Peru » Cusco

Cusco: Moray Terraces & Maras Salt Pools Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.00 (9 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/11

Duration6h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Two Hours from Cusco, Circular Terraces That Still Puzzle Archaeologists

You visit two distinct Inca sites in one morning: the concentric agricultural terraces of Moray, where the Inca tested crops at different elevations, and the 3,000-pool salt operation at Maras, still harvested by hand the same way it was centuries ago. Hotel pickup, a guide, and transport back to Cusco by early afternoon are included, so you only have to show up.

Step-by-step itinerary

Start from Cusco
Explore Moray agricultural terraces
Visit Maras salt mines
Return to Cusco

The Experience

"How did they know what would grow at each level?" The question hangs in the air as you stand at the edge of Moray, looking down at concentric circles of stone that drop like a stadium into the earth. Your guide points out that each terrace sits at a slightly different altitude, creating its own microclimate — the Inca didn't just farm here, they experimented. The site sits 7 kilometers from Maras, two hours from Cusco along the Chinchero route, and the drive alone takes you through highland villages where the landscape shifts from green to rust-colored earth. You'll spend time walking the terraces, understanding how they worked, and taking in the scale of what you're standing in.

After Moray, the tour moves to Maras Salt Pools, which look nothing like mines — they're more like a patchwork quilt of shallow rectangles, each one a different shade of white or pale orange depending on the mineral content and how long the salt has been drying. There are roughly 3,000 of them, and they've been in use since pre-Hispanic times. Salt water flows down from an underground stream, gets channeled into these pools, and the sun does the rest. You'll walk among them, see how families still harvest and sell the salt, and understand why this place mattered then and still does now. The whole excursion is structured so you're back in Cusco by 2 p.m., which means you're not losing your whole day.

The group stays small enough that you're not herded through like a school trip. Your guide is there to explain the history and the mechanics — why the Inca built Moray the way they did, how the salt extraction system actually works — but you're also free to move at your own pace and take photos without someone rushing you along. Hotel pickup from the city center is included, so you don't have to negotiate transport or figure out where to meet the van. The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters at this altitude.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from central Cusco, an air-conditioned vehicle for the two-hour drive to Moray, a guide who explains the Inca agricultural terraces and their microclimate design, time to walk and photograph the site, transport to Maras Salt Pools, and a guided walk among the 3,000 salt pools where you'll see how salt is still harvested by hand. Return to Cusco by 2 p.m.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Chullos Travel Peru

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand two different Inca innovations — agricultural engineering and salt extraction — without arranging your own transport or guide; the fixed schedule and pickup mean you only have to be ready at your hotel.