The Main Inca Trail

Duration: 11 Days
Start & Finish: LIMA
Skill Level:
Support: Support vehicle, guide, bike trailer & bike mechanic
Group Size:
Best Time:

Have you ever dreamt of mountain biking along the Main Inca Trail in Peru with the majestic Andes mountain range as a backdrop? Ride Away is one of the few mountain bike tour operators that can take you to this incredible mountain bike paradise to experience the unforgettable Andes Mountains and the incredible Machu Picchu. Not only that, our guide was xc and down hill champion in this part of the world for many years. We start our journey in Cusco and will ride, probably the best section of the main Inca Trail that connects Quito, Ecuador with the northern part of Argentina and other impressive Inca Trails in Cusco, including a part of the world famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, a world heritage site that will take your breath away.

In this part of Peru, you get the most impressive landscapes of the Andes ranges: huge valleys, deep canyons and beautiful glaciers, not to mention some awesome down hills starting above 4000m! You will also find the best examples of Inca architecture, experience the colourful local markets and the culture of the Peruvians living in the high Andes. The tour will include the spectacular Sacred Valley and nights spent in typical Peruvian towns.??Just remember when looking at the itinerary that 30km may seem short to you but the altitude at sometimes around 4500m is like nothing you would have ridden before!

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 01: Arrive Lima and transfer to Cusco.
Fly into Lima and board the plane to Cusco where we will set up our bikes and get ready for the next week of great mountain biking. Depending on your flight to Cusco, we plan to make a short ride through the main Inca sites and then descend into Cusco following Inca trails.

At night we will have a short but very interesting walk around downtown Cusco...not to be missed. There’s an amazing mixture of architecture from the Inca’s and the Spaniards.

Day 02: From Cusco to Andahuaylas riding the Main Inca Trail
We leave Cusco around 7:00 am with a short shuttle to start our first ride. We will cross little Andean villages on the way and then reach the natural lookout of the Salkantay Glacier at 6,721m (22,050 ft.). From this point we will start riding the first part of the Main Inca trail and reach the Inca site of Tarawasi near the village of Limatambo. This part of the Main Inca trail is still in use by local people who move from the higher part of the valley to the lower part. We plan to have lunch in Limatambo and then continue our journey.

We will have another shuttle that will take us to the Mountain Pass of Socclaccasa at an altitude of 4,000m (13,123 ft.). From this point we will ride another section of the Main Inca trail that descends to the city of Abancay which is located at an elevation of 2378 m in the central Andes above the Pachachaca River. It’s famous all-over-the-year warm weather has made it recognizable as "The Eternal Spring Valley". This ride has awesome trails.

At the end of this ride we will have our last shuttle and reach the city of Andahuaylas. It is known as the pradera de los celajes, the prairie of colored clouds with a population of around 34,000. Some cold beers would go down pretty well in the plaza.

Day 03: The Andahuaylas Ride
We are now in Andahuaylas at an altitude of 2,900m (9,515 ft.). The weather in this part of the Andes is semi tropical due to its location very close to the jungle.

Early in the morning we will be transferred to the airport of Andahuaylas at an altitude of 3,550m (11,650 ft.) where we start our ride, crossing the landing track and going towards the mountains near Andahuaylas. Get ready for spectacular views of the Chumbao Valley and the cities of Andahuaylas and Talavera.

After a short break to have some snacks and take some pictures, we will start descending to Andahuaylas following ancient trails from the Chanka culture that are more than 1,000 years old, passing through little villages and mixing with the local people of the Andes.
We will finally reach Andahuaylas and have a delicious lunch made of local and traditional dishes. We will ride approximately 20 Km. in 3 hours.

Day 04: From Andahuaylas to Huancarama
Early in the morning it is a half an hour drive to Pacucha Lake at 3,280m (10,760 ft.) where we start on single track that has a great view of this lake. At the other side of the lake is the archaeological site of Sondor that consists of one big round pyramid and other main constructions on the surroundings. Great views of the lake and the valley we have at all time.

