Trekking to the Sacred Weavings: Cultural Hike in Cusco
$810.00 / private service / 2 people
Embark on one of the most authentic treks in Peru, where art, tradition, and nature converge on an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Andes. Hiking through the Lares Valley to Ollantaytambo is more than just a mountain route. It provides a deep immersion into the living culture of the Quechua people, the guardians of ancestral textile knowledge.
During the hike, travelers will pass through landscapes adorned with textiles, lagoons, and Apus.
Travelers cross high valleys, turquoise lagoons, mountain passes, and Andean forests along the way. The silence is interrupted only by the wind or birdsong. This route is unique because it offers the chance to interact with weaving communities in Patacancha and Willoc. These are villages where Inca weaving techniques have been preserved for generations.
The villagers, mostly women, create ponchos, chullos, sashes, and blankets from handspun alpaca wool that is dyed with natural pigments extracted from plants, roots, and insects, such as cochineal. Each design expresses sacred symbols, visions of the Andean world, and the relationship with nature and constellations.
This cultural exchange is intimate, respectful, and authentic. It is not a display, but rather an ongoing dialogue with the communities, which also offer accommodations in family lodges. There, visitors share traditional meals, stories, and the warmth of an Andean home.
Llamas as trail companions
In keeping with its commitment to sustainability and cultural revitalization, the llama is used as a pack animal along the trail, as the Incas did. Llamas have a minimal impact on the soil and ecosystem. They are also considered sacred animals that accompany hikers in silence, connecting them with the rhythms of the earth.
Arrive in Ollantaytambo and connect with Machu Picchu.
After three days of cultural immersion and trekking, the tour concludes in Ollantaytambo, a thousand-year-old Inca village where the original streets, walls, and canals are still in use. From there, take the train to Machu Picchu, where the journey reaches its climax with a guided tour of the sacred citadel.
Machu Picchu offers travelers the perfect closure: a city suspended between mountains and mist that reveals the architectural grandeur, spirituality, and worldview of a civilization that lived in harmony with nature.
Overview
- Day 1: Cusco to Wakawasi
- Day 2: Wakawasi to Patakancha
- Day 3: Patakancha to Ollantaytambo — Take the train to Aguas Calientes
- Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Night in Cusco
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco to Wakawasi
Early in the morning, we will take a 1.5-hour van ride to Ankashmarka, one of the largest Inca granaries on the route to the Amazon. After exploring the site, we will continue our journey for another hour to Lares, where our trek will begin. Before starting the trek, you will meet the entire support team who will ensure an incredible experience. Throughout the trek, you will enjoy the incredible landscapes of the inter-Andean valleys and the pre-Hispanic road that connected the Cusco and Amazon valleys. According to legend, El Dorado, the lost city of the Incas, is located there. We will have lunch along the way at the home of a local family who will welcome us with a delicious meal and their warm hospitality. After lunch, we will trek for about three hours until we reach our first Inca Wakawasi lodge, where we will spend the night and share cultural experiences over dinner.
Details of the trek:
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult: Moderate to difficult. Food: Lunch and dinner
- Total distance: 8 km. Hours: 6 hours. Approx.
- Elevation: Starting point: 3,270 m (10,728 ft). Highest point: 3,770 m (12,368 ft).
- Overnight: Wakawasi Inca Lodge (altitude: 3,770 m/12,368 ft.)
Day 2: Wakawasi to Patakancha
We start the day with a delicious and refreshing breakfast prepared by the local family. We will then begin our trek with a gradual ascent to the Ipsayqocha pass, where we will be treated to views of impressive snow-capped peaks, lagoons, and herds of llamas and alpacas grazing in the Andean grasslands. We will also visit a local house to learn about Andean life and traditions. Once we reach the summit, we will enjoy spectacular views and reflect on the effort it took to reach this point. We will have lunch at another local family's house with a wonderful view of the Ipsayqocha lagoon. Then, we will continue down to the second lodge, Inca Pakanchaka, where we will learn about textiles, llamas, and alpacas. Dinner.
