Huchuy Qosqo Trek 3 Days

Hotel pickup ~6:30 am and a short drive north of Cusco to start the hike near Chinchero, with a brief visit to its market. A gradual ~1.5-hour ascent to the first pass through ichu grasslands, then a series of high puna passes above 4,200 m, walking past an ancient Inca stone quarry. Panoramic views of the snow peaks Verónica, Pitusiray and Chicón, and of the Piuray and Qoricocha lagoons. Hot lunch prepared by the trekking chef beside a high-Andean lake, surrounded by Andean geese, partridges and herds of llamas and alpacas. In the afternoon, a visit with a family from a local farming community before reaching the campsite (~4,000 m): 4-season tents shared by two, dining tent and tea time with snacks at sunset. Dinner and a starry night — temperatures can drop to −5 °C.

Distance: 12 km · Max altitude: 3,400 m → 4,200 m → 4,000 m · Meals: B, L, D

Wake up with coca tea at your tent and breakfast. A downhill hike along a restored section of the Qhapaq Ñan (the Inca road network) into the León Punku canyon: a narrow gorge of dramatic rock walls with the remains of an Inca bridge, where the climate shifts into a hidden valley of hummingbirds and flowers. Arrival at Huchuy Qosqo ('Little Cusco', 3,650 m), palace of the Inca Wiracocha: a ~1-hour guided visit of the 54-meter kallanka great hall, the qolqas (storehouses), the Haukaypata plaza, the 2,000 m³ reservoir and the 4-meter terraces with irrigation channels still visible, with the Sacred Valley at your feet. Zigzag descent of ~1.5 hours to Lamay (2,940 m) for lunch. Private bus to Ollantaytambo, free time in its Inca streets, dinner and the evening train to Aguas Calientes. Night at a hotel with a hot shower.

Distance: 10 km · Max altitude: 4,000 m → 3,650 m → 2,940 m · Meals: B, L, D

Early breakfast and one of the first buses up (5:30 am, 25 minutes) to watch the sunrise over the citadel from the Caretaker's Hut, weather permitting. Guided visit of 2–3 hours along the classic circuit: the Main Plaza, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Temple of the Sun, the royal quarters and the Temple of the Condor, while your guide explains Inca hydraulic engineering and the context of the 1911 rediscovery. Free time for photos. Optional add-ons with advance-booked extra tickets: Huayna Picchu (~1 hour steep climb) or Machu Picchu Mountain; free option: the walk to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. Bus down, free lunch in Aguas Calientes, afternoon train to Ollantaytambo and private transfer to Cusco, arriving ~7:30 pm.

Max altitude: 2,040 m → 2,430 m → 3,400 m · Meals: B