Sacred Valley Horseback Riding Adventure Full Day Tour

Sacred Valley Horseback Riding Adventure Full Day Tour

This horseback riding adventure is the best way to see the Sacred Valley and some of the archaeological sites around the area. If you like being out and away from everyone you will love this tour. The horses we use are some of the best in the area. This ride is great for a beginner. You will get to see a part of the area many tourists don't see. Come and join to see the beautiful surroundings by yourself. You will sure have a great time.

Early in the morning at your hotel, you will be given an explanation of the tour together with a program, contract, and conditions of service. You will board a vehicle and head to the town of Maras passing through spectacular and beautiful landscapes.

Your horseback ride begins at the branch of Maras Tiobamba Temple from where a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire Cordillera Urubamba valley can be enjoyed. You head to the town of Maras, located at 3,465 meters above sea level and 46 km from the city of Cusco. Maras is famous for its salt mines and ancient method of obtaining it, as well as its colonial doorways. While riding, you will see impressive panoramic views of the Cordillera Urubamba and the snow-capped mountains of El Chicon, Veronica and Puma Huanca, which rise along the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

You continue the journey through beautiful landscapes surrounded by mountains and marked by the agriculture and livestock of local farmers. After an hour and a half riding, at this point you have traveled 7 km to the southwest. You then arrive at the archaeological site of Moray at 3,385 meters. It is also known for being the agricultural “laboratory” for the Incas, because of their method of adapting the different seeds to the local soil and harvesting. It is also well known of the archaeological remains in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

After visiting Moray, you'll get back on the horses and head to a little place for lunch, a quiet and relaxing spot, in natural surroundings, away from the bustle of tourists, where you will have beautiful views of the mountains and glaciers of Chicon, Puma Huanca, Sahuasira and Pitusiray. After lunch, you will head through the town of Maras. After the visit to Maras, you'll continue for an hour and a half, to the salt mines, passing through and enjoying its spectacular scenery.

Maras is located with an altitude of 3,500 meters. It covers a large area on the slopes of the hills and consists of about 3,000 natural pools of salt water, about 5 square meters each, where salt is extracted for human consumption. After the visit to the salt mines, you will continue your journey towards Pichingoto, a community nestled in the Sacred Valley at the base of the mountain Qoriq'aqya, along the Urubamba River. It is a Quechua community dedicated mainly to agriculture.

You will have the opportunity to see caves where old settlers lived and stored their crops. Some caves are on high levels of the mountain and ropes and ladders had been used to reach them. After the visit to the village of Pichingoto Vilcanota, you will cross the river to reach the road leading from Urubamba to Ollantaytambo. From there, you have the choice of taking the transport to the city of Cusco or to the town of Ollantaytambo.