Moray Ruins & Maras Salt Mines Tour: Half-Day Sacred Valley

Moray was an agricultural laboratory where ancient Peruvians bred crop varieties across different climate zones.

This half-day tour from Cusco visits two distinct Sacred Valley sites: the circular terraces of Moray, an Incan agricultural experiment center, and the salt pools of Maras, where families have harvested salt for centuries using inherited wells. The tour includes private transportation, a live guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian or French, and a stop in Chinchero to watch a local family demonstrate Andean textile weaving. Children from age 2 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Sacred Valley sites and salt mines

• Explore Chinchero ruins and terraces
• Watch Andean textile demonstration
• Visit Maras salt mines and take photos
• Tour Moray agricultural terraces

The Experience

Chinchero sits between Urubamba and Cusco in the Sacred Valley, and the tour begins there with the ruins of pre-Incan agricultural terraces and temples. A local family meets the group to show how Andean textiles are woven by hand—a working craft that has survived centuries. From there, the route heads northwest to Maras, where roughly 5,000 small salt wells cover the slope of a hill, each one inherited through families and fed by a natural spring that flows from above. During the dry season, salty water fills the wells and crystallizes into harvestable salt; you can take a souvenir with you and photograph the geometric landscape of the pools.

Moray lies about 7 kilometers from Maras and is the centerpiece of the tour. The site consists of concentric circular terraces with irrigation channels that functioned as a giant agricultural laboratory—a prototype greenhouse where ancient Peruvians tested and improved crops from different elevations across Peru. The Andean diet drew from over a thousand potato varieties and a hundred and a half corn varieties, many of which were developed and refined on these terraces. The place also holds deep religious significance; it is now preserved as a center for ritual offerings to Pachamama, the earth goddess.

The full tour runs seven hours and includes private transportation from your Cusco location, so there is no waiting for group departures or transfers between sites. Your guide travels with you throughout and can answer questions about the archaeology, agriculture and cultural practices at each stop. The pace suits all fitness levels, and if you are traveling with young children, specialized infant seats are available in the vehicle.

What’s included

• Private transportation from Cusco.
• a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian or French.
• entry to Moray Agricultural Terraces and Maras Salt Pools.
• a textile weaving demonstration with a local family in Chinchero.
• and the chance to take a salt souvenir from the pools.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Come See Perú Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see two distinct archaeological sites in one morning without arranging your own transport or timing between stops—the private vehicle and guide handle the logistics, so you move at a steady pace through the Sacred Valley and still have the afternoon free.

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Top questions

What exactly is Moray and why does it matter archaeologically?

Moray is a circular terraced site built by ancient Peruvians as an agricultural laboratory to experiment with and improve crop varieties from different climate zones across Peru. The concentric terraces with irrigation channels functioned like a giant greenhouse, and the crops developed there—including over a thousand potato varieties—became staples of the Andean diet. It also holds religious importance as a center for offerings to Pachamama.

Can I actually take salt home from the Maras pools?

Yes. The Maras salt pools are still actively harvested by local families using inherited wells fed by a natural spring. During the tour you can take a souvenir of salt and photograph the distinctive geometric landscape of the roughly 5,000 small wells covering the hillside.

How long is this tour and when does it start from Cusco?

The tour runs seven hours total and includes private transportation with pickup from your Cusco location. The specific start time depends on your hotel or meeting point; the operator will confirm the schedule when you book.

What language will my guide speak?

Your guide can conduct the tour in English, Spanish, Italian or French. You choose your preferred language when you book.

Is this tour suitable if I'm traveling with small children?

Yes. Children from age 2 are welcome, and specialized infant seats are available in the vehicle. The tour suits all fitness levels, so the pace works for families with young kids.

Why visit Moray and Maras before going to Machu Picchu?

Both sites show how ancient Peruvians engineered their landscape and food systems—Moray for crop development and Maras for salt harvesting—giving context to the agricultural and hydraulic sophistication you'll see at Machu Picchu. The half-day format fits easily into a Cusco itinerary before heading to the ruins.