Super Sacred Valley tour With Maras Moray (1 Day)
Your Sacred Valley of the Incas tour (Vip) begins at 7:00 a.m. when your guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby.
We will start visiting the picturesque town of Chinchero, known as the city of the rainbow, to know the Church of Our Lady of Monserrat built in 1607 On the palace of Tupac Yupanqui, we will also see inka terraces and its artisan market. We will continue our tour visiting the town of Maras and the agricultural experimentation platforms of Moray. It is believed that in this fascinating area, the Incas created their own micro-climate to adapt plants, flowers, and many other products from different parts of the Inca empire. After this we will make a visit to the salt mines “salineras” located just below Maras. These mines continue to work and the peasants work in them during the day, Upon completion and back to our private transport, Then go to the town of Urubamba where we will enjoy the buffet lunch that will allow you to enjoy the delicious Peruvian cuisine, In the afternoon we will visit the Ollantaytambo Fortress that constituted a strategic military, agricultural and religious center to administer and control the Sacred Valley of the Incas; This is deduced by the constructions that are presumed to be for agricultural deposits and for military use such as walls and watchtowers (probably to protect themselves from jungle ethnicities). This archaeological site comprises a series of superimposed terraces, showing the impressive and large blocks of stone finely carved and located on the upper terrace and as a last point we will visit the city of Pisac, This impressive place will give you an idea of the advanced knowledge they achieved the Incas in architecture. As in other Inca constructions, some studies reveal that it was not a fortress, but a kind of “royal hacienda”, property of the Inca Pachacutec, composed of platforms, domestic structures, ceremonial and aqueducts that provided water for the agrobusiness operation. Another good reason to visit Pisac is its artisan market, where you can find some unique and authentic souvenirs.
CHINCHERO: This town is located 28 km from Cusco on the paved road to Urubamba. Where the remains of what used to be the royal hacienda of Túpac Inca Yupanqui are located ”, it is like a beautiful colonial temple built on Inca foundations, its greatest attraction. However, it is its artisan market, originally dedicated to the exchange of agricultural products between the villagers of the valley and those of the upper parts. Currently, the market is a true spectacle of color and movement that causes the tourist’s fascination with its offer of handicrafts and textile garments made in the purest pre-Columbian style.
MORAY: It is located 7 km. from Maras, at 1 hour from the city of Cusco on the Chinchero route, it is one of the most spectacular visits where there are circular platforms of different sizes. They are terraces of agricultural experimentation and places of concentration of feminine energy, for which it is considered as a magnetic center of the Pachamama.
MARAS – SALT MINES: Located northwest of the town of Maras Known by some as “salt mines” are constituted by about 3000 small wells. Salt is obtained from pre-Hispanic times by means of a sun drying system of salt water that comes from an underground stream. Once the water has evaporated, the salt is ready for sale.
URUBAMBA: A great place with Inca productions, most importantly corn, and today a beautiful countryside, with great fruit production. An excellent place to enjoy our typical buffet lunch in the area.
OLLANTAYTAMBO: Typical Inca village located 21 km from Urubamba (2800 masl). it was named in honor of Chief Ollantay, famous for his romance with an Inca princess, daughter of Pachacutec, important area of Incan construction, built during the Inca’s heydays, Ollantaytambo Fortress that constituted a strategic military, agricultural and religious center to administer and control the Sacred Valley of the Incas; this is deduced by the constructions that presumably were for agricultural deposits and for military use like walls and watchtowers (probably to protect themselves from the jungle ethnic groups). This archaeological site comprises a series of overlapping terraces, showing the impressive and large stone blocks finely carved and located on the upper terrace, where descendants of the Incas are still living in the inkas houses.
PISAC: Pisaq is located 33 km from Cusco by paved road (from the Sacred Valley of the Incas). It has an ancient town, an archeological site considered among the most important in Cusco, and a modern town, of colonial origin. This place also has a very famous Pisac handicraft market that attracts thousands of visitors and villagers from remote villages, using the colorful traditional clothing. Here it is recommended to buy all handicrafts, since these are cheaper than in the city of Cusco.