Journey through the agricultural, spiritual, and architectural heart of the Inca Empire on an all-inclusive full-day adventure.
Carved by the sacred waters of the Urubamba River (known to the Incas as the Willkamayu), the Sacred Valley of the Incas was the agricultural breadbasket, royal retreat, and spiritual heart of the Andean world. Blessed with a lower elevation than Cusco, a mild microclimate, and mineral-rich soil, this breathtaking valley sustained the Inca Empire and continues to produce the finest giant white corn, quinoa, and native tubers in Peru today.
On this comprehensive, all-inclusive Full-Day Private Sacred Valley Tour, we leave the crowded tour buses behind to deliver a deeply personalized experience. Traveling in a comfortable private vehicle with a licensed historian guide, you will witness ancestral alpaca weaving in Chinchero, marvel at the concentric agricultural amphitheaters of Moray, walk beside over 3,000 pre-Inca salt pans at the Maras Salt Mines (Salineras de Maras), and climb the monumental stone fortress of Ollantaytambo—with the flexibility to return to Cusco or be dropped off directly at the Ollantaytambo Train Station for your journey to Machu Picchu.
After an 8:00 AM pickup from your Cusco hotel, our day begins high on the Andean plateau in the picturesque town of Chinchero (3,762 m / 12,342 ft). Renowned across Peru for preserving ancient Quechua textile traditions, you will visit a traditional women’s weaving cooperative to witness a live demonstration of how alpaca wool is spun by hand, washed with natural Andean saqta root, and dyed vibrant shades of crimson and purple using cochineal insects, native plants, and purple corn. Afterward, we explore Chinchero’s sweeping Inca agricultural terraces and its 17th-century adobe church built directly atop the royal palace of Inca Emperor Túpac Yupanqui.
Driving past snow-capped Andean peaks and golden fields of quinoa and barley, we arrive at the extraordinary archaeological site of Moray (3,500 m / 11,482 ft). Unlike any other Inca ruin, Moray consists of gigantic, concentric circular terraces sculpted deep into natural limestone sinkholes like green amphitheaters. By engineering stone retaining walls, complex irrigation channels, and distinct soil layers, the Incas created temperature differences of up to 15°C (27°F) between the top rim and the lowest circle—creating an open-air agricultural laboratory to domesticate wild Amazonian and coastal crops for high-altitude farming.
Just a short drive away lies one of the most surreal and photogenic landscapes in South America: the Salineras de Maras (3,300 m / 10,826 ft). Cascading down the steep walls of a red-rock canyon are more than 3,000 terraced white and rose-tinted salt pans, harvested by hand by local Maras families since pre-Inca Wari times. Fed by a subterranean warm hypersaline spring, the water evaporates under the Andean sun to leave behind mineral-rich crystals of world-famous Maras Pink Salt. (Culinary note: This is the exact same gourmet pink mountain salt you will cook with during our hands-on Cusco cooking classes!)
Descending to the lush floor of the Sacred Valley in Urubamba (2,870 m / 9,416 ft), you will immediately feel the warmer breeze and lower altitude. While lunch is not included in the tour price so you have complete freedom over what and how much you wish to eat, we provide full culinary concierge service: your guide will recommend and reserve a table at a top-rated local garden restaurant or hacienda where you can relax and savor authentic Andean cuisine overlooking the Urubamba River.
Our final major destination is the awe-inspiring archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo (2,792 m / 9,160 ft), the royal estate of Emperor Pachacútec and the site of the Incas’ greatest military victory over the Spanish conquistadors in 1537. You will climb the monumental agricultural and defensive terraces to stand before the six colossal pink granite monoliths of the Temple of the Sun and admire the ceremonial water fountains below. Afterward, we stroll through the cobblestone alleyways of Ollantaytambo town—the only surviving "Living Inca City" in Peru, where families still reside inside original 15th-century stone kanchas (courtyards). From here, we either drop you off at the Ollantaytambo Train Station (if you are taking an afternoon train to Machu Picchu) or drive you comfortably back to your hotel in Cusco.
Everything you need to know about visiting Chinchero, Moray, Maras, and Ollantaytambo.
Yes! Because this is a 100% private tour, you can bring your luggage safely inside our private vehicle. At the end of our visit to the Ollantaytambo ruins (around 4:00 PM), we can either drop you off directly at the Ollantaytambo Train Station to board your afternoon train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu), drop you off at your hotel in the Sacred Valley, or drive you back to your hotel in Cusco arriving around 6:00 PM.
Yes! Your rate includes both the official Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico Circuit 3 covering Chinchero, Moray, and Ollantaytambo) and the separate entrance ticket to the Salineras de Maras (Maras Salt Mines), which is not covered by the standard tourist ticket.
It is the most popular full-day acclimatization tour in the region. While Cusco sits at 3,399 meters (11,151 ft), the heart of the Sacred Valley is significantly lower—Urubamba sits at 2,870 meters (9,416 ft) and Ollantaytambo at 2,792 meters (9,160 ft)—offering warmer weather and higher oxygen levels.
The Chinchero, Moray, Maras, and Ollantaytambo route allows you to experience the most diverse landscapes in the Sacred Valley—including circular Inca agricultural terraces and 3,000 pre-Inca salt pans—without spending hours backtracking in traffic. If you also wish to visit Pisac Market and an authentic Andean weaving community, check out our dedicated Amaru Community & Pisaq Market Tour.
To give you complete freedom of choice rather than forcing a standard tourist buffet, lunch is paid directly at the restaurant. As culinary experts in Cusco, we provide complimentary concierge service—recommending and reserving a table for your group at one of Urubamba's finest garden restaurants tailored to your dietary preferences.
