Peru Bike Tour: Sacred Valley of the Incas

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Arrival in Cusco

   Arrive in Cusco today – if you arrive today a transfer is included to the hotel (approx. 30 minutes).  Start acclimatising to the rarefied air of this beautiful city (3326m).
   
   Mid-afternoon, you’ll take a short walking tour of the city to get your bearings and also help get used to the altitude. The beautiful historic centre was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 with Inca and colonial architecture evident all around.
   
   In the evening, you’ll head out to the centre of Cusco, where you’ll have an evening meal at one of the many superb restaurants, and your guide will give a full briefing for the adventure ahead.
   
   Overnight altitude: 3,400m Approx
   
   

   • Cusco Accommodation

   • 

     Arrive and End the Tour in Cusco

     Bookend the tour in this magnificent spot

2. Day 2Inca Ruins By Bike

   A day of sightseeing and cycling that showcases the rich Inca heritage of Peru combined with a great acclimatisation ride.
   
   Leaving Cusco, you’ll transfer to its most stunning ruin – Sacsayhuaman. Although the smaller stones here were used to build modern-day Cusco, the remaining ones are up to 8.5m high and weigh over 360 tons. This major centre obviously had many functions with storehouses, administration buildings, a reservoir and a play area. It was also site of a crucial battle between the Incas and the Spanish.
   
   Next is Kenko, a huge rock outcrop with interesting zigzag channels carved into it. You’ll also spend time at Puca Pucara, a delightful ruin that is believed to be a ‘tambo’, a rest house for travelling animals, goods and travellers.
   
   Finally you’ll visit Tambomachay, popularly called the Inca’s Bath due to its finely preserved waterfalls, carefully diverted through fine stone channels. The Incas acknowledged water as one of the principal elements of life and revered it accordingly.
   
   Tambomachay is also where you’ll start the biking part of the day. In order to get used to the altitude (you’ll be at between 3,250–3,650m today) its a mainly downhill affair as you wind your way back to Cusco and enjoy spectacular views of the valley and city itself along the way. (If you enjoyed the descent, you can always go back up and do it again!)
   
   Your evening meal will once again be taken at one of the excellent restaurants close to the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) of central Cusco.

   Today you'll ride approximately 9 Kms , however, an additional 9 Kms of riding is available if you'd like.
   
   Altitude Gain 34m / Altitude Loss 494m
   Max Altitude 3780m / Min Altitude 3320m
   
   

   • 5.6 - 11.2 miles
   • 111.5 ft
     111.5 ft
   • Cusco Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Lunch

   • 

     Cusco Cycling

     Enjoy a great first day on the bikes

3. Day 3Cusco to Pisac

   Following a short bus ride, to avoid a busy traffic section in Cusco, you'll soon start riding and heading to Huambutio on a decent tarmac road. Once here, you’ll turn off the main road and take a beautiful and rarely used smaller road beside the Rio Urubamba.
   
   From here on in, you can choose to stick on the tarmac or explore the dirt trails of this mainly flat and gently undulating ride. Following a picnic lunch, you’ll continue on to today’s goal, the town of Pisac, situated on the Vilcanota River.
   
   The plan is to arrive in time to explore the artisan market, perfect for picking up souvenirs or photographing a typical Andean market before continuing on to your nearby hotel.
   
   Altitude Gain 122m / Altitude Loss 349m
   Max Altitude 3212m / Min Altitude 2985m
   
   

   • 26.1 miles
   • 400.3 ft
     400.3 ft
   • Pisac Hotel
   • Breakfast and Lunch
4. Day 4Pisac to Urubamba

   This great ride is very versatile so it can easily be adapted to suit every group and the individual riders. It’s an incredibly scenic ride, combining Andean mountain passes, gentle descents and a lovely section through the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
   
   You’ll begin with a short drive above Pisac where you’ll visit its amazing ruins, perched high above the town on a spectacular promontory.  From here, you’ll transfer to, and start riding today at the small village of Tarayand on a lovely dirt track that undulates between small villages and haciendas, where you can witness traditional farming methods against the beautiful backdrop of glaciated mountains and Inca ruins.
   
