Things to Do in Cusco: A Local’s List
9 min read
Maras, Moray & Salt Mines Half-Day Tour
- Half Day
- Easy
- Cultural
- Day Tour
- Cusco and the Chinchero plateau
Visit the circular Inca terraces of Moray and the salt pans of Maras, still harvested by hand, on a short guided trip across the plateau above the Sacred Valley.
Trip facts
- Duration Half Day
- Difficulty Easy
- Max altitude 3,760 m / 12,336 ft
- Best season Year-round (salt is harvested mostly from May to November)
- Transportation By road, with pickup in Cusco
- Guide Local guide
Overview
High on the plateau between Cusco and the Sacred Valley, two places show a very different side of the Inca world from the temples and citadels. At Moray, concentric rings of terraces step down into natural hollows in the ground, like a giant amphitheater built for farming. A short drive away, the salt pans of Maras spill down a narrow gorge in thousands of small, white and ochre pools, fed by a salty spring and still worked by local families.
This shorter tour from Cusco visits both with a local guide. The route crosses the Chinchero plateau, with wide views of the snowcapped Urubamba range, and many programs include a stop in Chinchero or a drive through the colonial town of Maras on the way. It’s sold as a half-day trip, but plan on most of the morning and part of the afternoon, since the sites are spread out across the plateau.
What makes these places interesting is how they worked. At Moray, your guide explains the leading theory about the terraces and why the site still puzzles researchers. At the salt pans, you see a production system that has run for centuries, with families harvesting salt by hand in the dry months and selling it in small shops at the entrance.
It’s an easy day with short walks, ideal for a free morning in Cusco or as a gentle outing early in your trip. If you’d like to see Pisac and Ollantaytambo too, our full-day Sacred Valley tour covers the valley floor, and we can combine the two on request. How the plateau and the valley below it fit together is explained on our Sacred Valley page.
Highlights
- See the circular Inca terraces of Moray, set in natural hollows on the plateau
- Walk above the Maras salt pans, thousands of small pools fed by a salty spring
- Learn how local families still harvest the salt by hand
- Cross the Chinchero plateau with views of the Urubamba range
- A short, easy trip that fits a free morning in Cusco
Itinerary
Morning
Cusco to the Chinchero plateau
Pickup in Cusco and the drive onto the high plateau, with views of the Urubamba range.After pickup at your hotel, the road leaves Cusco and climbs onto the open plateau around Chinchero, a patchwork of potato and barley fields with the glaciers of the Urubamba range on the horizon. Many programs stop in Chinchero, known for its colonial church on Inca foundations and its weaving tradition, or at a viewpoint over the plateau.
- Starts
- Cusco
- Ends
- Chinchero plateau
Late morning
Moray
A guided walk around the circular terraces of Moray and the ideas about how they were used.Moray is a group of natural hollows that the Incas lined with stone terraces in concentric rings, the largest dropping about 30 m (100 ft) from rim to center. The most widely accepted explanation is that the site was used to study crops: each level receives different sun, wind and temperature, creating a range of small microclimates. Other researchers stress a ceremonial role, and the two ideas aren’t mutually exclusive. Your guide walks you around the rim and explains the irrigation channels and the way the terraces were built.
Midday
Maras and the salt pans
Through the colonial town of Maras and down to the salt pans, still harvested by local families.The road passes through Maras, a quiet town of adobe houses and a colonial church, before descending into the gorge where the salt pans sit. Here a spring of very salty water flows out of the mountain and is channeled into several thousand small, shallow pools cut into the slope. As the sun evaporates the water, salt crystals form, and families scrape and bag the salt by hand, mostly during the dry season. The pools have been worked for centuries, and each one belongs to a family in the local community. You walk along the viewing path and can buy salt at the small shops by the entrance.
The path along the pools is narrow in places. Wear shoes with good grip.
Afternoon
Return to Cusco
The drive back across the plateau to your hotel in Cusco, arriving in the afternoon.From the salt pans you drive back up to the plateau and on to Cusco, arriving at your hotel in the afternoon with time to rest or explore the city. If you’re heading into the Sacred Valley instead, we can arrange a drop-off there.
- Ends
- Cusco
What’s Included
Included
- Local guide
- Transportation from and back to your hotel in Cusco
- Visits to Moray and the Maras salt pans
Not included
- Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico) for Moray and Chinchero, unless shown in your quote
- Entrance fee to the Maras salt pans, paid to the local community
- Lunch and snacks
- Tips for your guide and driver
Stops, timing and every inclusion are confirmed in writing with your quote.
What to Bring
Documents
- Cash in Peruvian soles for tickets and salt or crafts at the pans
Clothing
- Walking shoes with good grip for dusty, uneven paths
- A warm layer: the plateau is breezy and cool in the morning
Gear
- Sunglasses: the white salt pans are bright in the sun
- Reusable water bottle and a small snack
Health & personal
- Sunscreen and a sun hat
Difficulty & Altitude
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Highest point
- 3,760 m / 12,336 ftChinchero plateau (Moray is about 3,500 m; the salt pans are lower)
Fitness
This is an easy tour. At Moray you walk along the rim and the paths around the terraces, with a few steps; going down to the lowest ring isn’t necessary to enjoy the site. At the salt pans you follow a path along the edge of the pools, which can be narrow and dusty. Expect around an hour and a half of walking in total, at a gentle pace.
Altitude
The plateau around Chinchero sits at about 3,760 m (12,340 ft), slightly higher than Cusco. Moray lies at about 3,500 m (11,500 ft), and the salt pans are lower again, in a gorge that drops toward the Sacred Valley.
Because the walking is light and the time at altitude short, most visitors are comfortable on this tour even early in their trip. Take the paths slowly and drink water.
Permits, Tickets & Rules
- Moray and Chinchero. Both are covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico del Cusco), managed by the regional tourism committee (COSITUC) and sold in person.
- Maras salt pans. The pans belong to local families and are managed by the community, which charges its own entrance fee at the gate.
- Stay on the marked path. To protect the pools, visitors walk along a viewing path and no longer walk across the salt beds themselves.
We’ll tell you which tickets are included in your quote and which to pay on the day.
Traveling with Family
This is a good short outing with children. The distances are small, Moray’s rings are fun to explore from the rim, and kids usually love tasting the salt and seeing how it’s made. Keep a close eye on younger children along the edges of the salt pan path, which has drops in places. Talk with our team about fitting this trip into your family’s first days in Cusco.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the tour take?
Although it’s called a half-day tour, most programs take around seven hours door to door, returning to Cusco in the afternoon. We confirm the exact times with your booking.
Which tickets do I need?
Moray (and Chinchero, if you stop there) is covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket. The salt pans charge a separate community entrance fee. We’ll tell you what’s included in your quote.
What was Moray used for?
The most widely accepted idea is that the terraces were used to study how crops behaved in different microclimates, since temperature and sun change from ring to ring. Some researchers also see a ceremonial purpose. Your guide will explain the evidence.
Can I buy salt at Maras?
Yes. Small shops at the entrance sell salt from the pans, including pink salt and flavored varieties. Bring cash in soles.
Can we walk on the salt pans?
Not anymore. To protect the pools and the families’ work, visitors follow a path along the edge and view the pans from there.
Is it a good tour for kids?
Yes. It’s short and varied, with easy walking. Keep a hand on younger children along the edges of the salt pan path.
Can I combine it with other Sacred Valley sites?
Yes. We can extend the day to Ollantaytambo, or plan it alongside our full-day Sacred Valley tour. Covering everything in one day is possible but makes for a long day.
Route
Route map coming soon
Route at a glance
- Cusco, about 3,400 m (11,150 ft)
- Chinchero plateau, about 3,760 m (12,340 ft)
- Moray terraces, about 3,500 m (11,500 ft)
- Maras town
- Maras salt pans
- Back to Cusco
A loop across the plateau northwest of Cusco, above the Sacred Valley. Stops depend on your confirmed program. A route map is being prepared.
Tour Video
Our video for this tour is coming soon. Until then, we’re happy to answer your questions on WhatsApp or by email.
Travel Tips for This Trip
Why DSL Adventures
Planned by a Local Team in Cusco
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Based in Cusco
Your trip is planned by people who live here and know the region’s seasons, roads and trails.
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Local Guides
Guides from the region who know the trails, the history and the communities along the way.
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Direct Communication
One conversation with the team organizing your trip, from your first question to your last day.
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Personalized Planning
Dates, pace and details shaped around your group.
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Visual Storytelling
Photos and stories from our routes help you picture each day before you go.
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Plan your trip
Let’s Plan Your Trip Together
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