Huchuy Qosqo Hike: The Inca “Little Cusco” Above the Sacred Valley

Huchuy Qosqo (“little Cusco” in Quechua) is an Inca royal estate on a plateau above the Sacred Valley, at about 3,600–3,650 m (11,800–11,975 ft): our itineraries and several guides give 3,600 m, while Wikipedia and others give 3,650 m. No road reaches the ruins, so the only way in is the Huchuy Qosqo hike, either a short, steep climb from Lamay or a longer high route from the Cusco side. Our treks take the high route from Tambomachay and start at US$240 for 2 days.

• ≈3,600–3,650 m(11,800–11,975 ft): the archaeological site, high above Lamay.
• 4,230 m(13,878 ft): Rumicruz, the highest of the four passes on our route from Tambomachay.
• S/7general entrance, the Ministry of Culture’s 2023 rate. The site is not part of the Cusco Tourist Ticket.
• From US$240for our 2-day trek, which ends in Lamay; US$560 if you continue to Machu Picchu.

Our two Huchuy Qosqo tours compared

Both tours share day 1, from Tambomachay over four passes to a camp at Pucamarca, and visit the ruins with the guide on day 2. Then they split.

Both tours are rated moderate. Our itineraries give altitudes but no distance per day, so we do not publish one. For other routes from Cusco, see all our alternative treks.

The route on our tours

Day 1. From the Tambomachay ruins the trail climbs into the puna and crosses four passes: Sicllaccasa (4,020 m / 13,189 ft), Queullococha (4,185 m / 13,730 ft), with the Verónica and Pitusiray peaks in view, Challu Challu (4,220 m / 13,845 ft) and Rumicruz (4,230 m / 13,878 ft). Beyond is the Inca quarry that supplied the stone for Huchuy Qosqo, then the descent to camp at the Pucamarca community (4,010 m / 13,156 ft).

Day 2. At 7:00 a.m. you walk down the Leon Punku ravine, past an Inca bridge, to the ruins. After the guided visit, the 2-day trek ends with lunch in Lamay; on the 3-day tour lunch is at Taucca, followed by the train to Aguas Calientes, a hotel night and a two-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu on day 3.

Other ways to hike to Huchuy Qosqo

Travel pages describe other trails, and their figures rarely match. These are the published numbers; we have not measured them.

Lamay sits at about 2,800–2,920 m (9,190–9,580 ft), depending on the source, so the climb from the valley floor gains roughly 700–850 m.

The archaeological site in brief

The Ministry of Culture lists the site as the “Zona Arqueológica Huchuy Qosqo”. It is usually linked to the Inca ruler Viracocha, around 1420 AD, and radiocarbon dating places its construction between about 1420 and 1530 (Covey, 2009, as cited by Wikipedia). The “1000–1400” seen online mixes earlier occupation with construction. What you see today:

• a kallanka, or great hall, about 40 m long (one source says 50 m), beside a large open ceremonial space;
• agricultural terraces, storehouses (qolqas) and adobe halls;
• a stone-lined canal of about 800 m and a reservoir;
• views over the Sacred Valley and the Vilcanota River, some 700–850 m below.

For the valley floor below, see our Sacred Valley of Peru guide.

Huchuy Qosqo entrance fee

According to the Ministry of Culture’s 2023 rate schedule for Cusco (TUSNE 2023), entrance to Huchuy Qosqo costs:

By law, visitors over 60, people doing military service, teachers and people with disabilities pay 50%. A new rate schedule has applied since 2025 and we could not find its list of sites, so check the fee with the Ministry of Culture in Cusco. Pages quoting free entry, S/10 or S/22 are out of date.

Huchuy Qosqo is not included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico del Cusco). Andina, Peru’s state news agency, listed the 16 attractions on that ticket in February 2023, and Huchuy Qosqo is not one of them. We have found no official opening hours.

What our tours include: a guide who speaks Quechua, Spanish and English, hotel pickup, private transport, a cook, four-season tents, mattresses, and horses or porters for up to 6 kg of your things. Not included: breakfast on day 1, a sleeping bag (US$20 to rent) and travel insurance. The 3-day tour adds the train, a hotel night and the Machu Picchu entrance with a guided tour; the Machu Picchu buses (US$8 each way) are extra. The Huchuy Qosqo ticket is not itemized on our tour pages: confirm it with us when you book.

How hard is it? Huchuy Qosqo vs Lares and Salkantay

Huchuy Qosqo is moderate, and lower than our other camping treks near Cusco:

Day 1 stays above 4,000 m for hours and the camp is about 600 m higher than Cusco, so spend at least two days in Cusco first, perhaps on our Cusco tours. The long descent is the hardest part for the knees. Compare every stop in Machu Picchu elevation.

Getting back from Lamay

On our 2-day trek, after lunch in Lamay, our private vehicle drives you back to your hotel in Cusco; the round trip is included. If you hike on your own, shared vans (colectivos) run from Lamay to Cusco; an independent travel blog reports a fare of about S/6, not an official figure.

On the 3-day tour you return from Machu Picchu by Backpacker train to Ollantaytambo (2:00 to 9:00 p.m., times confirmed once the tour is paid in full), then by bus or taxi to Cusco. See getting back from Machu Picchu.

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