After taking some pictures and having some food, we will continue our ride following the main Inca trail that goes uphill for 5 Km. until we reach the village of Rosaspata at an altitude of 3,430m (11,253 ft.). From this point we will follow one of the best parts of the main Inca trail that descends towards the Pincos Valley at the other side of the mountains.

We will meet our bus at the end of this descend and we will have one more transfer to the next mountains where it’s located the Inca site of Curamba at an altitude of 3,500m (11,483 ft.). The last section of the main Inca trail we will ride today is from this Inca site to the village of Huancarama where we will stay until the next day.
We will ride 35 Km. in approximately 5 hours.

Day 05: From Huancarama to Abancay
Up early and after a nutritious breakfast we will start riding from Huancarama. The first part of the trail follows an old dirt road uphill for 15 Km. It will take around an hour to reach this the village of Sotapa with amazing views of the Pachachaca Valley and Abancay City. This downhill is one of the best trails we have found for mountain biking with amazing views of the Andes. (see picture). This Inca trail in some sections are carved into the mountain covered with dense vegetation so really remote and hidden away..

We will reach the Pachachaca River and cross over the Colonial bridge that is still intact. The bus will be waiting for us in this point of the trail and those who want to keep can reach Abancay following the paved road.

We will ride a total of 54 Km. in 5 hours.

Day 06: From Abancay to Cusco
This is our last day before we reach Cusco and we are going to ride another impressive section of the main Inca trail that goes to Cusco. Early in the morning we will be transferred on our bus to the mountain pass of Abancay located at an altitude of 4,000m (13,123 ft.) and ride the trail on the other side of the mountains passing through impressive Inca sites like Saywite with its amazing rock carvings.

The ride continues until we reach the hot springs of Cconoc at an altitude of 1,780m (5,840 ft.). These baths are famous for its curative powers. It has restaurants and a bar where we can have a beer before we head for Cusco. The ride is around 30 Km. in 3 hours

Day 07: Sacred Valley’s Treasures
Early in the morning, after a good breakfast, we will be transferred to Chinchero, one of the most important Inca sites near the Sacred Valley. Chinchero is located at an altitude of 3,700m (12,139 ft.) and from this place it’s possible to see the entire plateau of Maras and the Vilcanota’s Mountain Range with its +5,000 meters glaciers like Chicon and Veronica. Even better, we then climb to 4,350m and ride an awesome Inca trail that descends to the Sacred Valley near Calca.  We will cross agricultural fields, border Lake Huaypo and reach the Inca site of Moray at an altitude of 3,600m (11,811 ft.) where we will stop and explore a little.

Back on bikes and heading towards the Urubamba River, at an altitude of 3,000m (9,843 ft.). and then on to the town of Ollantaytambo, where we will stay in a comfortable hotel.

Riding time for the 40km would be around 4 hours.

Day 08: Machu Picchu
This day is supposed to be a resting day, but in Peru we have too much to see that there’s no time for rest. We suggest a visit Machu Picchu as an option for this day. If you miss out it would be like going to Egypt and not seeing the Pyramids…it is that special. If there are 100 things you want to do before you die…Machu Picchu should be right up there.

The tour starts with a train ride from Ollantaytambo to the town of Aguas Calientes. From there we take a private bus up to the Citadel. Machu Picchu (like most of the Quechua names of towns and different sites in the region) is a compound word that comes from Machu = old or ancient, and Picchu = peak or mountain; therefore, Machu Picchu is translated as "Old Mountain". The famous mountain that is seen in front, and appears in most of the classical views of the site is named Wayna Picchu (Young Mountain). We will have practically all the day to explore the entire citadel which is a world heritage site.

Day 09: From Ollantaytambo to Lares
This is one of the most intense days of the entire tour. We are going to ride the trail that was used by the Incas to run away from the Spaniards. This is the trail to the Paititi, the last Inca citadel located somewhere in the Amazon Jungle which follows the Patacancha Valley, a tributary of the Urubamba River. We will be transferred by bus near to 4,000m (13,123 ft.). At this point our friends from the community of Patacancha will be waiting for us with horses to continue our way to the top of the mountains at an altitude of 4,500m (14,763 ft.). We will border a little lake near the mountain pass and then we will start descending to the village of Lares. We will end our ride in the hot springs of Lares, one of the best hot springs in the Cusco area.

