Biking To Moray & Salt Mines of Maras

We invite you join us and get the best experience riding every single trucks or dirt roads in the Andean countryside.

This tour don’t demand to be experienced biker, everyone can be join this tour, the most important is to like to explore and having more contact with nature.

This beautiful bicycle tour will allow you to discover the high part of the Sacred Valley of The Incas. This tour combines magnificent views of the Sacred Valley and the mountains snow overlooking, the discovery of archaeological sites, and the freedom that comes with the practice of mountain biking on small roads, and also having a view of the traditional agricultural life.

salt mines MarasMaras: Maras is a district of the Urubamba province, possible to be reached through a paved road from kilometer 50 on the road Cusco – Chinchero – Urubamba. It is located towards the west of Cusco at an altitude of 3300 mts. (10824 feet); over a plain that in prehistoric times was a huge plateau, from which it is possible to observe the range of mountains of Urubamba including the snow capped mountains of Weqey Willka (today “La Veronica”, 5682 mts., 18641 ft.) and ” Chikon” (5530 mts., 18143 ft.).

Moray: About 7 kms. (4.3 miles) away southwest from Maras;Moray childrem Moray is a very unique archaeological site in the region. It is possible to reach it by car through the dusty road and the path departing from the town. Those are enormous natural depressions or hollows in the ground surface that Inkas used for constructing irrigated farming terraces around them. What is surprising is that the difference of average annual temperature between the top and the bottom reaches even about 15°C (59°F) in the main depression that is about 30 mts (100 feet) deepTowards the northwest of the Maras village is the famous “Salt Works”. The Maras “salt works” to which some people call “salt mines” are constituted by about 3000 small pools with an average area of 5 m² (53.8 ft²), constructed in a slope of the “Qaqawiñay” mountain. People fill up or “irrigate” the pools during the dry season every 3 days, with salty water emanating from a natural spring located on the top of the complex, so that when water evaporates the salt contained in it will slowly solidify.

Biking Maras, Moray, Salineras

We leave Cusco by bus at 9:00 a.m., with the direction to Chinchero (30 minutes to get here bike tour, Maras – Moray), small village that retains the layout of the streets of the Inca edge, and several buildings dating from this time. From here we go by bike in the direction of the Lake Huaypo, before discovering the agricultural site of Moray, the Maras colonial village and then the salt mines of Maras, where we will see the process of salt recollection, precious mineral during the Inca edge and then at the time of the colony. Later we will complete our circuit by a beautiful descent to the village of Urubamba, at the bottom of the Valley, by the sacred river Vilcanota. Finally we find our car that will bring us back to Cusco at 5:00 pm.

This easy excursion of about 35 km bicycle, in small paths without difficulties will leave you an unforgettable memory

Biking To Moray & Salt Mines of Maras Includes:

• Pre-departure briefing
• Transportation round trip from Cusco.
• High quality mountain bike
• Safety equipment (helmets,gloves, knee & ankle pads)
• Highly qualified English / Spanish speaking professional tourist guide
• Shared Public Transportation
• Box-lunch or Typical Lunch at Local restaurant

 Biking To Moray & Salt Mines of Maras Dosent Include:

• Entrance fees to Maras and Moray
• Tipping Staff

Recommendations For  Biking To Moray & Salt Mines of Maras

• If you going to stay in Cusco for only few days of more than a week
  we recommend you to get the Boleto Turitico “Tourist Ticket 10 Day” valid it cost 130 soles 4 sites in City Tour, 3 sites in the Sacred Valley plus Maras, Moray and Tipon, additionally they offer entrance to Museums.
• If you only will visit the Sacred valle y tour there is a partial Ticket valued in 70 soles.
• If you will do City tour with the 4 Inca sites you will need another partial Ticket valued in 70 soles too, so best to get the 10 day Tourist Ticket “Boleto Turistico” for 130 soles and is valid for 10 days.
• Note that to see Koricancha the temple of the sun there is another fee of 10 soles separately and 25 soles to visit Cusco Cathedral in a separate ticket.
• Few people know how nice and really interesting is visiting
  La Merced church and Convent near Calle Mantas, we recommend
  to visit it with his barroque patio with hundreds years of history. Also Inka Museum is not in this ticket and fee is 10 soles also highly recommended to visit it.
•  Famous 12 Angle stones is in the way to San Blas big inca wall with
  nice stone artwork.
• Cusco Inka museum located just behide left main cathedral on first block of Calle del Almirante.

What You Have To Bring :

• Comfortable clothing
• Rain jacket or poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco)
• Biking shoes or sport shoes
• Fleece, Jacket or sweater
• Camera, films
• Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain or cold
• Sun block
• Toilet paper
• Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, etc.
• Water bottle

DAILY DEPARTURES ARE AVAILABLE ALONG THE YEAR. THIS TOUR IS AVAILABLE IN PRIVATE SERVICE.
PRIVATE SERVICE: BASED ON NUMBER OF PEOPLE DEPARTING THAT DATE:WE DEPART ANY DAY YOU SUIT.

