12 Days | Uncover the remote and remarkable Inca routes of northern Peru
You’ve heard of the Inca Trail, but what about the Great Inca Road? Made up of ancient Inca trade routes cutting through the Andes, the Great Inca Road is every bit as significant and special as its more famous counterpart – it just doesn’t have the crowds. On this 12-day trekking expedition you’ll join a local leader and traditional llama caravan to hike storied paths that few travellers have ever seen, visiting archaeological sites along the way. To get acclimatised to the altitude, you’ll spend time in the adventure hub of Huaraz, hiking the spectacular surrounding landscapes. You’ll soon find out it’s not called the Great Inca Road for nothing.
Trip overview
- Start
- Lima, Peru
- Finish
- Lima, Peru
- Theme
- Expeditions, Walking & trekking
- Destinations
- Peru
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Basix
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 12
- Trip code
- GGXG
- Hike on the ancient and little-visited trade routes of the Great Inca Road, taking in seriously spectacular views of the Andes and visiting well preserved yet remote Inca outposts.
- Get acclimatised to the altitude in the adventure hub of Huaraz, a low-key city surrounded by mountains, lakes and glaciers waiting to be explored on your included hikes.
- You’ll not only be accompanied by a local leader on your adventure – a traditional llama caravan will join you on the Great Inca Road, meaning you only need to carry a daypack.
- Your hiking journey comes to an end at the incredible Inca site of Huanuco Pampa, where you’ll meet a local guide for a private tour of these significant ancient ruins.
- Visit the intriguing Caral-Supe archaeological site, left behind by a civilisation pre-dating the Inca and built at the same time as the first Egyptian pyramids.
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Awamaki. Donations help them empower indigenous women artisans in Peru with skills training and job opportunities that provide financial independence.
- This trip visits places that are at high altitude, and as a result some people can suffer from altitude sickness, regardless of age or physical health. Please see the Medical and health information section of the Essential Trip Information for more detail.
- This is a hiking trip and it is strenuous. You need to be physically fit to enjoy all hikes fully.
- This trip includes camping for four nights. All gear is provided: sleeping bags, sleeping mats, pillows and two-person tents.
- On Expedition trips there can be some hiccups or welcome surprises along the way. All that’s needed for this is a go-with-the-flow attitude! Sorting out the details is what your local leader is for, so you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Itinerary
Inclusions
11 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
Private vehicle, Bus, Taxi
Hotels (7 nights), Camping (4 nights)
- Huaraz: LLanganuco lakes and Laguna 69 guided hike
- Huaraz: Laguna Churup guided hike
- Huaraz: Pastoruri glacier & Huascaran National Park guided hike
- Great Inca Road: Castillo to Soledad de Tambo guided hike
- Great Inca Road: Soledad de Tambo Archaeological guided site visit
- Great Inca Road: 4 days fully supported (Porters, Llamas, all meals and equipment)
- Chavín de Huántar archaeological site guided visit
- Great Inca Road: Soledad de Tambo to Quenhuajirca guided hike
- Great Inca Road: Meeting with traditional master weaver
- Great Inca Road: Quenhuajirca to Tambo Grande guided hike
- Great Inca Road: Tambo Grande to San Lorenzo de Isco guided hike
- Great Inca Road: San Lorenzo de Isco to Huanuco Pampa guided hike
- Great Inca Road: Huanuco Pampa Archaeological site visit
- Sacred City of Caral-Supe guided visit
- Lima - Museo de la Nacion (entrance fee) - PEN10
- Lima - Coast Biking Tour - Urban Adventure (Price based on 2 participants) - USD52
- Lima - Museum of the Inquisition - Free
- Lima - Archaeological Museum (entrance fee) - PEN15
- Lima - Gold Museum Entrance Fee - PEN35
- Lima - Guided tour of San Francisco Monastery, including The Catacombs Admission Fee - PEN20
- Lima - Private Lima: Home Cooked Tour Urban Adventure (Based on 2 participants) - USD85
- Lima - Cathedral of Lima (entrance fee) - PEN12
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 6-10 (Camping) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. We recommend that travellers intending to depart Lima on the final day of the trip book flights departing no earlier than 12pm to allow for possible delays.
3. Please ensure you bring all necessary hiking gear with you (boots, waterproof clothing, thermals, walking poles, etc). While there is an outdoor store in Huaraz, it’s better to rely on your own gear. Please refer to the Packing section of the Essential Trip information for more details.
4. At the pre-trek briefing you will be given a duffle bag to pack your clothes for the trek, sleeping bag and personal items. The maximum weight you can pack in this bag is 7kg.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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