2-Day Andean Spiritual Hiking Retreat in Cusco, Peru

Day one begins between 06:00 and 07:00 with a pick-up from your accommodation in Cusco. The drive to the trailhead at Socma takes about 1.5 to 2 hours in a private van, passing through the Sacred Valley on the way. From Socma you walk up for roughly two hours to the Perolniyoc Waterfall — a tall, thin fall coming off the cliff face — where the group stops for a break, photos and a bit of a rest. Above the waterfall, about 40 minutes further on, are the Inca ruins of Raqaypata, still mostly unexcavated and far quieter than anything on the standard Cusco circuit.

Lunch is cooked at the camp by the mountain chef — usually a hot soup, rice or quinoa, chicken or vegetables, and coca tea. The afternoon involves a short guided walk to a viewpoint and an offering ceremony led by Alfredo, who speaks about the meaning of the pago a la tierra (payment to the earth) and the Andean way of reading the landscape. Dinner is at camp, followed by stargazing. The campsite sits at around 3,700m, well away from any road.

Day two starts early with breakfast and tea, then a longer walk of roughly four to five hours. The route crosses high grassland, drops into a small valley with terraced fields, and joins a section of original Inca stone path before reaching the final archaeological site. The walking is on dirt trail and stone steps, some of it steep. It is rated moderate but the altitude makes it harder than the distance suggests.

The group returns to Cusco in the late afternoon by private van, arriving between 17:00 and 19:00 depending on pace. Because the group is capped at around 10 people, the guide can adjust the pace and the ceremony schedule rather than pushing everyone through a fixed script.

What separates this from the standard Rainbow Mountain or Sacred Valley day tours is the combination of a genuinely remote route, a guide with family roots in the villages you walk through, and ceremonies that are part of the local tradition rather than performed for tourists. The night of camping under Andean stars is a real part of the itinerary, not an optional add-on.

What's included

- 1 breakfast - 2 lunches - 1 dinner - Campsite for 1 night - High-quality tent and camping equipment (sleeping bag, mat, liner) - Pick-up from your accommodation in Cusco at the start - Return transfer to your accommodation in Cusco at the end - Private van transportation to the trailhead - Specialised mountain chef - Safety and emergency gear (first aid, oxygen, satellite communication) - Official professional tour guide with extensive experience

What's not included

- Hotels in Cusco - Tips - Travel insurance - Breakfast on the first day - Dinner on the second day - Airport transfers (available at extra cost) - Optional upgrades and extras