Inca Quarry Trek 4 Days
Descripción:
The 4-day Inca Quarry Trek is an exciting adventure that takes you through stunning landscapes and fascinating archaeological sites. On the first day, you will depart early from Cusco and transfer to Soqma to begin the hike. During the hike, you will have the opportunity to admire the Perolniyoc waterfall and the Inca site of the same name. After a nourishing lunch, you will ascend to the campsite at Rayan. The second day starts early with a three-hour hike to the first pass, Puccaqasa, with spectacular views of the Sacred Valley. You will also visit the Inca site of Inti Punku and camp at Choquetacarpo. On the third day, you will hike to the Cachiqata quarry, where the stones for Ollantaytambo were cut, and then descend for three hours until you reach Ollantaytambo. After lunch, you will take the train to Aguas Calientes to spend the night. The last day begins with an early bus ride to Machu Picchu to enjoy a breathtaking sunrise and a two-hour guided walking tour. If you choose to climb Huayna Picchu mountain, you will do so after the tour. Finally, you will return to Cusco after experiencing an unforgettable adventure in the history of the Inca culture.
Day 1: Cusco - Soqma - Rayan
We depart from Cusco early in the morning and drive 1 hour and 45 minutes to Soqma (3,205 m / 10,512 ft). This is the starting point of our Inca Quarry Trek to Machu Picchu, where we meet the porters who will join us for the hike. We begin the trek with a 1.5-hour hike to the viewpoint of Perolniyoc Waterfall. This is a perfect opportunity to take photos and have a snack. The waterfall you’ll see at this spot is stunning! We then continue walking for another 35 minutes until we visit the Inca site of the same name, where we’ll have a brief tour. This will be our lunch site. After a satisfying lunch, we ascend for 45 minutes to our campsite in Rayan (3,700 meters / 12,136 feet).
- Meals: Lunch / Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping
- Walking distance: 8 km / 5 miles
- Approximate walking time: 3 to 4 hours.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Day 2: Rayan - Inti Punku - Choquetacarpo
After an early breakfast, we begin a 3-hour ascent to the first pass of the trek, known as Puccaqasa (4,370 m / 14,333 ft). At the top of the pass, there are incredible views of the Sacred Valley. This is a perfect spot for taking photos! We then descend for 25 minutes to our lunch site. After lunch, we hike for 2 hours with alternating ascents and descents. The final 20 minutes of this segment will take us uphill to the highest pass of the trek, Kuychicassa (4,457 m / 14,619 ft). From here, we hike downhill for 2.5 hours to a site the Incas called Inti Punku (which means Sun Gate), where there is a spectacular view of Mount Veronica (5,682 m / 18,637 ft) and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our campsite is a 30-minute downhill walk from Inti Punku at Choquetacarpo (3,600 m / 11,808 ft).
- Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping
- Walking distance: 13 km / 8 miles
- Approximate walking time: 8 to 9 hours.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Day 3: Choquetacarpo - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes
We’ll have an early breakfast and then hike downhill for one hour to the Cachiqata quarry (3,525 m / 11,562 ft), where we’ll observe the site where stones were cut for Ollantaytambo. We’ll have a tour and discuss how remnants of interrupted stone-cutting during the conquest period can still be seen. From the quarry, we descend for 3 hours until we reach Ollantaytambo (2,840 m / 9,315 ft). We’ll have lunch in Ollantaytambo. In the afternoon, we’ll take a train to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, you’ll check into your hotel room. The natural hot springs in town are a great way to spend the afternoon if there’s time available before dinner. Dinner will be at a restaurant.
- Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Walking distance: 11 km / 7 miles
- Approximate walking time: 4 hours.
- Difficulty: Moderate.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
- Meals: Breakfast.
- Maximum altitude: 2,040 m / 6,691 ft.
- Minimum altitude: 2,440 m / 8,052 ft.
included
- Bilingual tour guide (English-speaking) (Pre-departure meeting at your hotel 1 or 2 days before your trek).
- Hotel pick-up and transfer to Soqma.
- Four-person tent for every 2 people.
- Sleeping mats.
- Kitchen tent.
- Dining tent with tables and chairs.
- Cook.
- Porters and horses to carry all the equipment (food, tents, chairs, tables, etc.).
- Horse to carry 7 kg of your personal gear.
- Canvas bag for your personal gear.
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners.
- Hot water for washing.
- Boiled and cold water provided every morning for refilling water bottles.
- Emergency oxygen bottle and first aid kit.
- Train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.
- Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.
- 1 night hotel accommodation in Aguas Calientes (double occupancy).
- Entrance to Machu Picchu.
- Round-trip bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
not included
- Sleeping bag: you can rent one from us.
- Day 1 breakfast.
- Day 4 lunch in Aguas Calientes.
- Tips for staff (guide, chef, porters).
- Entrance to Huayna Picchu mountain.