Inca Quarry Trek
Inca Quarry Trek takes you through the villages of Ancahuasi and Huarocondo and is perfect for travellers craving a deeper understanding of Incan archaeological sites. Many tourists who come to Peru never get to see these local Quechua communities in the mountains. On the Inca Quarry Trek you will get the chance to visit these place and form a deeper understanding of the lives of the Incas. While walking along the path to Machu Picchu, we will see quarries, the Inca city of Wata, and some of the most important mountains in the Andes, such as Verónica, Chicon, and Salkantay. On this trek, we will also see the Canyon of Punku Punku, known as the entrance gate of the Andes. As we make our way down to the Inca Quarry of cachicata, we will walk in the place where the Incas removed rock to build Ollantaytambo.
Overview
Itinerary
- Day 1: CUSCO – KILLARUMIYOC – MOONSTONE-CHILLIPAWA
- Day 2: CHILLIPAWA – CHANCACHUCO
- Day 3: CHANCACHUCO – INTIPUNKU- CACHICATA
- Day 4: CACHICATA-OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES
- Day 5: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU -CUSCO
Included: Lunch on the last day after visiting Machu Picchu
Itinerary
Day 1
CUSCO – KILLARUMIYOC – MOONSTONE-CHILLIPAWA
We will begin the Inca Quarry Trek by picking you up from your hotel in Cusco in one of our private vehicles and driving towards Pampa de Anta. After one hour of driving, we will arrive at the Killarumiyoc archaeological center and take time to view the agricultural experimental center. After viewing the archaeological center, we will continue to the village of Huarocondo, known for its lechón (roasted pig). Here we will find local people continuing to work the stones. We will continue towards the valley for 25 minutes until we reach the starting point of our trek, Parpiso, where we will meet our horsemen. From here, we will begin the Inca Quarry Trek, ascending gradually around the outskirts of the mountain. We will observe valleys, mountains, archaeological centers and the impressive Inca city of Wata, the guardian of the valley of Pomatales. We will visit the city and admire it for its strategic location before heading uphill for 2-3 more hours towards Chillipawa, where we will camp for the night.
Day 2
CHILLIPAWA – CHANCACHUCO
After breakfast, we will reach the Accoccasa Pass where we will find Andean people continuing age-old Incan traditions of agriculture, religion, music, language and others. Once arriving to the pass, we will feel like we are in the Andean sky, feeling the cold and dry air and looking at the most important mountains of the region, Verónica, Chicon, Salkantay, Ausangate, and Huayanay. Looking at the mountains will give us a great idea of how the Andes were formed. We will also be able to see llamas and alpacas. After taking in these incredible views, we will descend for an hour until we arrive at the campsite.
Day 3
CHANCACHUCO – INTIPUNKU- CACHICATA
After spending the night in the local village, Chancachuco, we will continue our trek to the Incan site at the marker “11 km,” which will show us the complex aqueduct system that the Incas used. As we descend, we will enter the impressive canyon of Punku Punku, known as the entrance gate of the Andes. In this section of the Inca Quarry Trek, we will notice that the climate becomes semi-tropical. We will then arrive at Intipunku, an Inca Temple dedicated to worshipping the glacier Veronica. Then, we will reach Cachiccata quarry where the Incas extracted stones to build many cities, namely Ollantaytambo. Cachiccata was an Incan city inhabited by architects and hundreds of workers from different regions of the empire. In Cachiccata, it is possible to find buildings used for administration, housing, terraces, funeral chambers and irrigation channels.
Day 4
CACHICATA-OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES
After a hearty breakfast, we will have a tour of the quarry. During the tour we will come across some mummies still in caves that the Incas would have offered up as sacrifices to the gods. As we contine the Inca Quarry Trek We will also come across some precarving rocks and, on exiting the quarry, we will see many stones along the way that were abandoned due to the arrival of the Spanish. We will then go to Ollantaytambo, and from there take the train to Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night in a comfortable hostel in Aguas Calientes.
