Hiking Sacred Inca Paths

On arrival in Lima and after clearing customs, you’ll just walk across the road to the airport hotel for a transit night before continuing on to Cusco in the morning. If you want time to explore Lima, it is possible to add additional time before or after the trip.

Your day begins with an early morning flight to Cusco, high in the Andes (11,200’/3,400m), where you will be met and transferred to your local hotel. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon at leisure walking around the ancient city. From the Plaza de Armas, visit many of the city’s historical sites, see Incan stone walls serving as the foundations of Spanish architecture, and view the cathedral built atop the ruins of an Incan temple. For lunch and dinner, enjoy the variety of great places to eat in the city. We recommend for acclimatization purposes that you don’t push yourself on your first day at this altitude. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water!

This morning you will have a guided tour of the four extraordinary nearby ruins: Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. Cusco was the center of the Incan Empire and was built in the shape of a puma. The city itself is the puma’s body, and the enormous Sacsayhuaman ruins represent the head and teeth. The largest and most impressive of Sacsayhuaman’s original rocks are still in place, though only about 20% of the entire site remains today. Qenko, meaning zig-zag, consists of a large limestone rock covered with carvings with mysterious caves and alters below, and its zig-zag walls and channels are thought to have been used for ritual sacrifices. Puca Pucara, or red fort, is so named because it appears red when viewed in the right light. Tambo Machay, known locally as “El Bano del Inca” or the Incan bath, is a small site with beautiful ceremonial stone fountains and bathing pools. The afternoon will be free for continued relaxed acclimatization or independent exploration.

The next few days offer travelers a wide range of alternate activities, with same day decision flexibility!  Can it get any better?

After an early breakfast, you’ll depart Cusco for the village of Chinchero, where you’ll stop for a guided visit of the Inca archeological site and the 16th-century colonial church.  From here there are two options:

Alternate Activity A:  Extend your morning visit to Chinchero before departing for a guided tour of the Moray Inca terraced agricultural site (11,464’/3,550 m).  Lunch will be taken before visiting the Maras salt mines. Continue with a hike to see the native houses of Pichingoto, then be picked up and transferred to Lamay.

Alternative Activity B:  Take a short drive to the small community of Taucca (12,717’/3,877 m), the start of a scenic hike that includes views of beautiful Lake Piuray and the Urubamba and Vilcabamba mountain ranges. You’ll hike for about 2.5 hours uphill to Huallata Pass (14,107’/4,300 m) and on to Huchuyqosqo Pass, from where you can see the spectacular Sacred Valley of the Incas. You’ll descend to Huchuyqosqo (11,811’/3,600 m), once an important religious and commercial center, and known as the place to observe thunder and lightning. After lunch, the descent continues for about an hour to the community of Calca (9,650’/2,925 m). On this section of the trail, you may enjoy views of the Pitusiray and Sahuasiray Glaciers. Your vehicle will meet you at the end of the hike and take you to the lush green town of Lamay (9,649’/2,941 m). Hiking time including lunch: about 5 hours.

The group reconvenes at the Lamay Lodge for a guide briefing before dinner and comfortable overnight.

This morning you have the choice of how to wend your way to the village of Viacha.

Morning Alternative Activity A:  Depart the lodge for a visit to the picturesque village of Pisac, well known for its colorful handicraft market held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.  If you would like to bike from Lamay to Pisac town along the river instead of taking the vehicle, that can be arranged as well. Afterwards, it is just a short drive to Viacha.

Morning Alternative Activity B:  For those who wish to hike, a short drive to the community of Amaru (10,550’/ 3216 m) brings you to the trailhead for the morning’s moderate hike to the rendezvous point in Viacha.  The trail winds uphill for two hours to Challwaccasa Pass (13,943’/4,250m), which allows great views of the peaks of the Vilcanota and Vilcabamba mountain ranges and the more distant and giant snow-capped peaks of Ausangate and Salcantay. You’ll then head downhill to the community of Viacha. Hiking time including lunch: about 6 hours.

In Viacha, take a walking tour of the community to learn about the local agricultural activities before enjoying a gourmet lunch of Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian spiced meat dish cooked in an earthenware pot over hot stones. After lunch and a well-earned rest, you’ll join a restored Inca trail that leads to the stunning archaeological site of Pisac, which dominates the valley below.  The lower slopes of the surrounding mountains feature impressive agricultural terraces and irrigation systems dating from Inca times. For those who want to continue hiking, continue downhill for an hour to the picturesque village of Pisac.

The vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Lamay for dinner and overnight at the Lamay Lodge.

This morning the group will depart the lodge and walk around the small town of Lamay.

Next, a one hour drive takes you to Ancasmarca (13,267’/4,044 m), where you’ll explore an old Inca site that features a variety of ancient food warehouses, dwellings, and farming areas. Its location was strategic since it connected the higher part of the Sacred Valley with the cloud forest communities of Lares. Lunch will be enjoyed in Lares.

Afternoon Alternative Activity A:  Drive to the small town of Choquecancha for a guided tour of the imposing Inca ruins and the colonial church. Arrive at the Huacahuasi Lodge, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Afternoon Alternative Activity B:  Drive to the small village of Quelqena and then start a beautiful and easy 3-hour hike to the Huacahuasi Lodge.

