Inca Jungle Trek | Peru Machu Picchu Hiking Adventure Specialists.

Duration 1 Day

Tour Type Daily Tour

Difficulty Easy

Group Size Up to 10 people

Languages Spanish, English

Tour Waqrapukara Full Day Tour

Waqra is “horn” in Spanish. Pukara is equivalent to strength. The “horns” rise 4,300 meters above sea level, on the summit of a huge ravine covered with forests that crown the chasms that overlook the Apurimac River canyon. The archaeological monument is surrounded by impressive platforms, squares and a forest of stones that resemble thrones with mythological giants contemplating the Andean landscape.

Overview

Waqrapukara Full Day Tour, Discovering the majestic Inca construction of Waqrapukara or “horn-shaped fortress”, located in the canyon of the mighty Apurimac river, will be an unforgettable experience, since it is a hidden treasure for travelers who are looking for something different and with few people. This beautiful sacred place combines an incredible work in stone with spectacular natural formations and small lagoons around.

Activities

Trekking Adventure

Difficulty Levels

3 of 5

Hiking Time

6.5 to 7 hours approximately.

Maximum Altitude

4400 masl. / 14.436 ft.

Starts

Pick up at your accommodation in Cusco around 4:30 AM

Ends

Drop-off at your accommodation in Cusco around 6:00 PM

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 Waqrapukara Hike

This day it is necessary to leave early, at 5:00 a.m., for a bus trip to the Acomayo district, until finally arriving at Cocha 4000m / 13123f, where the 2½-hour hike to Waqrapukara will begin. The geography is rugged with incredible natural rock formations and small lagoons, where you can observe the wild fauna of the place, such as condors, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, wild horses and wild ducks.

During this hike we can see a lot of flora and fauna typical of the area to reach our destination Waqrapukara, where we will have a guided tour visiting the following places: Intipunku (Sun Gate), main square, towers, terraces, Wiracocha enclosure and cave paintings with representation of flames.

The archaeological complex is located sinuously along a rocky promontory, built around two horn-shaped mountain peaks, the site has eight Inca terraces with retaining walls and stone stairs.

It will take three hours of walking back along an old road to the town of Waqui, before finding your private bus that will take you back to the city of Cusco.

04:30 - 05:00 Pick up each passengers from their respective hotels around of the historic center of cusco.

05:00 - 07:30 From Cusco to Acomayo by bus.

07:30 - 08:00 Breakfast in Acomayo.

08:30 - 11:00 Star the Waqrapukara hike

11:00 - 11.30 Waqrapukara guided tour

12:00 - 14:30 Back to the starting point of the trek

14:30 - 17:30 Transport back to Cusco

17:00 - 17:30 Arrive to Cusco (San francisco square).

Trip Info & Details

Transfer by private bus round trip

Bilingual private professional guide

Box lunch

First aid kit

Walking sticks

Tips

Travel insurance

Others not mentioned

What is Waqrapukara?

It is a fortress of pre Inca and Inca construction. In the Pre Inca Period it was a small citadel, for this reason they called it "Llaqta Pukara" where the Qanchi leader lived, and family, also used as an astronomical observatory; He had a shrine to God Teqci Pachakamaq Wiraqocha.

Who built Waqrapukara?

First, it was built by the Qanchi ethnic group in the period of the Auqarunas 1500 to 1000 BC. The current construction is from the Inca Period, it was made in the Inca Wayna Qhapaq period, with the intervention of architects of that government, also involved Qanchimachu and Ttito Q’osñipa.

Why did they turn it into a fortress?

Why in the time of the Auqarunas, there is already a need to form warrior men and places to defend the territory conquered by ethnicity and tribe. Not only to defend their territory and the leader. In pre-Inca and Inca times, these leaders were called curacas, and in the Colonial Era it was called Caciques. In the Purunrunas period there was no need for pucaras, because they lived in a place they wanted.

What was the god of the Q’anchis in the pre-Inca era?

The Q'anchis "Believed, that there is a Maker of all created things, which they call Teqci Wiraqocha." "To worship the sun, they should have taken them from the Incas." (Pedro Cieza, Chronicles of Peru) One day a man came named Contiti Wiraqocha Pachayachacheq, San Pedro de Cacha and taught them of the Creator God, and the men of Canas who occupied Cacha, wanted to kill him, but fire came down from heaven and they were afraid and escaped from the place. In memory of this fact, they built a temple in Raqchi. (Juan de Betanzos, Narration of the Incas, 1551)

What are the characteristics of the Sanctuary or Waca in Waqrapukara?

It has a triple jamba cover, this means that it is very sacred. Instead, the gods created by man, such as the sun god, the moon, the stars and others have their sanctuaries with double jamb covers. God Tecsi Pachakamaq Wiraqocha, called invisible God, the chronicler Santa Cruz. This deity was welcomed by the Incas, for this reason a temple or sanctuary was also built in the city of Cusco, it was in the place of the Cathedral. (Chronicler Juan Santa Cruz Pachacuti).

