The VIP Sacred Valley Tour with Maras and Moray is one of the most comprehensive full-day tours from Cusco, operated with the quality and dedication of Vilcabamba Tours. This carefully organized route brings together viewpoints, Inca sites, local culture, markets, agricultural terraces, salt mines, traditional villages, and a buffet lunch, making it an ideal itinerary for those who wish to explore beyond the classic route. With Vilcabamba Tours, you will comfortably and with an all-inclusive experience visit the alpaca center, the Taray viewpoint, the archaeological site and market of Pisac, Moray, the Maras Salt Mines, and Ollantaytambo, enjoying comfortable transportation, a professional local guide, and a buffet lunch in Urubamba.
To ensure an optimal experience, we keep groups small, which allows the tour to feel more personal, clear, and easy to enjoy, giving you the freedom to ask questions, take photos, walk at a comfortable pace, and understand the Sacred Valley from the perspective of an expert guide. From the first viewpoint to the last stop in Ollantaytambo, every moment of this VIP experience is strictly designed to make the most of your time with maximum comfort.
Short Itinerary
- 7:00 a.m. – Pickup: Pickup from your hotel in the historic center of Cusco by the Vilcabamba Tours team.
- Alpaca Center: Meet llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos while learning about Andean textiles and natural fiber.
- Taray Viewpoint: Enjoy a panoramic view of the Sacred Valley, the Urubamba River, and the nearby mountains.
- Pisac Ruins: Explore the terraces, ceremonial spaces, and one of the most impressive Inca sites in the valley.
- Pisac Market: Visit the famous artisan market and discover textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and local souvenirs.
- Buffet lunch in Urubamba: Enjoy a varied lunch at a carefully selected local restaurant.
- Moray: Visit the circular terraces and learn how the Incas worked with microclimates.
- Maras Salt Mines: Walk near the salt ponds and learn how local families maintain this ancestral tradition.
- Ollantaytambo: Explore the Inca fortress and enjoy one of the most beautiful villages in the Sacred Valley.
- 6:00 p.m. – Return: Approximate return and transfer back to your hotel in Cusco.
Note: Times are approximate and may vary depending on traffic, weather, group pace, and local conditions. If you have a train to Machu Picchu or an Inca Trail departure from Ollantaytambo, you can request Vilcabamba Tours to drop you off directly near the train station.
Detailed Itinerary
After the 7:00 a.m. pickup from your hotel in Cusco, you will travel in comfortable tourist transport with Vilcabamba Tours to the Sacred Valley. The day is planned to be seamless, comprehensive, and well-organized, giving you the necessary time to enjoy each stop with your expert local guide.
The first stop will be an alpaca center, where you will see llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos up close. Here, you will learn why these South American camelids are so important to Andean families, textile traditions, and the local economy. You will be able to feed them, take pictures, and learn about the process by which natural fibers are transformed into beautiful traditional textiles.
Next, you will continue to the Taray Viewpoint, one of the best geographic points to appreciate the vastness of the Sacred Valley. From this location, you can see the Urubamba River, the extensive crop fields, traditional terraces, small villages, and the imposing mountains that frame the landscape. It is the perfect stop to capture photographs and understand the route’s geography before descending from the hill.
The trip continues to Pisac, one of the most spectacular Inca sites in the region. Strategically built on the mountainside, this archaeological complex includes immense terraces, ceremonial sectors, residential areas, and one of the most notable Inca burial grounds in the Andes. The Vilcabamba Tours guide will help you decipher how Pisac connected agriculture, astronomy, religion, and territorial control of the valley.
After exploring the ruins, you will descend to the modern town of Pisac to visit its famous artisan market. This space is ideal for appreciating local textiles, ceramics, silver jewelry, paintings, and traditional souvenirs. You will also have the opportunity to find fresh products and try some local snacks, including the traditional baked empanadas of Pisac.
Around noon, you will move to Urubamba to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at a local restaurant selected according to the agency’s standards. The lunch includes a wide variety of regional and Peruvian dishes with fresh ingredients, offering alternatives for different tastes, including vegetarian options.
After lunch, the tour continues to Moray, one of the most fascinating archaeological laboratories of the Inca period. Its huge concentric circular terraces descend into the earth and functioned as an agricultural research center, where the Incas were able to test and adapt crops in different microclimates simulated by the depth of the levels.
Subsequently, you will visit the Maras Salt Mines, where thousands of white salt ponds impressively cover the mountainside. These ponds have been exploited for generations and today are still worked manually by local families through ancestral methods. The view of the white contrast and the reflection of the sun create a unique landscape throughout the tour.
The last major stop of the itinerary will be Ollantaytambo, one of the most important Inca towns in Peru. Here, you will explore its imposing fortress, characterized by huge stone terraces, perfect staircases, ceremonial spaces, and strategic views of the surrounding valleys. Ollantaytambo is also recognized as a «living Inca town,» as its original streets, flowing water channels, and pre-Columbian urban layout are still used in the daily life of its inhabitants.
At the end of the guided tour, we will begin the return trip to Cusco, planning the arrival and transfer to your hotel around 6:00 p.m. As a flexible alternative, if you have a scheduled train trip to Machu Picchu or the start of the Inca Trail for the same day, you can request in advance that our transport drop you off in Ollantaytambo, near the train station.
This full-day experience brings together the best of the Sacred Valley in an optimized route: culture, landscapes, Inca history, local markets, agricultural innovation, salt tradition, and the architectural majesty of Ollantaytambo.
Includes
- Direct pickup from your hotel in the historic center of Cusco by the Vilcabamba Tours team.
- Comfortable and conditioned tourist transport throughout the VIP route.
- Professional and certified local guide service (English – Spanish).
- Entrance tickets and access facilities to all tourist attractions included in the program.
- Varied buffet lunch at a selected restaurant in the town of Urubamba.
Does Not Include
- Additional drinks or extra expenses not specified in the buffet lunch menu.
- Tips for the guide and transport team.
- Accommodation services or additional transfers outside the scheduled itinerary.
