Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(11
days/10 nights)
Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(12 days/11 nights)
Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(14 days/13 nights)
Colca Canyon - Machu
Picchu
Lake Titicaca
(16 days/15 nights)
Archaeological & Ecological
Treasures
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca (or Amazon)
(18 days/17
nights)
Colca Canyon - Amazon
Machu Picchu - Lake Titicaca
(22 days/21 nights)
Machu Picchu
(10
days/9 nights)
Machu Picchu
(13 days/12 nights)
Machu Picchu - Galapagos
(15 days/14 nights)
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
(18 days/17 nights)
Enchanted Isles of the Galapagos
Galapagos
(11
days/10 nights)
Galapagos & the Kingdom of Quito
Galapagos - Andes
(16 days/15 nights)
Galapagos - Amazon
(16 days/15 nights)
Historic Haciendas of the Andes
Cotopaxi - Antisana
- Otavalo
(7 days/6 nights)
© 2011 Inka's Empire Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Riding on the altiplano to the church of Tiobamba, Maras, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Land Price (5 days/4 night)
De Luxe US$ 1,760 per person
The land price includes escorted transfers, private excursions with a professional English-speaking guide, Peruvian Pasos, all riding gear, 4-wheel drive backup vehicle, entrance fees, specified accommodations, gourmet cuisine (see details), all transportation and travel insurance for guests through the age of 59 years (over that age, there is a supplementary fee). All prices are per person based on two people sharing a guest room. For a detailed description of our services, see Opulent Itineraries.
In front of the ruins of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Discover the magic of the Peruvian Paso horse and the grandeur of its native land...
Discover the magic of the Peruvian Paso horse, and the grandeur of its native land, in a way few are privileged to experience. Perol Chico, the premier riding center in Peru, offers exclusive horseback riding tours on Peruvian Paso horses. It specializes in multi-day equestrian tours off the beaten track. Founded in 1996, Perol Chico is a member of the National Association of Breeders and Owners of Peruvian Paso Horses (ANCPCPP), and Dutch-Peruvian owned. The world's leading equestrian tour operators have given it their highest recommendation.
Its riding center is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the heart of the Andes, between Cuzco and Machu Picchu. The dramatic scenery of snowcapped mountains, deep blue lagoons, and spectacular flora and fauna makes the Valley the prime base for adventure tourism in South America. Its rides include panoramic vistas from the altiplano, tours of remarkable Inca ruins and visits to remote Andean villages.
Perol Chico promotes ecological awareness and strives to minimize environmental impact while actively promoting local cultures and traditions. All its horses are genuine Peruvian Pasos trained with traditional Peruvian horsemanship and kept in immaculate condition. A professional chalan (Peruvian Paso horse trainer) is responsible for the welfare and performance of its horses.
Traditionally, the Peruvian Paso horse is a working horse, bred to comfortably carry its rider over long distances day after day. Perol Chico carry on that tradition, following hidden trails leading to Peru's rich history, culture and mystery. In the words of Cuchullaine O'Reilly: "It is the journey you and your horse take together to reach the borders of an otherwise invisible place."
Perol Chico is eager to share its passion for equestrian travel with others. It celebrates the more than 400-year-old tradition of breeding, training and riding the velvet-gaited Peruvian Paso horse, cultural patrimony of Peru and the smoothest riding horse in the world. We invite you to discover the magic of the Peruvian Paso horse and the grandeur of its native land, from that altar of freedom... your saddle!
Chalan (Peruvian Paso horse trainer), Perol Chico, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Highlights
Sacred Valley
Day 1: Cuzco - Sacred Valley. Transfer to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Once you have settled in at the hotel, we will bring you to our stables to become familiar with our beautiful Peruvian Paso horses and the traditional Peruvian riding gear. Barbeque lunch. Demonstration of classic Peruvian equitation by Perol Chico's chalan, followed by an introductory Peruvian riding course. Dinner at the Restaurant Huacatay in Urubamba. Overnight in a Bungalow at Kuychi Rumi.
