Ancascocha Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu
The fastest Ancascocha route to Machu Picchu, with a horseback ascent to the remote high lagoon.
The Ancascocha Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu is the fastest way to experience this remote Andean route — a quiet alternative to the crowded Classic Inca Trail. Day 1 starts with a horseback ride to Ancascocha Lagoon, saving hours of walking before the real hiking begins: a climb over Huayanay Pass (4,630 m) and a descent to camp at Qesqa.
Day 2 follows the Cusichaca River through the Paucarcancha valley — where trails converge toward Ancascocha, Salkantay, and the Classic Inca Trail — passing Inca sites like Paucarcancha and Patallacta before connecting with the train to Aguas Calientes. Day 3 is dedicated to a guided tour of Machu Picchu.
Kondor Path Tours is a Cusco-based agency, fully licensed to operate this route directly — your payment goes straight to the team on the ground, not through a reseller. This trek operates March through December, with April–September offering the driest conditions.
Looking for a longer, fully on-foot version? See our Ancascocha Trek 4 Days or Ancascocha Trek 5 Days.
| 🥾 Duration | 3 days / 2 nights |
| 📏 Distance | ~28 km total across 2 trekking days |
| 🐴 Day 1 transport | Horseback (~3h20min) + hiking (~2h) |
| ⛰️ Max altitude | 4,630 m / 15,190 ft — Huayanay Pass |
| 🏛️ Includes | Machu Picchu guided tour, Day 3 |
| 💪 Difficulty | Demanding |
| 📅 Season | March to December (April–September driest) |
| 👥 Group size | 1–16 hikers |
| 🔞 Minimum age | 12+ years |
| 💲 Price | Scalable from $581 USD per person (groups of 1–10) |
Start your Ancascocha Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu journey — 3 days of real adventure. – Horseback ride to Ancascocha Lagoon — a scenic shortcut that saves hours of walking on Day 1. – Cross Huayanay Pass (4,630 m) with panoramic views over the Paucarcancha valley. – Walk the Huayruro trail along the Cusichaca River, through the Paucarcancha valley — where routes. – Pass Inca archaeological sites including Paucarcancha, Tunasmoqo, and Patallacta. That’s the Ancascocha Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu, in a nutshell.
The Ancascocha Trek 3 Days is the shortest of Kondor Path’s three Ancascocha itineraries — a quiet, remote alternative to the Classic Inca Trail, made accessible in just three days thanks to a horseback ride at the start. It’s a serious trek, not a casual walk: expect real altitude, real camping, and far fewer other travelers than the popular routes.
| Feature | Ancascocha 3 Days | Ancascocha 4 Days | Ancascocha 5 Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 transport | Horseback + short hike | Fully on foot | Fully on foot |
| Nights camping | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Max altitude | 4,630 m | ~4,650 m | 4,650 m |
| Best for | Limited time, still want the full experience | Standard on-foot pace | More sites, deeper immersion |
This 3-day trek offers the fastest way to experience Ancascocha’s dramatic high-altitude scenery — reaching Ancascocha Lagoon by horseback on Day 1, saving significant time and effort compared to the longer trekking versions of this route, before crossing Huayanay Pass and making the classic approach to Machu Picchu via Km 82 and Ollantaytambo.
Using horses for the ascent to Ancascocha Lagoon and Huayanay Pass (4,630 m) on Day 1 substantially reduces the physical demand of reaching the trek’s highest point, though the altitude itself still requires a properly acclimatized starting point in Cusco (3,400 m). From there, Day 2’s descent toward Paucarcancha and Ollantaytambo drops elevation steadily, so the train journey to Aguas Calientes and Day 3’s Machu Picchu visit unfold at far gentler altitude than the trek’s high pass.
Your guide picks you up from your hotel in Cusco at 05:30 AM. The drive heads through the Pomatales Valley, passing Ollantaytambo and Chilca, to reach Camicancha — about 2 hours. Here, the muleteers and saddle horses are waiting.
From Camicancha, the group rides horseback to Ancascocha Lagoon, roughly 3 hours and 20 minutes — a scenic shortcut through remote, multicolored Andean terrain that would otherwise take significantly longer on foot. This is where the real hiking begins: a 40-minute climb to Huayanay Pass (4,630 m / 15,190 ft), the highest point of the trek, rewarding the effort with panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and peaks.
From the pass, the trail descends for about 1.5 hours to the campsite at Qesqa, with views over the valleys of Paucartambo and Wayllabamba.
Day 1 stats
1BL, 1D
Demanding
A short walk More BY HORSE
By Horse 3 Hrs. & by Foot 2 Hrs.
