The Ecuador Inca Trail to Ingapirca is a three-day hike following a forty-kilometre stretch of the route, once connected the Incan empire’s northern capital Quito with the city at its heart, Cuzco in Peru. It was used to move trade and messengers as well as large marching armies during the civil war that broke out between the two Incan princes, Huáscar in Quito and Atahualpa in Cuzco.
Includes:
- Professional Guide
- Private Transportation
- Meals (B=breakast/BL= box lunch/L=lunch/D=dinner)
- Camping Equipment (kitchen utensils, tents)
- Accomodation in double tent
- Accomodation in Cuenca hotel
- Horses
- Entrance fees
Excludes:
- Personal equipment (Boots, sleeping bags, gloves, waterproof jackets and pants, etc.)
- Tips
- Personal expenses and anything not specified above
Itinerary 5 Days
We will drive from Quito through the wonderful Avenue of the volcanoes and different cities villages of the highlands, we will get lunch on the way and we make our way to the traditional village of Achupallas at 3.100m where the Inca Trail begins.
We will hike until we reach our campsite, accommodate our stuff ; hang around and relax until dinner time, overnight in tents (-/L/D)
After a good breakfast, we will start our hike along Cuadrul river, as we walk up we will get amazing views from the Village, walking through beautiful onion, potato, and barley fields.
We will get a typical paramo vegetation (highland straw) where our trail goes through until getting our second camp called Tres Cruces (3.800m). Night and dinner in tents (B/BL/D)
Today we will start a bit earlier, after the breakfast, and continue to hike up into an open and eroded terrain, passing Tres Cruces Lake (4.250m), we still hike up to the highest point of the Inca Trail 4.400m, where we can appreciate the mountain formation Osogoche, and even Chimborazo far to the north, we will be walking on the flat terrain until we start going down towards Culebrillas Lake and finally we got our next Camp Paredones (3.980m), today we will be walking around 8 hours.
Night and dinner at the Camp (B/BL/D)
After breakfast we pack the camp up and continue our trek. We only have some 3 to 4 hours walk this day, descending from Paredones walking thru the Inca trail until the Ingapirca ruins.
A couple of hours after having started our walk we will leave the páramo and enter into pastureland again. Weather will get warm again and once in Ingapirca we will make a small tour in the archeological complex (3.160m) to learn about the Incas and Cañaris.
We will have lunch and head back to Cuenca. Overnight at Hotel (B/L/-)
Today, Explore the UNESCO world heritage city of Cuenca. enjoy panoramic city views, walk among the colorful Flower and Food Markets, visit the Panama Hat Factory and learn about the most important Ecuadorian handicraft.
Transfer to take your flight back to Quito or Guayaquil Quito (B)
