This Riding tour takes you along old paths from the Inca and colonial periods through the Valle Sagrado, the sacred valley of the Incas, and allows you to visit Machu Picchu at length. You will enjoy the fascinating mountain world and at the same time learn as much as possible about the culture of the Andes, as well as the history and traditions of the Incas. Overnight stays are in comfortable guesthouses and hotels.
By popular demand, this tour is offered in such a way that it is interesting for both rider and hikers. This means that couples and friends with different interests can travel together.
We recommend traveling to Lima the day before and spending an extra night, as the flights to Cusco take place in the morning. We will be happy to assist you with hotel and transfer bookings. We also recommend extending your stay in Cusco by one or two nights, as the Andean city offers numerous sightseeing opportunities.

Itinerary

Tour itinerary:
The exact route may vary slightly, but in any case you will visit the most important sites of the Inca culture.

Day 1: Arrival at Cusco airport. In the afternoon, an introduction to the archaeological and colonial highlights of the ancient capital of the Inca universe is on the program. You will also visit the impressive ruins of Sacsayhuaman with a view of Cusco. Your guide will describe the colorful rituals and ceremonies that once took place at the massive walled limestone structures and sculptural terraces surrounding the immense central plaza.
You can have dinner in one of the many cafés and restaurants to tighten that your travel guide recommends in Cusco. You will spend the night in one of several carefully ed, comfortable hotels in Cusco.

Day 2: You drive to the edge of the Cusco basin to meet the waiting horses. The goal for today is to visit and spend the night in Huchuy Cusco. The ride begins in rolling hills characterized by fields and agricultural terraces. Then to ride you follow good paths over a rarely used pass route. Huchuy Cusco has been identified by archaeologists as the royal estate and resting place of the Viracocha Inca before or during the early reign of the Inca Pachacuti. It is also mentioned as an early Killke transition site. You arrive in the early afternoon on a rocky, well-maintained trail with spectacular views. You spend the night in a small, traditional Andean village nearby. Your Quechua-speaking hosts share clean, simple rooms and a traditional local meal with you, while the horses are penned and fed nearby.

Day 3: After visiting the ruins, to rear you descend back over the pass and down to several blue lakes that are home to a large number of Andean shorebirds. You have a sumptuous lunch on the shore and to ride then continue to Chinchero, an town early colonial town with a classical church and well-built Inca walls that once belonged to the royal estate of Emperor Topa Inca. You leave the horses here. The support vehicle will take you to the overnight accommodation "off the beaten track" in the sacred valley. (no tour buses or large groups). At Hatun-valley, a cozy, small boutiqueLodge, you can relax before dinner.

Day 4: A leisurely breakfast and a strong local coffee give you strength for the day's adventure. You ride a short distance back to the horses in Chinchero. You move skillfully at a trot on gentle, flat paths through small farms and rural villages on a plateau with rolling hills and immense grasslands. A spectacular panorama of the great ice peaks of the Vilcanota range crowns the nearby horizon. Sometime around midday, you will reach an isolated cathedral that seems to have been lost and forgotten by time and modern civilization. Your support vehicle will be waiting there with lunch. The destination for the afternoon ride is Salineras. This is a huge area with terraces that form hundreds of pools, all fed by a single salty creek . Those who opt for the full-day ride have the opportunity to ride a little faster across the plateau to ride, before descending to the valley of Salineras on a spectacular trail over the glistening white ponds.

Day 5: After breakfast, to ride you set off in the early morning light, the shoe clattering along the old path paved with stone . The powerful equatorial sun reflects brilliantly off the high old snowfields. You to ride pass the picturesque village Pichingoto and to rear ascend almost 1000 meters above the sacred valley of the Incas. The trail takes you to the little-known magical Inca site of Moray. Situated in a complex geological region, you will pass ancient salt mines, sinkholes and other natural phenomena to arrive at an intricate, unusual archaeological complex of ring walls, structures and terraces that remains a mystery to modern science. After an open-air lunch with a view of the sacred valley to ride you head to the colonial town of Mara. You now say goodbye to your horses and the wrangler crew and then take a short drive in the support vehicle to luxury accommodation at Ollantaytambo's finest hotel, Hotel Pakaritampu. The rooms are decorated in the best neo-colonial style around a stone-lined, flower-filled garden. You dine together over a ion of tasty Andean dishes.

Day 6: Your journey culminates in a ride on the narrow-gauge train to the most spectacular archaeological monument in the New World, Machu Picchu. You have breakfast at the hotel and to rear then board the morning train, which travels down the valley. This takes you to the bustling backpackertown Aguas Calientes, the starting point for visits to Machu Picchu. You soon gather at the gateway to the famous "Lost town of the Incas". Inca specialists and archaeologists to lead through the complex architectural monuments and temples and show you the most important ceremonial sites representing the mountain and sun worship incorporated into the design by Machu Picchu's builders under the royal mandate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti. You will take care of your own lunch today. The afternoon train will take you back to the bright lights of Cusco, where you will arrive in the early evening. Everyone is free to explore the nightlife, visit a restaurant of their choice or simply relax.

Day 7: This is the day to relax, shop and wander around Cusco alone or with friends. The town is full of small stores and street vendors selling their wares. Colorful weavings and handmade alpaca sweaters are popular gifts for friends back home. Try a local restaurant for lunch, take a hike or just sit in the plaza. Eat alone at your favorite spot.

Day 8: After breakfast, transfer to the airport and return flight to Lima.

Flights from Cusco back to Lima usually arrive in Lima between 8.30 am and 2 pm. We recommend either a late onward flight or an additional overnight stay in Miraflores, a suburb of Lima on the coast. We will be happy to book your hotel and transfer for you.

Non-riders: On the four riding days, you will explore the paths of the Incas on extended, guided hikes. In the evening, you will meet the riders again at your accommodation.

Accomodation
You will stay in hotels and an eco Lodge. All accommodation has rooms with private bathrooms and access to Wi-Fi. The Eco Lodge was built from natural materials, including bamboo. The decoration is simple, but there is no lack of amenities.

Saddle & Tack: South American. Similar to Western-style

Experience: Basic knowledge is sufficient (good seat and trail experience) moderate pace, according to the terrain, but all gaits.

Horses: Criollos, Paso-Berber mixes.

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