Sacred Valley, Salt Mines, Buffet Lunch

Spend the day travelling through the landscapes of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting archaeological sites that include Moray, the salt mines of Maras, Pisaq, Urubamba and the town of Ollantaytambo. The 12-hour trip starts in Cusco.

Overview

This full-day tour packs the Sacred Valley's main Inca sites into a single 12-hour loop out of Cusco, starting with an early pickup between 5:45 and 6:15 AM from the historic center or a nearby meeting point. The first stop is Chinchero, a weaving town where you watch textiles made using traditional Incan techniques, see an archaeological site, and visit an old church. From there the route continues to the farming terraces of Moray and the salt ponds of Maras, where the guide explains how the Incas grew crops on difficult mountain terrain and extracted salt to preserve food.

Lunch is a buffet in Urubamba, the capital of the valley, with vegetarian options available. The afternoon belongs to Ollantaytambo, where you climb over 200 steps to the top of the terraced fortress above the town, and then Pisaq for its archaeological site before the drive back to Cusco, arriving between roughly 6:00 and 7:00 PM. Travellers staying in Ollantaytambo can arrange an optional drop-off there around 3:00 PM, which suits anyone heading onward by train.

The tour suits visitors who want to see a lot of the valley in one day and do not mind long stretches on a bus between sites. Groups are bilingual, English and Spanish, and reviewers repeatedly describe the guides as knowledgeable and the day as good value, while some note the pace at each stop feels quick.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Pickup in CuscoPickup from accommodation in the historic center or a nearby meeting point between 5:45 and 6:15 AM, depending on the option selected. Group collection can take 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Van to ChincheroA 1.5 hour drive out of Cusco to the weaving town of Chinchero.
3. Chinchero workshopA 35 minute stop to see textiles woven with traditional Incan techniques, plus an archaeological site and an old church.
4. Moray and MarasA 45 minute drive to Moray for a 30 minute guided tour of the agricultural terraces, then 30 minutes by van to the Maras salt ponds for a 30 minute guided tour. Both entrances carry an extra fee, and there is an optional 30 minute shopping stop in Maras.
5. Buffet lunch in UrubambaA 45 minute drive to Urubamba, the capital of the Sacred Valley, for a 45 minute buffet lunch with vegetarian options.
6. OllantaytamboA 45 minute drive, then a 45 minute guided tour of the terraced fortress, climbing over 200 steps. Entrance is an extra fee, and an optional drop-off in town is available around 3:00 PM.
7. PisacA 75 minute drive to Pisac for a 30 minute workshop and a 30 minute guided tour of the archaeological site, with entrance as an extra fee.
8. Return to CuscoA 15 minute van segment followed by a 1 hour drive back to Cusco, finishing at Calle Saphy 440 between approximately 6:00 and 7:00 PM.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most out of this day, from entrance fees in cash to the amount of climbing involved.

• Entrance fees in cash. The partial tourist ticket and the salt mine entrance are not included and must be paid in cash in local currency. Bring enough soles to cover both at the start of the day.
• The Ollantaytambo steps. You must climb over 200 steps to reach the top of the fortress, and there is no elevator. Comfortable shoes are a must, and the listing recommends comfortable clothes as well.
• Long bus stretches. The sites sit far apart, so a significant part of the tour is spent traveling by bus. Several reviewers said the day packs in a lot, and some feel the time at each stop is short.
• Bilingual groups. Guides run the tour in both English and Spanish. Reviews consistently praise the guides as knowledgeable and well organized, and one mentioned Peruvian music played on the bus.
• Lunch and drinks. The buffet lunch in Urubamba is included, with vegetarian options, and reviewers call it tasty and good. Drinks are not included, so budget for those separately.
• What to bring. Bring your passport or ID card, cash, and comfortable clothing and shoes. Luggage and large bags are not allowed, though one backpack up to 30 liters per person is permitted in the shared group service, and drones are prohibited.

Common issues. The main complaint is pace: some travellers say the tour covers many highlights in one day but that more time at each stop would help. A significant portion of the day is spent on the bus between sites, which is unavoidable given the distances. Entrance fees for the archaeological sites and the salt mines are extra and must be paid in cash in local currency. The climb of over 200 steps at Ollantaytambo has no elevator, so the tour involves a substantial amount of stairs.

Common Questions