   Following a picnic lunch, the afternoon ride will take you through the villages of Qoya, Lamay and Calca. If you’ve a few miles left in your legs, you can continue to Urubamba or head to your hotel here via the support vehicle. Set in tranquil grounds, it’s a great place to be based for the next few days.
   
   Altitude Gain 80m / Altitude Loss 205m
   Max Altitude 2985m / Min Altitude 2860m
   
   

   • 24.2 miles
   • 262.5 ft
     262.5 ft
   • Urubamba Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Lunch
5. Day 5Lake Piuray - Chinchero - Lake Huaypo / Urubamba

   Today you’ll start with a transfer from Urubamba to the far side of Lake Piuray, where you’ll set off on a gently undulating and rarely used dirt road that borders this emerald green lake, which serves as the main water supply for Cusco city.
   
   You’ll join a tarmac road briefly into the Inca town of Chinchero, which boasts a colourful Sunday market and is famous for its traditional weavings. If time permits, you can visit one of the weaving cooperatives and an interesting colonial church. Hopping back on the bikes, you’ll follow a good undulating dirt road across the plains before a gentle downhill to our lunch spot on the shores of the beautiful Lake Huaypo.
   
   Time to enjoy a Pachmanca, a traditional way of preparing food in the Andes. In the absence of a stove an oven is built out of stones, which are then heated with a wood fire and brought to a very high temperature. The meat and vegetables are then carefully covered with the rocks. Herbs are added next before the whole mound is covered by wet sheets and finally earth. After around thirty minutes the Pachmanca is ready and you'll have the pleasure of digging up your delicious potatoes, yams, corn, fava beans and meat. For those interested, you can enjoy some or all of the mainly downhill road back to the hotel in Urubamba.
   
   Altitude Gain 149m / Altitude Loss 374m
   Max Altitude 3743m / Min Altitude 3518m
   
   (If riding the additional 19 Kms back to Urubamba)
   
   Altitude Gain 118m / Altitude Loss 843m
   Max Altitude 3585m / Min Altitude 2860m 

   • 13 - 24.9 miles
   • 488.8 ft
     488.8 ft
   • Urubamba Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Lunch
6. Day 6Lake Huaypo - Sacred Valley - Pacchar

   Following a brief transfer, your ride today will take you along the shores of Lake Huaypo (famous for its UFO sightings!) on a lovely and rarely used trail across the awesome Anta Plains to the town of Huarocondo.
   
   Built on top of Inca terraces it boasts an impressive colonial church (built from stolen Inca carved rocks) and a lovely Plaza de Armas where you’ll be able to sample the local delicacy Chicharonnes de Chancho (deep fried pork).
   
   From Huarocondo, you’ll follow a freshly surfaced tarmac road down into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, mirroring the train tracks and ending at Pacchar. For those with the energy, there’s a lovely afternoon ride back up to Urubamba.
   
   Altitude Gain 388m / Altitude Loss 1095m
   Max Altitude 3534m / Min Altitude 2827m
   
   (If riding the additional 13 Kms back to Urubamba)
   
   Altitude Gain 180m / Altitude Loss 147m
   Max Altitude 2860m / Min Altitude 2827m 

   • 20.5 - 28.6 miles
   • 1,273 ft
     1,273 ft
   • Urubamba Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Lunch
7. Day 7Maras Salt Pans - Moray - Pacchar

   A short drive will take us to Maras and the impressive salt pans. Still mined by hand it’s an interesting place to spend some time and check out this ancient process.
   
   You’ll start today’s bike ride amongst the fields of the Chinchero plateau. Potatoes, beans, corn, kiwicha and quinoa combine their colours to lend a patchwork effect to this very traditional agricultural area. With a constant backdrop of the snow-capped Urubamba range, it makes for a photographer’s dream.
   
   The riding starts gently on mainly flat trails with a few small uphills punctuating the route to Moray. Here you’ll jump off the bikes and visit these unique Inca ruins. Very different to anything else you will see, the concentric circle terracing is thought to have been used as an early agricultural laboratory. The different depths and aspects allowed by the circular terracing helped the Incas predict what crops might grow where.
   
   After lunch here, you’ll take a quiet dirt road down into the Sacred Valley at Pacchar – where there just happens to be an award winning craft brewery… Cheeky half anyone?? Suitably refreshed you'll continue along the beautiful Sacred Valley, passing Inca terraces and all the way to your hotel in Ollantaytambo where you’ll stay for the next two nights.
   
