Sacred Valley & Moray tour from Cusco: 7 archaeological sites

Seven stops across the Sacred Valley: weaving, terraces, salt ponds, and Inca ruins

A full-day guided tour from Cusco through the Sacred Valley visits six archaeological sites and landscapes in a single itinerary: Chinchero, Moray Agricultural Terraces, Maras salt mines, Ollantaytambo, Pisaq and Urubamba. A professional guide leads the route in English or Spanish, hotel pickup is included, and lunch is provided at a local buffet. The day runs 11 to 12 hours and involves moderate walking at several stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Sacred Valley and Archaeological Sites

• Collect travelers in Cusco
• Drive 1 hour to Chinchero
• Visit local family and learn weaving
• Drive 30 minutes to Moray
• Enjoy viewpoint of Moray terraces
• Drive 30 minutes to Maras
• Explore Maras salt mines and landscapes
• Drive 45 minutes to lunch location
• Enjoy buffet lunch with local flavors
• Drive 30 minutes to Urubamba
• Visit Urubamba archaeological site
• Drive 1 hour to Pisaq
• Guided tour of Pisaq archaeological site
• Visit shop on the way back
• Return 1 hour to Cusco center
• Drop off near main plaza

The experience

How do you fit the Sacred Valley into one day without renting a car or hiring a private driver? This tour strings together six major sites across the valley in a fixed itinerary, so the route, timing and transport are already arranged. You're picked up at your hotel in Cusco, then driven north to Chinchero, a 1-hour drive, where the guide takes you to a local family's home to watch the traditional weaving process before moving on. From there the day branches into the high-altitude landscape: Moray Agricultural Terraces, a set of concentric stone rings built by the Incas for crop experimentation, sits a 30-minute drive away, and you walk the viewpoint to take in the full scale of them. The Maras salt mines, still worked by hand in shallow ponds carved into the mountainside, come next after another 30-minute drive.

Lunch is a 30-minute buffet stop with local dishes, then the route moves into the main valley floor. Ollantaytambo, a fortress-temple complex overlooking the Urubamba River, gets a guided walk of about 30 minutes through its most important structures. Pisaq (another major Inca site with agricultural terraces and temple buildings) follows after a 1-hour drive, and the guide walks you through the layout before the group has time to browse the craft shops nearby. The return to Cusco takes another hour by bus, and you arrive back at the main plaza around 7:00 pm. Your guide speaks English or Spanish, and the professional commentary ties the sites together as a single story of Inca engineering and settlement rather than isolated stops.

Two optional add-ons are available at checkout: entry to the Maras salt mines costs extra, and a Cusco Tourist Ticket (which covers entry to several valley sites) can be purchased separately. The tour includes transportation, hotel pickup, lunch and the guide. What you walk varies by site, with Ollantaytambo and Pisaq involving the most time on foot across uneven terrain.

What’s included

• Professional guide in English or Spanish.
• hotel pickup in Cusco.
• transportation by bus to all six sites.
• buffet lunch with local flavors.
• guided walks at Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo and Pisaq.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 75 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 19

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Inka Altitude

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so you follow the commentary comfortably in your language. A difference if you're traveling with family or friends who don't speak the local tongue and want the story, not just the stops.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Moray and why is it worth the drive?

Moray Agricultural Terraces is a series of concentric circular stone platforms built by the Inca into a hillside, likely used to test different crops at different altitudes and temperatures. You walk the viewpoint to see the full pattern from above, and the guide explains the engineering and agricultural purpose.

Do I need to buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket to enter the archaeological sites?

The Cusco Tourist Ticket is optional and costs extra at checkout. Some sites on the tour (including Ollantaytambo and Pisaq) may require separate entry. The operator will clarify which sites are covered by the ticket and which are included in the tour price.

How much walking is involved at each stop?

Chinchero and the Maras salt mines involve minimal walking. Moray is mostly a viewpoint walk. Ollantaytambo and Pisaq each require about 30 minutes of walking across uneven terrain and stone steps, so moderate fitness helps.

What time does the tour start and when do I get back?

Hotel pickup happens in the morning from Cusco. The exact time depends on your hotel location. The tour returns to the main plaza around 7:00 pm after 11 to 12 hours total.

Is lunch included, and does it accommodate dietary restrictions?

Lunch is a 30-minute buffet stop with local Peruvian dishes. Dietary needs should be mentioned at booking so the operator can arrange alternatives if needed.

Can I do this tour if I have altitude concerns?

The Sacred Valley sits at high elevation: Moray and Maras are around 3,600 meters (11,800 feet), and the tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health or spinal injuries. Moderate physical fitness is needed for the walking and the altitude.