Moray and Maras Salt Mines Quad Bike Tour from Cusco

Riding a quad across the Sacred Valley plateau

The tour starts at a quad base, where the guides explain how to use the bikes and you practise before setting off. You then drive your own quad in a guided line for about an hour across the high plateau above the Sacred Valley, on dirt tracks between fields, small villages and stone walls. The ride is the main attraction, and the views of snow-capped mountains and the valley make it memorable.

The ride suits people who feel confident controlling a machine, and the guide sets a safe pace. Stops are made for photographs. If you are comparing a quad bike tour to Moray from Cusco with a regular coach trip, the quad gives more freedom, more dust and more fun. Wear clothes you do not mind getting dirty.

Moray, the Inca circular terraces

Moray is a series of deep circular terraces sunk into a natural bowl, and it is often called an Inca agricultural laboratory. The levels create a range of microclimates, with the bottom warmer than the rim, and researchers think the Incas tested how crops grew at different altitudes. The largest terraced circle drops about 30 metres.

Your guide explains the irrigation and the farming at Moray and gives you time to walk around the rim and take photographs. Entrance to Moray is included in the default option. The setting on the plateau is also striking, with the layers of stone in the grass. If you are asking whether Moray is worth visiting, the shape of the terraces makes it one of the most unusual Inca sites.

The Maras Salt Mines

After the ride, the group continues by transport to the Maras Salt Mines, where thousands of small pools cover a hillside. A salty spring inside the mountain feeds the pools through channels, and the sun evaporates the water to leave salt. Families have worked the pools for centuries, since before the Inca period, and the harvest is still done by hand.

Your guide explains how the pools are shared and how the salt is taken, and you have time for photographs from above. Local shops sell salt and salt-based products, so bring a little cash. Entrance to the salt mines is included in the default option. Wear sturdy shoes, because the paths between the pools are narrow, uneven and sometimes slippery.

Planning your quad tour and safety

Pickup is from your hotel in Cusco and starts about 15 minutes before the tour, and the ride to the quad base takes about an hour. The whole trip lasts about 6 hours, with departures at 07:00 and 13:00 in the default option. You finish in the historic centre of Cusco. Choose the morning for clearer skies and the afternoon for softer light.

The tour is not suitable for children under 6 or for pregnant women. Wear closed shoes, long trousers and a jacket, and bring sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen and a passport or ID copy. A helmet and gloves are provided. Other options change what is included, including the second-quad option for two people on one bike, so check the option you choose.