The Moray Ruins are one of the Sacred Valley’s must do attractions. For those who have just arrived and are still acclimatising, it’s one of the few places you can see incredible ruins without having to climb too many steep Incan stairs! The views out to the snow capped mountains beyond the terraces are the icing on the cake and make for a truly beautiful scene.
The concentric circles that make up the Moray ruins look like something created by an alien civilisation and are made all the more mysterious by the lack of information about them. Unless you’ve read up beforehand, you’ll find yourself wondering where you are meant to go and what you are actually looking at!
We’ve put together this guide to help give a bit of context as well as what to expect from a visit.
Visiting the Moray Ruins
What are the ruins at Moray?
The ruins at Moray are a bit of a mystery and no one knows their exact purpose. The most likely theory is that Moray was built for agricultural purposes, and you’ll see that the Inca’s built terraces at all the settlements across the Sacred Valley.
This is primarily because flat land is scarce in this part of Peru, so carving steps into the mountainside provided flat land, which was essential for agriculture.
The Moray Ruins are quite different from the rest of the terraces in the Sacred Valley, as they descend in circles below ground level, as opposed to straight lines on the side of a mountain. Many historians have hypothesised that the terraces at Moray were some kind of agricultural laboratory or a form of greenhouse.
Life at 3,500m is tough (you’ll probably realise this pretty quickly as any exertion feels a lot more tiring here) and farming at this altitude is no exception. To feed the population, the Incas had to work out (or even evolve) crop types that could exist at this altitude, and could withstand the lower levels of oxygen, intense sunlight and much colder temperatures.
It is thought that the height of the terraces were designed to work as an ancient greenhouse, as the structure created different microclimates at each level, with the temperature difference being up to 5C between the top and the bottom.
This allowed plants used to warmer climates to be grown in the Sacred Valley, and the Incas could gradually grow them at colder temperatures.
Furthermore, samples from the terraces have shown that the soil was brought from various regions of Peru, which would help them grow different crops from the preferred top soils. This would give the crops a kick start before adapting to the soil and climate of the Sacred Valley.
No matter what the purpose, it is a marvel of engineering that it is situated on a mountain top plateau looking out to snow-capped mountains beyond.
The Moray ruins walk
At the entrance you’ll see that the two trails start from the rim of the biggest concentric circle - Q’echuyuq Muyu.
This scale of the ruins from this point is pretty spectacular, especially as you realise they descend 30m down into the ground.
At this point you have two choices: the upper walk or the lower walk. The upper walk is longer, but flatter, and offers the best views of both the ruins and the mountains behind.
The upper walk will also take in all three circles.
The lower walk is shorter and takes you down into the main circle: Q’Echuyuq Muyu. Here you can see the terraces up close as they tower above you.
Whilst it is shorter, it involves going up and down a number of stairs, which can leave you out of breath at this altitude!
We chose to do both, but if you only fancy one, then you can read our descriptions of each path below. Note that nothing is signposted, so we’ve just called them the upper and lower walks so it’s easy to understand which is which.
The best views: the upper walk
Distance: 1.5km circuit
If you’re a photographer and someone who loves an expansive view, then the upper walk is for you. This trail sticks to the rim of the main circle, as well as taking in the other two, all while keeping those beautiful snow capped mountains in view.
The trail starts from the rim, you’ll see the path leading downhill very early on which is what we are referring to as the lower walk. The upper walk is mainly flat, although there is a gentle downhill section and a couple of stairs towards the end.
After 400m you’ll reach a shelter with a seat which has a beautiful view over the ruins. As you continue past the bench you’ll see a narrow social trail leading downhill to the main circle. It’s not too steep and you can easily get down in less than a minute for a closer view of the terraces if desired.
Continuing on the main path it’s another 200m before you reach the smallest of the three circles: K’uchi Muyu.
You can walk down into it, but it felt like equivalent of the shallow pool for toddlers next to the olympic size swimming pool that is Q’echuyuq Muyu. It is still fascinating, but pales in grandeur given it’s next to Q’echuyuq Muyu.
After visiting the small circle, the path goes very slightly uphill for 500m, following the other side of the main circle.
This area had some unexplained piles of rocks on various levels, adding to the sense of mystery.
Soon you’ll reach the third circle - Inthihuatana Muyu. This one has another bench seat and a spectacular view to the valley beyond.
Once you’ve enjoyed the views, it’s a simple 500m walk past another couple of lookouts back to the entrance. You could easily walk this trail in just 30 minutes, but many people will linger longer to really take it all in.
Getting up close on the lower walk
Distance: 800m circuit
The lower walk is the one we saw most people do, and it’s probably because it’s the most obvious one you see from the entrance.
