DAY 1  Arrivals
Welcome to Cusco. Guides will meet the group at the CUZ airport and shuttle riders to their hotel in The Sacred Valley, a 1-hr shuttle ride. In the afternoon and evening, guides will provide tools and support to build and test bikes in the courtyard of our spacious lodge. In the evening, we’ll have a brief orientation to overview our itinerary and share our first incredible meal of the week. It’s worth noting that there is no finer kitchen in the entire Sacred Valley than that of our host; our host will prepare meals throughout the duration of our stay with fresh ingredients selected from her very own garden. Riders can participate in the preparation of meals or can simply sit back and wait for them to be plated!

Stay: Calca, The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge
Meals: dinner at lodge

  The Itinerary- intermediate 

DAY 2 Lares, Ancashmarka & Parco Trails
What better way to start an unforgettable mountain bike trip than by ripping one of Peru’s most iconic trails straight down to our lodge?! The
Lares Trail brings big views, big heights, big alpacas, and big-time riding. As our first experience riding in the Peruvian Andes, it most definitely won’t disappoint. Wind along the banks of a gushing mountain canyon and navigate narrow mountain singletracks as we descend from the heights of the Cordillera Urubamba and take in epic views of Nevado Sahuasiray. Along the way, we’ll take some time to tackle technique for riding rock stairs – something that will become a common theme for the trip! In the evening, we’ll lend our host a hand in the preparation of tonight’s dinner.

Stay: Calca, The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge (massage available)
Meals: B,L & D at the lodge
Dist: 13.2 mi, ascent 120 ft,  descent 5,874 ft, Max elevation: 15,216 ft

DAY 3 El Sapo, Misminay, and Maras Trails + visit to a local ceramic workshop

Today’s trail lineup is a celebration of pure flow! Sure, there’s a rock garden or two and some short climbs, but, on the whole, today’s trails will
be fast, so we’ll work on brake control. The terrain is a red clay hardpack that, on the right day, is unbeatable – grippy yet firm. We’ll start the
day with a ride to the Moray Inca Ruins, where we’ll stop for a visit to the Incan agricultural center, and then drop fast towards the Urubamba
River along a winding, playful singletrack. In the afternoon, we’ll visit a locally renown pottery workshop in the town of Urubamba.

Stay: Calca, The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge (no massage option)
Meals: Breakfast at lodge, Lunch on trail, Dinner in at lodge
Dist: 12.5 mi, ascent 761 ft, descent 5,130 ft, Max elevation: 13,386 ft

DAY 4 Patacancha, Lares Hot Springs, and Pumamarka Trails

We’ll shuttle to the top of the clouds to start today’s first ride to pedal a trail far more frequented by llamas and alpacas than cyclists. Later,
after a quick shuttle, we’ll descend an ancient singletrack along the banks of a pristine Andean stream down to local thermal baths for a soak and picnic lunch. Our final trail of the day swerves along the top of ancient Inca terraces and occasionally offers an epic sunset over the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. We’ll finish at the door of our hotel.

Stay: Ollantaytambo, The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge (no massage option)
Meals: Breakfast at lodge, Lunch on trail, Dinner in Ollantaytambo (Chuncho Restaurant)
Dist: 14.7 mi, ascent 580 ft, descent 6,080 ft, Max elevation: 14,381 ft
Notes: Riders will leave as much of their luggage as possible at the Calca lodge, but pack enough for a change after Day 4 of riding and for the Day 5 visit to Machu Picchu.

DAY 5 Machu Picchu Visit or optional Rest Day

Option 1: After a 5-minute walk to the Inca Rail Station, we’ll ditch the bikes for a change and set our sights on Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world. Our private site guide awaits us at the Aguas Calientes Train Station (Machu Picchu is only accessed by train or multi-day hike) to show us this special site through the eyes of a local culture expert and historian -- after days of adrenaline, a touch of culture couldn’t hurt! Riders can anticipate a 2-3 hour guided walking tour of the site and an additional 1-2 hours to explore on their own. Our bike guides will remain at the lodge to tune all the bikes after an aggressive day of riding. In the evening, we’ll return to Ollantaytambo by train and shuttle back to Calca to gear up for another day of riding. Dinner will be served at our lodge upon arrival.
Option 2: Explore other Sacred Valley treasures or rest at your lodge.

Stay: Calca, The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch on Machu Picchu excursion & Dinner at Calca lodge
Note: There are plenty of activities in Ollantaytambo for those who opt against Machu Picchu.

DAY 6 Lamay Three Ways

Lamay is one of the sleepiest towns in the Sacred Valley, yet home to the rowdiest rides in all South America! The Lamay Valley is a 5-minute shuttle from our hotel, where we’ll start our riding at the pristine mountain lake Pacharcocha and share a zesty singletrack with local herders from the Poques community. Later we’ll shuttle two trails that, contrary to most of the raw trails that characterize Peruvian riding, have been worked and adapted for mountain biking – big berms and maximum flow! Cornering will be our technical focus of the day, stopping to session certain curves until we all feel more comfortable barreling into the tightest turns! In the afternoon, we’ll finish the day in the guinea pig capital of the world for those with a more adventurous palate. No worries, it washes down with cold beer just like chicken!

Stay: Calca, The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge (massage available)
Meals: Breakfast at lodge, Lunch on trail, dinner in Calca restaurant
Dist: 17.9 mi, ascent 1073 ft, descent 10,270 ft, Max elevation: 14,505 ft

DAY 7 Huchuy Qosqo Trails & Ruins, visit to traditional organic farm

Today’s ride begins at Qoricocha Lake, high in the Andes. We’ll start with an hour-long climb before descending to an immense Inca fortress
with the best views of The Sacred Valley! We’ll respectfully leave our bikes at the entrance to the site and enjoy a guided site tour with our
guide. The descent finishes at the home and farm of one the Andes greatest sustainable agriculture advocates. The family will show the group
how they’re fighting to preserve traditional agricultural practices. Later we’ll pedal back to our lodge along the Vilcanota River.

Stay: The Sacred Valley, 3-star lodge
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch & Dinner (including cooking class!) at lodge (massage available)
Dist: 13.0 mi, ascent 820 ft, descent 6,720 ft, Max elevation: 14,159 ft

DAY 8 Pisac Artisan's Market, Inka Carcel & Salkantay Pueblo

On our way back to Cusco, we’ll schedule a brief stop at the Pisac artisans’ market, a great place to find local textiles and other artisanal goods.  Enjoy stunning views of Cusco from the city’s outskirts and navigate narrow switchbacks through eucalyptus forests. In the afternoon, ride one of Cusco City’s best, straight up to the door of our lodge. Our goal will be to finish slightly earlier this afternoon to allow riders time to explore the Imperial City on foot. In the evening, we’ll get together for farewell drinks, overlooking the city’s Main Square. Your guides will be available to help with bike washing and packing in the afternoon – or if you have a later departure flight on Day 9, we can always procrastinate a bit.

Stay: Cusco, 3-star lodge
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch & Dinner in Cusco
Dist: 10.2 mi, ascent 256 ft, descent 4,720 ft, Max elevation: 13,931 ft

DAY 9 Departures
After six hefty days of riding in the Peruvian Andes, we’re certain that you’ll feel more comfortable on any terrain as you move forward with your riding passion. We hope the one-of-a-kind riding, cuisine and guiding was everything you expected and more. Your guide is available to help pack your bike and to ensure you arrive on time to the airport. If you choose to extend your stay, your guide can help with travel plans and other logistics. It’s been real!