Ancacocha Lagoon: 4,090m (13,418 ft)
Qesqa Camp: 3,650m (11,910 ft)
Huayanay Pass: 4,650m (15,298 ft)
The day starts at 06:00, descending toward the Paucarcancha valley — the meeting point of several historic routes: the trail to Ancascocha, the Inca Canal route to Salkantay, the Classic Inca Trail, and various secondary paths. From Paucarcancha, the trail follows the Cusichaca River, ascending gently toward Miskay before reaching Km 82 of the railway, passing Inca archaeological sites along the way including Paucarcancha, Tunasmoqo, and Patallacta.
After lunch at Km 82, a roughly 40-minute drive takes the group to Ollantaytambo, where you board the evening train (PeruRail, Expedition 75, departure 19:04) to Aguas Calientes, arriving around 20:45.
Day 2 stats
Overnight in Aguas Calientes (hotel not included).
1B, 1L.
Intense
15km (9.3 miles)
7-8 Hrs.
Qesqa Camp: 3,650m (11,910 ft)
KM 82: 2,750m (9,000 ft)
None
In the morning, board the shared bus up to Machu Picchu. Your 2-hour guided tour begins at 09:00, exploring the citadel’s agricultural and residential sectors, with panoramic photo opportunities throughout.
In the afternoon, board the return train (PeruRail, Expedition 74P, departure 14:55) to Ollantaytambo, arriving at 16:31, followed by a private vehicle transfer to Cusco, arriving in the early evening.
Day 3 stats
Breakfast
Easy
A light walk
2-hour guided tour
Machu Picchu Pueblo: 2,065m (6,774 ft)
Machu Picchu Ruins: 2,400m (7,874 ft)
Cusco: 3,350m (10,990 ft)
Looking for something different in duration or pace? Compare it with our Ancascocha Trek 5 Days.
| Upgrade | Detail | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|
| PeruRail Vistadome | 3 tiers available | +$85 / +$95 / +$125 per person |
| Hiram Bingham luxury train | Return journey only (Machu Picchu → Poroy) | +$498 |
| Huayna Picchu entrance | ⚠️ Must be requested at time of booking — limited daily permits | +$75 |
| Machu Picchu Mountain entrance | Add-on climb | +$75 |
| Machu Picchu re-entry | Second entrance same day | +$75 |
Student discount: college students receive $20 off the Machu Picchu entrance fee (unified with the rest of the catalog) — valid ID required.
The shortest of Kondor Path’s Ancascocha itineraries: a horseback ride to Ancascocha Lagoon on Day 1, a hike over Huayanay Pass, a descent through the Paucarcancha valley on Day 2 to connect with the train, and a guided Machu Picchu tour on Day 3.
Rated Demanding. Day 1 combines horseback riding with a real climb to Huayanay Pass (4,630 m); Day 2 is a long day of hiking (7-8 hours) descending through the Paucarcancha valley. Day 3 is an easy guided walk at Machu Picchu.
Huayanay Pass, at 4,630 m (15,190 ft), crossed on Day 1.
No previous riding experience is required — the horses are led by experienced muleteers, and the pace is manageable for beginners.
No government permit is required for the Ancascocha route itself. A standard Machu Picchu entrance ticket is required for Day 3, included in your booking.
The recommended minimum age is 12 years old, given the altitude and the demands of Day 2’s long hiking day.
Yes — one night of camping at Qesqa (Day 1), followed by a hotel night in Aguas Calientes (not included) before Machu Picchu.
The trek operates March through December, with April through September offering the driest, clearest conditions.
No permit is required, there are far fewer other trekkers on the route, and the itinerary is shorter (3 days vs. 4). It passes different archaeological sites — Paucarcancha, Tunasmoqo, and Patallacta — rather than the full Inca Trail circuit.
Yes, but it must be requested at the time of booking due to limited daily permits — it can’t be added later as a simple upgrade.
Ancascocha Trek 3 Days New Map
Transparent, scalable group pricing. Every price here covers transport, guide, horses, entrance fees, camping equipment, meals, train tickets, and everything listed under Inclusions.
| Persons | Price (p/p) | |
| 1 | $ 1 610.00 USD | |
| 2 | $ 1 047.00 USD | |
| 3 | $ 856.00 USD | |
| 4 | $ 750.00 USD | |
| 5 | $ 712.00 USD | |
| 6 | $ 682.00 USD | |
| 7 | $ 652.00 USD | |
| 8 | $ 623.00 USD | |
| 9 | $ 600.00 USD | |
| 10 | $ 581.00 USD |
