Horseback & Huatia: A Journey into Highland Life
Ride through the Andes and connect with the land, the people, and the past.
This unforgettable half-day experience takes you on horseback through Cusco’s sweeping highlands, where you’ll explore scenic trails, hidden Incan ruins, and finish with a hands-on cultural immersion alongside local Quechua farmers. End your ride with a meal cooked in a traditional huatia oven and a deeper understanding of life in the Cusco countryside.
A slow journey through Cusco’s hidden landscapes — on horseback.
Your adventure begins at 8:00 AM with a short drive from Cusco to a small mountain ranch. There, you’ll meet your gentle and well-cared-for horses, and after a brief orientation, set off into the rolling Andean hills.
Your ride takes you past chacras (small family farms), native trees, and fields cultivated in traditional ways. Breathe in the fresh mountain air as you trot along peaceful trails with incredible views over Cusco and the Sacred Valley foothills. After approximately an hour in the saddle, you’ll arrive at Balcón del Diablo (Devil’s Balcony) — a natural cave formation and sacred site used in pre-Incan times.
From here, dismount and continue your journey on foot via the Ñustapakana Incan Trail, surrounded by open farmland. Soon you’ll arrive at the same rural community featured in our Inca Roots experience, where you’ll meet Quechua-speaking farmers who still use ancestral techniques to work the land — including the Chaki Taklla (foot plough).
You’ll join them in a seasonal activity — such as planting, harvesting, adobe making, or tending to animals — and help build a huatia, a traditional Andean earth oven. Once the food is cooked, you’ll sit down with the farmers to enjoy a simple, grounding meal of native potatoes, oca, and other Andean produce, served with Chicha, the region’s traditional fermented corn drink.
This experience does more than connect you to ancient culture — it helps sustain it. Your participation directly supports the local families who continue these time-honored agricultural practices despite growing economic and environmental pressures. In a world where industrialization and urban migration threaten traditional ways of life, these experiences offer not only income but validation and visibility, encouraging the next generation to remain on the land and carry forward ancestral knowledge.
After lunch, a short walk takes you back to the trailhead, where your driver will return you to Cusco by 1:30 PM.
What’s Included:
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Round-trip transport from Cusco
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Horse and guide
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Bilingual local guide
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Hands-on farming activity with local community
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Traditional huatia meal and drink
What to Bring:
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Sun protection (hat, sunscreen)
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Jacket or layers (weather can change quickly)
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Refillable water bottle
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Comfortable walking shoes
Schedule:
8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
🐎 Horseback: ~1 hour
📍 Moderate hike: 1–3 km (varies by season and farming location)
Price
$90 per person (Group 2 people)
$80 per person (Group of 3)
$75 per person (Group of 4 or more)
The Positive Impact
Your participation in our experiences directly supports local Quechua-speaking families who continue to live and farm in the traditional Andean way. In a rapidly changing world, these practices — passed down for centuries — are at risk of disappearing.By joining us, you’re helping preserve ancestral knowledge, provide meaningful income to rural communities, and encourage younger generations to remain on the land. It’s travel that connects, sustains, and gives back.