1 Day Bike to Machu Picchu

1 Day bike ride to Machu Picchu

 

Days: 1 

Difficulty: Easy, but very fun !

Highlights: Drop down nearly 10,000 feet on a beautiful and smooth road, from the base of a massive glacier at over 14,000 feet down to the jungle town of St. Maria, where coffee and banana plants line the side of the road. This is the same as our Back Door mountain bike ride to Machu Picchu, but on a shortened version for those with less time or a smaller budget. You leave from Ollantaytambo, and we take you to St. Maria on bike, and the rest is up to you.

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Departing from Ollantaytambo at 9am where you can relax a moment and have some coffee while we load your gear. We then drive one hour up to Abra Malaga (4316m, 14,150 feet) where you will begin your descent. First though, our guides will get the bikes and safety equipment sorted and give you complete instructions and assistance in how to enjoy the ride safely. Starting from the foot of the massive Veronica glacier, we will begin this amazing downhill to the jungle (there is some short singletrack sections up near the pass but the rest of the ride is on a newly paved road).

Along the way are spectacular views, Incan ruins, and an increasingly jungle-like terrain and culture as we whiz down the road. After a quality and hearty lunch at our favorite Incan site, those who are a bit tuckered out (or don’t fancy riding some uphills) can hop in the support vehicle, while others can continue on biking, with some short climbs of just a kilometer or two, before the final downhill plunge into the town of St. Maria. From the pass of Abra Malaga, this takes between 3 to 4 hours. The tour officially ends here, but first we will help you get situated with everything you need to know to continue on to Machu Picchu. The first decision is whether you wish to relax, slow down, and spend the night in St. Maria (cheap backpacker hostels cost 15 soles and under) or continue the hour and a half rugged journey on local transport to St. Theresa, where there is also ample economic yet sufficient hostals to stay at, (or camp at the Colo de Mono and try out their zipline – book with us and receive a discount !). Lastly, let us know and we can book you a room in a jungle lodge in St. Theresa if you would like something a bit nicer than the very basic hostals in St. Theresa, ask us for details.

We can also assist you with reserving a decent hostel in Aguas Calientes, just ask us.

 

Cost is $109 per person from Ollantaytambo or $119 per person from Cusco, minimum three people. Ask us about assistance in joining up with other travelers in order to meet the minimum group requirement

Includes: transportation from Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Abra Malaga, support vehicle, quality full suspension bike with hydraulic disc brakes for the descent to St. Maria, quality lunch, snacks, standard or optional full face helmet, goggles, gloves, and an English speaking guide.