We will ride a total of 25 Km. in 4 hours.

Day 10: Lares Inca Trail
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we will be transferred to the mountain pass between the Lares and Urubamba Valleys located at 4,350m (14,300 ft.). From here we start our ride down hill following another impressive Inca trail with thousands of rock steps that look like they were made for mountain biking!

We ride through one of the most impressive landscapes of the whole tour, crossing a deep canyon only possible by mountain bike and riding through different terrains, from flat surfaces on top of the mountain and into great valleys. The tour ends in the town of Calca but if we have enough time we can drop down into the city of Cusco riding another impressive Inca trail that ends in the middle of the city.

Today’s ride, a total of 35 Km. in about 4 hours.

Day 11: End of Tour
The tour has reached the end and it’s time to return home. Flights depart every 30 minutes until 3:30 pm. We will arrange your airport transfers.

 

PRICE: R19160 excluding airfare which would be R11000 to R13500
Because of the Rand being so unstable, we will have to increase the rate
if the Rand weakens below R8 to the US$


WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 9 nights at 3* hostels or similar.
  • 1 night camping near the hot springs of Lares.
  • Return domestic flight and airport taxes from Lima to Cusco.
  • All breakfasts and lunches during the tour.
  • Dinner at Lares (Camping night).
  • Snacks and water during the mountain bike tours.
  • Transportation from the airport to the hotel at your arrival.
  • Private transportation to all the locations. Will assist us at all time.
  • Two experienced guides at all time1. They will assist you when needed and help improve your mountain bike skills.
  • Maintenance tools and kit of spare parts in case we have any problem with the bikes.
  • Entrance fee to all the sites we visit during the tour.

Our experienced leaders and guides are trained on First Aid attention, they have international certification.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
International flights, extra weight tax in local and international flights, personal insurance, tour to Machu Picchu, alcoholic beverages, laundry service, tips, and other personal expenses.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING

You are traveling to Peru and on the areas we are going to be riding our bikes there are no or very little options to buy spare parts for your bike. First, we suggest you make a deep clean to your bike and check for worn parts such as chain, brake pads, cables and housings. Make sure everything is working properly.

We take some bike parts on our tours but there are some parts that are very specific to each bike so you should consider bringing the following parts with you:

  • Extra derailleur hanger.
  • 2 sets of brake pads.
  • Tubes, patches and pump. (We suggest putting tubeless system).
  • Some special tools for your bike and a bike multi-tool.
  • Back pack with a liquid container. You will need to take your food, tools, water and a light jacket.
  • Light wind breaker / waterproof.
  • Light thermal jacket. This will keep you warm if the temperature drops considerable.
  • Helmet, gloves and safety glasses.
  • Knee and elbow pads if you ride with these.
  • One pair of riding shoes.
  • Light.
  • Sun block. Recommended 30 SPF or more.
  • Insect repellent.

BIKE TRANSPORTATION
The best way to take your bike on the flight is in a bike box. You can choose either a normal hard cardboard box or those hard plastic boxes. In both cases you should be very careful packing your bike and prevent scratching or some damage to vulnerable parts like the derailleur hanger, brakes, fork, etc. Use lots of padding to protect your bike and use also plastic strips to tight all the parts together.

The way we pack our bikes is as follows: we first take off  the pedals, front wheel. Then we let air out of the shocks leaving only 5 or 10 psi. The next step is to put the seat post all the way into the frame or take it out and then take the handlebar off  the stem.

Now the bike is ready to put in the box and bubble wrap to prevent scratching. Make sure the bike fits on the box normally; check the area of the bottom of the fork and the back of the bike (derailleur hanger). You can put some of your riding gear such as shoes, helmet, gloves, etc.