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Ancascocha Trek To Machu Picchu: 4 Days And 3 Nights Journey on Unbeaten Trail
Embark on the Ancascocha Trek to Machu Picchu, a 4-day journey on an unbeaten trail. Discover ancient Inca ruins, traditional Andean villages, and experience the authentic daily lives of farmers and shepherds.
Embark on the Ancascocha Trek to Machu Picchu, a 4-day journey on an unbeaten trail. Discover ancient Inca ruins, traditional Andean villages, and experience the authentic daily lives of farmers and shepherds.
Duration:
4 days
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Machu Picchu - After meeting you at your hotel, we drive 1h 45m to Soqma (10,512 ft). This is the starting point of our trek. The hike begins with a 2 hour walk to the Perolniyoc cascade lookout. The waterfall is breathtaking! Then, hiking for a further 45 minutes we visit the Inca site of the same name. Perched on a cliff-top with spectacular…
- Machu Picchu - After meeting you at your hotel, we drive 1h 45m to Soqma (10,512 ft). This is the starting point of our trek. The hike begins with a 2 hour walk to the Perolniyoc cascade lookout. The waterfall is breathtaking! Then, hiking for a further 45 minutes we visit the Inca site of the same name. Perched on a cliff-top with spectacular views of the surrounding valley, your guide will share some of the history of the site and you will be free to wander through the ruins.\n\nNext we make a steep ascent for around an hour to reach our lunch spot, Rayan (12,139 ft). Here you will sample for the first time the incredible culinary skills of your chef.\n\nThe afternoon begins with a challenging 3 hour uphill hike to reach the Kuychiccasa pass (14,599 ft). Passing the rustic houses of the farmers, at every turn you will see sumptuous views of the snow-capped peaks of the \’Nevadas\’, and llamas.\n\nAs we reach the top of the pass we take a break to soak in the magnificent views of the Chancachuco Valley. From here it is an easy 45 minute downhill to reach our camp at the Chancachuco Valley (14,147 ft). \n\nHere, with the campsite already prepared when you arrive, you can change into warmer clothing.
What's Included
- Two nights camping
- One night at a B&B in Aguas Calientes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local guide
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- National Park fees
- Two nights camping
- One night at a B&B in Aguas Calientes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local guide
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- National Park fees
What's Not Included
- Excess luggage charges (where applicable)
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Round trip bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu on day 4.
- Excess luggage charges (where applicable)
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Round trip bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu on day 4.
Additional Information
The Ancascocha Trail in the Peruvian Andes is a remarkable trail that, unlike other more popular trails, remains off the beaten track and away from crowds. Yet don’t be put off by its lesser known status.
Named by National Geographic as one of 20 dream hikes on their World Best Hikes list, this stunning trek takes you past ancient Inca ruins and through…
The Ancascocha Trail in the Peruvian Andes is a remarkable trail that, unlike other more popular trails, remains off the beaten track and away from crowds. Yet don’t be put off by its lesser known status.
Named by National Geographic as one of 20 dream hikes on their World Best Hikes list, this stunning trek takes you past ancient Inca ruins and through traditional Andean villages such as Chillipahua and the trail’s namesake Ancascocha (3,700 m/12,136 ft).
Here you may briefly share the trail with farmers, shepherds and their livestock tending to their daily lives, so far removed from the tourist crowds of Cusco.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(77 Ratings)
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L9672nubrendanh
May 30, 2025
Amazing Hike Through The Mountains! - My brother and I did this trip and had an amazing time! This trail, while not the classic Inca trail, is a great experience. The hike goes through the mountains and gives amazing views without the crowds of the classic trail. We visited several Incan ruins along the path, along with water falls and lakes in the mountains.
Our staff were very helpful and friendly. Each day we had three meals cooked for us, each of which was very good. One my birthday, the chef even prepared a cake to celebrate. Our camp and tent were set up each day for us which allowed us to relax after a long day of hiking.
Our tour guide, Nito, was awesome. He is very knowledgeable of the Incan civilization, Peru, and the world in general. He shared many stories with us while we hiked and was very encouraging during the difficult parts of the hike. Many thanks Nito!
Overall, we would recommend this hike to anyone who wants to hike through the Andean mountains and see Machu Picchu. We will note the hiking days can be intense, as we hiked around 42km over the three days of hiking, with significant elevation gains. The views are worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kt4910
May 23, 2025
Great hike. - Loved this trek. I did two other treks with another company and really feel Action Peru delivered a better experience. And the other tour group is a major operator while Action Peru is smaller. So pros and cons.
- well organized. Even though the before trek emails were not as timely as I would have liked, they were accurate. I also changed what I was doing in that I only did the Ancaschocha portion of the trek and Roxner was great at adjusting my schedule accordingly.
- great guide. Christian was terrific. I struggle on the uphill due to lung issues. I am strong on the downhill. He really supported me and those who were struggling on the uphill and really made sure the pace supported us. He also was very knowledgeable and shared a lot with us.
- excellent equipment. Loved the tent, sleeping bag, mattresses and the liner. The liner was fleece and really was great at helping to keep me warm.
- crew worked hard and never complained. Cook worked hard to provide gluten free options.
Cons
- none of significance. Well maybe a different toilet when we weren’t on farms.
