Chankachuco Trek 4 Days

Day 1: Cusco – Socma – Rayan

Leaving from Cusco early in the morning, we’ll drive to the Sacred Valley, headed for the village of Socma. Just before we arrive to Socma we’ll stop to take photos of some stone-age petroglyphs. This trek takes us up the valley behind Socma as we make our way to a small Incan site and beautiful waterfall that lies at the top. Walking past potato, corn, and quinoa fields, we’ll have the opportunity to see a variety of birds and native plants and to learn about the customs of the Andean people. Your guide will teach you a little Quechuan so that you can communicate with the people you meet on the trek
After this leisurely walk we’ll finally arrive to our destination: the Incan site of Perolniyoc. After a guided tour of the site, we’ll carry on a short distance to our campsite at Rayan (3650m) where we’ll stop for the night. In the afternoon, we will visit one of the local families. You can practice the Quechuan you learned earlier (much to everyone’s amusement!)

Day 2: Rayan – Chancachuco

Today is the longest day of the trek. Setting out from our campsite, we’ll make our way to the first pass on the trek. This area is still inhabited by the local people despite the high altitudes. One of the few plants that seems to thrive at this altitude is a type of mint (muna). The scent infuses the air throughout. It takes about four hours to reach the pass (4440m) where we’ll stop to catch our breath before carrying on for about another 20 minutes to stop for lunch. After lunch the walking will get easier; having reached the top of the mountain, the terrain levels out and we walk across the high plateau through a strange landscape of what appear to be burial mounds but are actually glacial morraines; piles of rock deposited by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Our destination of today is the Incan quarry of Chancachuco. Working our way down the high plateau we’ll arrive at Chancachuco (3820m) by late afternoon, passing by an Inca ruin called the Sun Gate along the way.

Day 3: Chancachuco – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

This day is dedicated to exploring Chancachuco. Despite it’s proximity to Ollantaytambo and the wide variety of interesting features, hardly anyone actually visits this site. Chancachuco was the quarry used by the Incas for the construction of Ollantaytambo.

After a guided tour of the site we’ll continue our way down the mountain following the original platform used for transporting the stones to Ollantaytambo and arrive to the town by early afternoon. From Ollantaytambo we’ll take the train to Aguas Calientes.

Day 4: Machu Picchu

Waking up early we’ll take the first bus up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. We’ll have a 2 hour guided tour of the site during which you’ll learn about the Incas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel. After your tour you’ll have free time to explore the site by yourself and if you have permits to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo from where you will carry on by bus back to Cusco.