Day 2: Sacred Valley (Pichingote - Salinas - Maras - Moray - Tiobamba). We mount our horses and set off in the direction of Ollantaytambo. We cross the Urubamba River and pass Pichingote, an old Andean village where the houses are partially built into caves. At Salinas, we see salt pans from Inca times. We climb with the horses to the Andean altiplano, where we will be surrounded by stunning scenery and the snowcapped mountains of Chicon, Veronica and Salcantay. We continue our ride to Maras, with a beautiful 400-year-old colonial church. Picnic lunch. From Maras, we continue to the agricultural terraces of Moray. From Moray, we continue to Tiobamba. Our backup van will bring you to your bungalow. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in a Bungalow at Kuychi Rumi.
Day 3: Sacred Valley (Tiobamba - Ollantaytambo - Yucay). Transfer to Tiobamba, where our horses are waiting. We follow primitive trails across the altiplano. The scenery is spectacular with snowcapped mountains, wildflowers and beautiful mountain lakes. We'll follow the trail to Ollantaytambo where we will leave the horses with our grooms at the end of the day. Late in the afternoon, we'll visit the ruins and the village of Ollantaytambo. Dinner at a local restaurant. Our backup van will bring you to your hotel in Yucay. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection.
Day 4: Sacred Valley (Yucay - Ollantaytambo - Markacocha - Willoc - Yucay). Transfer back to the horses in Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo we'll explore some of the ancient routes of the Incas. We'll ride to Willoc, a Quechua-speaking village 19 km from Ollantaytambo. Four kilometers before arriving to Willoc, we'll visit Markacocha, a pre-Inca archaeological site. The ancestral route to Willoc will transfer us to a past that continues alive in the traditions of its residents. At the end of the day, we'll leave our horses with our grooms and our backup van will bring you back to your hotel in Yucay. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection.
Your next destination
Day 5: Sacred Valley - Your next destination. Transfer to the Urubamba or Ollantaytambo Station for the train to Machu Picchu or return to Cuzco.
Exceptions to the itinerary:
The hotels shown in this itinerary are different than those normally provided for our De Luxe category.
Peruvian Paso horse, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Day 1: Cuzco - Sacred Valley
Transfer to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and your private bungalow in Kuychi Rumi. Once you have settled in at the hotel, we will bring you to our stables. You will have an opportunity to become familiar with our beautiful Peruvian Paso horses and the traditional Peruvian riding gear. During a barbeque lunch at the ranch, we will introduce our staff. In the afternoon, there will be a demonstration of classic Peruvian equitation by Perol Chico's chalan, followed by an introductory Peruvian riding course. Before dinner, we will get together for an informal briefing about the ride, safety instructions and the horses. Dinner at the Restaurant Huacatay in Urubamba. Overnight in a Bungalow at Kuychi Rumi.
Crossing the Urubamba River, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Day 2: Sacred Valley (Pichingote - Salinas - Maras - Moray - Tiobamba)
Our ride begins around 10 am, after a leisurely breakfast. We mount our horses and set off in the direction of Ollantaytambo. We cross the Urubamba River and pass Pichingote, an old Andean village where the houses are partially built into caves. Then on to Salinas. Here we see salt pans from Inca times still being used by the locals to extract salt from the mountain spring water. The salt pans consist of a series of platforms where the salty water is channeled through an impressive irrigation system and left to evaporate in the sun. Take plenty of film to capture this unique sight.
We will climb with the horses almost 1000 m (3,281 ft.) to the reach the Andean altiplano. This climb takes about two hours, and will be at an easy pace because the change of altitude does not only affect the horses. Once at 3700 m (12,140 ft.), we will be surrounded by stunning scenery and the snowcapped mountains of Chicon, Veronica and Salcantay. We continue our ride to Maras, a typical Andean village with a beautiful 400-year-old colonial church, where we will meet our backup team with our picnic lunch.
From Maras, we will continue our ride following an interesting trail to the agricultural terraces of Moray. Hundreds of years ago, people in this region took four huge natural depressions in the landscape and sculpted them into multilevel agricultural terraces that served as an experimental agricultural station for the development of different crop strains. This was possible due to a remarkable phenomenon: the climates of many different ecological zones were present at a single site. In the thirty or so meters of altitude between the bottom and top levels of Moray's main depression, scientist John Earls has recorded a full 15 degrees Celsius (59 deg. F) difference in temperature. That is equal to the difference between the mean annual temperatures of London and Bombay. It is possible that Moray played a key role in the original transformation of maize into a high-altitude crop. There are no great ruined structures in Moray to impress; it is more for the contemplative traveler with an affinity for such phenomena as the Nazca Lines, the stone rings of Avebury and the menhirs of Brittany.
