​Moonstone Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days Alternative Inca Trail Adventure

The Moonstone Trek to Machu Picchu is one of Peru’s best alternative Inca Trail adventures, perfect for travelers seeking spectacular landscapes, authentic Andean culture, and fewer crowds.

This 5-day / 4-night trek follows an ancient high-altitude route once used by the Incas, crossing remote mountain passes, turquoise glacial lakes, cloud forests, and traditional Andean villages before arriving at the legendary Lost City of Machu Picchu.

Unlike the Classic Inca Trail, the Moonstone Trek offers a more immersive and exclusive trekking experience, ideal for hikers, photographers, and explorers who want to discover hidden Inca paths far from the crowds.

With expert local guides, comfortable camping, and seamless logistics, Inca Land Adventures delivers a safe, authentic, and unforgettable Machu Picchu trekking experience.

Moonstone Trek to Machu Picchu 5D/4N | Alternative Inca Trail

Day 2: Chiripahua – Chancachuco

We climb gradually through fields and glades of the indigenous Chachacomo tree, in a landscape of pastures and small fields clinging to the steep mountainsides. Wherever there is water, we find an Andean family compound of adobe and straw. But there is little water in this mountain range – we are reminded hour by hour of how precious a commodity water was and is to the Andean people. We climb to a small glade at 4,400m / 14,432ft for a delicious lunch, then continue up to the col at the head of the valley. From our location atop the Accoccasa Pass (4,625m / 15,170ft) we enjoy breathtaking views of the immense snow peaks: the Huaynays to our west, the Urubamba range to the north. We enjoy an easy descent, to camp at 4,350m / 14,268ft in the broad valley of Chancachuco, facing the glaciers of the Huaynay Range. (B / L / D)

Day 5: Machu Picchu – Cusco

Day 4: Kachiqhata Quarry – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

We descend on a broad Inca trail down through the lower quarry zone, and stop at a key hilltop, from where the worked stones were skidded down the steep slope to the Vilcanota River below. On the far bank, between the river and the Sun Temple, we can see several of these “Tired Stones”, which were abandoned half-way between quarry and temple. Chroniclers tell us that work on the temple site was suddenly halted when the Colla masons fled back toward their homes in the Lake Tiahuanaco area, just prior to the arrival of the Spanish invaders. We continue down, cross the river, and arrive finally at the famous Sun Temple in Ollantaytambo. We have time to explore the temple and the adjacent village, before catching a late afternoon train to Aguas Calientes. We check into a hotel for the night. (B / L are included; Dinner in Aguas Calientes is left to you)

Toward the western end of the high valley, we follow the contours of a now-abandoned Inca aqueduct which transported water from the Chancachuco valley north to supply the otherwise-arid north-facing slopes above Ollantaytambo. This aqueduct once transported water across a sheer cliff face high above the Silque River. Today, on the mountainside above us we can glimpse traces of the original stonework, testimony to the extraordinary engineering in the project.
We reach our final pass (3,940m / 12,923ft) and visit a spectacular ridge-top Inca shrine called Huayrapunku (Gate of the Wind), with an astonishing view towards Nevado Veronica (5,682m / 18,637ft) directly across the valley. The site offers unsurpassed views to the terraces and temple site of the royal town of Ollantaytambo, over 4,000 feet below us. Constructed in the 15th century by the Inca emperor Pachacutec, the town was an important administrative and religious center.
We descend, past the curious Inca administrative site of Llaqtallaqtayoq, to our camp on a broad terrace at 3,525m / 11,562ft at the edge of the enormous Kachiqhata quarry. In the afternoon we explore the intricate quarry workings. From this steep talus slope beneath the sheer face of Cerro Yanaorco, immense red granite building stones were carved onsite and then skidded down to the valley floor, across the river, and then up to the sun temple site on the far side of the valley. We explore the ramps and work platforms around the largest of the stones. Orchids and other flowers are abundant in and around the quarry site, set high on the mountainside above the valley floor. (B / L / D)

Day 3: Chancachuco – Huayrapunku/Kachiqhata Quarry

We enter the site early in the morning for an in-depth guided tour of the ridge-top citadel of Machu Picchu. After our tour you will have free time to explore the site, or to climb Huyana Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. We descend to Aguas Calientes for our return to Ollantaytambo, continuing by chartered bus to Cusco in late af­ternoon, arriving around 9:30PM. Transfer to your hotel. (B / L)

Gratuities
Travel Insurance

• Trips Managed by Local Experts

• Easy, Fast, Risk-Free Bookings

• Personalized Small Group Tours

• Great Value for Money

• Unique, Customized Itineraries

• Best Local Certified Guides.

• HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE PER GROUP?The maximum group size is 8 persons. Usually our groups are between 2-6 persons. Sam Travel Peru specialises in SMALL, PRIVATE groups and provide a personalised service.

Round trip transfer airport-hotel-airport
Private service
Round trip train ticket 1 expeditions, 1 vistadome
Professional English/Spanish Speaking guide
Private bus in and out to the beginning of the trail (Cusco-Quillarumiyoq)
Round-trip Transfers
Double Occupancy Tents
Camping Equipment: Bathroom tent, kitchen tent, dining tent, stools, tables and comfortable mattresses
Cook
Muleteer
Horses and Mules to carry our equipment
Coffee breaks in the afternoons
All meals during the trek
Vegetarian meals on request
Machu Picchu entrance fees
2 way bus ticket Machu Picchu
1 night in a hotel
Last lunch at Indio Feliz restaurant: http://www.sanctuarylodgehotel.com/web/omac/tinkuy.jsp
First aid kit/OxygenWe recommended that you bring:
Personal Sleeping Bag (If you dont have one you can hire from us)
Backpack and Daypack
Hiking shoes or boots
Water bottle, flashlight, hat, sun block, sunglasses
Warm/Thermal clothes, Raincoat
Chocolates, candies or other snacks
Camera + Film, Binoculars
Considering an extra night in Aguas Calientes? We can change the date of your train ticket to the following day. Hotel and other costs associated with returning to Machu Picchu the following day are additional to trek costs. Please also note that your entry ticket to Machu Picchu is valid for one day only, if you wish to visit the ruins on a second consecutive day you will need to purchase another ticket.

Not Includes

Includes

WHY CHOOSE Inca Land Adventures ?Inca Laand Adventures is a family owned travel agency and a local tour operator based in Cusco with personal experience over many years of trekking. Inca Land Adventures is a 100% Cusqueñian Company without any shareholders.
Our dream as a locally based company is to create small personalized tours & treks strictly and only operated by local professional staff catering in PERSONALIZED and HIGH QUALITY SERVICE.
We take pride in our reputation as a RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE tour operator. Our staff are our extended family. We ensure they are supported financially by offering them a fair salary. We are so proud of our team! Without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer the best service and lifetime experiences to our clients.

Prices: Per Person2025

1 person : US$1350.00 per person
2 people : US$1000.00 per person
4 people : US$950.00 per person
6 people : US$900.00 per person
8 people : US$850.00 per person