From Cusco: Sacred Valley & Maras Salt Mines Tour with Lunch

Meet with your group at Plaza de Armas in the historical center of Cusco. Travel first to Chinchero, a small rustic town with a long tradition of textile weaving. See various textiles woven with traditional Incan techniques.  Next, you will visit Moray and see the agricultural terraces built along the hillsides. These terraces were built by the Incas to grow an abundance of crops on less-than-ideal mountain terrain. Right next to this area, at Moras, there are over 5000 salt ponds which were used by the Incas for salt extraction. This helped preserve their foods for long periods. After learning about Incan agricultural techniques, make your way to Urubamba, the capital of the Sacred Valley, for some lunch. After lunch, make your way to two historical towns, Ollantaytambo and Pisaq. At Ollantaytambo, you will climb over 200 steps to reach the top of the ancient terraced fortress that overlooks the town. This was an important defensive location during Incan times. At Pisaq, you can discover the local market selling all sorts of souvenirs and local crafts, before returning to Cusco.