WAQRAPUKARA TOUR 1 DAY CUSCO
Full Day
3/5
3300 msnm
Cusco
387 Review
from $100.00
Moray and Maras Salt mines Full Day Tour
Full Day Short Hike
23 reviews
Moray and Maras Salt mines Full Day Tour
Full Day Short Hike
23 reviews
Altitude
3300 msnm
Departure
Cusco
Physical Level
2/5
Duration
Full Day
Group Size
8 persons
Seasson
All Year
Accomodation
Campsite
Trip Style
Classic
Overview
The circular terraces of Moray and the salt mines of Maras make this tour a truly unforgettable experience. Along the way, the colors of the crops in the area can be seen: potatoes, oats, wheat, beans, etc., showing themselves as beautiful meadows, grazing animals, agricultural activities and everything that surrounds the daily life of the farmer. Andean is possible to see on this tour.
Itinerary
Moray and Maras Full Day Tour
ITINERARY
Pick up at the hotel (between 8am and 8:30am) to start the excursion. The trip is north of the city of Cusco, we will reach a height of 3700 meters above sea level (11000 feet) passing through the town of Chinchero, we will continue our trip until we reach the entrance of the Salineras de Maras (1 hour 15 minutes of travel ).
Maras:
Las Salineras de Maras is made up of more than 6,000,000 pools where water enters from the mountain through small channels. The amount of water is constant throughout the year and within its composition, in addition to other minerals, it has Sodium Chloride (NaCl) in abundance, it is a thermal water that, when entering the pools every 3 days, evaporates due to the action of the sun, causing salt crystals form on the surface. The time of harvesting or obtaining the salt is in the dry months (from April to September), obtaining more than 150 kilos of salt from each pool. The owners of the Salineras de Maras are the same inhabitants of the area, this place was exploited from times before the Incas to the present.
After the Salineras de Maras we will go to Moray heading west, passing through the district and town of Maras to which these 2 attractions belong. On the tour we will observe the beautiful scenery offered by the crops of potatoes, oats, wheat, quinoa and beans; the shades of green, yellow, red and brown and the view of the bottom of the Andes Mountains chain in this part, make this trip a beautiful scenic setting.
Moray:
After a 30 minute journey we will arrive at Moray, in this place we will be surprised by the perfection of the construction of the circular terraces that the Incas made. Moray was a place of agricultural experimentation where it is believed that seeds were tested for adaptation to different temperatures. The terraces are arranged in concentric circles and are reminiscent of an ancient Greek theater. Each terrace differs in degrees of temperature, starting with the hottest at the base and ending with the coldest at the top. The respect for the Pachamama – mother earth, is shown in this place through the adaptation of the construction to the natural form of the depressions that the landscape offers. There are 3 of different sizes which you will visit with the guide.
At the end of the visit we will go back to the City of Cusco. (1h 20 minute tour).
Included
- Roundtrip transportation (private transportation).
- Guide in Spanish or English.
No Included
- Tourist ticket for archaeological sites.
- Staff incentives (optional).
- Lunch.
Recommendations
- Passport or ID
- Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
- Rain protection (water poncho and waterproof jacket between October to March) Water bottle
- Camera
- Extra money (to buy a snack or souvenirs).
Packing List
What To Bring
- Very Important Passport to visit all places
- Warm Clothes for Cusco,
- Light clothing for Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley (Maras Moray)
- Small backpack with personal items for your trip to Machu Picchu
- Photographic camera
- Mineral water
- Sunscreen
Travel Guide
The Salt Mines of Maras
The Maras salt mines offer one of the most beautiful natural spectacles in the Sacred Valley.
If you know Pamukkale in Turkey, you will see that it has something very similar, but it is much bigger!
These salt pans have been used since the time of the Incas to extract salt with an evaporation process, from a natural source of very salty water.
Today there are more than 3,000 water wells operated by 800 families from local communities.
Access to the salt flats is limited so as not to damage them, but you can take fantastic photos!
Visit Maras with a local community
Medialuna is a community that has developed community tourism activities to share its traditions with travelers.
They organize one-day or half-day tours, presenting for example chicha, traditional textiles, medicinal plants and their guinea pigs.
The full day includes a walk with Don Tiburcio through the salt flats of Maras. It is a different and very interesting way to visit the Salinas de Maras.
