Huchuy Qosqo Peru Trek is an off the beaten path experience to Machu Picchu. Unlike Salkantay Trek and Inca Trail, Huchuy Qosqo Peru attracts a handful of visitors. Infact, this is the shortest trek to Machu Picchu.
Filled with history, Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu offers an extensive insight into the rise of Inca ruler Pachacutec who built notable sites like Machu Picchu and Choquequirao.
In Quechua Huchuy Qosqo means little Cusco. It was originally built as Kakya Qawani by Inca emperor Viracocha. The Incas did not practise the tax system. Instead, they controlled the land and labour.
This allowed them to acquire more lands where they built their palaces and farming terraces. During Viracocha’s rule, he faced revolt from the Cancha Community. He handed over the throne of Cusco to his son Pachacutec and took asylum in Huchuy Qosqo Peru.
Pachacutec in turn put down the revolt and deposed his father. On Viracocha’s death, his mummified corpse was stored in Huchuy Qosqo Peru.
When the Spanish invaded the site, they found the mummified corpse and set it on fire.
At 0600 AM, our tour guide will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. We will then embark on a 25 minutes drive to Tambomachay. It is just off the Cusco city at (3,700m/12,139ft).
We will start our hike along the ancient Inca Trail. This was used by Incas to link Cusco to Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in the XV century.
Huchuy Qosqo Trek:
You will get panoramic views of Cusco’s traditional neighborhoods such as Santa Ana, Santiago, Paquin and the Valley of Qorao. You will also get to see the Andean camelids, Alpacas and Llamas.
On the left side of the trail we can see ancient Incan terraces used by farmers. We will walk down the trail as it curves sharply up-hill to reach a pass with an elevation near 4,180 meters (13,714 ft).
Then we will descend along the trail. You will see beautiful green valleys stretching out as far as the eye can see. The trail takes us up over the second pass (4,300 m/14,107 ft) and into high open country.
As we reach the top, you will see the beautiful Lake Qoricocha Lagoon (Golden Lake in Quechua). We will then descend for 20 minutes to find our lunch spot, free time to rest.
After lunch we will continue another 300 meter (984 ft) climb to reach the highest point (4380 m/14370 ft). From this point, we can see Chincheros, the lake of Piuray, and some snow sacred mountains such as Salkantay and Veronica (2 passes).
After a full day hike, we will finally descend for an hour and a half to Pucamamarca, our camping place. Here, our staff set up camp and enjoy our supper underneath the great starry sky.
We will be waking you up at 0600 AM. After breakfast, we will be leaving the campsite at 0700 AM. We will begin with a hike to the end of the valley, and we will walk through a narrow canyon to see a recently restored trail with wooden bridges and some steps.
This place houses plenty of native trees and bushes. You will also get panoramic views of Lamay Valley and Calca, the sacred river of the Incas, and Willcamayo. It will be a one hour hike to reach the archaeological site of Huchuy Qosqo Peru.
Little Cusco in Quechua means Huchuy Qosqo. It was recently restored by archaeologists. Located 3450 meters (11,318 ft) above sea level, from this point it is clear to see many beautiful mountains such as Chicon, Pitusiray, Sawasiray, Waccaywilca and Veronica.
We will give you a guided tour for 1.5 hours. During the tour, you will get an insight to some of the prominent landmarks of the Inca complex.
Huchuy Qosqo was originally an administrative and military center of Pisaq. It houses many Inca buildings with perfect stone work and granaries, called Collcas, to store and preserve food. It was an important agricultural center of corn production.
Sacred Valley Hike:
By 10:00 am, we will leave the complex and hike for nearly 3-hours to Taucca Pass (4,400 m/14,435 ft). After reaching the top, we will start our last gentle descent for 1 hour to reach our lunch camp.
From here you will get a closer view of Piuray Lake. After lunch, our private vehicle will transport us to Chincheros then to Ollantaytambo. At 4:30 pm we will board our train to Aguas Calientes.
It is a 2 hours ride with amazing views on both sides of the valleys with impressive snow capped mountains. You will get to see several Inca constructions, and the Urubamba river.
Upon arrival, the trekking guide will walk you to the hotel. Later in the evening, you can visit the hot springs of Aguas Calientes. At dinner time, your guide will inform you about the details of our plans for visiting Machu Picchu, the following day.
Please Note.-If anybody has any altitude problems or found this hike very difficult, there is an option to walk down from Huchuy Qosqo for 2 hours to Lamay in the Sacred Valley of the Incas and our vehicle will transport the group to Ollantaytambo to board a train to Aguas Calientes.
Quite early in the morning, you will be boarding the bus from Aguas Calientes to the Inca citadel. It is a 25 minutes journey up the hill. On reaching the entrance of Machu Picchu, our guide will be meeting you and will assist you in clearing the control and entering the citadel.
Machu Picchu Tour:
Here we will give you a two hours guided tour of Machu Picchu citadel. After the tour, you will have some free time to walk around the citadel. If you have booked in advance to hike to Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu mountain, our guide will be directing you to the respective entrance.
Alternatively, you can hike to the Sungate. It is free and takes 2 hours to hike back and forth from the citadel. Those on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu enter the citadel through the Sungate. It offers a spectacular view of the citadel.
After exploring Machu Picchu, you will be taking a bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Here you will be boarding the train back to Ollantaytambo.
Once in Ollantaytambo, our representative will be meeting you and will be driving you back to your hotel in Cusco.
Embarking on the Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu was an extraordinary journey filled with breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural experiences. From the moment our guide picked us up in Cusco, every step of the adventure was filled with wonder and discovery.
