EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITY IS DONE IN CHINCHERO?
In Chinchero, you will learn about the traditional textile-making process, from the natural dyeing of wool to the weaving techniques used by local communities.
3. WHAT ARE THE MARAS SALT MINES?
The Maras Salt Mines are thousands of salt pools located on the side of a mountain. This place has been used since ancient times for the traditional extraction of salt.
4. DOES THE TOUR REQUIRE A LOT OF PHYSICAL EFFORT?
No, this tour has a low to moderate level of difficulty. It includes short walks at the tourist attractions, making it suitable for most travelers.
5. WHAT TIME WILL WE RETURN TO CUSCO CITY?
Tour return time is scheduled for 5:00 pm. This time is only a reference, for there may be some unexpected delays that affect the arrival time, such as: traffic, a traveler may have suffered a setback, poor road conditions, among others; so there may be the possibility of arriving later.
6. DO I NEED TO BRING ADDITIONAL MONEY TO THE TOUR?
Yes, if you want to buy snacks such as: cookies, dried fruit, chocolates, candies or an additional drink such as soda, beer or an energy beverage, for it is possible to purchase these products in small commercial stores in the area. Also, if you want to buy some souvenirs and handicrafts from the trip, you can buy them directly from local artisans.
7. HOW DO I BOOK MY TOUR?
Booking this Tour with us will really be very safe, easy and practical, you will also enjoy Payment Facilities such as Paying for your Excursion up to 1 day before the Trip.
⇒ To Book this Tour, just follow these 3 simple steps:
1. Fill out the Reservation Form: It is in the Reserve link.
2. Pay for the Tour: We accept all cards. You can use a Credit or Debit Card from any Bank and of any company: VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DINERS CLUB, DISCOVER, JCB, UNION PAY, ETC.
3. Print your Travel Coupon (Voucher): We will send it to you immediately after you have made the Payment.
⇒ OTHER PAYMENT METHODS: If you want to make the Payment by other means such as: PayPal, Western Union, Bank Deposit, Bank Transfer or some other form, let us know to send you all the necessary information to do so.
8. IF I ALREADY PAID FOR MY TOUR AND DECIDE TO CANCEL, WILL I BE REFUNDED?
We understand that unexpected situations can arise beyond your control, and for that reason we have designed a refund policy for cases in which you need to cancel your tour.
For single-day tours, refunds will be subject to the date on which you submit your cancellation request, and will be calculated based on the time remaining before the tour start date, according to the table below:
| CANCELLATION DATE OF THE TOUR BY THE CUSTOMER | PERCENTAGE TO BE RETURNED BY OUR COMPANY |
| From 0 to 3 days before the Tour | 0% |
| From 4 to 10 before the Tour | 25% |
| From 11 or more days before the Tour | 50% |
In addition to this, and in our desire to always seek the best for you, consider that if you want to change the Date of the Excursion you can do so without any additional cost, up to 2 days before the Tour.
Availability and prices
IMPORTANT:
- We recommend you book the Tour as soon as possible, to avoid missing out on this great experience.
- If, there is no longer availability for your Tour Date, you can search for other similar Excursions.
- If you are interested in doing this route and want to book, or would like more information, please contact us: Cell phone: +51 984525 006 / WhatsApp: +51 984 683 047 or write to: info@incredibleperutours.com
PRICES
We are committed to providing you with safety and the best service at the best price, which is why we maintain competitive and accessible rates across all our tours.
To ensure the best experience on this tour: Living Culture Experience in Chinchero + Moray + Maras Salt Mines – 1 Day, we offer the following services:
PRIVATE SERVICE:
Traveling only with friends and/or family, according to the number of people that make up your group.
| From 2 to 3 people: | USD 170 per person |
| From 4 to 5 people: | USD 130 per person |
| From 6 to 7 people: | USD 110 per person |
| From 8 to 10 people: | USD 90 per person |
| From 10 to more people: | USD 70 per person |
OPTIONAL SERVICES
If you want, for an additional cost you have the option of adding some extra services to your tour, such as:
- Pick up from Cusco City Airport and transfer to your hotel, USD 5 per person
- Pick up from your Hotel and transfer to Cusco City Airport, USD 5 per person
TO CONSIDER:
- Prices are shown in American dollars (USD)
- Our company also has promotions and discounts for student groups. Please contact us to receive our offers.
- For your peace of mind and comfort, our tours do not have any hidden charges or expenses.
- If you are interested in doing this route and would like to reserve, or want more information, please contact us:
- Cell: +51 984 525 006
- WhatsApp: +51 984 683 047
- Email: info@incredibleperutours.com
