Sacred Valley of the Incas Ride

Upon arrival at the Cusco airport the outfitter’s representative will welcome you to Cusco (he or she will have a sign with your name on it) and ensure that you have a safe transfer to your comfortable hotel near the center of this historical and beautiful city.

Today it is very important that you relax, rest and get acclimatized to the high altitude, before the start of your exciting riding expedition high in the Andes. Reservations have been made for you at the wonderful Hotel Costa del Sol, a 4-star establishment with rooms in the colonial part of the building, and only 2 blocks from the famous Plaza de Armas. The earliest check-in at the hotel is 11 AM. Should you arrive in the early morning a dayroom may be necessary (an out of pocket expense).

Please make sure that you rest well, because tomorrow you will meet and ride the Peruvian Paso horses and learn all about the classic Peruvian riding style. Lunch and dinner are on your own tonight.

After a delicious breakfast you will be picked up at 9.15AM outside your hotel. From Cusco it is a 1.25 hrs drive to your accommodation in the Sacred Valley. For the next four nights you will be staying in comfortable rooms at the Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inca, in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas; just a short drive from the stables. Once you have unpacked and refreshed yourself, you will be collected and transferred to the ranch. Today you will have an opportunity to become familiar with the beautiful Peruvian Paso horses and the traditional Peruvian riding gear.

Enjoy a delicious barbeque lunch at the ranch, some good wine and of course Maria’s famous Pisco Sours. In the afternoon, there will be a demonstration of classic Peruvian equitation, followed by an introductory Peruvian riding lesson, during which your riding ability will be evaluated. We will then match you with a mount in accordance with your riding ability, preference, personality and weight class. All horses are forward going, very well trained and a pleasure to ride.
Dinner will either be at the ranch or at a local restaurant. Riding time approx 4 hours, including the riding instruction before lunch. Altitude 2800 m/ 9190 ft.

After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, you will be transported to the ranch where the ride will set off. Cross the Urubamba River via a bridge and pass the village of Pichingote. From this point, climb with the horses to Salinas up a narrow track. Along the way, you will see the salt pans from Inca times. They are still being used to extract salt from the mountain spring water by the local owners. The salt pans consist of a series of platforms where the salty water is channeled through an impressive irrigation system and left to evaporate in the sun. Today you climb approx. 800 meters, to reach the Andean altiplano. This climb takes about two hours. We ride or try to ride, at a slow pace because the change of altitude does not only affect the horses. Once at 3,550 m (over 11,400 ft.), you will be impressed by the stunning scenery and the snow-capped mountains of Chicon, Veronica and Pitusuray. Continue your ride to Maras, a typical Andean village with a beautiful 400-year-old colonial church, where a picnic lunch will be waiting for you nearby. The church at Maras was built
just after the Conquest and is one of the ten oldest churches in South America.

From Maras, you will visit the ruins of Cheqoq. Here the Incas constructed fascinating cold storage areas (pre-Hispanic refrigerators) to conserve the agricultural produce of this region. The cooling of the products was achieved through a system of wind tunnels to circulate the cold air coming from the glaciers and a network of water channels to circulate the cold water from a nearby mountain spring. Continue riding until approximately 4:30 pm. The horses stay with the grooms at a campsite, and you will return to your hotel by private car. After some rest and a hot shower, you will be taken out for dinner at one of Urubamba’s local restaurants or the ranch. Overnight at the Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inca in the Sacred Valley.
(B,L,D).
Riding time: 4 to 4,5 hours. Altitude: 2,800 – 3,550 m/9,190 – 11,650 ft.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and be ready at 9.15 AM for the transfer back to where the horses spent the night. Follow primitive trails across the altiplano. The scenery is spectacular with snowcapped mountains, wildflowers and beautiful mountain lakes. You may meet smiling Quechua children with their herds of sheep or cattle and see Campesinos ploughing their fields in the traditional way – oxen hitched to a wooden plow. Maybe you will even share a Chicha (their traditional maize drink) with them. Follow the trail to Chinchero where a picnic lunch is awaiting you. On a clear day the views from Chinchero are tremendous; to the west and northwest stretches a vista of rolling alti-plano, ringed in the distance by the dramatic snowcaps of the Cordilleras Vilcabamba and Urubamba.
After lunch continue to Lake Piuray. From here ride in the direction of Cusco and pass small villages. At one of the villages you stop and meet a local family where you leave the horses with the grooms for the next two nights. If time allows visit Chinchero (if not, this visit will be scheduled the morning of Day 8) and possible a textile workshop where you will see an impressive demonstration of ancient techniques of spinning, dying and weaving.
The beautiful fabrics are still made in the way as they would have been in Inca times. Bring some money as you may want to buy some souvenirs, although don’t feel obligated to buy anything. Dinner is on your own tonight at the hotel and an out of pocket expense.  Riding time: 4 to 5 hours. Altitude: 3,550-3,800 m / 11,650-12,470 ft.

