Our ATV Tour to Maras Moray is one of the most popular half-day tours in Cusco. On this exciting ATV adventure in Cusco, you will visit two prominent archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas: the Maras Salt Mines and the Moray Terraces. We invite you to be part of this incredible 4-wheeled experience, departing in private transport to the community of CRUZPATA, in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, 45 minutes from the city of Cusco. There, after a few minutes of training with the guide, we will be ready to get dirty!
We recommend this tour for people over 12 years old.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Moray – Maras – Cusco
We begin the tour with pick-up from your hotel at the agreed time, then head to the town of Cruzpata by private transport for approximately 50 minutes. There, we will have a 15-minute practice session for each passenger to get familiar with the ATVs. Once the guide confirms that all passengers are ready and comfortable, we will start the ATV tour to the Moray experimental terraces. This route, entirely on ATVs, lasts approximately 2 hours, departing from Cruzpata and then returning to Cruzpata.
Next, we will head towards Maras (Salt Mines) by tourist transport (this is for safety reasons, to avoid accidents in the salt flats and the descent, which presents a cliff). During this journey, you will be able to admire the majestic snow-capped peaks of Verónica and Chicón, accompanied by a magical landscape in contact with nature and some local inhabitants.
At the end of the tour, we will return to the city of Cusco. Our tour ends on Plateros street.
Inclusions
Included:
- Hotel pick-up
- Round-trip tourist transportation
- ATVs (Honda TRX 250 model)
- Fuel
- Instructions and practice session with the ATVs
- Helmet, gloves (optional)
- Professional guide in English and Spanish
- First aid kit
- For 6 or more passengers, you will be accompanied by a guide assistant.
Not included:
This tour requires a General Tourist Ticket or a Partial Tourist Ticket. For more information about the Tourist Tickets, please see the ‘Recommended to Bring’ tab.
- Partial Tourist Ticket
- ( S/. 70.00 Soles – Foreigners | S/. 40.00 Soles – Peruvians)
- Entrance to the Maras Salt Mines
- ( S/. 20.00 Soles – Foreigners | S/. 10.00 Soles – Peruvians)
- Food
Recommmendations
- Tourist Ticket. To visit various cultural attractions in Cusco, you need a Partial Tourist Ticket or a General Tourist Ticket.
If you plan to visit most of the main tourist spots in Cusco during your stay, we recommend purchasing the General Tourist Ticket to save on entrance fees and simplify your trip.
- General Tourist Ticket: S/. 130.00 Soles – Foreigners | S/. 70.00 Soles – Peruvians. Includes entry to 16 tourist sites in Cusco, including the Regional Historical Museum, Puca Pucara, Contemporary Art Museum, Tambomachay, Popular Art Museum, Pisac, Qorikancha Site Museum, Ollantaytambo, Qosqo Native Art Center, Chinchero, Inca Pachacutec Monument, Moray, Sacsayhuaman, Tipon, Q’enqo, and Piquillacta.
- Partial Tourist Ticket: S/. 70.00 Soles – Foreigners | S/. 40.00 Soles – Peruvians. Includes one-day access to one circuit of attractions. There are three circuits: Circuit I (Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara), Circuit II (Regional Historical Museum, Contemporary Art Museum, Popular Art Museum, Qorikancha Site Museum, Qosqo Native Art Center, Inca Pachacutec Monument, Tipon Archaeological Park, Pikillacta Archaeological Park), Circuit III (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray).
- Camera
- Sunblock
- Water bottle
- Peruvian soles in cash for entrance fees or personal expenses
- 1 Personal backpack
- 1 Windbreaker jacket
- Appropriate clothing
- Good trekking shoes
- Sunglasses
- Rain poncho (from November to March)
Faqs
Moray
Many archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the ruins of Moray were once used as a means for conducting agricultural experiments. Part of the evidence supporting this is the extensive irrigation system (fed by water from a reservoir located high in the mountains) designed in the terraces.
Another fascinating observation is the temperature difference. From the highest terrace to the lowest, the temperature varies by 5°C, and the sun strikes each terrace at different angles and intensities.
It is likely that the microclimate of Moray allowed the Incas to conduct agricultural research and identify the best conditions for crops to thrive. Additionally, all of this suggests that the Incas used their knowledge of the environment to take advantage of their natural resources.
Salt Mines of Maras
The Salt Mines of Maras consist of more than 3,000 natural salt ponds near the town of Maras. Each of the ponds measures 5 square meters.
The 3,000 pools are fed by a hypersaline underground spring that originated 110 million years ago during the formation of the Andes.
Currently, these natural salt pools attract hundreds of tourists. The view from this landscape is beautiful.
The people of Maras trade this salt, just as the Incas did hundreds of years ago.
