The Agricultural Heart of the Inca Empire
Stretching along the fertile banks of the Urubamba River at a lower, warmer elevation than Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas was prized by royal emperors for its gentle climate and rich soil. On this 100% private full-day journey, you explore the valley's most photogenic and historically fascinating wonders without the rigid schedules of big tour buses.
With door-to-door pick-up from your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, your private driver and English-speaking historian take you across the high Andean plateau to peer into a canyon of over 3,000 glistening white salt pans at the pre-Inca Maras Salt Mines (Salineras de Maras), followed by the amphitheater-like concentric agricultural rings of Moray.
After enjoying a delicious included lunch in the lush valley floor, you will spend the afternoon exploring the monumental pink-granite temples and original cobblestone streets of Ollantaytambo, the last living Inca town—with flexible drop-off back at your hotel in Cusco, your Sacred Valley hotel, or directly at the Ollantaytambo train station if you are connecting to Machu Picchu.
- Private pick-up & drop-off (Cusco, Valley, or Train Station)
- Marvel at the 3,000 geometric pools of Maras Salt Mines
- Explore the Inca agricultural laboratory of Moray
- Guided visit of Ollantaytambo Living Inca Town & Fortress
- All official tickets included (Boleto Turístico & Maras)
- Delicious Sacred Valley Lunch Included
Complete Sacred Valley Itinerary
Sacred Valley: Maras, Moray & Ollantaytambo
Valley Elevation: 2,792 m (9,160 ft) in Ollantaytambo • 3,500 m (11,482 ft) in Moray
1. Colonial Doorways & The White Geometric Pools of Maras
Your private driver and historian guide pick you up at your hotel in the morning to begin our scenic drive toward the Sacred Valley. Our first stop is the historic highland town of Maras, famous for its quiet adobe streets and 16th-century carved stone doorways bearing Spanish noble coats of arms.
Just beyond the town, tucked into a steep red-earth gorge, lie the breathtaking Maras Salt Mines (Salineras de Maras). Fed by a single subterranean hypersaline spring that has flowed since pre-Inca times, more than 3,000 terraced evaporation pools cascade down the mountainside. Your guide will explain how local families harvest prized pink Andean mountain salt by hand and its unique mineral properties.
2. The Inca Agricultural Laboratory of Moray & Valley Lunch
Continuing across the high plateau framed by the snow-capped Veronica and Chicón peaks, we arrive at the extraordinary archaeological site of Moray. Resembling giant green amphitheaters carved deep into natural limestone sinkholes, these concentric circular terraces are one of the most ingenious feats of Inca engineering.
Your guide will show you how the depth, wind orientation, and stone retaining walls create a temperature difference of up to 15°C (27°F) between the top rim and the lowest circle—allowing Inca agronomists to replicate microclimates from the Amazon jungle and Pacific coast to hybridize over 2,000 varieties of potatoes, corn, and quinoa. Afterward, we descend into the lush valley floor to enjoy a freshly prepared, included local lunch.
3. Ollantaytambo: The Living Inca City & Ceremonial Fortress
After lunch, we follow the Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo (2,792 m / 9,160 ft), home to one of the most monumental archaeological complexes in Peru. Serving as the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti and later as the military stronghold where Manco Inca defeated the Spanish conquistadors, Ollantaytambo is the only town in Peru that preserves its original Inca urban grid.
You will walk through narrow cobblestone streets—still too narrow for modern cars—lined with trapezoidal stone doorways and crystal-clear Inca water channels before climbing the sweeping agricultural terraces to the Temple of the Sun, built from six colossal pink granite monoliths. At the end of your visit, your private driver will take you comfortably back to your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley (or drop you off right at the Ollantaytambo train station).
All-Inclusive Private Tour Pricing
Experience the Sacred Valley with total privacy, flexible timing, lunch, and all official entrance tickets included.
- Private Transport, Driver & Hotel Pick-Up
- Dedicated English-Speaking Historian Guide
- Boleto Turístico & Maras Tickets Included
- Guided Visits to Maras, Moray & Ollantaytambo
- Sacred Valley Lunch Included
What's Included
- Door-to-door pick-up and flexible drop-off (Cusco hotel, Sacred Valley hotel, or Ollantaytambo train station).
- Comfortable 100% Private Transportation and professional driver (luggage storage available).
- Licensed Private English-Speaking Historian Guide.
- Official Entrance Ticket to the Maras Salt Mines.
- Official Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico) covering Moray and Ollantaytambo.
- One high-quality Lunch in the Sacred Valley during the tour.
- 24/7 Local Travel Assistance.
Not Included
- Additional snacks, bottled beverages, or alcoholic drinks at lunch.
- Voluntary gratuities / tips for your private guide and driver.
- Personal travel insurance.
