Lares Trek to Machu Picchu
$600 $540
This half day tour, based in the Sacred Valley, centers around Peru’s rich cultural, archeological, and historical tapestry. Starting off in Chinchero, a little town nestled between Cusco and Urubamba, get ready to meander through the history of Chinchero’s famously quaint colonial church, the weaving communities of Peru, and the magical megalithic ruins of Inca civilization.
This tour also features the Maras Salt Mines and the Moray archeological ruins, both of which are a testament to the robustness of the engineering genius of Peru’s ancient indigenous civilizations. Get ready to witness some of the most diverse topography the Sacred Valley has to offer, from Moray’s sprawling green pastures cascading into agricultural terraces, to the mountain-side salt ponds of Maras.
With the Sacred Valley lying not far off from Cusco, this is the ideal tour to go on if you’re looking to acclimatize to Cusco’s high altitudes before taking the giant leap to the ancient capital of the Incas.
Destination: | Chinchero, Maras Salt Mines, Moray |
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Duration: | ½ day |
Difficulty: | Moderate |
Total Distance: | 120 km / 74.6 miles |
Group Size: | 2 – 8 Persons |
Price: | $110.00p/p$99.00p/p |
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After an 8.00 am pick up from your hotel and a 1 hour drive, we’ll arrive in Chinchero to tour the small Andean village hailed by the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow. We’ll tour the Chinchero archeological center which features sacred Inca ruins and a pristine colonial church, surrounded by beguiling views of the misty mountains of Peru.
We’ll then visit Chinchero’s textile centers where you can imbibe in the ancient handloom traditions of Peru as the locals teach you the art of weaving alpaca wool into patterns idiosyncratic to Peruvian culture.
A 30 minute drive from there will take us to the Maras Salt Mines, a fantastical mosaic of over 3,000 salt ponds believed to have been manmade by the Wari civilization in 500 – 1100 AD. You could also purchase some Peruvian salt from the nearby shops.
Then it’s off for a 30 minute drive to the Moray archeological site. Shrouded in mystery with questions as to its original purpose, the Moray archeological site features 3 circular terraces lying in close proximity to one another within the Sacred Valley.
The day will draw to a close with the exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Moray. We’ll then drive back to Cusco.