Itinerary
Extended Sacred Valley Tour + Maras Moray and the Salt Mines, Full Day – Itinerary
The Extended Sacred Valley Tour will begin at 7 a.m. at which time your professional guide will meet you at your hotel lobby with private transportation to escort you to Peru’s famous Sacred Valley. This mountainous region of Peru offers mystical awe-inspiring sights to discover. Along the way, we will stop at a famous lookout point known as El Mirador. From there, you will be able to see the Sacred Valley where your guide will help you gain some insight into the Inca history.
The magnificent Inca ruins of Pisac
The splendid Inca ruins of Pisac are located at the eastern end of the Sacred Valley, about 1 hour from Cusco, and it is one of the largest Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley was one of the main areas where the Incas settled and there is an amazing abundance of fertile plains in this elevated area of the Andes. You will also observe vast contour terracing and irrigation channels left behind by the Inca. We then will continue on to the archaeological site of Pisac. Here, you will discover and learn about Inca culture where you will also see amazing works of stone art, farming terraces chiseled into the mountains, and an immense Inca cemetery with more than 2000 tombs.
These ruins are quite extensive and pervasive. You will have the opportunity to see many examples of original Incan architecture that had been built on the slopes of the mountains. Also, you will be amazed by the stunning Incan farming terraces carved alongside them. These terraces were constructed in many distinct styles that begin along the riverside and are from 2,995 m(9,826 ft.) to 3,450 m(11,318 ft.) above sea level and are estimated at over 500 in number. After exploring, we head to the colorful market of Pisac, where we will spend about 20 minutes.
Visit to Las Salineras
Next, we will drive to the Salt Mines of Maras (Las Salineras). Maras is a village that is well-known for its stunning salt pools which lie 1.2 miles away north of the village. Hundreds of salt pools decorate the hillside and have been used for salt extraction since before the Inca era. A natural spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of water heavily laden with salt, which is diverted into salt pools and evaporated to produce salts of very high quality. This is one of the few places in the world where you can find naturally pink salt.
The Incan Agricultural Laboratory of MORAY – “The Greenhouses of the Incas”
The Incan Agricultural Laboratory of MORAY – “The Greenhouses of the Incas.” It consists of a series of circular terraces sculpted within a natural bowl in the earth like a huge amphitheater. The terraces have varied microclimates depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed. It is believed they were used by the Incas to research the optimal conditions for their crops. After visiting the stunning Inca site of Moray, we will head to the next archaeological site of “The last living Inca town” of Ollantaytambo.
“The last living Inca town” of Ollantaytambo
OLLANTAYTAMBO — is a town and an Inca archaeological site located at the northwest end of the Sacred Valley at an elevation of 2,792 m (9,160 ft) above sea level. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance.
This spot is popular for Inca ruins and lies en route to the four-day, three-night Inca Trail trek. Post-tour, convey your preference to the guide; we’ll drop you at your Ollantaytambo hotel or the Train Station. If you would like to finish the tour in Cusco, we highly recommend you book our Sacred Valley VIP Package Tour
Inclusions
Extended Sacred Valley Tour Includes
Professional Guides: All of our guides have studied English and tourism at Cusco National University. They are all natives of this region and have a true passion to teach others about their heritage. They are amusing, yet professional, and will ensure you are safe and delighted.
Transportation: We will pick you up in our private van, directly from your hotel. The van will be waiting for you at each stop, after the tour. We will drop you off directly at your hotel. The type of vehicle will be provided based on the group size (SEDAN, MINI-VAN, or VAN)
Not Included
Entrance Tickets: All of the sites visited on this tour require the Tourist Ticket. You can purchase this ticket at your first stop for 70 soles for a one-day pass, or 130 soles for a 10-day pass / Salt Mines of Maras ticket is 10 each.
Lunch: This meal is not included in your tour cost.
Personal expenses: Personal expenses are not included in your tour cost.
Tipping: Tipping is not necessary but you can if you like to.
Prices
Notes:
All sites in the Sacred Valley require a tourist ticket. Our Sacred Valley day trip only requires a partial tourist ticket as explained below:
The Partial Tourist Ticket is PEN 70.00 Soles (about $25 USD per person) and it is valid for 2 consecutive days. With this ticket, you may access the following sites Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Chinchero.
If you visit other sites in the Sacred Valley, we recommend you buy the General Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turistico General), at a cost of PEN 130.00 Soles (about $45 USD per person), and valid for 10 days with access to 14 different locations including Cusco and Sacred Valley historical sites.
- Kids under 10 Years old do NOT pay any entrance fee.
Why Apple Travel
WHY CHOOSE APPLE TRAVEL PERU?
Apple Travel Peru is a family-owned travel agency and a local tour operator based in Cusco with personal experience over many years of trekking. Apple Travel Peru is a 100% Cusqueñian Company without any shareholders.
Our dream as a locally based company is to create small personalized tours & treks strictly and only operated by local professional staff catering to PERSONALIZED and HIGH-QUALITY SERVICE.
We take pride in our reputation as a RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE tour operator. Our staff is our extended family. We offer them a fair salary to ensure they become financially strong. We are proud of our team without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer the best service and amazing experiences to our clients.
Apple Travel Peru knows how important it is to trust in a reliable honest operator to create your adventure of a lifetime while in Peru. Check out our reviews and certificates of excellence on, TRIPADVISOR for yourself! Also, we are highly recommended on Conde Nast Travelers, Lonely Planet, and many blogs like Salkantay/Inka Trail! July 14th to 20th 2016 Trek de Lares 4 hours, “It’s the journey, not the destination…”, Lares Pass – Day 3, Trekking in the Sacred Valley.
Important Info
SMALL GROUPS
To ensure a more personalized service for our guests, at Apple Travel Peru we have a policy that our groups will not exceed 8 people. This fact alone sets us apart from other companies that operate departures with bigger groups.
OUR TOP TOUR GUIDES
We are so proud of our guides! They are highly professional and speak fluent English. They are very knowledgeable and passionate about Inca heritage and history. Our guides are dedicated to continuous personal and professional development. They do research to ensure that you receive accurate and recognized theories in Inca and Andean culture. Our crew is fun-loving, great sports, and well-educated. They all hold degrees in one of the following: Archeology, Tourism, Botany, History, or Anthropology.
OUR SERVICE PROJECTS
At Apple Travel Peru, we have always believed that we should give back to the local isolated communities. Therefore, as part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we always do many service projects and hire locally.
Apple Travel Peru is so proud to be able to support these people, not only employing them but also going back to our own grassroots as they share with their families. It makes us happy to have this holistic approach with our highland employees and their families!
Packing Checklist
- A good (and small) daypack.
- Comfortable shoes.
- Hat and sunglasses to protect you from the sun.
- Rainwear or poncho for the rainy season (December to April).
- Sun protection cream (SPF 45 or higher recommended).
- Windbreaker.
- Camera with extra batteries.
- Extra money for drinks, tipping, and souvenirs.
- Optional: Personal medical kit. Disinfectants, aspirin, stomach tablets, and medicine to avoid altitude sickness
