Qhapac Ñan trek - Horizon Guides

Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Distance: Various routes, typically around 60 km (37 miles)
Duration: Five to seven days
Accommodation: Camping
Start/end point: Huanuco Pampa

Not really a single trek, Qhapac Ñan ("Beautiful Road" in Quechua) is the name for the 25,000 mile road network that stitched the Inca Empire together from Colombia in the north to Chile in the south.

Only recently discovered (by the tourism industry at least – locals have always known about it), pioneering travel companies are now developing sections of the Qhapac Ñan into commercial treks. This is a truly frontier travel experience, and one that can contribute directly to the preservation of a fascinating but criminally overlooked historical artefact.

Most of the action is centred around the central region near Huaraz, but various routes stretch a long way both up and down the Andes.

At a glance

Destinations

Huaraz

Activity

Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, Culture, Archaeology, History, Responsible Travel, Slow Travel

Physical Level

Strenuous

Season

May - September

Duration

7 days

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