Sacred Valley Day Tour: Ollantaytambo, Maras & More

Four Inca sites in one day without the tour-bus stops

A private day tour of the Sacred Valley from Urubamba or Ollantaytambo covering Ollantaytambo fortress, the Maras salt pools, Moray's terraced agricultural laboratory, and Chinchero's colonial church and weaving workshop, with a bilingual guide, lunch in Maras town, and hotel pickup and return. The tour skips commission-based shops and moves at your own pace with time to ask questions. Optional entry tickets to Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero, and admission to Maras salt mines, are arranged separately at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Maras Salt Pools1h
2. Moray Agricultural Terraces1h

Explore Sacred Valley sites and lunch

• Visit Ollantaytambo ruins
• Tour Maras Salt Mines
• Explore Moray agricultural terraces
• Enjoy lunch in Maras town
• Visit Chinchero church and weaving workshop

The experience

Nine to ten hours covers four stops across the Sacred Valley, starting with Ollantaytambo: an Inca fortress with terraces, a Temple of the Sun, and ceremonial fountains. From there, an hour's drive takes you to Maras, where more than 3,500 salt pools have been harvesting salt from a subterranean stream since pre-Inca times. The pools sit in geometric rows on the mountainside, fed by warm salty water that evaporates in the sun. A thirty-minute drive leads to Moray, a circular arrangement of concentric Inca terraces believed to be an agricultural laboratory where the Inca tested crops at different altitudes and temperatures.

Lunch happens in Maras town at a local restaurant with mountain views, included in the price. After eating, the tour moves to Chinchero, a small colonial town with an archaeological site, terraces and altars set against the peaks. A weaving workshop there shows how local people who practice Quechua traditions extract natural dyes from plants and work the looms. The drive back to your hotel in Urubamba, Ollantaytambo or Cusco takes about an hour from Chinchero.

A professional bilingual guide (Spanish and English) leads the tour and travels with you the whole day. Private transportation with a local driver is included, and you set the pace. There's time to talk to the guide, ask questions and linger at sites without the pressure of a group schedule. The operator avoids commission-based shops, so the stops are chosen for what you came to see.

What’s included

• Private hotel pickup and return to Urubamba, Ollantaytambo or Cusco.
• professional bilingual guide in Spanish and English.
• private transportation with a local driver.
• sit-down lunch at a local restaurant in Maras town with mountain views.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 09:30

AgesAdult (6 to 80 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Apu Ausangate Trek

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to move at your own pace and ask questions without waiting for a group, or if you prefer to skip the commission-based shops that standard bus tours stop at. The private format and bilingual guide make it suited to travelers who want to understand what they're seeing and spend time at each site without a fixed schedule.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What exactly are the Maras salt pools and how do they work?

The Maras salt pools are more than 3,500 shallow terraced ponds fed by a warm salty stream that flows from underground. Locals have harvested salt there since pre-Inca times by letting the mineral-rich water evaporate in the sun, leaving salt crystals behind. The pools cover the mountainside in a geometric pattern and are still actively worked today.

Is Moray really an Inca agricultural laboratory?

Moray is a circular site of concentric terraces unique among Sacred Valley Inca ruins, believed by archaeologists to be an agricultural laboratory where the Inca experimented with growing different crops at different altitudes and temperatures within the same location. The terraces step down in rings, creating distinct microclimates.

What do I see at Chinchero and what happens at the weaving workshop?

Chinchero is a small colonial town with an archaeological site, terraces and altars set against mountain views. At the weaving workshop, local people practicing Quechua traditions demonstrate how they extract natural dyes from plants and work traditional looms by hand.

Do I need to buy entry tickets separately, or are they included?

Entry to Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero, and admission to the Maras salt mines, are optional and arranged at checkout. Lunch at the local restaurant in Maras town is included in the tour price.

Can I be dropped at Cusco instead of my Sacred Valley hotel?

Yes. The tour includes private hotel pickup and return to your hotel in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo, or you can arrange to be dropped in Cusco instead. Let the operator know when you make your reservation.

How much driving is there between the sites?

Ollantaytambo to Maras takes about an hour; Maras to Moray is thirty minutes; Moray to the restaurant is twenty minutes; the restaurant to Chinchero is thirty minutes; and Chinchero back to your hotel is about an hour. The travel time is included in the total nine to ten hour duration.