Moray, Maras, Salt Mines & Inca Trail
This impressive tour combines the world famous tour of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with the most traditional tours of Cusco as: the tour of the Sacred Valley
Description
This impressive tour combines the world famous tour of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with the most traditional tours of Cusco as: the tour of the Sacred Valley, the Inca terraces of Moray and the Salineras de Maras.
Enjoy the experience of the Inca Empire in just 3 days of culture, adventure and tradition. In less than a week you can see the best of the Inca legacy and have the experience of the Inca Short Trail. In this package we include the City of Cusco, the agricultural centers of Maras and Moray, the traditional Sacred Valley of the Incas and the adventure of the 2 day hike to Machu Picchu.
This package is ideal for single people, groups of friends or families who want to know Machu Picchu. Availability is subject to the number of spaces of the Short Inca trail. For the adventurous people we invite you to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas in a unique and fun way in our ATV Tours Cusco.
What to Expect
Quick Itinerary:
Day 1: Moray, Maras & Salt Mines Tour
07:00 We pick you up from your hotel and starting to the Maras, Moray & Salineras Tour
08:00 Guided tour of the Chinchero temple
09:30 Guided tour of Moray
10:50 Driving to Maras
11:00 Guided tour of the Maras Colonial small town
11:20 Driving to Salt Mines
11:50 Salt Mines guided tour
13:00 Buffet Lunch in Urubamba
14:00 Continue the Sacred Valley tour ending in Ollantaytambo
15:00 Guided tour of Ollantaytambo
18:00 Spend a night in Ollantaytambo
Day 2: Inca Trail Short - First Day
06:30 Walk to the train station of the Ollantaytambo
07:20 Ollantaytambo Train trip to Km 104, the starting point of our adventure
08:20 Hiking Short Inca Trail with visits to the archaeological groups of Chachabamba, Wiñay Wayna, Inti Punku, etc
12:00 Lunch in Wiñaywayna
13:00 Continue hiking the short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
18:00 Arrival to Aguas Calientes town, spend a night
Day 3: Inca Trail Short - Second day
05:30 Bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
07:00 Guided tour in the Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu. Free time to continue exploring Machu Picchu, to take the best views, relax and admire the Wonder of the World. Free time to have lunch. At the time of your choice, take the bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.
18:20 Return by Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.
20:10 Return by bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.
Itineray Details
Day 1: Moray, Maras & Salt Mines Tour
At 07:00, we pick you up from your hotel to take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to lush agricultural region, created by the Urubamba River Then we visit the town of Chinchero, where we can visit the colonial temple with interesting frescoes in the portico built on the foundations of an Inca building. Then we will go to Moray, from where we will appreciate the fascinating circular terraces of crops that were used by the Incas with the purpose of carrying out agricultural experiments and the acclimatization of seeds. Then we will continue our tour in the Salineras de Maras.
In the Salineras de Maras, you will be able to observe the small salt pools that are built in the form of stair terraces along a narrow valley. These small salt pools are fed by a salt water source that is almost at the start of all the salt pools. The salt of Maras was collected from pre-Inca and Inca times.
After that, we head for lunch to Urubamba Town considered to be a capital of the valley. There, we have a buffet lunch in one of its lovely tourist restaurants offering traditional Andean cuisine.
We continue our trip to later visit the still alive Incan town of Ollantaytambo, where our Tour Guide guided us around its Incan fortress and explains us about its purpose and history. The town and fortres are strategically located overlooking the beautiful valley! This major ruin site is known as the best surviving example of the Incan urban planning and engineering. It is admired for its huge steep terraces guarding the Incan fortress and for being one of the couple places where Spaniards lost a major battle during their conquest! Overnight in Ollantaytambo
Day 2: Inca Trail Short - First Day
Get up early, breakfast and prepared to start 2 day hike to Machu Picchu. Then walk to the Ollantaytambo´s railway station. There, we get on a train and continue until Km 104, where a checking point of the Inca Trail is located. Between the Andean mountains and tropical forest is a great Inca Trail through the mountains and the Sacred Valley. The first archaeological site we will visit is Chachabamba (2,200 m / 7,218 ft) located on the side of the Urubamba River and Wiñaywayna (2650 m / 8.696 ft) is at the top. Then we will go to the Intipunku (2,720 m / 8,924 ft) where we will have a panoramic view of Machu Picchu (2,490 m / 8,169 ft), you can also find a variety of flora and fauna as well as a variety of birds. The walk lasts approximately 6 to 7 hours until you reach the Sun Gate known as "Inti Punku", where you can get the first panoramic views of Machu Picchu.
