Walk a quieter side of the Andes on the Inca Quarry Trail (Cachicata), a real mountain trek with waterfalls, remote villages, and fascinating Inca history… without the crowds of the Classic Inca Trail.
This luxury version keeps the route authentic and off the beaten path, but adds the comfort that makes a big difference after a long hiking day: high‑quality camping gear, a private portable toilet, a well‑organized support team, and chef‑prepared meals you’ll actually look forward to. You’ll finish with a guided tour of Machu Picchu and return to Cusco on the panoramic Vistadome train, smooth, scenic, and stress‑free.
Duration
4 Days / 3 Nights
Activities
Trekking, Culture, Adventure
Difficulty
Moderate
Accommodation
Luxury Camping
Tour Language
English, Spanish
Hiking Distance
41 km / 26 mi
Destinations
Perolniyoc, Intipunku, Cachicata, Machu Picchu
Starts/Ends
Cusco / Cusco
Overview of Cachicata trail to Machu Picchu 4 Days
The Cachicata Inca Quarry Trek is one of the best alternatives to the Classic Inca Trail if you want a meaningful trek with fewer people. Over four days, you’ll hike through wide Andean valleys and high mountain passes, visit hidden Inca sites like Ñaupa Iglesia, walk through Soqma, reach the stunning Perolniyoc Waterfalls, and stand inside the Cachicata Inca Quarry, a place where the Incas carved massive stones for Ollantaytambo.
You’ll also visit the Intipunku (Sun Gate) of Ollantaytambo, with huge views toward the Sacred Valley and Verónica Mountain. Then you’ll spend the final morning inside Machu Picchu with a professional guide, following the best official circuit available for your date and time slot.
This trek is perfect if you want:
- A quieter trail,
- Real mountain scenery,
- Unique Inca history,
- And a trek that feels comfortable and well supported.
Tour Highlights
- Visit the beautiful Perolniyoc Waterfalls
- Hike a quiet, lesser‑known route with far fewer crowds than the Classic Inca Trail
- Explore the impressive Cachicata Inca Quarry and learn how the Incas worked stone
- Enjoy a traditional Pachamanca hot‑stone barbecue lunch
- Visit the Intipunku (Sun Gate) of Ollantaytambo with wide mountain views
- Two nights camping with a luxury setup + one hotel night in Aguas Calientes
- Finish with a full guided visit to Machu Picchu
- Return in comfort on the panoramic Vistadome train
Inca Quarry Trek at a Glance
Day 1: Cusco → Racca → Ñaupa Iglesia → Soqma → Perolniyoc Waterfalls → Korimarca
• Hike: 12 km (7.5 mi) • Time: ~7 hrs • Difficulty: Moderate
• Sleep: Camping in Korimarca (3,611 m / 11,847 ft)
• Meals: Lunch & dinner included (first breakfast not included)
Day 2: Korimarca → Charkahuaylla Pass → Marcacocha Lake → Intipunku (Ollantaytambo) → Choquetacarpo
• Hike: 15 km (9.5 mi) • Time: ~8 hrs • Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
• Highest point: 4,450 m / 14,599 ft (Charkahuaylla Pass)
• Sleep: Camping in Choquetacarpo (3,600 m / 11,811 ft)
• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch & dinner included
Day 3: Choquetacarpo → Cachicata Inca Quarry → Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes
• Hike: 10 km (6.2 mi) • Time: ~5 hrs • Difficulty: Easy
• Sleep: Hotel in Aguas Calientes (3‑star)
• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch & dinner included
Day 4: Machu Picchu → Return to Cusco
• Plan: Early bus + guided tour of Machu Picchu (best official circuit available)
• Optional: Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (extra ticket required)
• Meals: Breakfast included • Hotel: Not included
Important note about Machu Picchu circuits:
Your Machu Picchu circuit depends on availability at the time of booking. We aim for Circuit 2 when possible. If it’s sold out, we secure the best official alternative (Circuit 1 or 3) and your guide adapts the visit to make it feel complete.
Included
- Pre‑departure safety briefing
- Pick‑up and drop‑off at your hotel (Cusco)
- Private transportation with A/C
- Entrance toll for the Soqma community
- Professional English‑speaking tour guide
- Second tour guide for groups of 9+
- Machu Picchu entrance ticket (Circuit 2 when available / best alternative if not)
- Round‑trip bus tickets Aguas Calientes ↔ Machu Picchu
- Train to Aguas Calientes (Day 3)
- Return on the panoramic Vistadome train
- Comfortable camping equipment
- Private portable toilet (porta‑potty)
- Dining setup (tables, chairs, dining tent)
- Sleeping foam mattress, pillows, hot water bags, extra blankets
- Duffel bag for up to 7 kg / 15 lb of personal items
- Horses to carry food and group equipment
- Emergency horse (in case you struggle on the trail)
- Trekking chef, porters, and horsemen
- 2 nights of camping in the mountains
- 1 night in a 3‑star hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Pachamanca barbecue in Cachicata
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
- Daily snack
- First‑aid kit, oxygen bottle, satellite phones
Not Included
- First breakfast (Day 1)
- Lunch on the last day (after Machu Picchu)
- leeping bag, air mattress, or trekking poles (available to rent)
- Huayna Picchu Mountain entrance (optional, must be booked in advance)
- Machu Picchu Mountain entrance (optional, must be booked in advance)
- Travel insurance (highly recommended)
Why book with TreXperience?
