Huchuy Qosqo Trek + MACHU PICCHU

Trip Overview

Tour Type: Cultural in Archaeological Sites in Cusco and Machu Picchu
Good For: Everyone, done in small groups or privately
Difficulty: Moderate
Consideration: Please remember comfortable shoes.
Season: From January 1 to December 31.
Duration: 3 Days.

PACKAGE DETAILS

Day 1: CUSCO – GOLDEN LAKE – QUENCCO – HUCHUY QOSQO TREK

We will pick you up from your hotel around 6:00 am and take you to the Inca site Puca Pucara (3700 masl), which is only a 20-minute drive from the city of Cusco. We will begin hiking gently uphill for 1.5 hours to get to the first pass (4100 masl). From here, there will be spectacular views over the two valleys.

Down below, there are two Inka sites with beautiful landscapes of grass-covered mountains and farmlands. You will also be able to see Cusco, the capital city of the Incas, surrounded by stunning Andean mountains.

Your guide will explain to you how the Incas arrived in the area and where they came from, and also about the Spanish conquest.

We will then continue on our journey following the path along the side of the valley, making our way towards the top.  It will be a 45-minutes walk to the top end of the valley and once we get there we will cross a small stream that divides the valley. We will continue walking until we arrive our way at our lunch spot at the Queullacocha Lake. The area surrounding the lake is quite barren and is a high plain between the mountains covered with a tough Andean grass called Ichu. This barren landscape, however, provides an excellent opportunity to see a wide variety of birdlife, including Andean Geese, Lapwings, Partridges, and a variety of birds of prey.

After lunch we’ll continue heading to our campsite to spend the night at the village of Quencco. Making our way over the top of one of the ridges we’ll descend towards the Qoricocha Lake (Golden Lake) and loop around it. The walk to the village will take about 2 and a half hours.

Here we will be greeted by groups of children and adults excited to welcome us to their community. After we settle in and drink a hot cup of mate de coca, we’ll visit one of the local families to learn about their way of living. If you brought any gifts with you, this is the time to give them to the family. After our visit, we’ll have some free time to relax and your guide will tell you more about the Andean way of life. This is also a good time to buy some Andean souvenirs.

Distance walked: 14 km

Day 2: QUENCCO – HUCHUYQOSQO – LAMAY – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES

Rise and shine with a delicious cup of hot coca tea! You can then have a delicious and filling breakfast. From Quencco we begin our walk to the Inca site of Huchuy Qosco. After 2 hours walking, we will reach a stretch of the original Inca trail, just below the village of Pumamarca. Along the way, we will pass by many local people caring for their llamas and tending their fields. This is one of the main activities from these people at this altitude because the terrain is perfect for it. Once we reach the Inca trail, the scenery around us begins to change from the high mountain top to a secluded and calm valley. This valley is beautiful and is full of lush vegetation. You will be able to see many small birds, including a variety of hummingbirds feeding on the abundant flowers in the area. We make our way down to the valley, where we are surrounded by snow capped mountains and the famous Urubamba mountain range. There will be plenty of time along the way to take pictures.

Slowly, we will make our way towards the main site. As we approach we’ll pass through an adobe Inca gateway and finally arrive at the magnificent Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo (Little Cusco 3600 masl), which is perched above one of the sacred valleys of the Incas. Here you will see amazing Inca buildings such as religious houses, store houses, Inca terraces for agriculture, and an Inca reservoir used to deposit water for the dry season. Your guide will tour you around to explain the significance of this incredible site.

After the tour, you will have time to explore the site by yourself before having lunch. From the Huchuy Qosqo we will begin our walk downhill to the Sacred Valley. It takes about 2 hrs to get to the village of Lamay (2800 masl) along the Urubamba River, where the bus will be waiting to take us to Ollantaytambo. We will have dinner in a restaurant in Ollantaytambo, before taking the 7 pm train with your guide to Aguas Calientes. Once we arrive there, we will check into the hotel to enjoy a hot shower and to rest.

Distance walked: 17 km/10.56 mi

Day 3: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – AGUAS CALIENTES – CUSCO

Today, you will explore the amazing Machu Picchu. It is the most important part of our trip and you will have the option of how you want to arrive at this sacred site.

You can either leave the hotel around 4:00 am and walk up for about 1 hour or you can take the first bus leaving Aguas Calientes at 5:30 am, which takes 25 min. We need to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu. (It will depend on the climate and season of the year).

Once you arrive at Machu Picchu you will have a guided tour around the area for 2 hrs. You will then have free time to explore the ruins on your own and you have the ticket, you can climb the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain (these are separate entrance tickets and each costs extra USD 25 per person), if not you can visit the Sun Gate. Either one has breathtaking views and it just depends on how much more you want to climb. After you have taken in all of Machu Picchu, you will return to Aguas Calientes where you can have lunch.

You will then board the afternoon train (usually at 3:00 pm) to Ollantaytambo where you will board a bus and return to Cusco at around 6:30 pm.

IT IS INCLUDED:

• Hotel pick up
• Private transportation to the beginning of the trail (the Inca site Puca Pucara)
• Professional, bilingual tour guide
• 4-person tent for 2 people (very comfortable)
• Foam mattress for sleeping
• Pillows
• Buffet meals and snacks
• Boiled drinking water
• Extra water for washing purposes and hot water in your bottle to sleep
• A chef and porters to look after you
• Entrance fee to Machu Picchu
• Entrance fee to Huchuy Qosqo Inca site
• Bus transportation from Lamay to Ollantaytambo
• Train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and return
• One way bus ticket (to or from Machu Picchu)
• Transfer back to Cusco
• Hotel accommodation in Aguas Calientes
• Tour guide in Machu Picchu
• Taxes included

IT IS NOT INCLUDED:

• Sleeping bag (available to rent)
• Walking sticks (available to rent)
• Lunch in Aguas Calientes

WHAT TO BRING

TREKKING CHECKLIST:

• Original passport (passport used for booking)
• Valid ISIC – International Student Identity Card. (To receive a student discount, it must be presented at booking and at Machu Picchu)
• Good backpack or daypack
• Good sleeping bag
• Warm clothes including layers for variable temperatures.
• Rain jacket plus rain poncho
• Thermals (woolen socks and woolen hat for the evenings and mornings)
• Hiking boots
• Bring about 3 t-shirts (save one for Machu Picchu to look great for your photos)
• Walking poles
• Flashlight (headlamps are necessary for camping out at night)
• Camera (including extra batteries)
• Sun protection (sunscreen, sun hat, sunglasses)
• Mosquito repellent.
• Toiletries, toilet paper, and a towel
• Personal medical kit
• Extra money for souvenirs, extra food and drink, and optional tips

Flexible cancellation/ change

• Cancel your tour at least 30 days in advance and it will be charged only 40% of the total amount to cover up administration expenses. Passed the 30 days it will be charged the full amount.
• The policy to reschedule or to make any amendment allows the update to be made no more than 15 days prior to the date of your tour and it is valid until December 31st , 2022. (To reschedule Machu Picchu it will be charged USD 25 per person to cover up administration expenses.
• The itinerary may be subject to changes due to unforeseen circumstances, beyond the control of the operator, changes without prior notice.
• In order to protect your investment, we kindly recommend that you purchase travel insurance.
• If for any reason your tour gets cancelled during the pandemic we highly recommend you to consider postponing your tour to 2022 or 2023. It will only be charged the amount of USD 25 for changing the date on the Machu Picchu entrance ticket.