Was a really great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clarisvalterf2022
Apr 1, 2025
Amazing views and amazing people - The views were amazing since day one, there were so many different landscapes (jungle, alpines, green fields and more). The people working in the company were amazing. It was really nice to do the trek with someone that is from the area (Eddie), he even took us to his village and showed us his home and family. Also it was nice being part of the ritual and offering that he did to his Gods to thank them for keeping us safe on the mountains once we crossed the highest pass. The food was really good and the tents were nice and comfortable. The guide Nilton was very friendly too and made sure we were having a good time explaining the plants, fruits and places we were passing by during the trek.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexandratt1587yt
Mar 31, 2025
Amazing experience!! - Everything about this tour was amazing!! The company was very organized and there were no complications or confusions. There was a great variety of landscapes and stunning views every moment of the journey! It is a great mix of terrain, steep ups and downs, soft grass, stones, dirt path etc. Eddie and Nilton were spectacular guides who made the journey very special. Eddie is from the area and knows so much, we even stopped at his family’s home to say hello. Both guys were not just guides for the trek, they educated us on their culture, beliefs, customs, history, etc. They were very knowledgable and you could see their passion and love for nature and trekking. Along the way they identified all sorts of plants, fruits, flowers, etc and explained what they’re used for. They always remained positive and encouraged us during tough parts of the trek and then congratulated us once we got through those tough parts. They respected our pace and never rushed us.
The camping was spectacular!! We camped in such beautiful spots, always along a water source so you had the sound of a river to fall asleep to. The tents were large, sturdy and comfortable. It rained for a couple hours one night and no water entered the tent. The sleeping bag, mattress and pillow were perfect for staying warm and comfortable, but do pack layers as the nights are cold. The star gazing was spectacular too!
The chef and horseman were also great!They were always smiling and working hard. All meals were amazing with a mix of all food groups. It was nice to try some of the local dishes! There was no shortage of food and snacks were given in the morning for the trek. Boiled water was provided at every meal so you can refill your water bottles. They use horses to bring stuff along, but they definitely do not overpack each horse which was nice to see. Our trip for example was 3 guests, 2 guides and 3 other staff and they had 5 horses to carry everything. The horses were well fed and treated well.
Overall I would recommend this trek and company if you want a truly unique experience. During the trek we barely saw anyone else, so it was just us and nature. The night in Aguas Calientes is nice and Machu Picchu day of course is spectacular!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kasper
Mar 28, 2025
Best trek to Machu Picchu - My friend and I went on the Ancascocha trek 4D/3N to Machu Picchu with the best Tourguide in Peru, Lino. We had an amazing time, and really got into nature. We saw the most beautiful views of mountains, waterfalls, inka ruins and glaciers. The trek was hard, but worth every drop of sweat.
Lino was the perfect guide as you could feel he was very passionate about his job and he could teach us a lot about the inka kingdom, the mountains and the Andean people. And he liked UNO flip:))
Furthermore, we had an amazing crew with us that made sure the tents were in place, our duffels got carried up the mountains and the food was really good, thanks to Joel, the chef.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandrac9758
Mar 25, 2025
Great trek with Lina! - We had a great trek with Lina as our guide, along with Oskar and Elsa who cared for the horses/mules, and Eliquin and Joel who were our cooks! We did a private 5d/4d Ancascocha trek combined with train to Machu Pichu.
We had originally booked a classic Inca trail trek, but mudslides closed the trail. Action Trek Peru was great about contacting us when the government extended the trail closure to give us options to rebook or switch to another trek and I am so glad we did!
Beautiful remote mountain passes, traditional small pueblos. There were some sections with phenomenal views that skirt along the edge of the mountain that were challenging if you have a fear of heights.
We had our 4 kids with us, and the team was amazing at making it a positive experience for them as well. Especially with this being a harder trek than we initially planned. Oskar and Elsa led two of them on a horse for a couple of the long uphills at altitude when they were tired, and Joel even carried one of them on his shoulders at the end our longest day when we were at risk of not making it to camp by sunset.
Would book with them again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Resort45682187785
Sep 20, 2023
Ancascocha Trek - Our experience on the Ancascocha trek was AMAZING! We booked this trip through Action Peru and they were very professional. The trek passes many Inca ruins, small villages, lakes and also offers a trek in one small portion of the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This is definitely one of the best treks to do in Peru and still off the beaten path. Our guide was Christian and he was brilliant. We loved our experience with this company!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Markwait647
Sep 10, 2023
Ancascocha Trek to Machu Picchu - Best Trek to Machu Picchu - My family and I trekked the 5 day Ancascocha trek with Action Peru Treks and it was absolutely amazing. Our guide, Chef and horseman were phenomenal. The hike was a little challenging but the team of Action Peru made our experience comfortable and enjoyable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vvins0n
Sep 2, 2023
5D/4N Ancascosha Trek - Thank you for ActionTrekPeru for providing this team of Edison the guide, Oscar the 19 year old horseman and Super Mario the Chef! They took care of me the entire time. Edison helped and adjusted according to my skill level. The rest of the team made sure I was taken care of and nourished. A perfect combo.
This company whole heartedly treats their team right. I had the pleasure to have some time with their boss Roxner who might be one of the only owners who speaks the native tongue of Quechua. This provides a deeper connection to the Andean people that works for him. He believes treating his employees like family and that’s a philosophy I can always support.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mds0hraba
Aug 21, 2023
Incredible experience - Incredible experience, thanks to Action Peru Treks! Their well-organized tour, friendly guides, and breathtaking Inca Trail trek made the trip unforgettable. I'd recommend them to anyone seeking an authentic Peruvian adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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