- Day tours
- Ollantaytambo- Rainbow mountain
We are a local team from the community of Cachiccata, the very ground where the Sun Gate trail begins. Nobody knows this route better than the families who have lived alongside it for generations, and that connection shapes every ride we lead — small groups, an unhurried pace, and deep respect for the mountain we call home.
Inti Punku, or «Sun Gate,» was built by the Inca as a ceremonial checkpoint along the network of trails leading toward Machu Picchu. Its stone doorway once framed the sunrise on key dates of the Inca calendar, marking the passage between the sacred valley below and the mountain sanctuary above. Riding to this site today means retracing a path that carried pilgrims, priests, and travelers centuries ago — not just reaching a viewpoint, but stepping into a place still charged with meaning for the communities who live around it
Reaching Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) is possible either way, but each option offers a different experience:
Riding lets you cover more ground without exhausting your legs before Machu Picchu — a smart way to prepare for the Classic Inca Trail or the Salkantay Trek if either is still ahead of you.
This isn’t just a ride to a viewpoint. The trail itself is an open-air museum:
Our guide explains the purpose behind each site, so the ride becomes a lesson in Inca engineering and belief as much as an adventure.
| Departure point | Price per person | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Ollantaytambo | $120 USD | Horse, local expert guide, Organig Box Lunch |
| Cusco (round trip) | $150 USD | Transportation Cusco–Ollantaytambo–Cusco, lunch |
The Cusco option runs nearly a full day door-to-door, so transport and lunch are built into the price — you won’t need to plan a thing beyond showing up.
Ollantaytambo sits at a lower altitude than Cusco and is the last town before Machu Picchu on the way in from the Sacred Valley. Staying here for a night or two is a smart move if you’re building up to a longer trek — it gives your body a gentler altitude transition and puts you right at the trailhead for this tour. Read more about the horseback riding routes around Ollantaytambo or the town’s Inca fortress on UNESCO’s overview of the Sacred Valley.
Your briefing takes place according to where you’re staying — in Cusco or already in Ollantaytambo — and covers everything you need to know before setting out: gear, timing, and what to expect on the ascent. For official background on the archaeological sites you’ll pass, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture’s page on Machu Picchu is a useful reference.
Early in the morning, we’ll pick you up directly from your hotel in Cusco or Ollantaytambo to begin this unforgettable adventure. From Cusco, our private transport takes us through the Sacred Valley to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo, then continues to the historic Inca Bridge, where we cross the Urubamba River — a striking entrance into the heart of the valley.
Our well-trained horses will be waiting for us there. After preparing our daypacks for the day ahead, we set off along ancient trails that wind through the mountains, following the same paths the Inca once used to reach the majestic Inti Punku — the Sun Gate, a sacred archaeological gateway to the Inca world.
Trip facts
| Low elevation | 2,792 m / 9,160 ft |
| High elevation | 3,886 m / 12,749 ft |
| Distance | 9 km / 3.3 mi |
| Ascent | 4 hours (horseback) |
| Descent | 3 hours (horseback + ~35 min on foot) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
