Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Budget Adventure Travel

| April 6, 2022

There is hiking.

And then, there is Hiking through the 500-year-old Inca trail of the Intihuatana (Intiwatana) ruins in Pisac, Cusco when you are on vacation to Machu Picchu Peru.

Hiking Machu Picchu and Pisac ruins | Affordable Adventure Travel

On the Intihuatana Trail

The journey begins in the small town of Pisac, Cusco, which is also famous for one of the largest Andean artisanal markets in Peru.

Tip: I had mentioned in my previous post not to shop for souvenirs in Aguas Calientes. I do recommend shopping for artifacts in Pisac market.

Hiking Machu Picchu and Pisac ruins | Affordable Adventure Travel

Pisac Artisenal Market

There is something spiritual about walking the path through the deep mountains of Intihuatana that was traversed by the indigenous folks pre-Inca and post-Inca times.

How to hike the trail in pictures

Take a cab from Pisac village up to the base of the Kallaqasa ruins.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Start at Kallaqasa ruins first

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Kallaqasa ruins

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Climb up

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Kallaqasa ruins

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Kallaqasa ruins

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Kallaqasa ruins are very steep. Hike with extreme caution.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Kallaqasa ruins are very steep.

Keep your eyes open for some incredible delights.

Tip: This hike can take about 3-5 hours depending on how you hike. There are no services through the trail. Carry plenty of water and snacks. Do not deviate from the Trail.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

You may encounter such colorful delights

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

You may encounter such colorful delights

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

You may encounter such delights

Pimsleur All Languages

Continue to the Intihuatana Trail

Hiking Machu Picchu and Pisac ruins | Affordable Adventure Travel

After completing Kallaqasa follow trail to Intihuatana

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Intihuatana ruins

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Intihuatana ruins

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Intihuatana ruins

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Always follows the white arrows. Do not deviate from trail.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Elevator out-of-order. Take the stairs down.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Cross the bridge. If you DARE!

You will arrive in the artisanal Market of Pisac.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana | Affordable Adventure Travel

Eden? Babylon? No, Intihuatana with backdrop of Pisac village

Want to watch the hike on video. Check out the following video I made. For Foodie lovers, check out this post by The Food Goob on what to eat post-trek.

Peru Hiking Cusco Pisac Intihuatana Video

Click image to play video on Youtube

Tip: In order to get the best bargains at the market, arrive close to closing time, which is around 5:00 PM. Pick a stall at the far end of the market (not near the main entrance but near to where the trail ends close to the rangers office). Over here, find a stall manned by a kid. Any kid. Don’t be fooled. The kids are adept negotiators and they have an adult nearby. But all things being equal, you have better chance of getting good bargains with the kids. Of course, be fair. Pay what you think is fair. Prices are inflated for tourists and bargaining is expected and respected.

Disclaimer: A portion of this tour was sponsored by Gate1 Travel. Check out their other incredible tours in Peru.

Thank you  for taking time to read this post. Blogging is a labor of love. Reader donations in the form of comments or sharing by any of the means below are much appreciated.

Pimsleur All Languages

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Category: Budget Adventure Travel, Peru Budget Travel

About the Author ()

Larkycanuck is the pseudonym for the spirited, spontaneous and zestful Canadian. The Blog is focused on showcasing budget adventure travels for working families. Larkycanuck has traveled to over 15 countries, 38 cities in 10 years. He has never quit a job to do this. He travels with his wife and on some trips with the house rabbit (Pepper).

Comments (11)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Wilder says:

    Oh WOW, these pics, and the place itself are totally outstanding, congrats.
    If you hang the photo of the girls on Flickr, I’m pretty positive you might be able to make it into the Explore section and have seen all over the word.
    Great work!
    (if you do, keep in mind that explore is a piece of code that calculates interestingness of your last 5 uploaded photos).
    Cheers!

  2. BroadBlogs says:

    Thanks for taking me to a place that I would like to go but will probably never make it to.

  3. careerbabs says:

    Loved this blog and also liked the Larky Canuck production. I know it these travel blogs are for people who travel but I enjoy them because I will most likely not travel there and still get to see it and feel the vibe of the place. Thank you! Barbara

    ________________________________