Cusco: Sacred Valley Pisac, Moray, Salt Mines & Ollantaytambo

Four Inca Sites in One Day: Sacred Valley Loop from Cusco

You're picked up early from your Cusco hotel and driven through four major Sacred Valley sites (Pisac ruins and market, Moray's circular agricultural terraces, the 3,000-pool Maras Salt Mines, and Ollantaytambo's fortress ruins) with a professional guide explaining the Inca engineering at each stop. Lunch in Urubamba is included, and the group stays small enough that you're not herded through. You return to Cusco by early evening or stay longer at the final site.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Moray Agricultural Terraces2h
2. Ollantaytambo Ruins2h

Sacred Valley full day tour

• Pick up from Cusco hotel
• Visit Pisac ruins and terraces
• Explore Pisac local market
• Travel to Moray agricultural terraces
• Visit Maras Salt Mines
• Lunch in Urubamba
• Visit Ollantaytambo ruins

The experience

Your guide is already waiting in the Cusco hotel lobby at 6:30am, coffee in hand, ready to walk you through what the day holds. The van fills up with a small group, never more than eight people, and you head out of the city center toward the Sacred Valley while the light is still soft. The drive itself is part of the tour. Your guide points out the landscape as it changes, explains what you're about to see at each stop, and answers the questions that come up naturally as you wind through the Andes.

Pisac arrives first, and the ruins sit high on a ridge above the town. You walk through the terraces (thousands of them, carved into the mountainside by hand), and your guide explains how the Incas engineered water flow and soil depth to grow crops at altitude. The market below is still moving when you finish. There's time to walk through it if you want, or skip it and move on. From there it's a short drive to Moray, which looks like someone scooped three enormous bowls out of the earth. The circular terraces drop down in concentric rings, and the guide explains the theory: the Incas used this place as a laboratory, testing which crops grew best at which temperature and altitude. The temperature difference between the top and bottom is measurable, and it still works. Then you're at the Maras Salt Mines, only two miles away: more than 3,000 pools carved into the mountainside, filled each day with mineral water that evaporates to leave behind salt. The pools are different colors depending on the mineral content and how long the water has been sitting.

Lunch happens in Urubamba, a local restaurant where the food is Andean and included in the price. After that, the final push toward Ollantaytambo, driving along the Urubamba River. The ruins here are different from Pisac: less about agriculture, more about fortress and settlement. You can see the rock formation that the Incas carved to represent Wiracocha, their creator god, and the irrigation system still runs water through stone channels on the sides of the streets, the same way it did five hundred years ago. You can end the day here around 4:30pm, or ride back to Cusco, arriving around 6:00pm depending on traffic.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in Cusco between 6:30 and 7:00am, private transportation to all four sites, a professional English or Spanish-speaking guide, entry to Pisac ruins and market, Moray terraces, Maras Salt Mines, and Ollantaytambo ruins, plus a buffet lunch at a local restaurant in Urubamba. The group stays between 2 and 8 people, and you return to your Cusco hotel around 6:00pm or end the day at Ollantaytambo.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

AgesAdult (9 to 85 years) · Child (3 to 8 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.Operator's directions: “If you are in a private apartment or airbnb we can meet you in our office located in the city center. Your guide will be there with a list. Pick up is only from the historical center.”

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

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Willka Travel

Is this one for you?Best for travelers who want to see all four main Sacred Valley sites in one day without arranging separate transport, guides, and timing: the fixed itinerary and early start are what fit everything into a single loop.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 8 years); Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What time does the tour start and end?

Pickup is between 6:30 and 7:00am from your Cusco hotel. You can return to Cusco around 6:00pm, or end the day at Ollantaytambo around 4:30pm.

Is lunch included?

Yes. You stop for a buffet lunch at a local restaurant in Urubamba, featuring Andean food.

How many people are in the group?

Small groups only, between 2 and 8 participants.

What's the difference between Moray and Maras?

Moray is a set of three circular terraces believed to be an Inca agricultural laboratory for testing crop conditions. Maras is a salt mine with over 3,000 pools carved into the mountainside, still producing salt through natural evaporation.

Do I need to book the market stop at Pisac?

No. The market stop is optional. Your guide will let you know when there's time to browse, but you can skip it and move to the next site.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Hotel pickup in Cusco and all transport between sites is included. Your guide travels with you the entire day.

Can I choose to stay at Ollantaytambo instead of returning to Cusco?

Yes. You can end the tour at Ollantaytambo around 4:30pm instead of returning to Cusco.