Details of the trek:
- Degree of difficulty: Difficult to extreme by sections
- Total distance: 13 km. Time: 8 hours. Approx.
- Elevation: Starting point: 3,770 m Highest point: 4,320 m
- Overnight: Wakawasi Inca Lodge (altitude: 3,920 m)
Day 3: Patakancha to Ollantaytambo — Take the train to Aguas Calientes.
We will start our adventure early in the morning with a 20-minute ride on local transportation to the village of Willoq. There, we will begin our hike to the great town of Ollantaytambo, considered the living Inca town. Along the way, we will enjoy beautiful scenery, take souvenir photographs, and see ancestral villages and Inca and pre-Inca archaeological remains. We will have lunch near the Pumamarka archaeological site, which has a spectacular view of the Pallata Valley, famous for its Inca corn production. After lunch, we will continue along the Inca Trail, surrounded by Inca agricultural terraces, to Ollantaytambo, where we will board the train to Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night there.
Details of the trek:
- Degree of difficulty: Difficult to extreme by sections
- Total distance: 13 km. - 8 hours. Approx.
- Elevation: Starting point: 3,920 m Highest point: 3,920 m
- Overnight stay: Aguas Calientes (2,100 m)
Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Night in Cusco
After breakfast, the guide will pick you up and take you to the bus station. From there, you will board a bus to the entrance gate of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. The trip takes 30 minutes.
Visiting Machu Picchu is much more than seeing an architectural wonder. It is a spiritual experience that connects visitors with the ancestral wisdom of the Andean world. As you walk through its temples, terraces, and paths, you can feel the sacred energy of a place designed in harmony with nature and the cosmos. Machu Picchu is a living symbol of the Inca cosmovision, where each stone and alignment serves a ceremonial purpose. Despite the passage of time, this citadel remains a place of respect, contemplation, and living culture. It reflects the legacy still preserved by Andean communities that keep their traditions, languages, and spiritual rituals alive.
After touring the circuit indicated on your ticket, board the bus that will take you to the town of Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included).
At the indicated time on your train ticket, go to the train station to take the train back to Ollantaytambo, and then return to Cusco.
Details of the trek:
- Degree of difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Total distance: Depends on the chosen tour route. - 3 hours. Approx.
- Elevation: Starting point: 2,040 m Highest point: 2,430 m
Map of Trekking to the Sacred Weavings
Included & Excluded
You will find detailed information about the services included in our tours and hikes below. Please read the list of inclusions and exclusions carefully.
- Two nights in Inca lodges or family houses.
- One night in Aguas Calientes
- Three breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners.
- Water along the route.
- Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
- Private transportation from Cusco to Lares to Ollantaytambo to Cusco.
- Round-trip train tickets to Aguas Calientes
- Round-trip bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
- Professional guide (English or Spanish, private)
- Briefing (pre-trek information).
- Professional tour guide.
- The best team of guides, chefs, waiters, and porters.
- A duffel bag.
- Comfortable and friendly lodges.
- Cultural immersion activities.
- A first aid kit, an oxygen balloon, and radios.
- 24/7 customer assistance.
- Sanitation and environmental care.
- Taxes
- Food not described
- Entrance tickets to the Pumamarka archaeological site.
- Llamas. Your bags will be transported by llama during the first two days and by motorized vehicle on the third day. The maximum weight of your bags is 5 kg (11 lbs). You will only walk with your personal backpack.
- Trekking poles. They are optional, but helpful on hikes, especially descents. You can rent them from Machu Picchu for $6 per pair per day.
- Tips: Gratuities are optional and related to your level of comfort and satisfaction; however, a token of gratitude is always welcome. Our staff and collaborators are fairly compensated.
- Other items not mentioned in the program and events beyond our control.
- Additional expenses:
- Beverages (Cokes, beers, etc.)
- FLIGHT TICKETS
