Ancascocha Trek To Machu Picchu 4 Days And 3 Nights
Overview
The Ancascocha Trail in the Peruvian Andes is a remarkable trail that, unlike other more popular trails, remains off the beaten track and away from crowds. Yet don’t be put off by its lesser known status.
Named by National Geographic as one of 20 dream hikes on their World Best Hikes list, this stunning trek takes you past ancient Inca ruins and through traditional Andean villages such as Chillipahua and the trail’s namesake Ancascocha (3, 700 m/12, 136 ft).
Here you may briefly share the trail with farmers, shepherds and their livestock tending to their daily lives, so far removed from the tourist crowds of Cusco.
Named by National Geographic as one of 20 dream hikes on their World Best Hikes list, this stunning trek takes you past ancient Inca ruins and through traditional Andean villages such as Chillipahua and the trail’s namesake Ancascocha (3, 700 m/12, 136 ft).
Here you may briefly share the trail with farmers, shepherds and their livestock tending to their daily lives, so far removed from the tourist crowds of Cusco.
Inclusions
- Two nights camping
- National Park fees
- Breakfast
- Dinner - Buffet dinner
- Lunch - Buffet lunch
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- One night at a B&B in Aguas Calientes
What to expect
Itinerary
After meeting you at your hotel, we drive 1h 45m to Soqma (10, 512 ft). This is the starting point of our trek. The hike begins with a 2 hour walk to the Perolniyoc cascade lookout. The waterfall is breathtaking! Then, hiking for a further 45 minutes we visit the Inca site of the same name. Perched on a cliff-top with spectacular views of the surrounding valley, your guide will share some of the history of the site and you will be free to wander through the ruins.
Next we make a steep ascent for around an hour to reach our lunch spot, Rayan (12, 139 ft). Here you will sample for the first time the incredible culinary skills of your chef.
The afternoon begins with a challenging 3 hour uphill hike to reach the Kuychiccasa pass (14, 599 ft). Passing the rustic houses of the farmers, at every turn you will see sumptuous views of the snow-capped peaks of the ‘Nevadas’, and llamas.
As we reach the top of the pass we take a break to soak in the magnificent views of the Chancachuco Valley. From here it is an easy 45 minute downhill to reach our camp at the Chancachuco Valley (14, 147 ft).
Here, with the campsite already prepared when you arrive, you can change into warmer clothing.
Stop At:
• Perolniyoq Waterfall, Apv- Tipon-n11, Ollantaytambo Peru
After meeting you at your hotel, we drive 1h 45m to Soqma (10, 512 ft). This is the starting point of our trek. The hike begins with a 2 hour walk to the Perolniyoc cascade lookout. The waterfall is breathtaking! Then, hiking for a further 45 minutes we visit the Inca site of the same name. Perched on a cliff-top with spectacular views of the surrounding valley, your guide will share some of the history of the site and you will be free to wander through the ruins.
Next we make a steep ascent for around an hour to reach our lunch spot, Rayan (12, 139 ft). Here you will sample for the first time the incredible culinary skills of your chef.
The afternoon begins with a challenging 3 hour uphill hike to reach the Kuychiccasa pass (14, 599 ft). Passing the rustic houses of the farmers, at every turn you will see sumptuous views of the snow-capped peaks of the ‘Nevadas’, and llamas.
As we reach the top of the pass we take a break to soak in the magnificent views of the Chancachuco Valley. From here it is an easy 45 minute downhill to reach our camp at the Chancachuco Valley (14, 147 ft).
Here, with the campsite already prepared when you arrive, you can change into warmer clothing.
Stop At:
• Perolniyoq Waterfall, Apv- Tipon-n11, Ollantaytambo Peru
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Face masks provided for travelers
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
anccm
April 2021
We have just concluded our 4 day Ancascocha Trek with Action Peru Treks and we had a great experience with this local company. Our experience started with our first email and finished with our great guide Rox. He was an amazing tour guide during our 4 day trek and I would highly recommend him an...
We have just concluded our 4 day Ancascocha Trek with Action Peru Treks and we had a great experience with this local company. Our experience started with our first email and finished with our great guide Rox. He was an amazing tour guide during our 4 day trek and I would highly recommend him and his crew.lorens775
January 2021
My husband and I did the trek 11/2019. Our guide, Lizandro and his team did an amazing job. The food was AMAZING! The hike was much harder than I anticipated, but the crew was patient and helpful even when I got sick. Lizandro did a great job coming up with an alternate of activities when we deci...
My husband and I did the trek 11/2019. Our guide, Lizandro and his team did an amazing job. The food was AMAZING! The hike was much harder than I anticipated, but the crew was patient and helpful even when I got sick. Lizandro did a great job coming up with an alternate of activities when we decided I couldn’t finish the hike due to altitude sickness. I would do it all over again.nikkitrueblood
June 2020
I wish I could rate this a million out of 5 because this trip was truly amazing. I went on this hike 2 years ago, and I still remember every detail. Action Peru Treks went above and beyond in every way. Tour Guide: I think a tour guide can make or break a trip, and ours was SO GOOD. He was extr...
