Sacred Valley & Maras Salt Pans — CuscoCircuit.
Distance
130 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,800 m
Sacred Valley & Maras Salt Pans — Cusco Circuit.
A day circuit through the heart of the former Inca empire — Pisac terraces, Ollantaytambo fortress, the surreal Maras salt pans (5,000+ pre-Inca evaporation pools), and the Moray concentric agricultural terraces. The Urubamba Valley lies 600m below Cusco at 2,800m, so the air is gentler. Roads are paved and well-engineered with constant Inca-era ruins along the route.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance130 km
Days1
Total climb1,800 m
DifficultyEasy
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The route.
Cusco — Plaza de ArmasStart · Start in Cusco (3,399m). Head north on the road to Pisac. Acclimatise before riding if just arrived.
Pisac Inca Ruins & MarketScenic Point · Hilltop Inca citadel above the modern town with magnificent agricultural terraces. The Sunday market is one of the best in the Andes.
UrubambaRestaurant · Lunch on the valley floor at 2,800m — the lower altitude makes this a popular acclimatisation base for Cusco visitors.
Moray — Inca Concentric TerracesScenic Point · Strange circular terraced bowls — believed to be an Inca agricultural laboratory. Microclimates between the rings differ by 15C.
Maras Salt Pans (Salineras)Photo Spot · Over 5,000 pre-Inca salt evaporation ponds cascading down a hillside, fed by a single salty spring. Still actively worked by local families.
Ollantaytambo FortressScenic Point · The only Inca site never conquered by the Spanish — Manco Inca defeated Pizarro here in 1537. Massive cyclopean walls and the Sun Temple.
ChincheroScenic Point · Hilltop weaving village on the return road. Excellent textile workshops. Colonial church built atop the Inca palace.
CuscoEnd · Return to Cusco completing the Sacred Valley loop. Drinks at a balcony overlooking the Plaza.
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