Moray, an Inca agricultural research center
Just 7 km from Maras, Moray is an unusual place, surprising for its circular agricultural terraces.
Some will see an extraterrestrial message, as with the “crop circles”, the circles in the crops.
Prices
| Number of persons | Price per person |
Why Choose us
SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL is a Local Travel Agency and Tour Operator with 10 years of experience in the world of tourism. We are specialists in organizing travel packages that include Machu Picchu (the main tourist destination in our country), Adventure tours such as the Inca Trail and alternative tours that also reach Machu Picchu. This article will help you know why you should choose SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL, the local travel agency that personalizes services for demanding clients like you.
Get to know our work and entrust your trip to SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL!
SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL is a local travel agency and tour operator authorized by the institutions that govern tourism regulations in Peru. That is why we have the necessary licenses and permits to operate within our country.
We offer a variety of travel styles for all tastes, our programs are flexible and we can create personalized tour packages that meet all the plans and expectations of our clients. We also carry out tours for clients with disabilities.
We provide personalized assistance 24 hours a day, before and during your trip. When you contact us, you will be assisted by our experts in travel to Peru, who will be happy to assist you and assist you as soon as possible, responding to your concerns and requested information.
We are specialists in offering individual services such as accommodation, travel tickets, entrance tickets to various tourist centers and much more, to make your trip a totally pleasant vacation.
We know you’ll be happy with our service, as evidenced by the hundreds of testimonials from our traveling customers from around the world. See the video testimonials on our YouTube channel, the recommendations and memories of travel experiences on various social networks such as TripAdvisor, which will explain why you should choose SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL for your next 2023 vacation in our country.
About our growth process
Continuous improvement is one of our commitments. One of our principles is that the work of each area is important in order to achieve the best final product. Therefore, throughout our history we have developed various projects with different areas, which have given us the following results:
We have completed the policy of our Integrated Management System as a sign of the guarantee of our organization. Also, read about our mission, vision and values on which we base this company.
Continuous training for tour guides, cooks, porters, drivers, those responsible for various areas such as Sales, Reservations, Operations, Administration, etc., on issues of customer service, quality of service to tourists, knowledge of the route and other issues concerning the tourism industry in Peru. Due to our progress in these areas, we have received the CALTUR 2018 Certification from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.
About the Licenses and Authorizations of SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL
SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL – Travel Agency and Tour Operator, meets all the requirements and licenses necessary to operate and offer various services in the field of tourism throughout the Peruvian territory. The institutions mentioned below are in charge of regulating the tourism industry in Peru and we are subscribed to them:
We have the authorization of the DIRCETUR (Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Cusco), a government organization that promotes competition, sustainability and the diversification of Peruvian exportable products, tourism and crafts.
We are subscribed to PROMPERU (Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism), an institution belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of our country.
We are also subscribed to SERNANP, to be able to operate on the Inca Trail Network. The National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State, which is a specialized public technical body of the Peruvian government, dependent on the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, in charge of directing and establishing the technical and administrative criteria for the conservation of the Natural Protected Areas of Peru.
On the other hand, we have the recognition of our clients like you, who recommend us through TripAdvisor. You can view their travel testimonials with our company.
If you want to know more about SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL, then you can also visit our YouTube channel, where you will find real opinions from traveling clients like you.
We invite you to read our article on the Responsible Tourism Commitment of SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL.
Among the reasons why choose SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL, one of the main tasks of our organization is to promote responsible tourism. In this context, we handle three basic concepts:
We promote respect for culture, providing our clients with all the necessary information about the tourist destinations to visit so that they are aware of the customs, traditions, beliefs and different ways of life of the residents of the various populations of our country.
We promote the protection of the environment, through the care of the flora and fauna of the various destinations we visit, recycling, reduction in the use of water and electricity. For this reason, we recommend hiring the services of environmentally responsible tour operators like us, SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL.
We are committed to local initiatives, promoting the purchase of handicrafts, the consumption of excellent national cuisine, and support for community projects. You can be part of responsible tourism by helping to conserve the areas we visit and, if you wish, by directly supporting the residents of the local communities.
Why Choose SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL: We are a Team of Travel Experts
SUMAQ ENCANTO TRAVEL has a team of professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in the area of tourism, who work together and efficiently to make your trip a perfect, pleasant, and unforgettable experience. Start dreaming of your next vacation to Machu Picchu with our help.
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