Maras, Moray and Chinchero Private Day Trip from Cusco

We had an excellent experience on this tour and would highly recommend this tour company, it was a 5 star experience!”

After about a week hiking and climbing over and around Incan ruins in Peru we needed a quieter day with a later wakeup time that would get us somewhere super interesting. This day trip was great. The salt pools at Maras were amazing to see and the ruins at Chinchero were some of the best examples of Incan stonework we saw. We also loved that this tour was just for us. We paid perhaps a little more but it's worth it to have more control over the itinerary.”

My friend and I were the only two people on the tour and it was very very good. Our tour guide spoke good English and was very informed and educated about his country Peru and the sites we were visiting on this tour. We had all the time we wanted at each site and he took photos for us and basically treated us like royality, we were so spoiled! We were fascinated with the complexities yet simplicities of the old ways of the Inca and community living. It was so interesting and we learned alot. No hesitation in recommending this tour!! Enjoy!”

6 stars. This was the best trip of our Peru and Bolivia holiday. Cannot say enough how amazing the tour guide was. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about the tour. He was a local from chinchero and is local knowledge was amazing.”

This was a truly awesome day. Our guide, Wilfredo, made us feel completely at east immediately. He picked us up from the Plaza in Cusco early in the morning and we began our drive to Chinchero. We stopped at an overlook on the way and Wilfredo told us about the snow capped mountains in the distance. The little village of Chinchero was very interesting, partly because this was Wilfredo's home. While there, we were introduced to his Godmother, a typical Peruvian lady with a huge pack on her back on her way to market. Wilfredo seemed to know almost everybody in the village, which made this visit all t he more interesting for us. The streets are very narrow, and lined with ancient buildings on both sides. On the Incan Plaza, he explained that the market meets here every day in front of the colonial church on the main plaza. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Incan people, and the kings who ruled the Incan empire. He explained how the Spanish invasion had destroyed much of the religious relics of the Incans, and had replaced the Incan temples with Catholic Churches actually built on top of the Incan temples. He pointed out the difference in the structure of the ancient Incan walls and the ones built by the Spanish, and by the end of this visit to Chinchero we felt like pros in spotting the Incan architecture. He then took us to the agricultural area where there were terraces built into the side of the mountain for farming. From Chinchero we went to an Andean textile weaving demonstration where the guide there explained how the wool from the alpacas was dyes, spun, and weaved into beautiful. objects. I, of course, couldn't leave without bringing something home! The ladies there were truly incredible, working on the looms with instruments that had been in use for hundreds of years. On the drive to Moray from Chinchero Wilfredo gave us insight into how the people who occupy the region now live and work. He explained that most of the area is farm land, and that barley and potatoes are very important crops. In fact, Peru has over 3,000 varieties of potatoes!!! The road to Moray is largely dirt for quite a distance, and there are some curves where our driver, Alejandro, had to toot the horn to warn an oncoming vehicle of our presence. The site at Moray is a series of circular terraces in which the Incan people planted various crops. This is believed to have been a sort of testing site to see what crops did well at what altitude and in what relation to the sun. Wilfredo took us down the steps so we could get a great view of the entire site from both the bottom and the top. From Moray, we went to the salt mines of Moras. This was another dirt and extremely curvy and narrow road. Thank heavens for Alejandro!! This was an extremely interesting site and very different from anything we had ever seen before. Wilfredo took us into a small chapel on the pathway down to the salt flats and an overlook where we could see the entire site. The water coming down from the mountain is actually naturally salty, and flows into large areas where the water evaporates and leaves the salt behind. The salt is then cut and bagged and sent to be cured for use. This was a really incredible day, and Wilfredo was such a great guide. He was very patient and took time to answer any questions we had. He was obviously very knowledgeable about all the places we visited, and gave us great insight into the life of the ancient Incan civilization and the results of the Spanish invasion. We thoroughly enjoyed his company, and especially appreciated his pride in his own Incan heritage. Anyone looking for a very different type of tour would certainly enjoy this one. And if you are fortunate enough to have Wildredo as your guide, then you are in for a terrific experience.”

This is an excellent tour. We were the only ones on the tour so very private indeed. Our guide, Percy, was very knowledgeable and passionate about the Inka beliefs and way of life and this only added to the experience. His English was first class and he brought each site to life with his account of the history and customs of the local people. We were offered the chance to add a visit to a local town to learn about traditional textile weaving and this turned out to be really interesting and entertaining. I would highly recommend this tour.”

Our guide was really great and had a personalized touch. We very much enjoyed our trip! highly recommeded!”

We really enjoyed it. Great tour guide!!!”

This was such an amazing tour!! With the best tour guide, Edgar, ever!! He went above and beyond any tour we could have possibly imagined, making ours a personable, memorable and what was truly the highlight of our entire stay in Peru!! We found this tour on Viator by accident after our first tour was cancelled. This was one was half the price, a private tour, which I was initially weary about, but worked in our favor found it randomly online, not really knowing what to expect other than the brief description offered, but it was again, the best part of our trip and felt we truly lucked out. Edgar brought us into his culture, welcomed us, was knowledgeable about every aspect and really offered us insight every step along the way. The tour is absolutely breathtaking - pictures don't do it justice, but it was the company that made it truly life changing for us. Percy, was also great driving. Even when we ran out of money at the first stop, they brought us out of the tour's way to find an ATM in Urubamba.. which is not down the block in rural mountainous regions of the Andes. They were so great, words can't even describe what an amazing time we had.. BOOK THIS TOUR! TAKE IT FROM US! and we're from NY, we're skeptical of everything! : You won't regret it!! We came to Cusco for Machu Picchu as everyone does,... but in my opinion, this tour beat it out by a landslide! and the Insight that Edgar offered us into Quechwa/Incan traditions was priceless, something that I took home with me and will treasure always! We even partook in ceremonies/rituals within The Sacred Valley that changed my life! The Sacred Valley is sincerely a magical place, divine! He also inspired me to buy a flute just like his, although I have a lot of practicing to do! I cannot stress it enough, this was the best tour of lives! and Edgar was the best tour guide in the world! and Percy the best driver! This is the tour to take! They set such a high standard for the rest of our stay, that was unmatched!”

Great tour, flexible and the guide was very knowledgeable.”

This tour was very informative. Our guide, Willy was very friendly and enthusiastic and spoke English well.”

It was very interesting, a must do!”

this was a great trip - we did the 1/2 day option and it was just right very informative awesome places!”