Horseback riding Peru Cusco - Machu Picchu Ranch El Chalan - Urubamba
Jan 11th, 2016, 05:58 AM
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Horseback riding Peru Cusco - Machu Picchu Ranch El Chalan - Urubamba
On route from Lima to Rio de Janeiro we visited the centre of the old Inca Empire around Cusco and of course Machu Picchu. Our first plan was to get used to the altitude in Cusco for a few days, then on horseback and take a ride of several days through the beautiful Valley of the Inca’s.
As a father, traveling with my horse-enthusiastic daughter, this would be a once in a life time adventure opportunity so we decided to try to arrange this. We made two mistakes. We did not arrange this months before our arriving date and we did not bring enough cash.
Its easy to spend lots of thousands of dollars on such an adventure: prices (2016) vary in between
$ 3900,- and $800,- per person for a 5 to 3 days (effective) ride. Of course it isn’t fair to compare the trips without detailing them. For the highest price you get top market treatment with hotel/lodge overnight stay and in the economic price range it will be a tent with very basic sanitary on the camp site. Some packages are from Cusco (in)to Machu Picchu, all tickets included, some are in the surroundings between these places, mostly in the Sacred Valley of The Inca’s.
Trying not to spoil my daughter with unnecessary luxury, fitting this adventure into our travel scheme and defending the budget we choose after some negotiating, getting a student discount, downgrading the trip from 4 day/3 nights minus one, for the economic version:
a 3 days/2 nights ride in the Valley of the Inca’s with http://www.ranchoelchalancusco.com/ for around $700,- each. Is this an expensive excursion? Yes it is. Was it worth it? Yes it was, every dime of it! We had such beautiful days, riding through a highland Sacred Valley of the Inca’s on +3000 m above sea level, surrounded by breath taking snow covered wild peaks of the Andes on Paso horses (the pride of Peru) with wonderful private guide/ranch owner Yojan. We enjoyed his playing the guitar, his great funny stories in the evening and of top of this his knowledge of the area with its interesting ancient past: superb! We were “followed” by his wife and the cook, traveling by van from spot to spot with the sleeping tents, cooking/dining tent, food for the horses and for us. The cook prepared breakfast/lunch and dinner, it was freshly cooked on the spot, delicious! It surely was an exceptional once-in-a-lifetime experience for us!
Key facts/tips:
- Book in advance, the earlier the better, it safes you a lot of hassle on the spot.
- Good places to stay: Cusco and Ollantaytambo.
- Take several days in front, doing nothing or not much to get used to the altitude. (We stayed 3 days in Cusco and it was a minimum for us; time depends on your physical condition)
- They mostly asked for a down payment after booking; pay the rest in cash on arrival. Most ranches don’t have a card terminal and most ATM’s in Peru only give max $200,-/24 hrs, if working, so bring it with you and cash payment gives you a better negotiation position.
- Horse riding experience: me: average, daughter: advanced; so dads: get out your lazy chair en take some horse riding lessons!
- Horse riding from Cusco to Machu Picchu: is not possible; in between is the village Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu the valley is becoming narrow with only a wild river and a train track, train tickets are in the package deal in some horse riding tours.
- Inca trek: several days walking path from surroundings Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu: not free, you have to buy permit for walking this trek, in high season mostly full with tourists so booking long before could be necessary.
- Riding style: Western, we are used to English riding style,difference: the Paso horses are not moving into galloping, you are steering them with one hand like a joy stick. Even for me as a poor average rider it was easy to do. If you are not sure: ask the ranch by mail and/or take lessons at home.
- When to go: April – December. (rain months: January – March)
- Trip: June 23th-25th 2015; review: January 11th 2016.
- To read: Mark Adams – Turn Right at Machu Picchu, ISNB/EAN 978-0-452-29798-2.
As a father, traveling with my horse-enthusiastic daughter, this would be a once in a life time adventure opportunity so we decided to try to arrange this. We made two mistakes. We did not arrange this months before our arriving date and we did not bring enough cash.
Its easy to spend lots of thousands of dollars on such an adventure: prices (2016) vary in between
$ 3900,- and $800,- per person for a 5 to 3 days (effective) ride. Of course it isn’t fair to compare the trips without detailing them. For the highest price you get top market treatment with hotel/lodge overnight stay and in the economic price range it will be a tent with very basic sanitary on the camp site. Some packages are from Cusco (in)to Machu Picchu, all tickets included, some are in the surroundings between these places, mostly in the Sacred Valley of The Inca’s.
Trying not to spoil my daughter with unnecessary luxury, fitting this adventure into our travel scheme and defending the budget we choose after some negotiating, getting a student discount, downgrading the trip from 4 day/3 nights minus one, for the economic version:
a 3 days/2 nights ride in the Valley of the Inca’s with http://www.ranchoelchalancusco.com/ for around $700,- each. Is this an expensive excursion? Yes it is. Was it worth it? Yes it was, every dime of it! We had such beautiful days, riding through a highland Sacred Valley of the Inca’s on +3000 m above sea level, surrounded by breath taking snow covered wild peaks of the Andes on Paso horses (the pride of Peru) with wonderful private guide/ranch owner Yojan. We enjoyed his playing the guitar, his great funny stories in the evening and of top of this his knowledge of the area with its interesting ancient past: superb! We were “followed” by his wife and the cook, traveling by van from spot to spot with the sleeping tents, cooking/dining tent, food for the horses and for us. The cook prepared breakfast/lunch and dinner, it was freshly cooked on the spot, delicious! It surely was an exceptional once-in-a-lifetime experience for us!
Key facts/tips:
- Book in advance, the earlier the better, it safes you a lot of hassle on the spot.
- Good places to stay: Cusco and Ollantaytambo.
- Take several days in front, doing nothing or not much to get used to the altitude. (We stayed 3 days in Cusco and it was a minimum for us; time depends on your physical condition)
- They mostly asked for a down payment after booking; pay the rest in cash on arrival. Most ranches don’t have a card terminal and most ATM’s in Peru only give max $200,-/24 hrs, if working, so bring it with you and cash payment gives you a better negotiation position.
- Horse riding experience: me: average, daughter: advanced; so dads: get out your lazy chair en take some horse riding lessons!
- Horse riding from Cusco to Machu Picchu: is not possible; in between is the village Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu the valley is becoming narrow with only a wild river and a train track, train tickets are in the package deal in some horse riding tours.
- Inca trek: several days walking path from surroundings Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu: not free, you have to buy permit for walking this trek, in high season mostly full with tourists so booking long before could be necessary.
- Riding style: Western, we are used to English riding style,difference: the Paso horses are not moving into galloping, you are steering them with one hand like a joy stick. Even for me as a poor average rider it was easy to do. If you are not sure: ask the ranch by mail and/or take lessons at home.
- When to go: April – December. (rain months: January – March)
- Trip: June 23th-25th 2015; review: January 11th 2016.
- To read: Mark Adams – Turn Right at Machu Picchu, ISNB/EAN 978-0-452-29798-2.
Feb 10th, 2016, 12:22 PM
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Evert566 Thank you for this information. Can you explain to me what your last line means? Did you post more? How many months in advance did you book? Did you stay in tents? Do you need to bring your own bedding? Did you go to Machu Picchu?Thank you for your reply.
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