06:00 h — Breakfast at camp. The morning is cold and often clear — the best weather window before clouds build in the afternoon.
Paso Pucajasa (4,393m / 14,413 ft): From camp, approximately 1 hour of climbing to the highest point of the entire trek. The path narrows as it approaches the pass through a rocky col between two ridgelines.
At the pass: a 360° panorama that encompasses:
- Nevado Verónica (5,682m) — directly north, the glacier visible from the pass
- Nevado Chinchaypuqyu — west, above Chinchero
- Sacred Valley — east and below, the Urubamba River visible as a silver thread 1,455m below
- Huchuy Qosqo — visible from the pass as a series of stone terraces on the cliffside below
The pass has a small apacheta (stone cairn) — a Quechua tradition of leaving a stone as an offering to the Apu (mountain spirit) and a symbol of having reached the summit. Your guide will explain the tradition. Allow 15-20 minutes here.
Descent to Huchuy Qosqo (3,650m): A steep but manageable 1.5-2 hour descent on an ancient stone-paved trail — partially original Inca road surface, partially eroded path. The vegetation changes rapidly as you lose altitude: tundra gives way to scattered queñoa trees (the highest-elevation native trees in Peru), then to terraced farmland.
Huchuy Qosqo (3,650m) — approximately 10:30-11:30 h:
Guided tour of the ruins (~1.5 hours):
The main archaeological complex covers several hectares along a natural terrace that drops sharply on the Sacred Valley side. Principal features:
| Structure |
Description |
| Kallancas |
Three large rectangular halls, up to 30m long — the largest non-temple Inca structures at this site |
| Colcas |
Circular and rectangular storage buildings arranged in rows — the Inca storage system that supplied the estate |
| Agricultural terraces |
Multiple tiers of stone-faced terracing, still farmable today |
| Principal plaza |
Open ceremonial space surrounded by kallancas and facing the Sacred Valley |
| Access ramp |
Original stone-paved Inca road descending toward Lamay — the supply route |
The most striking feature of Huchuy Qosqo is what you can see from it rather than the ruins themselves: the entire Sacred Valley spread below, the Urubamba River running through its center, and the glaciated peaks across the valley. This is where Viracocha Inca came to look out over his empire.
Cusco Tourist Ticket required: Entry to Huchuy Qosqo requires the Boleto Turístico del Cusco (BTC, ~S/.70 PEN / approximately $18-20 USD). This is NOT included in the tour price — purchase at the INC office in Cusco before departure or from the warden at the site entrance. If you already have a tourist ticket (valid for multiple sites), it covers entry.
Lunch at the ruins (included). The cook prepares a full meal on site.
Descent to Lamay (2,938m): The final 1.5-2 hours follow the Inca access road down the mountain face — a zigzagging stone path through farmland communities. The temperature rises 10-15°C as you lose altitude. Lamay is a small town on the Sacred Valley floor.
~13:00-14:00 h — Transport Lamay → Cusco. Arrival in Cusco approximately 15:00 h. End of service.