THIS TOUR IS AVAILABLE IN THE SERVICE GROUP AND PRIVATE SERVICE.

DAILY DEPARTURES !!! From 09:00 am to 5: 00 pm

PRIVATE  SERVICE:  US$60.00 per person.
Boleto Turistico (Tourist Ticket) to the ruins not included). Meeting point at Machupicchu Exploring office.

You could combine this tour with train to Aguas Calientes and accomodation this night to be able to see Machu Picchu for sunrise the following day. This program is called  “ Machupicchu  & Biking To Moray & Salt Mines of Maras 2 Days” and is a combination of 2 tours, Biking To Moray & Salt Mines of Maras Tour  and the Classic train tour to Machu Picchu and for those who only have 2 days for this tour rather than 3, it is a must!

Cusco Tourist Ticket

• The Cusco Tourist Ticket officially called “Boleto Turistica del Cusco,” is a ticket which allows you to gain entrance to multiple attractions in and around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The full ticket is the most popular, but there are also several partial tickets on sale too. In 2014, Peru´s Ministry of Culture changed the rules for the tickets, so read carefully the ticket types available, what entrances they include and how much they cost!

The Full Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTCI)

• Includes entrance to 16 attractions within Cusco, surrounding areas and the Sacred Valley, the Full Cusco Tourist Ticket is the most popular ticket to buy. It is also the most expensive. Not all of the attractions listed on the ticket are must visit, but it does include the most popular attractions such as Saqsayhuman, Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. If you plan on visiting both Cusco and the Sacred Valley, this is the ticket to buy. This ticket is valid for 10 days, unlike the other tickets which are valid for just 1 – 2 days.
• Validity: 10 Days
• Price (2014): S/. 130 (US$ 47)
• Included: Saqsayhuman, Qenko, Pucapucara, Tambomachay, Museo de Arte Popular, Museo Histórico Regional, Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo, Museo de Sitio de Korikancha, Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, Monumento de Pachacutec, Tipon, Pikillacta, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero & Moray.

Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTCPI) / Circuit I– Saqsayhuman

• This partial Cusco Tourist Ticket includes just 4 entrances. The attractions are the 4 main attractions located just outside of Cusco and not in the city itself. Take note that this ticket is valid for just 1 day!
• Validity: 1 Day
• Price (2014): S/. 70 (US$ 25)
• Included: Saqsayhuman, Qenko, Pucapucara & Tambomachay.

Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTCPII) / Circuit II – City & South Sacred Valley

• This partial Cusco Tourist Ticket includes 8 entrances. Generally speaking the attractions listed on this ticket are the least visited of all in the Cusco region. The Museo Histórico Regional (the original home of Garcilaso de la Vega) and the Inca archaeological site of Tipon are definitely worth visiting.Take note that this ticket is only valid for 2 days.
• Validity: 2 Days
• Price: S/. 70 (US$ 25)
• Included: Museo de Arte Popular, Museo Histórico Regional, Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo, Museo de Sitio de Korikancha, Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, Monumento de Pachacutec, Tipon & Pikillacta.

Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTCPIII) / Circuit III – Sacred Valley

• This partial Cusco Tourist Ticket includes 4 entrances. It includes the most important attractions in the Sacred Valley, and is the ticket you need to buy if you are only visiting attractions in the Sacred Valley and not Cusco. Take note that this ticket is only valid for 2 days.
• Validity: 2 Days
• Price : S/. 70.00 (US$ 25)
• Included: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero & Moray.

Cusco Tourist Ticket Points of Sale

• You can buy the partial or full Cusco Tourist Ticket at any of the attractions listed on the ticket. You can also buy the tickets at the central office or the official tourist information centre called DIRCETUR.
• BTG Ticket Office
• Address: Avenida. El Sol 103 Galerías Turísticas
• Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 – 18:00 hrs.
• Official Tourist Information Centre – DIRCETUR
• Address: Calle Mantas (just off the main plaza)
• Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 – 12:00 hrs & 14:00 – 18:00 hrs.
• Things to Know!
• Tickets cannot be purchased via the internet.
• To buy any of the Cusco Tourist Tickets you need to present your passport.
• You may be requested to show your passport along with the ticket to gain entrance to sites included on the ticket.
• Children under 9 don´t pay. You may need to show a passport as proof of age.
• Children aged 10 – 17 years old pay the reduced student rate, BTG Full S/. 70, BTC Partial S/.40 (passport needed as proof).
• The ticket cannot be bought with anticipation.
• Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable.