If you have planned to visit the imperial city of the Incas in Cusco, here in this blog we have many alternative bicycle routes in Cusco, which you can do independently or with a bike tour operator agency. You can choose routes from the basic level, intermediate level, and advanced level.

All Trails for Mountain bike in the sacred valley Peru

Mountain biking trails Sacred Valley of the Incas

The sacred valley has many routes for cyclists, through Inca trails, bridle paths, ancient roads that connect with Inca ruins, small towns, valleys, lagoons, etc. We describe the routes here, including where they begin, how many kilometers they cover, the number of positive slopes, and the type of route. 

Sacred Valley MTB enduro downhill XC

Sacred valley – route of the corn

This route is known by many names, such as the corn route, the Vilcanota River route, and the valley cycle route.

The route crosses a wide dirt road, signposted as a cycle path, and is surrounded by many cornfields and the Vilcanota river all the way.

To do this adventure by bike, there are two ways: independently, rent your bike from Cusco or go with a travel company that does bike tours. 

Bike tour in the sacred valley Cusco

Rent a bike Cusco

This independent option is for intermediate-level cyclists because you will start pedaling from the city of Cusco, crossing the following towns or communities: Huayllarcocha, Yuncaypata, Corao, Pisac, Taray, Coya, Lamay, Calca, Urquillo, Huayllabamba, Yucay, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo.

Some of these places have Inca ruins to visit.

The total distance of this route from Cusco to Ollantaytambo is 62 km. with a positive unevenness of 520 m. for intermediate level cyclists.

Biking Perú

Bike tour to the sacred valley with the agency

This tour with a travel agency starts from your hotel with special mobility to take the bicycles to the community of Taray. From this place, you will only pedal 22 to 40 km. with a drop of no more than 120 m to Urubamba or Ollantaytambo for basic-level cyclists.

The entire journey is on a wide dirt road that passes through small towns like Coya, Lamay, Calca, Urquillo, Huayllabamba, Yucay, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo.

Travel agency gives you the option of staying in one of these places.

You can also choose to do it the other way, from Ollantaytambo to Taray, and return by transport to the city of Cusco.

MTB Packages Peru

We recommend this option; the agency will organize everything from the bicycles to the security equipment, private mobility, repair kits, first aid kits, experienced guides, etc.

In both options, you can connect this route by biking through the sacred valley with Machu Picchu, by train, by tourist transport, or by full bike.

Mountain bike to Machu Picchu – Inca Jungle

This route has an amazing climate change from the high sierra at 4,316 m (Abra Málaga) to the jungle of Santa María at 1,300 m, with more than 75 km of full descent on a paved track path.

The Málaga Pass is located near the town of Ollantaytambo. To reach this route by bicycle, there are two options:

Option 1; You can rent a bicycle in Cusco and cross the Sacred Valley route, passing through these points: Huayllacocha, Yuncaypata, Corca, Pisaq, the corn route, Calca, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo.

Amazon jungle and Machu Picchu by bike

Machu Picchu Epic MTB tour

This option is recommended for experienced cyclists with a lot of physical resistance because the complete route from Cusco to Santa María and Santa Teresa has a positive difference in altitude of more than 2,000 m and more than 200 km.

If you choose to ride your own bike to Machu Picchu, we recommend that you allow at least four days and bring a change of clothes, nuts, water, a first aid kit, and a repair kit, among other things.

Option 2: Taking a Machu Picchu mountain bike with a travel agency is the best option because the company includes transportation, food, bicycles, safety equipment, an adventure guide, and a mechanical assistant, as well as other activities such as canoeing and ziplining.

The entrance ticket to Machu Picchu is also included, making your vacation in Cusco Peru very well organized.

Inca jungle biking tour to Machu Picchu

Can you get to Machu Picchu on bike?

There is no road or bicycle route to the citadel of Machu Picchu, the route offered by travel agencies is:

1st day: Abra Málaga – Santa María bike and canoeing
2nd day: hike, coffee plantations, and thermal baths in Cocalmayo
Third day: zip line and hike from the hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes.
4th day: visit to Machu Picchu and return to Cusco

As you can see, you can only ride the bike on the first day, and the other days are split between walks, canoeing, and ziplining.

If there are cyclists who reached Machu Picchu by bicycle, they used the train tracks, which go from the hydroelectric to the town of Aguas Calientes.

Please do not put your life in danger by using this rail route. 

Perú mtb expeditions to Machu Picchu

Maras and Moray mountain biking

This route is one of the best alternatives for cycling because it crosses the best viewpoints, Inca ruins, salt mines, the best landscapes of the Sacred Valley, lagoons, among others.

Moray Inca Ruins

In Inca times, food was one of the most important processes, which is why Moray was the most important place in the Inca culture. According to studies, Moray was a food experimentation center with the purpose of planting products from other areas to adapt them in circular rings.

According to studies, each circular ring has a different temperature, from hot to dry to cold.

Bike tours Maras Moray Cusco

Salt mines, the salt mines of Maras

This location has been used since the Inca and colonial cultures, and it now has over 3,000 wells, each divided into 5 square meters and fed only by an underground spring that comes out of the Qaqawiay mountain and shares its hypersaline liquid with all wells.

We have two options to enjoy this bike route to Maras and Moray:

Rent a bike in Cusco

This alternative is for experienced cyclists with good physical condition who can locate the path very easily and know a little about repairing a bicycle.

Sacred Valley MTB enduro downhill XC

The bicycle route from Cusco to Urubamba is 66 kilometers long, passing through Maras, Moray, and Urubamba. a positive slope of 1,000 m.

It crosses different tourist resources of the sacred valley, such as giant Inca sculptures, a colonial aqueduct, Ninantayniyoq Inca ruins, Piuray lagoon, Huaypo lagoon, Moray Inca ruins, Maras, and salt mines.

A bike tour of Maras and Moray with a travel agency

If you don’t like to go alone and organize everything on your own, this is the best option so that you can enjoy this bike tour in the sacred valley without complications.

The agency includes a professional Trek Marlin 6 bicycle, safety equipment, a route without complications and private mobility for any situation, such as rain, fatigue, etc.

This bike route with an agency is 32 km long. with a positive unevenness of 450 m along a wide dirt road surrounded by farm fields and small towns.

Sacred Valley MTB enduro downhill XC

Downhill trails in the Sacred Valley 

Here in this article, we present the best downhill bike routes that you can do when you visit the wonder of the world, Machu Picchu.

Inca avalanche downhill trails

The path of the Inca avalanche route is a section for classic competitions at the national level that starts from the Malaga pass, which is located near the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo in the sacred valley.

Málaga pass is located at 4,350 meters, from where you will go downhill to 2,700 meters in 16 kilometers. A short singletrack path passing small Inca ruins is a lot of fun.

Bike tour Inca avalanche Cusco

The only way to do this route through the Inka avalanche is with a travel agency for this reason:

• For this route, you need a professional full-suspension bike and safety equipment.
• Because it is a technical route for experienced cyclists, you must be accompanied.
• To get to the top of the mountain, you need special mobility to carry bicycles.

Lares downhill trail

The Lares route begins at the Lares pass at 4,463 meters and serves as the starting point for the full downhill via an Inca trail with advanced difficulty in terms of steps, curved stones, and so on.

How do I get to the Lares trails from Cusco?

Starting your outing with pure pedaling from the city is crazy; there are more than 150 km and a positive difference of more than 2,500 meters to reach the top of Lares at 4,463 m.

The most recommended option is to go in a special vehicle to carry a bicycle, traveling for 2.5 hours from Cusco to the pass.

From here, start your biking adventure along a 25-kilometer Inca Trail. pure descent to the district of Calca, crossing bridges, small towns, the Inca ruins of Calispuquio, and the chullpas of Ancasmarca.

Lares mountain bike tour Cusco

Is there public transportation to get to Lares Pass?

There isn’t direct transport from Cusco to the Lares pass, but you could take a transport in sections, from Cusco to Calca and from Calca to the Lares pass.

You can take public transport from Puputi Street, which is located south of Cusco, six blocks from the main square of Cusco.

Is it advisable to go by public bus?

Generally, public buses do not have a special rack or H to carry a bicycle; if you choose this option, you will disassemble your bicycle or carry it as any other load and during the trip, the accessories or paint of your bicycle can be damaged, etc.

What is the best option to do the Lares mountain bike?

The best alternative is to book with a local company that operates bike tours; for these reasons:

• They provide you with private mobility.
• experienced adventure guide
  a
• full suspension bike and equipment

Sacred Valley MTB enduro downhill XC

Lamay downhill trail

This route starts from the community of Sapactto, which is located at 4,315 m along an old road used since colonial times as a path for muleteers to carry food, etc.

Nowadays, it is more used by cyclists who seek fun and enjoy the road, landscape, fresh air and local food.

The descent distance of this route is 17.81 km. to the same district of Lamay, where at the end you can enjoy a delicious meal of baked guinea pig, guinea pig on the stick, pig in the cylinder, etc.

Sacred Valley downhill tour

How can I do the Lamay mountain bike?

It is very difficult to do it on your own because you must bring repair kits, a first aid kit, and know the route, among other things.

Book this route with a bicycle tour agency, so it will not be complicated and you can even do more than one route. The agency includes the bicycle, guide, first aid kit, and private mobility.

Chinchero balcony downhill route

Chinchero is 40 minutes away by car and the starting point for an Inca trail that crosses mountain valleys, past the Inca ruins of Chinchero and continues for 15 kilometers to the town of Urquillos.

Cusco mountain bike Lamay and Chinchero in sacred valley

How do I get to the balcony chinchero trail?

To get to the town of Chinchero, you can take a public transport from Pavitos Street; some buses have a grill on top and they will tie your bike with ropes.

After descending this route to the town of Urquillos, you have to take the corn route to the town of Taray, where the Pisaq district is also located. Here, you can take public transportation back to the city.

If you want to enjoy this route more, we recommend you book this tour with a travel agency that includes everything.

Enduro trails in the Sacred Valley of the Incas

These are the best enduro bike routes through the sacred valley, which include Inca trails, extraordinary landscapes, Inca ruins and some routes ending with medicinal baths like the Patalares route.

Patalares enduro trail

This route is also in the sacred valley, at the crossroads of Ollantaytambo, towards the communities of Patacancha and Huilloc, going up to 4,323 m. at a specific point from where the route starts.

The route has parts of the Inca Trail that lead to the same thermal baths as Lares; it is the only route where, at the end, you can enjoy a good medicinal bath.

That route has 15 km of pure downhill, with sections of paths with stones, steps to enjoy to the maximum.

We recommend you do this route with a travel agency and not on your own, because you need special mobility for bicycles, someone who knows the route, a good bicycle and the equipment.

Patalares Epic Tour Adventure

Patacancha and Pumamarca enduro trail

This route is also found at the Ollantaytambo turnoff, crossing the communities of Patacancha and Hullic until reaching the pass that is located at 4,434 m. From this point on, an advanced-level path leads to the community of Pumamarka.

The other route, known as Pumamarka Inca ruins at this location, begins from here; the path is more difficult for experienced hikers due to the additional stones.

Patacancha enduro mtb tour

Distance between these two routes, in total, is 40 km, with a positive unevenness of 575 m from the pass to the town of Ollantaytambo.

To get to the starting point, you need to book a bicycle tour with a specialized travel agency that includes a bicycle, guide, equipment and mobility, which is the most recommended.

We do not recommend doing it on your own; the bus trip from Cusco to the Patacancha Pass is 3 hours.

La Máxima (The ultimate) enduro singletrails

La Máxima is one of the best enduro routes found in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, located in the Chinchero detour, crossing the Cúper community until reaching 4,397 m, the exact starting point.

The singletrack trail is 15 km to the town of Urquillo, with sections of curves, stones, stands and verticals for advanced level cyclists.

The Maximum and Chinchero mountain bike enduro

How can I do the Maximum mountain bike?

To do this route, we recommend you book with a travel agency that operates biking tours through the sacred valley, includes private mobility, double suspension bicycles, equipment and adventure guide.

We do not recommend doing it on your own because there are many paths on the route and you can make mistakes, you also need a bicycle, equipment and mobility.

Is there public transportation from Cusco to the Máxima route?

For this route, there is no bus stop, especially from Cusco to the starting point. You can take a public bus on Pavitos Street in the direction of the town of Chinchero and from there you can pedal to the starting point.

To return to Cusco, you can also do so by public transport; after Urquillo, you have to continue pedaling along the corn route towards Taray and take the bus in the town of Pisac.

The Maximum and Chinchero mountain bike enduro

Huchuy qosqo enduro – inca trails

This route is located at the same starting point as the maximum route. The road goes in the direction of the Inca ruins of Huchuy Qosqo, which were built by the Inca culture in the year 1,420 e. c.

The distance of this route is 23 km, and it can end in the district of Calca or the town of Lamay. The whole path has steps, closed curves and stones with a positive difference in altitude of 604 m and a maximum altitude of 4,502 m for advanced level cyclists.

Cusco mountain biking to Huchuy Qosqo adventure

If you are looking to have the most fun, we recommend you book with a travel agency that will include everything and you can even do more than one route.

Inti Punku enduro trails – mountain bike

This is one of the places that you cannot miss when you are in Cusco. You can visit it on foot or by bicycle for 25 kilometers. 

The Inti Punku trails is very demanding; the first section that begins in the community of Socma is a pure climb to push the bicycle. It has a positive slope of 1,000 m until reaching the top at 4,427 m.

Inti Punku mountain biking enduro

The path of this route has steps, small curves, quite a lot of stone for experienced cyclists with a good physique.

For this route, there is no public transport; we recommend doing this activity with a travel agency that includes everything.

SACRED VALLEY HARD ENDURO MTB