Machupicchu Bike and Hike

The sun has already risen and we know how excited you are to ride in Cusco, the paradise of MOUNTAIN BIKE in Peru. We are as excited as you are, that is why the first thing to do is to enjoy a delicious and nutritious breakfast. Then, load the bikes in our transportation vehicle and head to the mountains in order to ride amazing and gnarly trails around the city. MTB courses where riders from Cusco and Peru train very often to polish their MTB skills, these trails have technical and steep sections, loose terrain, rock gardens, woods, berms, gaps, drops, ramps, roots and lots of fun. The trails that we will ride are CORAO DH, MISKI UNU, BROGGI DH, YUNCAYPATA, INKILLTAMBO and HUAYLLARITO. The last ride is very fun and it ends at the main plaza of the city where we can enjoy a well-deserved Cusqueña beer and a wonderful sunset.

This first day of MOUNTAIN BIKE is both a warm-up and at the same time a small example of the incredible MTB trails that await us in the coming days.

• Duration: 7 hours – shuttle time 3 hours – riding time 4 hrs
• Difficulty: intermediate
• Maximum altitude: 3867m – 12761 ft
• Minimum altitude: 3400 m – 11220 ft
• Up: 20 m (66 ft) – Down: 467 m (1541 ft)
• Distance: 38 km – 23.75ml

Today it is time to ride through the ancient MTB trails around the SACREDH VALLEY of the Incas. Once we load the bikes and get on the car, we will head to our first ride at the POTATO PARK located in Pisac, from where we can enjoy a very nice and gnarly trail that passes through different Andean farming communities. We can also observe the archaeological site of Pisac with its incredible system of terraces on the slopes of the mountains. At the end of the descent we can visit the picturesque market of Pisac and then go to another point of the SACREDH VALLEY to enjoy another unique and very fluid single track known as LAMAY. This track begins in a small village near the top of the Andes and ends in the cool town of Lamay, a place where you can taste or try the delicious guinea pig that is typical of the area. After lunch we will go to another mountain top of the Andes, above 4,400 m 14,520 ft, to ride down one of the most amazing trail in the entire SACREDH VALLEY, the LARES MTBing. This trail is very fluid and has everything, riding on old Incan trail that pass through nice canyons until we reach the town of Calca, where a local family home has a nice surprise waiting for us, then we drive back to Cusco and we get to choose one of the trails that we rode the day before and that you would like to ride.

• Duration: 8 hours – shuttle time 3.5 hours – riding time 4.5 hrs
• Difficulty:   intermediate - advance
• Maximum altitude: 4445m – 14668 ft
• Minimum altitude: 2924 m – 9649 ft
• Up: 10 m (33 ft) – Down: 1234 m (4072 ft)
• Distance: 54.8 km – 34.25ml

Today we will ride in this popular and unique destination around the SACREDH VALLEY of the Incas and learn more about the living culture of Chinchero, where we will witness the handmade weaving of alpaca fabrics.  Then we will visit the magnificent Incan agricultural laboratory of Moray and the colorful salt pans of Maras, we will visit all these places enjoying a great MOUNTAIN BIKE ADVENTURE riding through the different trails surrounded by impressive landscapes where we can observe lagoons, mountains and glaciers, all of them full of life and colors. A complete MOUNTAIN BIKE ADVENTURE complemented with history, culture and tradition. This day we leave Cusco and stay in Ollantaytambo, a very beautiful place in the SACREDH VALLEY consider the last Inca living town.

At the end of the day we will make a stop in a very special place to enjoy some craft beers before we arrive to Ollantaytambo.

