“Bike the Andes and explore Inca ruins”
7 Day Machu Picchu Guided Mountain Bike Adventure in Sacred Valley, Peru
Av. Ferrocarril. S/N. Ollantaytambo-Urubamba., Ollantaytambo, Cusco 08676, Peru
Machu Picchu Cycling Tour in Peru
Ride centuries-old Peruvian singletrack and explore Machu Picchu on this 7-day South American adventure. Experience some of the best gravity-fed mountain biking in the world, swooping down foot trails hundreds of years old; ride singletrack in and around numerous Inca sites; mingle with the locals and children in high Andean villages; finish each day with locally sourced organic dinners, and of course a visit to one of the 7 Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu.
Key information
- Trip type: Guided
- Lodging: Center-based
- Starts in: Cusco
- Ends in: Cusco
- Type of bike: Mountain bike (not included)
Highlights
- Guided bike through the Andes
- Visit to Machu Picchu and explore ancient ruins
- Learn about the Peruvian culture and have the adventure of your life
- Connect with local English-speaking guides
- Bike shuttles, airport transfers and transportation throughout the week included
- Roundtrip train and bus tickets: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes
- 6 nights hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
- Machu Picchu basic entrance ticket and entry to every Inca site visited are included
Skill level
- Intermediate
- Advanced
7 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Spanish
Group size: 4-16 participants
Airport transfer included:
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
Accommodation
All rooms are double or triple rooms, all of them with private in-room bathrooms and hot water 24/7. Your hotel in Ollantaytambo is very nice - bright, sunny, outdoor gardens and lots of space. Spend one night in a jungle ecolodge that everyone loves. And one night in Aguas Calientes, where the hotels are a bit more basic due to no road going to the town, but still nice, clean modern and private baths.
Program
The mountain biking in Peru is considered to be some of the finest in the world. The soaring peaks, rich culture and history, and the Inca sites around every corner all make it a must-ride mountain bike bucket list destination. Oh, did we mention the trails? Paths have been worn into the peaks for centuries as millions of feet have walked these routes. The smooth, well worn trails are the staple of almost every ride, making for exquisite mountain biking.
On this Peru mountain bike trip you will not only explore the great trails, but also actual ancient Inca roads, dating from the 1400’s. Unparalleled for their beauty and harmony with the landscape, these roads are a sheer joy to descend on. This one-week mountain bike trip package, powered by KB Tambo Tours, features a bit of everything - some sightseeing of the Sacred Valley’s most famous Inca sites, locally sourced fresh food, incredible culture, outstanding mountain biking, and of course a visit to Machu Picchu - one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.
Basing yourselves in the oldest continually inhabited town in all of the Americas, Ollantaytambo, we will spend the week doing mostly shuttled riding. Meaning we drive to the top, and then ride down the trail. There are some climbing opportunities for those who prefer, but the mountains here are incredibly steep and climbing them often takes all day. Small groups in the van and local Peruvian mountain bike guides bring the highest level of authenticity and connection to this fascinating culture.
Itinerary
Day 1
Your mountain bike trip begins with your arrival from Lima and into Cusco airport (CUZ). KB Tambo Tours will be there waiting for you, ready to make the gorgeous, 2-hour drive through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, your home base for the week. After check-in, you will build up the bikes and take your first ride which is a short but fun 5-mile loop on single-track just outside of town.
- Distance: 5 miles / 8 kilometers
Day 2
After breakfast you will first make a short drive up a valley to a place called “Pumamarca,” or, ‘Place of the Puma’ in the Incan language of Quechua. A rarely visited, pre-Incan site that also happens to have a tremendous single track leaving its entrance that stretches all the way back to town. Then after lunch, you will head to another famous trail that links two popular Inca sites to visit, this time the Salt Mines of Maras, and the mysterious rings of Moray. The 8.5-mile trail is rolling hills of fast-baked clay single track and ends down at the Urubamba River. It’s so good that if there is time, you will go back up and do it a second time!
- Distance: 8.5 miles / 13.7 kilometers
Day 3
Today you are heading up right away in their van to the Continental Divide of South America, “Abra Malaga” at over 14,000 feet. You will be dropped in here, taking the famous “Inca Avalanche” racetrack, past waterfalls, Inca sites, and indigenous communities until finally arriving at the valley floor some 5,000 vertical feet below! Then after stopping in Ollantaytambo for lunch, you will spend the afternoon on a ride known as “Paucarbamba,” another baked clay, fast and twisty descent through the red dirt and once again arriving at the valley floor far below.
