Visit Moray's giant agricultural laboratory and the Maras Salt Mines
This tour is a lovely way to begin acclimatizing to the high altitude of Cusco and get ready for a trek if you have booked one. With an extraordinary views of the Andes since the bus road until the places you will visit during this tour, farming lands, typical Andean villages, mountains, Inca complex and the famous salt mines make a best way to discover the highland of Peru. Nowadays this tour is the most recommended for everyone who come to visit Cusco and Peru.
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Recommendations
- Faqs
- Pricing
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Maras is a beautiful little town that maintains some of its architectural colonial charm. You can see amazing facades made of thin stone. Moray complex located at 3450m/11319ft you can explore circular agricultural terraces with a complex system of irrigation. These terraces served as a natural green house to grow and extraordinary variety of crops at an altitude that they would typically only grow in the tropical Andes. Salineras is a vast salt mine set in a breathtaking little valley in the Andean mountains.
Highlights: Moray, Salt minesHike Distance: Few minutes from the bus stop
Considerations: Permit required
Season: March to December
Max. Altitude: 3450m/11319ft
Itinerary at a Glance
- Day01
Cusco - Moray - Salt Mines- Cusco
Maras Moray and Salt Mines
Maras Moray and Salt Mines Full Day Tour
Receive a morning pickup from your hotel in Cusco, after which you’ll be transferred for 50 minutes into the Peruvian countryside, passing through the typical town of Chincheroen route. Make your first stop in the small town of Maras, offering you the chance to catch a glimpse of daily life in one of the region’s small towns. Wander the streets of this typical village and sample some “Chicha,” a Peruvian-style corn beverage.
Leaving Maras behind, you’ll drive for another 30 minutes to Moray, an Inca-era archaeological site. Learn about the design and purpose of this circular style terrace system, a complex that was built by the ancient civilization as a testing ground for various micro-climates and different types of agricultural crops.
You’ll have one hour on site. After your Maras visit, make a stop at the “Salineras,” a collection of salt mines used since the Inca period to extract salt. The pattern formed by the area’s range of more than 3,000 small salt pools makes for a visually-arresting view for visitors. After your visit to the Salineras, you’ll receive a ride back to your Cusco hotel.
Receive a morning pickup from your hotel in Cusco, after which you’ll be transferred for 50 minutes into the Peruvian countryside, passing through the typical town of Chincheroen route. Make your first stop in the small town of Maras, offering you the chance to catch a glimpse of daily life in one of the region’s small towns. Wander the streets of this typical village and sample some “Chicha,” a Peruvian-style corn beverage.
Leaving Maras behind, you’ll drive for another 30 minutes to Moray, an Inca-era archaeological site. Learn about the design and purpose of this circular style terrace system, a complex that was built by the ancient civilization as a testing ground for various micro-climates and different types of agricultural crops.
You’ll have one hour on site. After your Maras visit, make a stop at the “Salineras,” a collection of salt mines used since the Inca period to extract salt. The pattern formed by the area’s range of more than 3,000 small salt pools makes for a visually-arresting view for visitors. After your visit to the Salineras, you’ll receive a ride back to your Cusco hotel.
At Cusco Climbing we are transparent and provide the specific details of what is included and excluded in our tours. We know this is very important so that you know what exactly to bring and you don’t miss anything. We provide this information to ensure that you have an incredible experience during your tour.
WE INCLUDE
Cusco Climbing Team Provide
Pre-departure briefing
Once you book the tour with us, you will get a notification about the pre-departure briefing, where you will meet with your cultural guide and the tour group in our office the night before your City tour departure. During this briefing, you will receive important details of the tour.
Professional Cultural Guide
All our tour guides have a great reputation in customer service. Our tour guides have graduated with tourism career from National University San Antonio Abad of Cusco. They have also studied English in a private language institute. Through their patience, responsibility, knowledge, passion for adventure and proud to have been born in the land of the Incas, we ensure our tour guides provide an excellent experience for you when you explore Cusco city.
Transportations
Private Transport
We included all the transportations during your tour, we will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and take you to the beginning of the tour, the bus returning once you done with the city tour to Cusco will drop off you at your hotel.
Equipment
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Medical First Aid Kit
All tour guides are very well trained in First aid. They received training courses every 6 months how to assist to someone who is in an emergency situation. Also, they are trained how to supply a balloon oxygen in the case if someone requires it.
WE NOT INCLUDED
Entrance Tickets
All customers need a ticket to go in these archaeological sites, it cost S/70 Soles only for 3 Inca sites plus S/10 soles for Salt Mines
Water bottle
Every customer need water during this tour, we will stop in a shop where you can purchase some water bottles and snacks
Travel Insurance
We recommend to buy a travel insurance before to leave your country in case something happen along your visit to Peru.
Tips for our team
Tips are not included. Tipping the team is usual on any excursion in Cusco, although we pay good salaries to our entire team, tips are welcome as a token of your appreciation for the team hard work.
At Cusco Climbing we focus to make your trip an unforgettable experience and we want to provide all details which you need to know before to leave your country and start your life experience in Peru.
What you need to pack? Important- Passport
- Good daypack (the smaller, the better)
- Water storage: Water reservoir like Camelback is encouraged - but enough for at least 2-3 liters.
- Comfortable hiking pant
INSIDE YOUR DAYPACKS:
Daypack can be any size for hiking, but we always say the smaller, the better. If it is larger try to bring it as lighter as possible.