- Local Expert: Get the best prices and best service with a 100% Peruvian company
- Expert Tour Guides: Our tour guides are professionals and fluent in English
- Food on the Trail: The food we provide is always high quality and great in variety
- High-Quality Equipment: We provide high-quality camping gear
- Sustainable Practices: We minimize environmental impact through responsible services
- Panoramic Trains: We include Panoramic trains Vistadome
- Want more? We can offer Luxury Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
Full Itinerary of the Inca Quarry trek 4 days
Day 1: Cusco – Racca – Ñaupa Iglesia – Soqma – Perolniyoc Waterfalls – Korimarca
We pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 7:00 a.m. and drive about 2 hours to the Racca community in the Sacred Valley. (Please have breakfast at your hotel before pickup).
Your first visit is Ñaupa Iglesia, a quiet Inca shrine with a mysterious feel, one of those places that makes you instantly slow down and look around. Then you hike toward Soqma, where your trekking chef prepares lunch using fresh local products.
After lunch, you’ll have time to walk around the village, meet local families, and see daily life in a remote Andean community. Then the trail climbs up to the stunning Perolniyoc Waterfalls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region, with big valley views and fresh mountain air.
By late afternoon, you arrive at camp near Korimarca, close to an archaeological site and surrounded by mountains. Your team will already have the luxury setup ready, so you can relax, enjoy a hot drink, and settle in for the night.
- Distance: 12 km / 7.5 mi
- Hiking time: ~7 hours
- Camp altitude: 3,611 m / 11,847 ft
- Meals: Lunch, dinner
- Difficulty: Moderate
Day 2: Korimarca – Charkahuaylla Pass – Intipunku (Ollantaytambo) – Choquetacarpo
Wake up early to hot coffee or coca tea and a strong breakfast, today is your biggest mountain day. You hike uphill for around 4 hours to Charkahuaylla Pass, the highest point of the trek at 4,450 m / 14,599 ft. The views from the top are wide and wild: snow‑capped peaks, open highlands, and deep valleys.
During the day, your guide will do a traditional offering to the mountain Apus (mountain spirits), a meaningful moment that helps you connect with the Andean culture in a simple, respectful way.
After that, you continue through the highlands and stop near Marcacocha Lake for lunch. Later you climb again to Apu Buena Negra, another high viewpoint with one of the best panoramas of the trek, then descend to the Intipunku (Sun Gate) of Ollantaytambo, a stone gateway facing the mighty Verónica Mountain.
You camp tonight at Choquetacarpo, where the sky often turns bright with stars.
- Distance: 15 km / 9.5 mi
- Hiking time: ~8 hours
- Highest altitude: 4,450 m / 14,599 ft
- Camp altitude: 3,600 m / 11,811 ft
- Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner
- Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Day 3: Choquetacarpo – Cachicata Quarry – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
Start the morning with coffee and mountain silence, Choquetacarpo is a great place to watch the sunrise. After breakfast, you hike about 3 hours to the Cachicata Inca Quarry, one of the largest quarries in the Cusco region.
Here your guide explains how Inca stone masons shaped and moved huge stones without modern tools. You’ll see massive blocks scattered across the landscape and learn how this quarry connects to construction in the Sacred Valley.
Lunch today is a real highlight: a traditional Pachamanca, cooked underground with hot stones. It’s delicious, hands‑on, and unforgettable.
After lunch, you continue toward Ollantaytambo, where your vehicle is waiting. You’ll have time to walk the old streets and see the water channels still running through town—just like they have for centuries.
After dinner, you board the 7:00 p.m. train to Aguas Calientes, where you spend the night in a 3‑star hotel.
- Distance: 10 km / 6.2 mi
- Hiking time: ~5 hours
- Aguas Calientes altitude: 2,040 m / 6,692 ft
- Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Difficulty: Easy
Day 4: Machu Picchu – Return to Cusco
Today is your Machu Picchu finale. After breakfast at the hotel, you take one of the early buses up to the citadel. Your guide leads you through the key areas, temples, plazas, terraces, and classic viewpoints, based on your assigned circuit and time slot.
We aim for Circuit 2 when available, but if it’s sold out, we reserve the best official alternative (Circuit 1 or 3) and your guide adjusts the visit to make it feel complete.
After the guided tour, you’ll have time for photos or, if booked in advance, you can hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (optional tickets, after the guided tour).
Later, take the bus back to Aguas Calientes and enjoy lunch on your own (not included). Then you return by train, Vistadome panoramic for the journey back, and continue by private transport to Cusco. Drop‑off at your hotel around 7:30 p.m.