Day 3: Inca Trail Short - Second day
After an early morning breakfast, we continue hiking the Inca Trail for about 2 hours up to the mysterious city of Machu Picchu that we enter for the early morning best photos opportunities. The tour will be private in Machu Picchu, being one of the most spectacular cities of the ancient world. Built by the Inka Pachacuteq; this fabulous city contains houses, temples, warehouses, a large square and everything is connected by narrow streets and steps; In addition, it is surrounded by terraces that were used for agriculture. After a tour of approximately two hours, you will have free time to enjoy this magical and spiritual city. Also, you have the opportunity to climb up for about 45 minutes to Huayna Picchu or to Machu Picchu Mountain (peaks above Machu Picchu serving to take some panoramic pictures of the Inka city). The 2 day Inca Trail ends up with a train ride to Ollantaytambo, from where we are taken by van back to Cusco.
Included
Included
- Pre-trek briefing (Our guide will visit your hotel a day before the trek for your briefing)
- Accommodation: Hotel in Ollantaytambo (01 night), Hotel in Aguas Calientes (01 night)
- Meals: 01x Breakfast and 01x Lunch on the Sacred Valley Tour
- Inca Trail Permits and entrance fee to Machu Picchu;
- Entrance fee to Chinchero,Moray and Ollantaytambo
- Entrance fee to Salt Mines or Salineras
- Professional guide in Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Salt Mines, Ollantaytambo & Inca Trail
- Train round trip to Machu Picchu
- Bus up and down to Machu Picchu
Not Included
- Meals not details
- Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu ($ 80)
- Travel Insurance
- Tips
Essential Information
Salineras de Maras
Salineras de Maras is another of those places that should not be missed in its journey through the Sacred Valley. The more than 3000 salt pools that are excavated in the Qaqawiñay mountain at 3,380 m. of height will surprise you. These salineras is one of the 4 places in the world where you can find pink natural salt and depending on the time of day you saw the place, the white terraces of the salt mine take beautiful tones that will be a delight for your eyes. part of the experience you can take a handful of salt extracted by yourself. And if you want you can buy bags with gourmet salt in the souvenir shop of the place.
Sacred Valley tour ending in Ollantaytambo
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a succession of incredible places, each with a special and different charm. In each town and place you will feel a unique and different feeling. And so it is that within this fascinating valley, there are 3 places you must visit and not miss the incredible experience of knowing them, they are unique places in the world and that will completely fill all your senses.
During this tour you will discover three incredible places that are often overlooked: Chinchero, Maras and Moray.
If there is something that attracts attention in Chinchero, it is undoubtedly its main square, a beautiful combination between Inca and colonial architecture. Its temple is built on what was the palace of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui, inside contains beautiful works of art of notable indigenous painters of the Cusco school; it has the particularity that its bell tower is separated from the main structure of the church.
In the Sacred Valley of the Incas there is nothing that resembles the Archaeological Complex of Moray. It is a set of large structures located on a large plateau and which are a succession of concentric platforms used as experimental agricultural stations by the Incas.
Packing List for 2 day Hike to Machu Picchu
- Passport Original and copies
- Travel insurance(+ copies for a case of lost),
- Cash in USD or credit cards,
- Day pack (to carry your personal items during daily travels),
- Rain gear (a rain-jacket and a waterproof trousers or a rain poncho - this can be purchased in Cusco),
- Resistible footwear, waterproof trekking shoes are recommended,
- Sandals (for a higher comfort while at a hotspring in Aguas Calientes),
- Hat or a cap (to protect you against the Sun, rain as well as cold),
- Sun cream or sun block,
- Insect repellent– recommended minimum is 20% DEET (please note that no malaria has been reported during this trip!),
- Camera and its charger/batteries (please note that batteries are consumed quickly under cold conditions),
- Small towel and toiletries,
- Sufficient reserve of underwear,
- Swimsuit (to visit the thermal baths of Aguas Calientes),
- Snacks (biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.)
Please note: we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. We reccomend you to take your own snack applies for customers who like a specific snack that might not be in our menu.
Extra Luggage: If you have extra luggage, you can be left safely in your hotel in Cusco, in the Ollantaytambo train station or Tierras Vivas store luggage. if you decided in our store luggage, in the morning our driver will pick your luggage and He leave in our office and we will save 2 days and when you will return to Cusco, you can pick your luggage.
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