




Join the guides at Andean Path Travel on an unforgettable 4-day Inca Quarry Trek, an alternative to the classic Inca Trail that will take you through awe-inspiring landscapes and Inca sites away from the crowds before arriving just in time to catch the sunrise at Machu Picchu.
Andes
4 Days
All year
High
Intermediate
The Inca Quarry Trek is an alternative to the classic Inca Trail that leads to the stunning Machu Picchu. This beautiful trail offers several benefits over the classic route including that it doesn’t require a permit, it is less crowded, and it will take you to some less explored Inca sites, as well as through some of the local communities. Additionally, this route is open in February, while the traditional trail is not.
On this trek, we will set off from Cusco and trek a total of 25 km /15,5 miles over the span of 4 days. Our starting altitude will be 3,300 m /10,10,837 ft and we will finish at an altitude of 4,500 m /14,764 ft. You can find a detailed itinerary below.
Please keep in mind that this is a challenging trek that will require a good fitness level. Of course, we will be there to help and guide you every step of the way!
So, are you ready to join an unforgettable adventure to the stunning Machu Picchu? Then contact us now and let’s start planning your trip together! We will be happy to guide you.
Or, if you prefer, you can also join us on this 4-day Ausangate Trek to the beautiful Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain!
Meeting point
We will pick you up from your hotel at approximately 5:30 am and then drive by private bus for two hours to Soqma, which is the starting point for our Cachicata Trek to Machu Picchu. Then the real adventure begins as we follow a gently undulating path for half an hour, before ascending gradually for another hour until we reach the Incan site of Piroiniyoc and the waterfall of Soqma. From there, we will further explore and enjoy the amazing views of the Soqma Valley and enjoy lunch. After, we will continue hiking for another hour along more scenic paths until we reach our camping site at Rayan.
Walking Distance: 8 km / 5 miles
Starting elevation: 3200 m /10,511 ft
Highest elevation: 3700 m / 12,130 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Our wake up call will be at 5:30 am with a nice warm cup of coca tea. Following breakfast, we will start the hike uphill for three and a half hours, stopping at scenic viewpoints where we can take in the beautiful views of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the amazing snowy peak of the majestic Veronica mountain (5750m / 19,100 ft ) as well as the Urubamba River down below in the valley.
We will stop for lunch before continuing our trek and hike for another two hours to cross the highest mountain pass of the trek, Kuychicassa pass (4450 m / 15,511 ft). From there, we will then head downwards for two hours to Inti Punku (meaning Sun Gate) and enjoy the impressive views over the valley below and the Veronica mountain rising over the horizon. Our campsite for the night is then only a stone’s throw away from Choquetacarpo.
Walking Distance: 14 km / 8 miles
Starting elevation: 4450 m /15,511 ft
Difficulty: Moderate / Challenging
Overnight Elevation: 3600 m / 12,130 ft
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
We will wake up at 5.30 to begin our day’s trek. Following a tasty breakfast, we will start our descent for three hours to an old Incan quarry where you will learn about the building techniques of the Incas.
We will also take in the Ollantaytambo Inca site from a distance as well as spectacular views of Veronica mountain. Then we will descend for two hours more downhill where we reach the end of the hike.
After a tasty lunch together we will then take a private bus all the way to Machu Picchu town. We will enjoy a final celebratory dinner together before retiring to our hotel to enjoy a good night’s sleep in preparation for the early start the following day.
Walking Distance: 9 km / 5 miles
Starting elevation: 3600 m /12,511 ft
Highest Elevation: 2800 m / 8,130 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Meals Included: Brekfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel
We will wake up early to catch a bus up to Machu Picchu where we will have the opportunity to enjoy the sunrise and experience the wonder of Machu Picchu in the morning light. You will enjoy a two-hour tour by a local guide around this astonishing archeological site and then enjoy some free time to explore it further by yourself. During this time you may also opt to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu, the iconic mountain peak that overlooks the site of Machu Picchu or Macchu Picchu Mountain itself! After, we will return to Machu Picchu town by bus from where we will catch our train to Ollantaytambo and then a private bus back to Cusco.
Starting elevation: 2115 m / 6853 ft
Highest Elevation: 2115 m/ 7231 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Meals Included: Breakfast
Tour Operator
Andean Path Travel is a Peruvian Travel Company that caters to world´s travelers that want to step off the beaten track, embrace the unexpected and immerse in the authentic and extraordinary of Peruvian culture, history, and nature.
Our staff have the ideal balance of passion, attitude, intuition, and high-quality expertise to make and deliver truly unique and unforgettable experiences for you.
Preserve the local culture & the minimum impact to nature are strong commitments to Andean Path Travel, under the philosophy work of inclusive business and social responsibility.
Andean Path Travel is proud of the fact that its tour guides are the best Peruvian Ambassadors, very passionate about their heritage and take pride in introducing and immersing our customers to their culture and way of life.
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Languages
English
Man
Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!
Maxine
Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.
Valeriya
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Joshua
We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.
Cami
Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.
4.8
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