Cusco: Moray & Maras Salt Mines with Sacred Valley Guide

What did the Incas grow in a circular pit? The answer is at Moray.

You're picked up at your Cusco hotel and driven to Moray, where you walk the concentric terraces of an Inca agricultural laboratory. After exploring how ancient farmers tested crops, you travel to Maras to see 3,000 salt ponds still worked by hand. Lunch and all entrance fees are included, and a bilingual guide explains the engineering and history. You're back at your hotel by mid-afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Sacred Valley of the Incas1m
2. Maras Salt Pools1h

Explore Moray, Maras, and Salt Mines

• Pick up at hotel in Cusco
• Visit Moray agricultural terraces
• Travel to Maras village
• Explore Maras Salt Mines
• Return to Cusco and drop off

The experience

How do you test 250 crop varieties without modern equipment? You build concentric terraces that drop like a stadium into the earth, each level a few degrees cooler than the one above. That's Moray: an ancient agricultural laboratory where Inca farmers ran experiments that still baffle agronomists. Hotel pickup happens in the morning from your Cusco accommodation, and the drive into the Sacred Valley takes you past eucalyptus and potato fields that look almost unchanged since then. Your guide walks you down into the terraces, pointing out how the design itself was the technology: temperature gradients, water flow, soil composition all engineered into the stone.

After Moray, you head to Maras, a small colonial town that sits between two worlds: Spanish architecture layered over Inca foundations. The real draw is what lies below it: the Salineras, over 3,000 salt ponds that have been worked continuously since before the Spanish arrived. Locals still extract salt the same way their ancestors did, channeling mineral-rich spring water into shallow terraces where the sun does the work. The ponds are dyed rust, cream, and pale green depending on the mineral content and evaporation stage. You walk among them with your bilingual guide (Spanish and Portuguese), who explains the chemistry and the economics: salt farming here is still a living trade, not a museum piece. Lunch is included, and you'll eat it somewhere with a view of the valley.

The whole tour runs half a day, which means you're back in Cusco by early afternoon. You'll need your Cusco Tourist Ticket for entry to Moray. Pick it up beforehand or ask your guide about it when you're picked up. The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters at this altitude. Bottled water is provided. Children under five don't pay if they sit on an adult's lap, and infant seats are available on request.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco, round-trip transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, entrance fees to Moray and the Maras Salt Mines, a lunch box, bottled water, and a professional bilingual tour guide in Spanish and Portuguese.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English08:00

Guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese08:00

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (4 to 70 years) · Under 4: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.Operator's directions: “Transfer pickup takes place at Plaza Regocijo, in Cusco, next to the central fountain of the square, between 07:45 h and 08:00 h. Please arrive at the meeting point within this window.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h 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 today

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Viagens Machu Picchu

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see two of the Sacred Valley's most distinctive sites (an Inca agricultural laboratory and working salt mines) without arranging transport or tickets yourself. The half-day format fits a morning or afternoon slot around other Cusco plans.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

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 24h before the start.

Do I need the Cusco Tourist Ticket for this tour?

Yes. Entry to Moray requires it. You can buy it in Cusco before the tour or arrange it with your guide when picked up.

How long is the tour?

Half day, typically 4–5 hours including hotel pickup and drop-off.

Is lunch included?

Yes, a lunch box is provided during the tour.

What's the altitude, and is it safe?

Moray sits around 3,600 meters (11,800 feet). The tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, but it's suitable for all fitness levels otherwise. Acclimatize in Cusco first if you're arriving from sea level.

Can I bring a baby?

Yes. Infants can sit on an adult's lap for free, or you can request a specialized infant seat when booking.

Is the guide bilingual?

Yes, the guide speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

What should I bring?

Your Cusco Tourist Ticket, sun protection, and comfortable walking shoes. Bottled water is provided.