Day 4
You have one more day of hard riding before visiting Machu Picchu, and today that means you are heading to a zone called “Calca.” You will start again up in the clouds on the Continental Divide. This time you will descend on a long, beautiful Incan road that stretches for miles downhill before entering a narrow, twisty canyon complete with Incan staircases and other surprises. This is one of the funnest trails in all of Peru - so, of course, you will do it twice!
Day 5
It is time to visit Machu Picchu, one of the 7 New Wonders of the World! You will leave Ollantaytambo early today and board the train to Aguas Calientes and then up to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. The hour-and-a-half train ride will take you back in time through the jungles of the sacred valley of the Incas. When you arrive your guide will be on hand if you wish to facilitate logistics they will also be available to point out the hidden secrets and lesser-known pathways. Return on the train late afternoon back to Ollantaytambo, your hotel, and a well-deserved night's rest.
Day 6
One last day of riding, some of the most gorgeous and flowy mountain bike terrain that Peru has to offer. The region of Lamay is one of KBTambo's favorites and its lush valleys hold centuries-old single track, worn smooth and pitched at the perfect angle of descent for two wheels. So good that once again, we’ll do it twice! Afterward, you will spend your last night soaking up the beauty of Ollantaytambo.
Day 7
Today marks the end of the trip. KBTambo is available until the afternoon with both van and guides for anyone who flies out later today or not at all; there is ample fun riding in the city of Cusco! The driver will drop you off at either the airport or your hotel if you wish to continue your adventure in Peru.
Do I need to be in good shape?
A common concern for people doing a group mountain bike trip is whether they will be able to “keep up”. KBTambo wants to stress that will not be an issue. First of all, the vast majority of the riding is, well, going downhill. Gravity fed so to speak by the shuttles. That is because the mountains are so big it would take all day to climb up them, so we don’t. This also means the group stays together much easier. No one is in a hurry and the scenery and culture tends to shock even the most jaded of travelers, meaning that frequent stops for photos, talk to a local farmer, etc are common and enable you to move around each day without any stress.
How difficult is the mountain biking?
This trip is rated intermediate skill level and above. That means a solid comfort level while riding a mountain bike off-road on singletrack, and a fair amount of experience doing so. It is not an expert-rated trip. There are no mandatory jumps or drops, or extreme steeps. There are, however, a lot of rocks in the trails, and exposure (riding near the edge of a long fall or dropoff) is definitely part of the trip. The guides are experts and trained to warn of these ahead of time, prepare, etc. Walking around obstacles is totally okay too, so someone with the right attitude of patience and common sense can overcome skill level to a certain extent.
Location
The Sacred Valley
Also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas or the Urubamba Valley, this valley is home to some of the most important Inca archaeological sites including Machu Picchu. Stretching from the Urubamba River, around 6,700 ft elevation, to the tops of massive Andean peaks such as Mount Veronica, 19,334 ft, the valley is known for its sweeping planes and steep mountain slopes. On this trip, you will enjoy the mountains of the Sacred Valley by bike and stay in Ollantaytambo, the oldest continually inhabited town in all the Americas. This area is not only beautiful but also is home to some of the best mountain biking in Peru.
Food
Breakfast is included each day in your hotel. Peruvian breakfasts are simple but plentiful and nourishing, usually including local fresh fruit, optional scrambled eggs or omelet, fresh local bread, and coffee or juice. Food in Peru is excellent and has a great international reputation! There are options for either 'local' or 'tourist' restaurants.
Lunches are average 10 USD, dinners are 15 USD. You will usually eat together as a group (the guides know the best places to eat!), but you are always welcome to go off on your own culinary adventure.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
The following drinks are included:
- Water
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Gluten Free
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Lactose Free
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Private transportation throughout the week
- English speaking guide all week, door to door
- All bike shuttles
- All bike guiding
- Machu Picchu basic entrance ticket
- Entry to every Inca site visited during the trip
- Roundtrip train ticket to Aguas Calientes
- Roundtrip bus ticket to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes
- Airport transfers
- Box lunch to take to Machu Picchu on Day 5
- Breakfast on Days 2 through 7
- 6 nights of hotels (double occupancy)
What's not included
- Round trip air to / from Cusco
- Travel insurance (the organizer recommends World Nomads)
- Mountain bike
- Lunches (except day 5) or dinners
- Optional 20 USD add-on ticket to climb Huayna Picchu (pending availability)
- Guide and driver gratuities
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CUZ
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
46 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Your mountain bike trip begins with arriving at the Cusco airport (CUZ). Plan to arrive in Cusco on Day 1 between 7:00 and 10:00 AM. KB Tambo Tours will be there waiting for you, ready to make the gorgeous, two-hour drive through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo.
Airport: Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
Airport transfer included: Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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