Huchuy Qosqo & Short Inca Trail, 4 Days
An empty Andean trail above Cusco, then Km 104 to the Sun Gate
- 4 days
- 3,800 m max
- Moderate
- Cusco to Cusco
Two days on the old road from Cusco down into the Sacred Valley, over high grassland past lakes and llamas to the Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo, with one night camped at Pukamarca. Then the Short Inca Trail from Km 104 to the Sun Gate and a guided morning at the citadel.
There is a problem with the Inca Trail that nobody selling it likes to mention: it is busy, and the permits run out in January for a trip in July.
This itinerary answers both. The first two days are on the old road from the hills above Cusco down into the Sacred Valley — open grassland, lakes, grazing llamas, and the Inca estate of Huchuy Qosqo on its shelf above the river. No permit is needed for any of it and almost nobody walks it.
Then day three joins the Short Inca Trail at Km 104 and gives you the thing the alternatives cannot: the arrival at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate, on foot, on original Inca paving. You still need a permit for that single day, but one is a great deal easier to come by than four.
What you'll see
A trail with nobody on it
The Huchuy Qosqo route runs from the hills above Cusco down into the Sacred Valley across open grassland, lakes and grazing land. It is the quietest walking in the region and almost no visitors are on it.
Huchuy Qosqo itself
A substantial Inca site on a ridge above the valley, reached on foot rather than by road, with terraces and stonework and the Urubamba a long way below.
Then the Inca Trail
Day three is Km 104 — Chachabamba, Wiñay Wayna and Inti Punku — so you still get the Sun Gate arrival that only a trail permit allows.
Machu Picchu twice
Circuit 1 on foot through the Sun Gate on day three, then a full guided visit on the lower circuit the next morning.
One night camping, two in hotels
A camp at Pukamarca with the sleeping bag and mat provided, then Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes in proper beds.
A porter and a duffel
Up to 7 kg goes with a personal porter and the camp is carried for you, so you walk with a daypack.
Huchuy Qosqo & Short Inca Trail, 4 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Cusco to Pukamarca, over the hills
Thirteen kilometres and six to eight hours, rising to 3,800 m. Leave the hotel at 07:00, drive twenty minutes to Tambomachay and walk out across high grassland, lakes and quiet trails to camp at Pukamarca.
- Meals
- Lunch and dinner
- Night
- Camping at Pukamarca
Day 2
Huchuy Qosqo, and down to Ollantaytambo
Eight kilometres and about five hours, an easy day. On to the Huchuy Qosqo site above the Sacred Valley, then the descent to Lamay and private transport along the valley to a hotel in Ollantaytambo.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Night
- Hotel in Ollantaytambo
Day 3
Km 104, Wiñay Wayna, the Sun Gate and the citadel
Fifteen to sixteen kilometres and six to seven hours. The train to Km 104, a picnic breakfast, Chachabamba, the climb to Wiñay Wayna, a picnic lunch, and Inti Punku in the afternoon for your first sight of Machu Picchu.
- Meals
- Picnic breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 4
Machu Picchu with a guide, then home
Back up for the main guided visit through the terraces, temples and plazas, with an optional peak if you booked one. Then the panoramic Vistadome train and a private transfer to Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Not included — you are back in Cusco
What the price covers
Before you set off
- Safety briefing the day before the trek
- Collection from and return to your hotel in Cusco
- All transport across the four days
- Professional English-speaking guide
The trekking days
- All camping equipment, carried and pitched by the porters
- A sleeping bag and a foam mattress, both provided
- A duffel of up to 7 kg, and a personal porter to carry it
- Experienced trekking chefs and porters
- One night of camping at Pukamarca with comfortable equipment
- First-aid kit and oxygen carried throughout
The Inca Trail day
- Expedition train to the Short Inca Trail trailhead at Km 104
- Your Short Inca Trail permit and Machu Picchu entrance
- Picnic breakfast and picnic lunch cooked on the trail
- Bus tickets at Machu Picchu
Beds and the way home
- One night in a hotel in Ollantaytambo
- One night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Return on the panoramic Vistadome train
Not included
- Breakfast on the first day, before you are collected
- Lunch on the last day, after the citadel
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
Huchuy Qosqo & Short Inca Trail, 4 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
About two hours there and back on day four. Book well ahead.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
About three hours there and back, on a broader path.
What to bring
Papers and money
- The original passport your permit was issued against
- Cash in soles for tips and the last-day lunch
- Your medication and any personal first aid
- A head torch for the camp
On your back
- A daypack of 20 to 30 litres
- A refillable water bottle
- A camera and a power bank
- A quick-dry towel
Clothes
- Walking boots, broken in well before you fly
- Thermal base layers and trekking trousers for the first night at altitude
- A fleece and an insulated jacket
- A waterproof jacket, a warm hat and gloves
- Lighter clothes for the cloud forest on day three
Sun and cold
- High-factor sun cream — the UV at 3,800 m is fierce
- Sunglasses with UV protection and a sun hat
- Insect repellent for the cloud forest
- Lip balm
Questions we get asked
Why would I take this rather than the Classic Inca Trail?
Two reasons. The first is availability — the Huchuy Qosqo half needs no government permit, so when the four-day Inca Trail has been sold out since January, this route still has space and only the short-trail permit for day three to secure. The second is solitude. The first two days are over ground almost no visitors walk, with lakes, grazing llamas and Huchuy Qosqo largely to yourself, which is not something the classic trail can offer any more.
How hard is it?
Moderate, with the effort concentrated on days one and three. Day one is thirteen kilometres rising to 3,800 m, which is the highest ground of the trip and the part your lungs will notice. Day two is an easy eight kilometres, mostly downhill. Day three is the Inca Trail day, six to seven hours, at altitudes well below Cusco.
Does the altitude matter?
On day one, yes. You are at 3,800 m, which is four hundred metres above Cusco, on the very first day of walking. Spend at least two nights in Cusco beforehand. After that the trip only goes down — Ollantaytambo, then the cloud forest, then the citadel at 2,430 m.
What is Huchuy Qosqo?
Literally little Cusco in Quechua. A royal Inca estate on a shelf above the Sacred Valley, with terraces, a large hall and stonework that rewards a guide, and a view down the valley you cannot get from the road. Reaching it on foot from above is the point.
Is the sleeping bag included?
Yes, unusually — a sleeping bag and a foam mattress are both provided on this itinerary, along with a duffel and a porter to carry up to 7 kg of your things.
Do I still need an Inca Trail permit?
For day three, yes. The Short Inca Trail uses the same government permit system, issued in your name and tied to a date. Fewer are needed than for the four-day trek, but in high season they still go months ahead.
Is the trail ever closed?
The Inca Trail network closes every February for maintenance. The Huchuy Qosqo section is unaffected, so in February we would rework day three around the train instead.
Which meals are not included?
Breakfast on day one, before we collect you, and lunch on day four after the citadel. Everything else is covered, and on the trail it is cooked by the trekking chefs.
Ask us about Huchuy Qosqo & Short Inca Trail, 4 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.