   Altitude Gain 218m / Altitude Loss 802m
   Max Altitude 3394m / Min Altitude 2810m
   
   

   • 14.9 miles
   • 715.2 ft
     715.2 ft
   • Ollantaytambo Hotel
   • Breakfast and Lunch

   • 

     Maras Salt Pans

     Visit this impressive sight today

8. Day 8Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu

   No cycling today, so time to grab your daypack and walking footwear. Starting early in the morning, you’ll take a short walk to the train station in Ollantaytambo for the beautiful journey towards Machu Picchu.
   
   At km104 you’ll alight, pass through the control and start the walk past the interesting ruins at Chachabamba. Following the ancient Inca trail, you’ll then ascend through tropical cloud forest and climb high above the roaring Urubamba River.
   
   An initially challenging ascent is rewarded by satisfaction as you reach Wiñay Wayna, a lovely Inca ruin bursting with swallows and orchids. Here you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch and, time-permitting, visit these impressive ruins before joining what is generally considered to be the most spectacular part of the Inca Trail. The contouring path leads through the fascinating cloud forest to Inti Puncu, ‘the Gateway of the Sun’ and your first glimpse of Machu Picchu.
   
   You'll savour the moment, take photos and then once in the ruins themselves, your guide will give you an extensive walking tour of Machu Picchu and explain the fascinating history of the Incas.
   
   In the afternoon, you'll take the bus down to Machu Picchu Town and then transfer to the train station, from where you’ll catch a late train back to Ollantaytambo.
   
   Today’s walking distance is 11 Km / 7 Miles and takes between 4 to 6 hours. You will then spend around 1.5 Hours at the main site of Machu Picchu.
   
   Ascent 500m / Descent 300m
   Altitude 2200m – 2700m – 2400m 

   • 1,640.4 ft
     1,640.4 ft
   • Ollantaytambo Hotel
   • Breakfast and Lunch

   • 

     Discover Machu Picchu

     Hike to this iconic sight during a quieter part of the day

9. Day 9Ollantaytambo - Lares Valley - Cusco

   You'll end the riding in Peru today with an absolutely spellbinding day on the bike. A real adventure well off the beaten track!
   
   Today’s route will take you from Ollantaytambo up into the valley of Huilloc and Patacancha, (where many of the colorfully dressed porters come from). Using a brand new road (that gets virtually no traffic), you'll climb by vehicle to a height of around 4000 metres before setting off on the bikes into the beautiful and remote Lares Valley.
   
   Passing the village of Huaca Huasi, you’ll descend on a good dirt road to the hot spring town of Lares, where at lunchtime we can enjoy a quick dip in these medicinal waters. Lares is famous for its weaving and local traditions and it’s also here that our local operator works closely with several local communities in a native reforestation project. Since 2007 this has resulted in the planting of over 800,000 trees.
   
   Another short transfer from Lares brings you to Abra Lares at 4100m for a 1300 metre vertical descent “downhill of a lifetime” on a well-surfaced tarmac road that sees very little traffic.  On reaching the central plaza in Calca, you will have completed an epic day of adventure cycling through stunning scenery and beautiful villages and all untouched by mass tourism. You'll then head to your Cusco hotel for a well-earned rest.
   
   Morning Distance 15km
   Altitude Gain 30m / Altitude Loss 1237m
   Max Altitude 4583m / Min Altitude 3376m
   
   Afternoon Distance 32km
   Altitude Gain 80m / Altitude Loss 1509m
   Max Altitude 4360m / Min Altitude 2931m
   
   

   • 29.2 miles
   • Cusco Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Lunch
10. Day 10Cusco

    Enjoy a free day in Cusco for some rest and recuperation.
    
    Whether your interest is exploring Inca ruins, visiting colonial churches, bargain hunting for souvenirs in artisan markets, museums or just relaxing over a coffee whilst overlooking the Plaza de Armas and taking it all in, Cusco has lots of options.
    
    Overnight altitude: 3,400m Approx.
    
    

    • Cusco Accommodation
    • Breakfast
11. Day 11Departure

    After breakfast, depart for your onward travel. A transfer can be given to the local Cusco airport today if needed.

    • Breakfast