cusco – Sacred Valley pisaq, moray, salt mines and ollantaytambo.
We will pick you up at your hotel at 7:00am, with our private van and head towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas, taking the direct route to Pisac. We visit awanacancha, which has a variety of southamerican camelids. Then you are off to the mirador of Taray to enjoy a classic view of the Urubamba valley with crops dressing the mountains like a carpet. Onward, we drive to the archaeological site of Pisac, where you can see the biggest Inca cemetery with more than 2000 tombs. There we admire the incredible farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the religious area of this important citadel. Here we will spend more than 2 hours, exploring the Inca city. Then we head back to the colourful market of Pisac, spend some time visiting it with all of its handicrafts and treasures to discover and then drive to Urumbamba for lunch.
With its timeless charm, we visit the archeological site of Moray, also known as “The Greenhouses of the Incas” an evolutionary bowl of ecological terraces. The terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which were excavated by the Incas for agricultural purposes. The terraces have varied microclimates, depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed. It is believed they were used by the Incas to discover the optimal growing conditions for their different crops.
Expanding on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, you ascend downhill to the pre-Inca salt mines. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt laden water, which is diverted into saltpans and evaporated to produce a salt that is used for both human and animal consumption. Finally, we drive to Ollantaytambo, having time to explore the age old and bustling Inca village and the massive Inca Ruins, with a tour provided by our guide. end of the tour in cusco