Day 5
AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU -CUSCO
We will begin the final day of the Inca Quarry Trek with an early breakfast. We will take an early bus to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes and arrive in Machu Picchu in time to witness the magnificent sunrise. We will register in Machu Picchu and start our 2-3 hour walking tour of this mysterious city. After the guided tour, you will have some free time for your own exploration of the site. After enjoying the ruins and concluding the Inca Quarry Trek, we will take the return train to Cusco in the afternoon.
Included
Inca Quarry Trek Includes:
- Transportation from your hotel to Pampa de Anta.
- English-speaking professional guide
- Meals: 4 Breakfasts/4 Lunches/4 Dinners; and snacks!
- Chef and cooking equipment
- Horsemen and horses to carry tents, food and cooking equipment
- Hostel accommodation (4th night)
- Round trip bus ticket: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu (5th day)
- Entrance fee to Machu Picchu
- Train ticket: Aguas Calientes – Cusco
- Tents: We place 2 people in each 3-person-capacity tent, to allow for greater comfort and extra space to keep your backpacks.
- Dinner tent, bathroom tent, kitchen tent, tables; seats, table set, First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle.
- Lunch on the last day after visiting Machu Picchu.
Not Included in the Inca Quarry Trek:
Tips for your guide and staff, who work many tours to Machu Picchu, are greatly appreciated.
Pictures
Map
Price
Price: US $600 per person.
Minimun 2 peolpe required
Group Size: 2-8 people
Note:
Inca Quarry Trek services include pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Cusco. This is an additional service that we provide, which sets us apart from other tour providers.
For all group bookings of greater than 3 people, we offer you a free city tour or tour of the Sacred Valley.
Pachacutec Expeditions, does not have any hidden fees. We includes a porter that will carry your personal belongings in all of our treks, at no additional cost.
We will provide you with a duffel bag to put all of your belongings in. The duffel bags easily fit 8 Kilograms /17 pounds per person including your sleeping bags.
However, you will still need to carry your day pack with all of your essentials like water, sunscreen, passport, etc
We offer a discount of US $20 to students with a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and to children under the age of 16 years old. Scanned copies of your ISIC card or child’s passport must be provided at the time of payment of the deposit for the trek in order to qualify for the international discount.
Train for the end of the Inca Quarry Trek:
We suggest our tourists 6:45 p.m. train. This departure time will allow you to spend more time at Machu Picchu and do more activities like climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, which can be booked additionally. Also, you can walk to the sun gate , the inca bridge, and still have time to enjoy the hot springs or some cervezas after a long trek.
The 6:45 p.m. train will arrive in Ollantaytambo train station at 8:20 p.m. and you will be picked up by your driver outside of the train station. The driver will be holding a sign with your name on it so that there will be no confusion. If you do not see the driver initially, just wait for them outside the train station. Once the driver has picked you up, then you will travel for 1 1/2 hours in a van before you arrive back at your hotel/hostel. Arrival time in Cusco is approximately 10:00 p.m.
Also, we suggest the 2:55 p.m. train for travelers who are planning to leave Cusco city early in the morning the next day to continue with their travel plans.
Important: We guarantee these early Expedition departures, as per the itinerary, if you book your tours in 2 months in advance. Otherwise we may be forced to offer the Expedition train that departs at 6:45 p.m. only.
There is an option to upgrade your train to the Vistadome train, which is an extra US $35 per person. Please let us your preference at the time of booking.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If you are thinking of climbing Huayna picchu mountain you must book in advance. Only 400 people can hike Huaynapicchu per day. You will climb it on your own after the tour in Machu Picchu, starting around 10:00 a.m. We recomend that you book your tickets in advance to let us know of your interest in Huayna Picchu. Machu Picchu Mountain is an alternative climbing mountain, which also offers fantasic views of the site. We recomend it if huayna Picchu Mountain is overbooked.
Rentals
Hiking poles: US $1o.00 (pair)
Sleeping bag US $2o.00
Air Matress US $15.00
For treks that includes accommodation at Aguas Calientes, we will stay in a hotel. In contrast to other companies, we will not be staying in basic shared rooms or sharing showers.