Maras Moray on Horseback: Riding Through the Empire's Secrets
Maras Moray on Horseback: Riding Through the Empire's Secrets
The hum of the engine gives way to the rhythm of hooves on red earth. Here, your pace is set by a Peruvian Paso horse — a breed prized for centuries for its smooth, four-beat gait, born to carry travelers through these Andean trails.
Executive Summary
- Duration: Full day (7-8 hours) | Half-day option available on request
- Difficulty: Moderate (basic riding experience helpful; brief instruction provided for beginners)
- Max Altitude: 3,385 – 3,500 m / 11,105 – 11,483 ft
- Highlights: Moray's circular agricultural terraces · Maras salt pans · Peruvian Paso horses · Private, less-crowded viewpoints · Valley-view lunch
Detailed Itinerary
01
DAY
Overview
•7:00 – 8:30 AM: Hotel pickup in Cusco and transfer to Maras, a colonial town of weathered stone facades.
• 9:00 AM: Ride begins, crossing terraced fields and ravines where the air carries the scent of wet soil and eucalyptus.
• 10:30 AM: Arrival at the Maras Salt Pans — over 3,000 individual ochre-and-white pools fed by an underground spring dating back to pre-Inca times. Time to walk among them and capture the color contrast against the mountains.
• 12:00 PM: Ride toward Moray along quiet viewpoints overlooking the Urubamba Valley, with snow-capped peaks visible on clear days.
• 1:00 PM: Arrival at Moray. A short walk down to the circular terraces — an Inca agricultural amphitheater where each level held its own microclimate, an engineering feat that still puzzles researchers today.
• 2:00 PM: Picnic-style or restaurant lunch (depending on package), featuring Andean ingredients.
• 3:30 PM: Return to Cusco.
PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE
Inclusions & Exclusions
What's Included
- Private round-trip transport from your hotel
- Peruvian Paso horse and riding gear
- Bilingual professional guide specialized in horseback tours
- Entrance fees to Maras Salt Pans and Moray
- Snack or lunch (depending on package)
- Basic medical kit and satellite emergency communication
What's Not Included
- Tips (optional)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Travel insurance
Why Choose This Tour with AndeanDiscovery.pe?
We cap groups at 8 riders per guide. Our horses are regularly checked by a local veterinarian and worked in rotation — we never push tired animals, a shortcut some budget operators take. Our routes also avoid the paths most traveled by tour vans, so your time at the salt pans and Moray happens with fewer crowds, during the best light for photography.