From the entry gate, you’ll see a path leading down into the main circle almost straight away. At the bottom you’ll reach a shelter and seat with a beautiful view of the circles rising up above you.
The walk follows the edge of the terraces (you can’t leave the path and go down into the main circle unfortunately) before rising uphill to offer elevated views of the main circle.
You’ll then pass a viewpoint that looks directly down on Q’echuyuq Muyu before looping around to the entrance.
Essential Info about visiting the Moray ruins
The best time to visit
The Moray Ruins are very popular, but it isn’t as busy as some of the other sites in the Sacred Valley. If peace and quiet is your priority, then visit very early in the morning or an hour or so before sunset. We chose sunset and only saw a handful of people the entire time we were there.
However, like Pisac and other ruins, visiting at the start or end of the day comes at a cost for anyone wanting that perfect photo.
Moray has some steep mountains either side of it, which cast harsh shadows at any time other than the middle of the day. This means you’ll get uneven light if the sun has not fully risen, or is about to set.
Tips for coping with the altitude
The ruins at Moray sit at 3,500m which is pretty high. At this altitude, the air is much thinner and you may feel some mild altitude sickness if you’ve only just arrived in the region (symptoms can include headaches, nausea, breathlessness and fatigue). Many hotels offer coca tea and even oxygen if you are struggling, but if these symptoms persist or get worse, then see a doctor.
Walking around Moray is a good place to start in the Sacred Valley as the walks here are pretty easy going and have virtually no stairs to worry about.
It is recommended to take it easy for the first few days after arriving in the Sacred Valley. We actually chose to drive straight out of Cusco and stay a few days in Urubamba, which is situated 2,800m as opposed to Cusco’s 3,500m. This definitely made for an easier ride when it came to acclimatising.
Moray entry fee
Entry to Moray is part of a ticket that includes various sites around the Sacred Valley. The first option includes entry to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and the Moray Ruins for two consecutive days for 70 soles per person (about USD $19.50).
The second option is to buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico) which lasts for 10 days and includes the same places as the first option, but adds on the ancient ruins in Cusco such as Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo and Tambomachay, as well as many of the museums in Cusco. This option costs 130 soles per person (approx USD $36).
Moray opening hours
Unlike some places in the Sacred Valley, at time of writing the ruins at Moray don’t have a strict opening and closing time. The main times apply to the ticket office, which is open between 7.30am and 6pm. However, you won’t find yourself or your car locked in (or out) if you choose to stay after sunset, or arrive before sunrise.
How to get to Moray
If you have your own car (or hire a taxi), then Moray is a 35 minute drive from Urubamba, 1 hour drive from Ollantaytambo or 1.5 hours from Cusco. The road to Moray from all three of these places is paved and in good condition. There are a couple of cobbled and narrow streets you’ll go through in Maras (which is where the famous salt mines are located which are well worth a visit) if you come from Urubamba or Ollantaytambo, but they are easy enough to drive in any car.
If you are looking to go by public transport, then you’ll need to head on one of the collectivos that run between Cusco and Urubamba (they cost about 5-10 soles and run pretty frequently). You’ll pass the junction for Moray, which is where you’ll need to hop off and either catch a public bus or a taxi (there are taxis waiting at this junction for travellers looking to go to Moray).
As the collectivos tend to run from sunrise to sunset, we recommend leaving well before sunset so that you can make it back to the junction in plenty of time to catch the collectivos heading back to either Urubamba or Cusco.
When we visited Moray, the road was being upgraded, so we had to walk an additional 750m along gravel roads to get there, but this will likely be finished by the time you are reading this.
Where to stay near Moray
Urubamba: Tierra Viva Valle
We stayed at the beautiful Tierra Viva Valle several times during our month in the Sacred Valley. It’s a hacienda style hotel that looks out to the towering red mountains of the Sacred Valley. It’s a peaceful retreat located between Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, so you escape the traffic and worst of the noise of the bigger towns.
The spacious rooms come with huge beds that are soft and comfortable. The water pressure is really good and it’s very clean. The decor is quite minimalist, but it has a few nice Peruvian touches.
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Cusco: Palacio Manco Capac
For those looking to stay in Cusco for the food and culture, then the Palacio Manco Capac is the perfect place to stay. Once we’d acclimitised, we chose to stay here and kept extending as we loved it so much.
Set on a eucalyptus tree covered hill in San Cristobel overlooking Cusco, Palacio Manco Capac is walking distance to all the main attractions, but far enough away to escape the noise of the city. Request a room on the outside of the building which were lovely and quiet, as the interior rooms suffer from a bit of internal noise.
The rooms are set in a historic colonial house that is beautifully styled with lots of wonderful Peruvian touches. Again, the beds are huge, the shower is great and the whole environment is truly relaxing.
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