• Duration: 7 hours – shuttle time 2 hrs – riding time 4 hrs – exploring time 1 hour
• Difficulty:  intermediate - advance
• Maximum altitude: 3745m – 12358 ft
• Minimum altitude: 2840 m – 9372 ft
• Up: 50 m (165ft) – Down: 905 m (2987ft)
• Distance: 38.6km – 24.125ml

Today is the beginning of another great adventure, one in which we will hike a thousand-year-old Inca trail that will take us to the most spectacular place in the Peruvian Andes. This adventure begins with a train journey following the sacred river of the Incas. During one hour of travel we will be able to observe the great snowcapped LA VERONICA 5,750 m 18,975 ft, as well as different archaeological remains, passing from the high mountains to the cloud forest of the upper jungle where life is more abundant. Upon reaching our destination, we head to the control point and start with an amazing hike in which we can visit archaeological remains, enjoy beautiful landscapes, and refresh ourselves in a beautiful waterfall. We will hike following a sacred path that will take us to the Sun gate, from where we can observe the enigmatic citadel of MACHUPICCHU. Once we get there, we can enjoy a unique sunset on one of our favorite and beautiful balconies. After this great moment we have to go to the bus station to board the bus that will take us down to Aguas Calientes where we will spend the night.

• Duration: 7 hours – train ride 1 hour – hiking time 4.5 hrs – exploring time 1.5 hour
• Maximum altitude: 2700m – 8910 ft
• Minimum altitude: 2000 m – 6600 ft
• Distance: 12 km – 7.5 ml

Today is one of those once-in-a-lifetime days because we will explore the sacred citadel of MACHUPICCHU. After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the bus station that will take us back to MACHUPICCHU, a journey of approximately 30 min. Once in Machupicchu, we will have an expert guided tour to learn more about this ancient culture. We will explore the entire citadel for approximately 3 to 4 hours in which we can take a short hike that will take us to the Inca bridge along a spectacular path. We leave the Inca bridge and return to make a complete tour visiting sacred temples, royal houses, main squares and all the important places that this sacred citadel has to offer. After an amazing tour from corner to corner it is time to say goodbye to this wonderful place and return to the town of Aguas Calientes to catch the train that will take us back to Ollantaytambo, and then a bus back to CUSCO.

NOTE:

 if you wish to take the optional hike to the WAYNAPICCHU mountain, please let us know months in advance to find you a ticket for this great hike which is a challenge as it requires great physical effort and no fear of heights to conquer the top.

• Maximum altitude: 2400 m – 7920 ft
• Minimum altitude: 2000 m – 6600 ft

After a few hard and beautiful days in the Andean mountains, it is time to take a break and thus regain strength for the adventure that still awaits us, this day you can visit museums or archaeological remains as well as go shopping, have some massages or ride your bike if you wish.

Today it is time to reach the top of the Andes, to places so high and sacred to our ancestors, places where you will be able to appreciate the magnificence of the Andes and PACHAMAMA or MOTHER EARTH. We will hike to VINICUNA or RAINBOW MOUNTAIN and the RED VALLEY, and then enjoy a gnarly freeride through incredible places full of colors. This adventure starts very early so that we can avoid the crowd and enjoy this wonderful place alone.

We leave Cusco at 3:00 am and head to the high mountains of Cusipata where this great adventure begins. Upon reaching the starting point we enjoy a nutritious breakfast and then start our hike until we conquer the top of the RAINBOW MOUNTAIN 5,100 m 16,830 ft. From this magnificent place, we will be able to observe the great snow-capped mountain of AUSANGATE 6,385 m 22,555 ft as well as the impressive Red Valley through which we will ride our bikes from top to bottom until we reach a small town located in the middle of nowhere surrounded by large mountains. We will ride along a typical Andean MTB Trail that is super enjoyable and super flowy. At the end of the descent, we load the bikes in our transport and go to a special place where we will enjoy a delicious buffet lunch and then return to Cusco.

At night we will gather to celebrate the incredible days we spent riding a bike in the Peruvian Andes.

NOTE: Extend your MTB adventure one more day, we assure that you will not regret it, this time we will be face to face with the great snow-capped Ausangate, we will observe its colorful lagoons, at the campsite we will enjoy the view of the Andean sky with thousands of stars and we will be able to appreciate different constellations as well as the milky way, in addition to riding through unique trails in the middle of the remote Andes.

We know that travel is often more than just MTB and hiking adventures and that many travelers want to extend their trip within Peru. In order to know the cultural, historical, and gastronomic wealth that we have to offer, as we are happy to assist you in future plans. Just let us know what works best for you. However, if your plan is to go directly to the airport, don't worry we will assist you.

Good vibes waykis.