Inca Quarry Trek to Machu Picchu 4 days

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4 Days

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~~$580~~

$551

Inca Quarry Trek to Machu Picchu 4 days

4 Days Starting and ending in Cusco

Visiting: Urubamba, Ollantaytambo District, Ollantaytambo, Machupicchu District

Tour operator:

TreXperience

Tour code:

57985

Recommended For:

Couples, Family-Kids, Singles

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

1 - 8

Physical rating:

MODERATE

Age range:

3-8

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Vegans, Meat, dairy free, gluten free

Tour operated in:

English , Spanish

From:

$580

$551 (USD) The Big ADVENTURE Sale: -$29

Tour Overview

The Inca Quarry Trek takes hikers to beautiful and secluded waterfalls, to traditional Andean communities, and to the largest quarry in the Inca Empire. You’ll learn about life in these isolated villages, Inca culture, and enjoy the different landscapes; from the Sacred Valley to the high Andean mountains, and spend an unforgettable day exploring Machu Picchu – one of the most incredible locations on the planet.

Highlights

Visit the Perrolniyoq waterfall, the most beautiful in Cusco
Explore the largest Inca Quarry and spectacular Inca Ruins
Visit the Sungate in Ollantaytambo
Participate in a Pachamanca underground hot-stone barbecue
Panoramic train on the way back to Cusco
Visit our Social projects in Cachiccata

Itinerary

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Day 1: Cusco – Racca – Soqma – K´Orimarca

Location: Urubamba

Accommodation: Camp

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

TreXperience team will pick you up from your hotel at 7:00 am and drive for 2 hours to the community of Racca, located in the Sacred Valley (You must have breakfast in your hotel for this tour). The Quarry Trail trek starts visiting the ancient Inca shrine of Ñaupa Iglesia (2967m / 9734 ft), this is by far one of the most mysteries Inca sites in the whole region. Then, continue hiking for 2 hours to the community of Soqma (3188 m / 10459 ft) where lunch will be prepared by your trekking chef using fresh local products. After lunch, explore the village, interact with the local villagers, and understand their humble lifestyles and cultures. The second part of our trek is a 2 to 3-hour hike uphill to Perolniyoc waterfall – one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Cusco with a drop of 328 feet into the rock. The views from this location of the Soqma Valley, Maras Plateau, and snow-capped mountains are spectacular. The Campsite is near the archeological in Korimarca village (3611 m / 11847 ft)

Campsite Altitude: 3611 m / 11847 ft

Distance: 12 km / 7.5 miles

Duration: 7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Camping

Difficulty: Moderate

Day 2: Korimarca – Inti Punku – Choquetacarpo

Location: Ollantaytambo District

Accommodation: Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake up bright and early with a hot cup of coffee or coca tea. Today is the most challenging and yet the most beautiful day of this TreXperience! After breakfast, it’s a 4-hour uphill hike to Charkahuaylla pass (4450 m/14599 ft). At the summit, you can take a well-earned break and enjoy the amazing views of the snow-capped peaks of the Urubamba mountain range and the mystical Sacred Valley of the Incas while your tour guide performs a traditional offering ceremony to the mountain Apus (mountain spirits). Afterward, continue the Quarry trek in the highlands to the Andean lake of Marcacocha (4000 m /13100 ft). This is a perfect place to break for lunch. Later in the afternoon, start climbing to the second and last mountain of the trek; Apu Buena Negra (4370 m / 14300 ft). Upon reaching the summit, your efforts will be rewarded with one of the most spectacular views in the region. then, continue downhill for 2 more hours to Intipunku (Sun Gate); a beautiful doorway that overlooks the majestic Veronica mountain (5,893 m / 19,334 ft). Our campsite is just a few minutes further at Choquetacarpo (3600m/11811ft).

