Full Day Tour to Maras Salt Mines and Moray
Duration
From
Overview
This Tour will help you discover the beauty of the area around Cusco! You will learn about the Incas’ technologies and how they utilised natural laws to enhance their agriculture. Additionally, you will discover the extraction of natural salt from nearby salt mines, which was a significant economic value in Inca times.
You leave Cusco at around 08:30 am, visit the town of Chinchero, the Maras Salt Mines, and Moray, and return to Cusco around 02:00 pm.
Full Itinerary
CHINCHERO
The colonial town of Chinchero was built atop an Inca town, surrounded by multicoloured fields, and is close to a lagoon of the same name that provides water to nearby agricultural areas. We will pass through the town and then head directly to our leading destination, the circles of Moray. During our journey, we will enjoy incredible views of the snow-covered carpets of the Cordillera Vilcanota, where the native people dedicate their lives to agriculture.
MORAY
A few minutes' drive from Chinchero, we will reach the central Inca agricultural laboratory of Moray circles. The circular stone construction consists of descending circles built into natural depressions in the ground, uniformly spaced 150 meters deep, and was used to adapt different crops to the Andean ecosystem.
This place features an amazing irrigation system equipped with a filtration system to prevent water flow and crop damage. Also, many ceremonies to the earth (Pacha Mama) took place in the deepest circle. Therefore, this multifunctional location serves both agricultural and spiritual purposes.
MARAS/ SALINERAS (Salt mines)
A fast 20-minute ride from Moray, we arrive at a little valley where the Salineras de Maras (Maras Salt Mines) stand, one of nature's biggest mysteries. From the depths of the mountain, a spring of extremely salty water sprouts. Since the Incas ruled these lands, they utilised these salt mines, which consist of approximately 3,000 small wells, each about 4 m² and 10 cm deep. They have been mined ever since, producing salt through a simple natural process: salty water fills the wells, and the sun evaporates it, leaving behind pure salt.
Included/Exclude
- Tourist bus
- Professional tour guide in English (private groups can choose any language)
- 24-hour support from the company owner
- Lunch (we recommend you bring a snack because nearby you will not find any good restaurants)
- Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTG)
- Maras’ entrance ticket is an additional 20 Soles
- Insurance of any kind
Note
We recommend you buy the General Tourist Ticket (BTG), which grants access to 15 places, including the ruins of Cusco and various museums. Alternatively, you can buy a one-day partial ticket, which grants a single-day visit to the Circles of Moray. In case you are not planning to visit any of the Cusco sites.
If you are staying in Cusco for at least a few days or even more than a week, we recommend you buy the Boleto Turistico “Tourist Ticket), which is valid for 10 days and costs 140 Soles (US$49.00). This ticket grants you access to visit the four archaeological sites in the City Tour, the three sites in the Sacred Valley, the Moray Circles, and the water temple of Tipon and Pikillacta in the South Valley of Cusco. The tourist ticket also includes entrance fees to many museums and the Cusco folkloric dance centre (dance show every day at 07:00 pm).
Recommendations, what to bring
- Original passport
- Student card if you book your tour as a student
- Backpack
- Water (although you can buy this anywhere, too)
- Sun protection (sun cream, hat)
- Rainjacket or rain poncho (in the rainy season)
- Money for souvenirs
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Some warm clothing
What we need when you make a reservation
- Full name, as written in your passport (please include a scanned copy of your passport)
- Passport number
- Nationality
- Date of birth
- Tour departure date
- Send a deposit of 60% of the total price of your tour. (The remainder of your balance will be due upon your arrival in Cusco.) Payment can be made via Western Union, PayPal, or ABN AMRO Bank in Holland, or securely and directly through our website by selecting your desired tour and clicking the BOOK NOW button.
Prices
- Price US$ 40.00, group price
Private Tour:
- 1-2 people US$ 250
- 3-4 people US$ 90 pp
- 5-6 people US$ 80 pp
“With every tour you book with Green Peru Adventures, you can request a free walking tour of Cusco’s mysterious and historical city, accompanied by one of our professional guides, who speaks several languages.”
We are looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for you.
