Peru · Trekking

3-Day Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu through the Sacred Valley

3 Days Round trip from Cusco Hard pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Trek from Patacancha to Huchuy Qosqo with beautiful views of valleys, mountains, and snowy peaks
02 Stay with a local family in Huchuy Qosqo and enjoy a beautiful sunset and a star-filled night
03 Explore Inca constructions, agricultural terraces, water channels, and sacred temples at Huchuy Qosqo
04 See the circular terraces of Andenes de Moray and the Salt Mines of Maras
05 Visit the House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana Tower, and the Three Windows at Machu Picchu

Trek from Patacancha through high Andean landscapes to Huchuy Qosqo, taking in beautiful views of valleys, mountains, and snowy peaks before spending the night with a local family. Explore the archaeological center of Huchuy Qosqo, then continue through the Sacred Valley to see the circular terraces of Andenes de Moray and the Salt Mines of Maras. The journey ends with a guided visit to the Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu, including its most important sectors and monuments.

Trek from Patacancha through high Andean landscapes to Huchuy Qosqo, taking in beautiful views of valleys, mountains, and snowy peaks before spending the night with a local family.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Hard

Accommodation Included · Budget

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Cusco, Machu Picchu, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Cusco to Patacancha Trek and Overnight in Huchuy Qosqo

Get picked up from your hotel at 6:00 am and travel by private transport to the town of Patacancha, at 3800 masl (12,467 ft), about one hour from the city of Cusco.
From Patacancha, with our backpacks, we will begin a walk of about 3 hours until we reach the highest point at 4200 m (13,799 ft).
From this point, we will have beautiful views of the valleys, mountains, and snowy peaks.
Then we will continue to the town of Pucamarca, where we can stop for a short rest.
From Pucamarca, we will continue along part of the Inca Trail to the city of Huchuy Qosqo.
We will have time to visit the town. Then we will go to our homestay with a local family, where we will spend the night.
There we will have dinner, and in the afternoon we will enjoy a beautiful sunset and a night full of stars.

Day 02

Huchuy Qosqo, Moray, Maras, and Train to Machu Picchu

At dawn, we will have an Andean breakfast and then visit the archaeological center of Huchuy Qosqo, where we can see its Inca constructions, agricultural terraces, water channels, sacred temples, and more. Our guide will explain the archaeological center and its history.
After our visit, we will continue our walk downhill for about 2 hours until we reach Lamay, where our transport will be waiting to transfer us to Urubamba. There, we can have lunch.
Continuing our journey, we will head to the Andenes de Moray, terraces built in gigantic holes that served in Inca times as an agricultural laboratory. These platforms have different microclimates, and each terrace has a different climate from the next.
Next, we will visit the colonial town of Maras. From here, we will go to the Salineras, or Salt Mines, which date back to Inca times and still continue to produce salt. There are approximately 2500 wells of about 5 m2 where salt is processed using salt water that comes from a hot spring.
At the end of the day, we will continue our trip to Ollantaytambo, where we can explore the town and have dinner.
From here, we will take our train to Machu Picchu Pueblo.

Day 03

Guided Visit to Machu Picchu and Return to Cusco

After our tour of the Andes in the Sacred Valley, we will finally visit the Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu. Very early, after breakfast at the hotel, we will board the bus that will transfer us to Machu Picchu, where we will have a guided visit and learn about the history of Machu Picchu.
Our visit will last approximately 2 and a half hours. We will visit the House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana Tower, the Three Windows, and other points of interest, while also distinguishing between the agricultural, urban, and religious areas.
After our visit, we will return by bus to Machu Picchu town, where we will be able to have lunch and enjoy free activities such as visiting the thermal baths and touring the artisan market.
Thirty minutes before the train departure, we will arrive at the train station to board the train to Ollantaytambo.
Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, our transport will be waiting to transfer us to the city of Cusco.

The route