Afternoon Alternative Activity C:  Heading over the Lares Pass (14,501’/4,420 m), you’ll arrive at Cuncani, the starting point of your hike. Walking uphill for about two hours, you’ll pass farmhouses and fields. The local inhabitants, descendants of the Incas, have maintained their traditional way of life, growing an amazing variety of potatoes nearly year-round and using their llamas as transportation and alpacas as food and clothing. Reaching Cruzccasa Pass (13,740’/4,188 m), you’ll enjoy an impressive view of Veronica peak before the two-hour descent to Huacawasi Lodge (12,579’/3,835 m). Hiking time including lunch: about 5 hours.

In the late afternoon, the whole group will have an opportunity to experience a unique cultural encounter with the local community. The group then reconvenes for the guide briefing and dinner.  Overnight at Huacahuasi Lodge.

Today travelers choose from three very exciting and different options:

Alternative Activity A:  Depart from the lodge for a visit to the community of Huacahuasi and to meet the local people in their homes.  Return to the lodge for a cooking class, lunch, and an afternoon of leisure.

Afternoon Alternative Activity B:  Depart from the lodge for a visit to the community of Huacahuasi and an easy walk to a nearby waterfall and refreshing snack.  Return to the lodge for lunch and an afternoon of leisure.

Afternoon Alternative Activity C:  A great day awaits you as you hike one of the most beautiful trails in the Cusco region! From the lodge, you’ll drive to the quaint village of Quiswarani, where you’ll begin hiking westward up a small valley dotted with lakes and herds of grazing alpacas. The trail then narrows into a series of switchbacks to Abra Huchuyccasa Pass, which you’ll reach after three hours. From the pass, you’ll have the most amazing views of distant mountain ranges and stunning turquoise lakes, whose brilliant hues are the result of bronze metal elements in their icy waters. Descending slightly, you’ll continue hiking another hour toward the second pass of the day at Phoñoccasa. From here you’ll descend to Qeywaqocha Lake for a leisurely lunch, then end your hike at the village of Qelqena. Along the way, enjoy spotting native bird species, including Andean geese, ducks, and plovers. The vehicle will meet you at the trailhead for the drive back to Huacahuasi.

The group reconvenes for the guide briefing, dinner, and overnight

Today you have the choice to hike from Huacahuasi to Patacancha or explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas, local markets and town of Ollantaytambo.

Activity A:  Depart by vehicle for the Sacred Valley where you’ll visit the market town of Calca (optional bike ride along the river).  Visit a museum of historical artifacts and have lunch at a local restaurant before driving on to explore Ollantaytambo, the oldest continuously inhabited dwelling in South America.

Activity B:  Hike to Patacancha.  Huacahuasi is a famous weavers’ village where the men still wear traditional colorful ponchos and women’s attire includes wide handmade skirts and decorated hats. As you begin your hike right from the lodge, you’ll be immersed in scenes of community life, including women working on looms and children heading to school. The wide and easy trail takes you uphill for 2.5 hours to the top of Ipsaycocha Pass (14,757’/4,499 m), where you’ll enjoy stunning views of the surrounding mountains. As you hike, you’ll often meet locals traveling from village to village with their goods and herds. You’ll descend gently for about 40 minutes to Lake Ipsaycocha (14,081’/4,292 m) where you may have the chance to see condors circling lazily in the sky while enjoying your lunch. Continue your descent for another 2.5 hours to the village of Patacancha (12,624’/3,848 m) where high-quality weavings are also produced. Your vehicle will meet you here to take you to the Inca town of Ollantaytambo (9,160’/2,792 m) in the Sacred Valley.

The group reconvenes for the guide briefing and dinner. Overnight in Ollantaytambo.

If you like, enjoy an early morning optional hike to Pinkuylluna, an Inca site with great views of the valley (choice of an easy or moderate hike).

After your five-day hike, you can enjoy a more relaxing day by skipping the morning hike and have a leisurely breakfast before visiting Ollantaytambo, which boasts an impressive archaeological site and a well-preserved Inca town structure. This was the estate of Emperor Pachacutec who conquered the region, building the town and the ceremonial center. Ollantaytambo dates back to the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America.  Explore the town and market independently before boarding the train late morning with box lunch in hand for the 1.5-hour ride to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu town.  Check-in to the hotel on arrival and spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.  There may be the opportunity for an optional visit to Machu Picchu Sanctuary in the afternoon hours when you can enjoy the site with fewer visitors.

Have a guide briefing, dinner, and overnight at the Inkaterra Pueblo Hotel.

After a very early breakfast at the hotel, you’ll walk to the bus station for the 30-minute ride up to Machu Picchu Sanctuary. Your trip leader will give a two-hour guided tour of the evocative ruins, and then you’ll have the option of climbing the sheer Inca staircase of Huayna Picchu, a steep and vertically challenging hike that affords encompassing views of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountain ranges (about a 2-hour hike). Afterwards, you’ll meet up with the guide again and return by bus to Aguas Calientes for a late lunch. The afternoon train ride from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes about 1.5 hours, and then a private vehicle drives you back to Cusco (an additional 1.5 hours). On arrival in Cusco (approximately 7 or 8 p.m.), you’ll be dropped off at your hotel for a final night in Peru.

Today you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy a roughly five-hour Lima city tour before catching your flight home. Explore the dazzling Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas) in the historic city center, built in the early 16th century. It is surrounded by beautiful architectural buildings including the Government Palace, the 17th-century Cathedral of Lima, and Archbishop’s Palace.