- Sunhat
- Rain gear
- Fleece
- Camera
- Music (iPhone)
- Hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper and small plastic bag for waste
- Extra Money for Souvenirs, Drinks & Tips
- Earplugs
- Snacks (Chocolate, energizing bars, caramels, etc.)
PREPARING FOR YOUR DAY TOUR!
Here some frequently asked question about our day tours in CuscoBOOKING SYSTEM
At Cusco Climbing, we try to make the best of us to booking system works as easy as possible for you, once you decided to do some of our day tours, we will send to you a booking form where you need to complete all the required detail which we need to book your tickets, we need a previous deposit of 50% of the price per person. Once as soon as you paid it, we immediately book a spot for this tour once we have done with it, we will send you your invoice and confirmation form that all the booking process has set up satisfactorily.
IS CUSCO CLIMBING TEAM CONTACTING US BEFORE FLYING TO PERU?
Yes, our work policy is to be in contact with our customers as long as necessary to inform them of all the details and changes that could occur after have confirmed the reservation, please you ask to check constantly your e-mail, also if you have some issue let us know to solve as soon as possible.
WHERE TO STAY IN CUSCO?
Cusco is a big city enough to find different categories of hotels from 2 stars to 5 stars also there are Airbnb places where you can stay without any problem. Cusco streets are narrow especially near to the main square and some streets are pedestrian with some stairs, we will send you a notify for the pick up if is not possible the access with our car and arrange another place to pick you up and drop off also a night before your tour you will meet with your tour guide who will tell you all the details about the tour. In case you want some recommendations please ask to Vidal Expeditions sales team.
ALONG THE TOUR
IS THERE BATHROOM OR PUBLIC TOILETS ALONG THE TOUR?
Yes, our car will stop in some places where you can use the restroom (toilets) also in the restaurants you will find these, if you will need it as emergency just let your tour guide knows to stop in the nearest bathroom.
HOW CHALLENGING IS THE TOUR?
Well along our day tour is particularly not very challenging however our tour of Rainbow mountain and Humantay lake are challenging specially for people who does not has experience hiking/climbing on the mountains, we recommend to training with some exercises a few times per week to don’t have problem, also is recommendable to spend a few days in Cusco to acclimatize to the altitude because part of the segment along this tour are located over 3500m/10859ft
WHAT HAPPEN IF I GOT ALTITUDE SICKNESS?
No worry, our guide and team are professional and they know how to solve this kind of problem, your guide will have a first aid kit all the time with some medications for these and oxygen balloon in case you need it. Also, during our Rainbow mountain and Humantay lake will be there an extra emergency horse to take you to the best place where you can recovery. Our team always has radio.
DO YOU NEED HIKING BOOTS?
Definitely, it is always recommendable to wear a light hiking boots if possible. However, for our traditional day tours where does not need to hike for hours you can go with a sneakers. The Rainbow mountain and Humantay lake tour you need ones with ankle support are extra helpful, especially for the inexperienced hiker. Because you will be climbing and going down on slippery stairs and some of them could be muddy, now uneven and at varying heights, the extra support helps from twisting your ankles.
SHOULD I USE WALKING STICKS?
Yes. Walking sticks are always helpful to trekkers, especially if is raining along the trek. Using walking sticks can help take the pressure off your knees while doing some portion of the trek. Plus they will help you get up the mountain as well.
WHERE DO I STORE MY LUGGAGE?
In case you have extra luggage which you not need to bring to the trail all the hotels in Cusco has storage where you can leave your luggage completely free, if you will change your hotel after the trek we have available our storage in Vidal Expeditions office, get more info with from our office team.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AS FAR AS WEATHER
The weather in Cusco regions and part of the Andes is unpredictable even if the weather forecast says it’s sunny we can’t trust in it. It is an impossible question for us to answer. Historically April through September is the dry season, November through February is the rainy season and March and October and bridge months - a mixture of both. But the clouds have not followed these rules in the last few years. Prepare for sun and rain no matter when you come. As far as temperatures go, that is consistent throughout the year. Mornings and evenings are always cold. Make sure to bring a fleece jacket for the mornings and a down jacket for the evenings. Once the sun is up you should be comfortable hiking in short sleeves. Long pants (yoga or hiking) are encouraged to help from the mosquitos which can be a nuisance in some part of the trail.
From: USD 45.00 per person
USD 40.00: from 4 people to more
Thank you for your interest in having an adventure travel experience in Peru curated by Cusco Climbig. Please take a moment to complete our short form, so one our friendly Adventure Consultants could provide you all the information for your trip of a lifetime in Peru.
Our Pledge | Your privacy is respected and protected. Cusco Climbing will never share, sell, or make public any of your personal contact information to third parties.
Full Day
Maras Moray Salt Mines
Maras Moray Salt Mines Full Day Map
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
At Cusco Climbing we offer the best service for all our customers and here is what makes us different than others.
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Small groups: Along our excursion group size is a capped at 12 people. This guarantees that you will enjoy every step of our excursion
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Local Tour guides: Our team consists of 100% local tour guides, who have expert knowledge in our ancient culture.
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Best Climbing & Camping Equipment: We have the state-of-the-art climbing and camping equipment for our excursion. The equipment is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before and after every excursion.
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Best Climbing team: At Cusco Climbing we focus to create the best experience during our excursions. Our team that consists of tour guides, cooks, porters, horse drivers are handpicked. We train our team to offer you the best service. We take care of our team by providing them with good equipment and paying them fairly.
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