Campsite Altitude: 3600 m / 11811 ft

Highest altitude: 4450 m / 14599 ft

Distance: 15 km / 9.5 miles

Duration: 8 hours

Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Camping

Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Day 3: Choquetacarpo – Cachiccata Quarry – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

Location: Ollantaytambo

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Choquetacarpo campsite is a perfect place to enjoy the sunrise with a cup of coffee. After breakfast, hike for 3 hours to the Cachiccata Quarry: the biggest quarry in the Inca Empire. Here your tour guide will teach you all about the incredible techniques of the ancient Inca stone-masons as well as about their lives and customs. You’ll be amazed by the enormous rocks that the Incas would transport and carve without the help of modern technology. This quarry was abandoned together with Machu Picchu and many other Inca sites during the Spanish invasion. As we fallow the ancient Inca route that was used to transfer the rocks to Ollantaytambo we’ll stop for Pachamanca Barbecue lunch and interact with local villagers at the Cachiccata community. Here our private bus will be waiting to take us to Ollantaytambo to explore these ancient streets and the water channel that has been in use since Inca times. After dinner, take the 7:00 pm train to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a hotel.

Campsite Altitude: 2040m/6692ft

Distance: 7 km / 4.5 miles

Duration: 5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Difficulty: Easy

Day 4: Machu Picchu (Lost City Of The Incas)

Location: Machupicchu District

Meals Included: Breakfast

On our final day, get up early and prepare for the highlight of your tour. After breakfast in the hotel, tale the first buses to Machu Picchu. Arriving as the sky brightens, the tour starts with a short hike to the Sun Gate or the Inca Bridge, with incredible views of the city along the way. On a clear day you can watch the spectacular sunrise over Machu Picchu. Then, explore the temples, palaces, and streets. After the guided tour, take some time to explore on your own or climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (tickets must be booked as far in advance as possible).

Once you finish exploring Machu Picchu, you’ll take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, enjoy lunch ( Not Included) and in the afternoon, take the Vistadome Panoramic train back to Cusco. Drop off at your hotel around 7:30 pm.

Duration of Guided tour: 3 – 4 hours

Meals: Breakfast (hotel)

Difficulty: Easy

What's Included

Fully Guided

Professional Tours during the 4 days of tour
Entrance Fees

Entrance fee to Machu Picchu
Train Tickets

One way Expedition Train One way Vistadome Train
Accommodation

2 Nights Camping 1 night in a 3-star hotel
Local Taxes

All taxes Included

What's Not Included

Country Entry Visas
Tipping and Gratuities

Optional
Sleeping bags, air mattress, or trekking polesLast Day LunchHuayna Picchu or Montaña entrancesTips for porters, chef, guides

Requirements

Passport Number
Rain gear
Sun protection
Warm layers (fleece / long-sleeved tops)
Personal medication
Camera, extra batteries
Head torch
Extra snacks, power bars, chocolate
Extra money for souvenirs, drinks & tips (small change is useful for paying to use the villagers' toilets on the first day)

Videos

Check out our Q&As

What is the fitness level required to do this tour?

Guest must have a moderate fitness leve
Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

Children must be always with their parents,
Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

All our tours guides are fluent English speakers
Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?

In case you need help with pre and post-tour accommodation, please contact us
Are flights included in this tour?

Flights are not included in this tour

Will passengers from another country be participating in the tour?

During our group tours, you will meet travelers from different countries and ages.

Reviews from Travellers on this Tour

JetSetterEddy

THE CONDOR PASS (Inca Quarry Trek) to Machu Picchu!

01-Jan-2021

Upon hearing the unfortunate news that the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu had been cancelled due to inclement weather, TreXperience quickly offered and organised for us to do the Inca Quarry Trek aka the Condor Pass (Path) trek. The trek was a spectacular and much less crowded alternative, taking us through awe-inspiring scenery as we gallivanted across the Andes! Our awesome guide Elisban was exceptionally insightful about the Inca sites and mountains we were exploring across the 4 days. Nothing was too much trouble for Elisban and his team, combined with their hilarious sense of humour, made for an unforgettable experience. The food was delicious throughout and on our third day we were fortunate enough to take part in a traditional Pachamanca! All in all, I would strongly recommend this Inca trek as an entertaining and exciting alternative to the Classic Inca Trail. You will be well looked after and enjoy magnificent views throughout the trek! Cheers again Elisban and the TreXperience team for showing us your incredible country and for giving us such a memorable experience! Read less