What was the representation of God Pachakamaq by Santa Cruz Pachacuti?

This chronicler was a native of Urcosuyo sector that limits the territory of Qanchi ethnicity, his father was Diego Felipe Condorcanqui. He presents God Pachakamaq Wiraqocha as the Creator God of the sun, the moon, nature and man. He is also called Wiraqocha Pachayachacheq. He is the God of the Q’anchis, the one worshiped in Waqrapukara. This deity has a plan to solve the problem on earth. (Chronicler Santa Cruz)

What are the reasons why the Q’anchis did not want to obey the Inca Wayna Qhapaq?

For the enmity they maintained after the battle in the pampas of Cangallo (Checacupe) and Combapata. In this battle they lost the Q’anchis against the Inka army commanded by the Inca Wiraqocha. The other reason was the collection of taxes on products, objects of silver and with the military mita that they had to contribute to the Inca government. In the period of Wayna Qhapaq was the curat Ttito Q’osñipa in the Pomacanchi sector. (Fredy Caballero)

What measures did the Inka Wayna Qhapaq take in the face of the rebellion of Ttito Q’osñipa?

Wayna Qhapaq sends an army to quell the Qanchi army led by curaca Ttito Q’osñipa. The Qanchi leader is heading towards the city of Cusco, to add more soldiers and extend their territory to the territory dominated by the Inca. The meeting was in the Pampas of Phiñaypampa, near Corma, in this battle the army of Ttito Q’osñipa loses, a group of Q’anchis soldiers are taken prisoner… (Dr. Vargas)

What happened to Ttito Q’osñipa after the battle of Phiñaypampa?

Ttito Q’osñipa returns to the Waqrapukara fortress and resists the Inca army for about a month. When they deprived the Q’anchis of water, they surrendered and were taken prisoners to Cusco, more than one hundred Q’anchis along with curaca Qanchi. In Cusco the sentence was going to be the death penalty for the rebels; but Wayna Qhapaq, forgives them, only make them cut the ears of the Q’anchis, as a sign of rebellion. He recommended that they would change their behavior. Before the cut, he made them dance the Qanchi tusuy… (Dr. Vargas)

What was the result of the conquest to the north of the empire with Ttito Q’osñipa?

Wayna Qhapaq, with its thousands of soldiers are heading towards the Ecuadorian territory, many ethnic groups from the north are defeated and conquered, the most important being of the Cañari ethnic group. They return with war skills and Cañarís prisoners, a part of them were located by the place of Picchu in the city of Cusco and some of them were brought to the territory of the curate Qanchi, then he was already an Inca general, to whom the Inca gave A ajlla as a wife.

Customer Reviews

Inca Jungle Trek 100% Recommended with Local Trekkers Peru

I did the Inka Jungle Trail to MachuPicchu with Local Trekkers Peru and it was like embarking on an odyssey that mixed the excitement of cycling, the adrenaline of rafting and ziplining, the beauty of nature and the richness of Inca culture. Every day on the trail revealed landscapes impressive and ending up in MachuPicchu after 4 days of adventure, is something that cannot be explained in words. The agency not only provided impeccable logistics, but also injected a dose of authentic adventure into every moment. I thank Daniel our guide for converting This trip in an unforgettable experience. The Inka Jungle Trail with Local Trekkers Peru is an experience that I will always recommend to all those looking for a reliable company.

Eddie S

Published at 10th Jannuary, 2025 on Tripadvisor

You can't miss the 4 day Inca Jungle tour!

On the recommendation of a friend we did the 4 day Inca Jungle tour with Terra Qechua Peru and it was a memorable experience. The trip started with a thrilling downhill bike ride and we did other activities such as rafting and zip lining, which added an extra adrenaline rush, followed by a hike through the rainforest full of fascinating flora and fauna, guided by a very knowledgeable expert. In addition, the natural hot springs in Santa Teresa were the perfect relaxation after active days. The final visit to Machu Picchu was the finishing touch, offering breathtaking views and a total immersion in Inca history.

Osric Woolvett

Published at 6th August 2024 on Tripadvisor

The Inca Jungle is highly recommended

With my university classmates we did the 4-day Inca Jungle with Terra Quechua Peru and it was a great experience. We did a lot of adventure sports and the safety measures for the zip line, rafting and cycling were top notch. It was more fun than the Salkantay and much cheaper than the official Inca Trail. In general the whole experience is excellent, it has no waste, adventure tourism at its best, warmth of all the people who attended us and excellent guide, very professional, he answered all the questions we had and gave us a history lesson, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

FRANCESC S

Published at 20th May 2024 on Tripadvisor

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Waqrapukara Full Day Tour