I wish I could rate this a million out of 5 because this trip was truly amazing. I went on this hike 2 years ago, and I still remember every detail. Action Peru Treks went above and beyond in every way. Tour Guide: I think a tour guide can make or break a trip, and ours was SO GOOD. He was extremely knowledgable and could answer every question we threw at him. He was hilarious and messed with us by joking that we had to get up at 2am the next day and stuff like that. Lastly, he was very down-to-earth and authentic. He told us about his life outside of his work as a tour guide, and when talking with him, it felt more like talking to a friend than a tour guide. If you are concerned about your lack of hiking/camping experience, don't be. Our hiking group had a wide range of experience and age (12-50+), but the tour guide was very aware of who needed the most support and guidance along the trail and would help them every step of the way. Food: It was my birthday on the first day of the hike, and the cooks somehow managed to bake me an entire birthday cake! I was definitely not expecting that in the middle of a four-day hike! Besides the cake, the food was incredible. It was delicious, nutritious, and honestly beautiful - they literally carved fruits and vegetables into birds and other animals. Service: Wow. Although this trail is very difficult, we were honestly glamping. The porters set up our tents before we arrived, carried most of our belongings, and served us coca leaf tea in the mornings. They were all extremely respectful and polite. Summary: I came into this experience with high expectations and they were 100% met. If you are going to try the experience of hiking to Machu Picchu, do it with Action Peru Treks and I swear you won't be disappointed.P1548BZjohnd
May 2020
My wife and I did the Ancoscocha Trek with Action Peru in Sept 2018. Action Peru handled all arrangements efficiently and professionally. Our guide Christian was excellent and the support team was fantastic. They took care of all the details, preparing great meals and getting camp setup and br...
My wife and I did the Ancoscocha Trek with Action Peru in Sept 2018. Action Peru handled all arrangements efficiently and professionally. Our guide Christian was excellent and the support team was fantastic. They took care of all the details, preparing great meals and getting camp setup and broken down efficiently three times per day so we could enjoy the trekking. Can't say enough good things about the crew who took care of us during this trek. Scenery was stunning and hope to do the same trek again some day.AHCon
October 2019
We had a near perfect experience with Action Peru Treks! This was my first multi-day, high altitude trek and it was incredibly challenging, however, I felt supported, safe, and encouraged the entire time. Our cook and assistant cook (Dino and Freddy, respectively) kept us well fed and went above ...
We had a near perfect experience with Action Peru Treks! This was my first multi-day, high altitude trek and it was incredibly challenging, however, I felt supported, safe, and encouraged the entire time. Our cook and assistant cook (Dino and Freddy, respectively) kept us well fed and went above and beyond to help us along the way. The each spent time back tracking to make sure we had everything we needed during the hike. Vidal, our horse leader, was efficient and skilled when it came to breaking down and setting up camp. My sister lost her hat on the first day and he offered one of his granddaughters baseball caps to her for the duration of the trip. Our guide, Hipolito, was an 11/10. His knowledge of the land, the agriculture, the Inca culture, the wildlife, etc never ceased to amaze me. We learned more than we could have hoped to over the course of 4 days. Polito kept us motivated and made us feel comfortable hiking at our pace. I cannot recommend him highly enough!ay0011
February 2020
This review is for the 4 day/3 night Ancascocha trek with Action Peru Treks. I originally wanted to do the original Inca trail to Machu Picchu but am incredibly glad that we decided to do Ancascocha instead. This trek will take you on the Ancascocha trail for the first two days and then back alon...
This review is for the 4 day/3 night Ancascocha trek with Action Peru Treks. I originally wanted to do the original Inca trail to Machu Picchu but am incredibly glad that we decided to do Ancascocha instead. This trek will take you on the Ancascocha trail for the first two days and then back along the beginning of the Inca trail on the third day and a train ride to the city by Machu Picchu. On the 4th day, you take a bus up to Machu Picchu to sightsee. So instead of hiking the Inca trail to end up at Machu Picchu, this takes you over a different part of the area. The biggest reason why I loved this trek was that we were quite literally the only trekkers on the trail for the first two days. It was amazing to walk through the untouched lands, except for the people who live there. It felt as though we were exploring a land that very few people have crossed. Contrasting that with the Inca trail where we passed by tons of trekkers and porters along the way and it felt so much more crowded. Odon, our guide, was exemplary. He knew so much about the area and its history. He knew all of the people who lived along the trail. His knowledge and wisdom felt unparalleled as a guide. Plus he has a great sense of humor and we got to joking a bunch along the way, which made the high-altitude trekking more bearable. Also he knows at a glance whether you will be able to make it through the high-altitude portions or if you will need assistance on the horse. After having done other treks with other guides, I’ve come to realize how special Odon is. Can’t say enough about him, he’s like the fun uncle in your family. If you’re wondering about doing this trek, stop wondering and just do it. You won’t regret it.