Today is a rest day for the horses and a day for you to relax and explore the Sacred Valley at your own pace and convenience. Strolling through the local market is a fabulous experience of colour, smell and sound. Visit the legendary town of Ollantaytambo, a masterpiece of Inca architecture, with its amazing Inca fortress. There are plenty of options to enjoy and spend a wonderful and unforgettable day in the Sacred Valley. Our driver is at your disposition and
will take care of all your needs, safety and transfers. All meals, except breakfast, are an out of pocket expense today. Enjoy!

After breakfast, the riding expedition continues. Pick up is at 9.15 AM from your hotel in the Sacred Valley and the horses are waiting where you left them on. Today’s ride will take you to incredible landscapes (and the highest point of the ride) with spectacular views. Dress warm today because at these elevations the weather can be more harsh and unpredictable. Ascend a steep and narrow valley to reach a pass at 4,150 m (13,600ft), and enjoy the view of Lake Q’oricocha. Many herds of Llamas, and Alpacas can be seen around here grazing among the farmland. The people living at this high altitude are friendly, hardworking farmers who grow mainly potatoes. After we explore the area around the lake, we ride eastward to a small lake called Quellacocha where we meet our back up team and stop for a delicious lunch. After lunch the ride heads northeast in the direction of the Sacred Valley. Descend from the altiplano into the valley of Umaspampa on a zig-zag trail for about two hours. Close to the village of Umasbamba leave the horses in the caring hands of the grooms and transfer back to your hotel in the Sacred Valley and dinner at a local restaurant or at the ranch. Riding time: 5 to 6 hours. Altitude: between 3,800 – 4,290 m / 12,470 – 14,000 ft.

Today is another stunningly scenic day and you will have plenty of breaks and photo-stops. From the village of Umaspampa ride to the villages of Cuper Alto and Cuper Bajo, arriving in the early afternoon at a beautiful small lake near the village of Chinchero where you have lunch. Much of the riding today is along trails that are part of the great Incan Empire’s road system, the Capac Ñan. The Incan road network was one the greatest engineering feats ever undertaken in the New World, rivalling the Roman road system in the Old World. The 25,000 km network linked Cusco, the Inca capital, to the empire’s far-flung domains. The road system reached almost all of the Andean territories, including Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and Chile and was formed by four clearly recognizable main roads, and many secondary roads. After lunch ride to a small village not far from Maras where the horses will stay with the grooms for the night. Transfer to your hotel in the Sacred Valley before dining at the hotel’s restaurant and overnight at the comfortable Hotel Posada del Inca. (B L D)
Riding time: approx. 5 to 6 hours. Altitude: 3,800 – 3,600 m/12,470 – 11,850 ft.

After breakfast get ready for your last riding day. Before you meet the horses at Huaynacolca
stop at the local market where Maria will show you all the local produce that is available.
After the short visit to the market drive back to where the horses spent the night and
continue the ride along the old Inca road high above the Sacred Valley. Pass farmland and
the small village of Santana before returning to the village of Maras. Arrive at a beautiful
courtyard of an old abandoned house for lunch where the back up team will be waiting with
drinks as well. After a delicious lunch follow a trail with great views of the Urquillos Valley,
arriving once more at the village of Maras. From there continue the descent into the Sacred
Valley, arriving at the ranch around 4:30 PM. Celebrate your return with a traditional Pisco
Sour.
Riding time: 4 hours approx.. Altitude: 3,600 – 2,850 m /11,850 – 9,350 ft. Dinner at the
ranch or at a local restaurant.

Today you visit Machu Picchu by train. Pick up from your hotel around 6-6.30 am. Since its
discovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu has captivated the hearts and minds of
the modern world. The experience of visiting Machu Picchu is not limited to the ruins
themselves; the train journey is one of the most spectacular in the world. Before it was
declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1983, the existence of the Inca citadel was
almost unknown to the world. Since the 80s, visits to Machu Picchu have increased so much
that it is now one of the favourite destinations for travellers. As of July 2017, the Peruvian
government has established new regulations to preserve the facilities of this Wonder of the
World. There are different entrance times: morning from 6 am to 12 am and afternoon from
12 pm to 5 am. The capacity of the Citadel is limited to 2,500 visitors per day, distributed in
the two shifts mentioned. Because of the increase in tourism in Peru, your ticket to Machu
Picchu must be booked and reserved in advance. Tickets are booked for the afternoon shift
and with the most convenient train schedule. Depending on availability at the time of
booking, you will be travelling with the luxurious Vistadome train service leaving from the
train station in Ollantaytambo in the morning (a 30-minute drive from your hotel) and
returning to the same station around 7 or 8 pm where you will be picked up again by our
driver. You will stop at the ranch for dinner on the way to the hotel. Lunch is an out-ofpocket expense today.

Early morning transfer to the airport in Cusco for your onward travel. The driving time is 1.25
hr; if continuing to Lima for international flights, book flights departing Lima 5pm or after.

Early morning transfer to the airport in Cusco for your onward travel. The driving time is 1.25 hr; if continuing to Lima for international flights, book flights departing Lima 5pm or after.