Chinchero, Moray and the salt pans of Maras sit on the high plain between Cusco and the Sacred Valley, close enough together to see in six hours. This guide is for you if you are weighing this shorter day against the full valley trip, or fitting it around Machu Picchu. It covers the season for the salt, the morning or afternoon start, the tickets, and the height.
When the salt pans look their best
The salt is harvested each month through the dry season, from May to October. In the rainy months the rain dilutes the salt water and the pans are harder to dry out, so there is less salt to see being worked. If the salt pans are the reason you are coming, aim for the dry months.
The weather follows the same pattern as in Cusco. From April to October days are mostly sunny and nights cold, sometimes near freezing. From November to March rain is more frequent, and it usually arrives in the afternoon and evening, while mornings tend to be clearer.
Morning or afternoon start
You choose a 07:00 or a 13:00 pick-up when you book, and the stops are the same. In the wet season the morning is the safer choice, since the rain tends to come later in the day. In the dry season both work. The afternoon start usually gets you back after dark, and the plain gets cold quickly once the sun goes, so bring a warm layer.
The morning start also fits a plan to sleep in the valley. We can drop you in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo instead of Cusco, which leaves you close to the Machu Picchu train the next day.
The three stops
Chinchero is about 28 kilometres north-west of Cusco and is higher than the city. Its church was completed in 1607 on top of an Inca building, and Túpac Inca Yupanqui chose the place for his residence. Weaving has been passed down here through generations of women. At the cooperative you see how the wool is spun and coloured with natural dyes. If you come on a Sunday, the weekly fair fills the main square.
Moray is the strangest of the three. Its circular terraces step down into natural hollows, each level with its own irrigation channels. The average temperature can differ by up to 15 °C between the top and the bottom, and the site is described as an agricultural laboratory of the Inca empire, where crops were grown at different levels to learn what each one needed. Walk down a few terraces and you can feel the change.
The Maras salt pans have been worked since before the Incas ruled the region, according to Peru's Ministry of Culture. Groundwater picks up salt inside the mountain and comes out at a spring above the pans; the water is then led into the pools to evaporate. Local families from Maras and Pichingoto run a cooperative to sell the salt, and some have worked the pans for generations. The shops near the entrance sell it.
Height and pace
All three stops are on the high plain, and Chinchero is higher than Cusco itself. Cusco is at about 3,400 metres. Altitude sickness usually appears between two and twelve hours after you arrive, with a headache and often tiredness, dizziness or nausea. Medical guidance is to take only mild exercise and avoid alcohol for the first 48 hours, and fitness does not protect you.
The walking on this tour is short, on paths with some steps. The longer climbs are at Moray if you go down into the circles, and on the way back up. Take it slowly and turn back when you need to. Because the tour is private, your driver can wait longer at one stop or skip one if somebody in your group is not feeling well.
On your own or with a driver
You can do this on your own, but the three stops are spread across the plain, and doing them in one go means hiring transport that waits at each one and then takes you on to the next.
A private car does the three in one loop, and lets you stop for photographs of the snow peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba on the way back. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
Tickets and what to bring
- The tourist ticket. Chinchero and Moray are on the Boleto Turístico's third circuit, along with Pisac and Ollantaytambo. That circuit is valid for two days, so it can cover this tour and the Sacred Valley if you do them back to back. Otherwise, the full ticket covers all three circuits over ten days. COSITUC is the official seller; check the current rules with them before you go.
- Cash for the salt pans. They are not on the tourist ticket and are paid on the spot. Bring local currency in small notes, which also helps for salt and weaving at the shops.
- Sun cream, a hat and sunglasses. The plateau is high and the sun is strong.
- A warm layer and shoes with a grip. The paths at Moray and Maras have steps and loose ground.
This tour or the full Sacred Valley day
This is the shorter day: six hours, with less driving. The Sacred Valley tour takes ten hours and covers Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, but not Moray or Maras. Both together in one day makes a very long day, which is why we keep them apart. If you have time for both, do them on two days.
It is also a good choice if your trip is short and Rainbow Mountain asks too much of you in the time you have. For how all the trips fit together, see our guide to day trips from Cusco.
Questions people ask
Can we go down among the salt pools?
Ask your driver on the day about where visitors are allowed to walk. The pools are worked by local families, so keep to the marked paths.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking
Choose the dry season if the salt matters to you, pick the morning or afternoon start, and bring cash for Maras. Pick-up, stops and what is included are on the Maras and Moray private tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
