Welcome to Cusco City, heart of the Incan Empire. Take time to explore Cusco City’s many attractions and to acclimatize to the high elevation. In the evening we’ll build and adjust bikes, participate in a trip orientation and safety briefing, and enjoy a welcome dinner in one of Cusco’s fine restaurants. If possible, we recommend arriving several days early to Cusco City to allow for better acclimatization.

We’ll shuttle our gravel bikes and luggage to the southern extreme of Cusco City, a high-altitude wetland, Laguna Huacarpay, with over 60 endemic bird species. It’s important to make sure that all bikes are comfortable and properly adjusted, so we prefer to avoid the city traffic and do this in a more relaxed setting. This loop of Laguna Huacarpay is the perfect way to do that. Meanwhile we can take in views of the Pikillaqta pre-Incan archaeological site. Later, our ride will take us along the scenic Vilcanota River through fields of thick-grain corn and native Andean grains like quinoa and kiwicha. Today’s ride is the perfect introduction to the Cusco region – some short climbs, but for the most part flat and rolling.

The Sacred Valley Bike Corridor connects the communities and towns along the scenic Sacred Valley of the Incas. We’ll pedal along the charming Urubamba River and enjoy a visit to the Urco Ruins, home to Incan terraces still in agricultural use. Today’s ride will be set against the majestic Cordillera Urubamba, with views of Sahuasiray and Chicon glaciers. Our goal will be to finish shortly after midday, allowing plenty of time to explore Calca on foot and rest ourselves for our first substantial climb of the trip tomorrow. This will be our second day of acclimation on the bike before we experience serious elevation tomorrow. In the evening we’ll be able to relax in our charming garden and enjoy another homemade meal.

We’ll take advantage of the fresh morning hours to ascend along a paved road towards the Lares Pass (4,461 m.s.n.m). This is the largest climb of our trip. As we approach the pass, the scenery becomes increasingly verdant and herds of alpaca graze at the foot of the backside of Nevado Sahuasiray. At the pass we’ll catch our breath and enjoy the views of Nevado Terijuay, in the direction of the Lares Valley. From here, we will descend through small farming communities until we reach the town of Lares, home of the famous Lares thermal baths! Here we’ll spend the night. There’s no better remedy for sore climbing legs than hot thermal baths!

From Lares, our descent starts along the churning Yanatile River, bordered by beautiful native tree species, and follows the river for more than 80 kilometers to the town of Quebrada Honda. We’ll descend into a deep canyon, where the course of the river becomes a series of impressive waterfalls. Our path takes us through the ceja de selva, what we know as the jungle’s eyebrow or the upper jungle, an area of dense cloud forest situated on the border of the Manu Biosphere, an extremely biodiverse area. En route to Quebrada Honda, we’ll stop to visit a local coffee farm, as the Yanatile region is known for producing some of the country's highest quality coffee beans. Later, we’ll roll into Quebrada Honda at golden hour and enjoy some truly magnificent views of the surrounding landscapes.

We’ll begin today’s ride along a beautiful, paved section above the Yanatile River, before crossing the river and exploring the opposite side of the valley. As the roaring Ocongate River tributary joins the Yanatile River, the valley widens. Today’s ride is full of ups-and-downs. As we gradually descend in elevation, cacao farms and orange groves begin to overtake the landscape. We’ll visit with a local cacao farmer along the way. After lunch, we’ll attack an afternoon climb out of our trip’s low point, Chahuares. We are now leaving the Yanatile River Valley and ascending the Lower Urubamba River Valley through tropical fruit groves and with views of San Lorenzo Waterfall. We’ll continue riding on to our Echarate Lodge, where we’ll enjoy a beautiful pool and an evening barbecue.

We continue to ascend along a rolling dirt road through lush tropical landscapes. Our ride will take us through coffee country’s largest city, Quillabamba, a city that has grown along with the popularity of coffee itself. Many of the area’s coffee processors, buyers and exporters call Quillabamba home, so it’s only fitting that we stop in for a visit after spending several days passing through the farms of the local farmers who sell their coffee here. After a nice midday lunch in the city, we’ll pedal out of Quillabamba in the direction of our final stop before Machu Picchu, Maranura. Here we’ll spend the night at a beautiful lodge with a pool. We’ll have an optional 30-minute shuttle in the afternoon for those who wish to visit the Yanay Waterfall, only a short drive and quick hike away.

Today we’ll give the bikes a break. We rise early to shuttle to the back door access point to Machu Picchu through Santa Teresa. After a 1.5-hr vehicle shuttle, travel by train from Hidroelectric Station to Machu Picchu Pueblo. Enjoy a guided tour of Machu Picchu Citadel, one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Later, journey by train to Ollantaytambo in the evening and explore this Incan village, one of the last Incan strongholds during the Spanish conquest. Our shuttle vehicle will rendezvous with the group here in Ollantaytambo.

Climb to the Maras plateau, where we’ll take in stunning views of the Cordillera Urubamba and later Nevado Salkantay. We’ll pedal through fields of Andean grains and alongside Huaypo and Piuray mountain lakes. We’ll take a break for lunch along the banks of Laguna Huaypo before closing the loop and returning to our starting point, the city of Cusco. This time, now comfortable with our bikes, we’ll ride into the city straight to our hotel’s door! In the evening , we’ll join our team of guides for a farewell dinner and much-deserved celebratory drinks!

Airport shuttles are available all day for riders who choose to depart today. For riders who need assistance packing bikes and gear, your team of guides will be available both the evening prior to departures and the morning of departures. For riders who plan to extend their visit to the Cusco area or other regions of Peru, our team is happy to assist with bike storage or to assist with additional trip logistics.