Rubybro

Inca Quarry Trek

20-Jan-2021

The Inca Quarry Trek with Trexperience was a great experience—the scenery was beautiful and the guides (Elsiban and Tom) were knowledgable and helpful and had an excellent sense of humour. The food was also great and the equipment was in good condition.

teddygoeshiking

One of my best treks

20-Jan-2021

This was one of the best treks I have ever done. It had a great mix of current Andean culture, Incan history, and nature. The views are unbeatable: surreal early morning fog, beautiful snow-capped peaks, lush terraces, and several historic Inca buildings. Additionally, the trek was not crowded; We only crossed paths with one other group once during the entire trek. The crew could not have been more impressive. Our tour guides Elisban and Tom provided us with plenty of historical information about the region. They were also attentive to the safety and enjoyment of the group. The meals catered by chef Leonardo along with his sous-chefs went beyond my expectations. The horsemen deserve so much gratitude for all their hard work hauling our tents/equipments from one camp site to the next. I highly recommend the Quarry Trek to anyone who wants to do the MP trek without the crowds, and I would also recommend doing it with Trex experience. One thing to consider is that the trek takes you to a higher altitude than the classic Inca trail would, so you should make sure to acclimate as much as possible before starting the trek.

Thomas E

Highlight of our Peru trip!

20-Jan-2021

We were a little skeptical booking through a smaller company, but once we met them, they exceeded all of our expectations and more. Our guide, Ray, was literally the best guide we could imagine. He has a lot of experience on the Inca Trail and had amazing insight, along with being just a great person and easy to talk to. This company does social projects to help the small communities in the mountain and even took some time to show us their work for a few minutes on the way out there. We could not have asked for a better company! As for the actual tour, it was beyond words how beautiful and amazing the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu were. The company provided a lot more comfort than we were expecting. The food was outstanding, Leo and the team of porters were so helpful, and the company did all they could to help us feel comfortable at the camp sites. Ray definitely did an excellent job and help make our group into a little family. I highly recommend this company and this trip to anyone who is thinking about an outdoorsy way to get to Machu Picchu.

Raphael M

Quarry Trek, the non-crowded alternative trek to Machu Picchu!

20-Jan-2021

When we got the bad news, that the Salkantay trek was not possible to hike due to heavy rain, TreXperience managed to rebook our trek very uncomplicated. With the Quarry trek, we landed on a magnificent alternative which we can recommend highly. The trek is far less crowded than all the other treks to Machu Picchu (we were the only group at this time) and the scenery was just stunning. After a well organised pickup at our hostel, a relaxed breakfast and a visit to a local weaving factory, we started the hike in a valley (appr. 2900 m.a.s.l.) and made our way up to two passes (appr. 4500 and 4600 m.a.s.l.). Already after a few hours, we visited the first Pre-Inca site. Our guide, Elisban, knew a lot of interesting facts and history to every place we visited. He explained everything in a funny and though professional way. Special mention should be made to the good food that was prepared always freshly by our two chefs Carmello and Lorenzo. They managed to produce a great variety of dishes under very simple conditions. Once even a chocolate-jelly-cake. Also the horsemen did a very good job in preparing our big tents for every lunch and every night. The tents and other equipment were in good condition. We slept well and woke up in front of the most beautiful views while getting a hot coca tea served at the bed. Thank you for an unforgettable experience on the Quarry trek and Machu Picchu!

Dates & Availability

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Apr
2024 May
2024 Jun
2024 Jul
2024 Aug
2024 Sep
2024 Oct
2024 Nov
2024 Dec
2024 Jan
2025 Feb
2025 Mar
2025 Apr
2025

Monday - Thursday

Apr 22, 2024 - Apr 25, 2024

~~$580~~ $551 (USD)