From Moray, we continue our ride to Tiobamba, where we arrive at around 5 pm. Our backup van will bring you to your bungalow at Kuychi Rumi, in the Sacred Valley. After some rest and a warm shower, we'll have dinner at one of Urubamba's famous local restaurant. Riding time: 4 to 5 hours. Altitude: 2,700 to 3,700 meters (8,860 to 12,140 feet). Overnight in a Bungalow at Kuychi Rumi.
Agricultural terraces, Fortress of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel.
Day 3: Sacred Valley (Tiobamba - Ollantaytambo - Yucay)
After a filling breakfast at your hotel, our van will pick you up to transfer you back to Tiobamba, where our horses are waiting. We follow primitive trails across the altiplano. The scenery is spectacular with snowcapped mountains, wildflowers and beautiful mountain lakes. We will meet smiling Quechua children with their herds of sheep or cattle and see campesinos plowing their fields in the traditional way, oxen hitched to a wooden plow. We may even share a chicha (their traditional maize drink) with them. We'll follow the trail to Ollantaytambo where we will leave the horses with our grooms at the end of the day. Late in the afternoon, we'll still have time to visit the ruins and the village of Ollantaytambo.
Ollantaytambo is rare if not unique in Peru. Ollantaytambo is a massive citadel located 50 kilometers from Machu Picchu. The citadel served as both a temple and a fortress. At some time unknown, and for reasons unknown, work mysteriously stopped on this huge project. The village of Ollantaytambo is thought to be the only remaining example of pre-Columbian urban planning. The buildings and courtyards as well as the narrow lanes have their original form. The straight, narrow streets today form fifteen square blocks, or canchas, which contain one entrance to a central quadrangle, which is surrounded by houses. A number of fine colonial houses are constructed on finely-worked Inca walls of dark pink rock. The original Inca settlement constituted an administrative, religious, agricultural and military complex. Dinner at a local restaurant. Our backup van will bring you to your hotel in Yucay. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection.
Weavers of Willoc, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Day 4: Sacred Valley (Yucay - Ollantaytambo - Markacocha - Willoc - Yucay)
After breakfast, transfer back to the horses in Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo we'll explore some of the ancient routes of the Incas. We'll ride to Willoc, a Quechua-speaking village 19 km from Ollantaytambo. Four kilometers before arriving in Willoc, we we'll visit Markacocha, a pre-Inca archaeological site. The ancestral route to Willoc will transfer us to a past that continues alive in the traditions of its residents, whose red clothing identify them as members of an unique ayllu. At the end of the day, we'll leave our horses with our grooms and our backup van will bring you back to your hotel in Yucay. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection.
Peruvian Paso horse, Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Photo: Perol Chico.
Day 5: Sacred Valley - Your next destination
After breakfast, transfer to the Urubamba or Ollantaytambo Station for the train to Machu Picchu or return to Cuzco.
Pre-Departure Information
Weight limit: 90 kg. (200 lbs.)
Riding altitude: 2,700 to 3,700 meters (8,860 to 12,140 feet).
Riding ability: Intermediate or advanced
Departure dates: Any date upon availability
Horses: Peruvian Paso horses
Tack: Peruvian
Note: Physical fitness of the rider is required to participate due to the altitude of up to 3,700 meters (12,140 feet)!
Responsibility: All care will be taken, but Perol Chico assumes no responsibility for injury, loss or damage in any way. Rides are divided into those for experienced riders and those for the less-experienced. Guests participating on the rides for experienced riders are expected to be able to canter comfortably and control a horse in open terrain at all paces: intermediate level and above. The rides for less-experienced riders are adapted to allow for a slower pace and less time in the saddle per day. The one-day riding program is especially designed for beginners and riders with no riding experience at all (novices) and includes a half-day riding course.
Guests are responsible for having an adequate, valid insurance policy, including coverage for all the sporting activities that they are likely to participate in. Appropriate medical insurance is obligatory. It is understood by Perol Chico that guests are in a suitable condition to partake in a riding tour, are not riding against any medical advice and that guests know of no reason why they should not be participating in such a tour. Guests will be required to sign a waiver of liability at the start of the tour.
Extraordinary explorations.
© 2011 Inka's Empire Corporation, Luxury Peru Travel & Peru Tours. All rights reserved.