- Guided tour time: ~3–4 hours
- Meals: Breakfast (hotel)
- Difficulty: Easy
Price of Inca Quarry trek 4 days 3 nights
We run small groups so the experience feels personal and well organized. Private service is also available, contact us for a customized quote.
| Number of Travelers | Price per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 | US$ 0 |
| 2 | US$ 0 |
| 3 | US$ 0 |
| 4 | US$ 0 |
| 5 | US$ 0 |
| 6 | US$ 0 |
| 7 | US$ 0 |
| 8 | US$ 0 |
| 9 or more | Contact us for a personalized quote |
Booking and Payment
- Deposit: US$555 per person (to reserve your spot). The balance can be paid online or at our office in Cusco with any credit card, PayPal, or wire transfer. Contact us for alternative payment options.
Student Discount
- US$ 30 off
Applies to all travelers under 17 and students under 25 with a valid university ID. The ID must:
- Show the student's name, photo, and university name.
- Include a valid expiration date (expired IDs are not accepted).
The discount is applied automatically for children. For students, you must submit a copy of your student ID when booking; if your ID is rejected, you will be charged the adult rate.
Before you book
- Inca Trail permits are limited (500 per day). Popular dates sell out early.
- If you are vegetarian, vegan, or have any dietary restrictions, please let us know when making your reservation.
- Your passport number must match the permit. Please double‑check before paying.
- This is a private tour, we can start on any date with available permits form a single passenger.
Packing List of Cachicata Inca Quarry Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
You’ll likely travel around Peru with bigger luggage, but on the trek you only need what you’ll actually use on the trail.
Bag Setup
- Daypack: carry your daily essentials (recommended up to 5 kg / 11 lb)
- Duffel bag: provided for your overnight items (up to 7 kg / 15 lb)
- Extra luggage can be left at your hotel in Cusco (or stored with us if needed).
Must‑Bring Essentials
What to Wear
Layering works best in the Andes.
Daypack Checklist
Duffel Bag Checklist
Remember: the 7 kg limit includes your sleeping bag and air mattress if you bring/rent them.
TreXperience Provides
Travel Information of Cachicata trek luxury version
Permits & Trail Access
Unlike the Classic Inca Trail, the Inca Quarry Trail does not require the same government permit system. Instead, there is a community toll for access (Soqma), and it’s included in the tour.
Passport Requirements
Your Machu Picchu ticket is linked to your passport details, so your booking info must match your passport exactly. Bring your original passport for travel and site entry.
Pre‑Departure Safety Briefing
We hold a safety briefing before departure. This is where you review final details, ask questions, and get ready for the trek.
Altitude & Acclimatization
The highest point is 4,450 m / 14,599 ft (Charkahuaylla Pass). We strongly recommend arriving in Cusco 2–3 days early to acclimatize, stay hydrated, and hike at a steady pace.
Weather & Seasons on the Trail
Weather can change fast, sun, wind, cold, and rain can all happen in one day.
- Wet season: November to March
- Dry season: April to October
Pack layers and good rain protection.
Machu Picchu Tickets, Circuits & Optional Mountain Hikes
Machu Picchu uses timed entry and one‑way routes. Your ticket shows your circuit and start time, and you must follow the official route.
Optional hikes (advance booking required):
- Huayna Picchu Mountain: US$68 (about 2 hours round trip)
- Machu Picchu Mountain: US$68 (about 3 hours round trip)
You can hike only one of these mountains, and it’s done after the guided tour.
Quick note about “Sun Gate”: This trek includes the Intipunku of Ollantaytambo (Cachicata area), not the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu. It’s a different historic viewpoint with amazing Sacred Valley scenery.
FAQs of Cachicata Trek luxury version
How hard is the 4‑day Inca Quarry Trek?
It’s moderate overall, with a tougher Day 2 because of altitude and hiking hours. If you’re active and prepare a bit, it’s very doable.
How should I train for this trek?
Start walking or hiking regularly a few weeks before your trip. Add stairs or hill training and do leg strength work (squats and lunges). Arriving early in Cusco helps a lot.
What do I carry each day, and what does the team carry?
You hike with your daypack (water, layers, sun protection, camera, snacks). Your overnight items go in the provided duffel bag, and the team carries group equipment with horses.
What are the sleeping arrangements like?
You camp two nights with a comfortable setup (mattress, pillow, extra blankets, dining area, and a private portable toilet). Night 3 is in a 3‑star hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Yes. Please tell us in advance about any vegetarian, vegan, or any other allergies so we can plan properly.
Can I rent trekking poles, a sleeping bag, or an air mattress?
Yes, available as optional rentals
- Sleeping bag: US$25
- Inflatable mattress: US$20
- Trekking poles: US$20
What’s the typical group size?
Group sizes vary. A second guide is included for groups of 9+.
What happens if I feel unwell on the trail?
Tell your guide right away. We carry a first‑aid kit, oxygen, and satellite phones. There’s also an emergency horse available if you struggle.
Will I have a cell phone signal on the trek?
Expect limited or no signal in many areas. Bring a power bank if you want to keep your phone/camera charged.
Is tipping required?
Tipping is optional and always up to you. If you’d like guidance, your guide can explain what’s customary for the team during the briefing.