Hiking Along The Central Chilean Inca Trail
Under Emperor Wayna Kapak, expansion of the Inca Empire reached its height with Chile a part of the Kollasuyu, its south-eastern province. The Inca road network extended from modern day Colombia to where Rancagua now stands and paralleled and criss-crossed the nearby Andes mountains, which were silent witnesses to Inca ritual human sacrifice made high upon the snowy peaks of the Chilean Andes. On our tours, we hike through the Chilean countryside along our very own Inca trail, as seen in "1001 Walks You Must Take Before You Die" by Barry Stone (Universe Publishing), where you will see the remains of nearby roads, temples, settlements and forts that marked the final frontier of the Empire here in the heart of Chile. We offer tours to the ruins with multilingual guides who can give you all of the fascinating historical and archaeological information about the sites and the Incas themselves.
Tour One: Inca Temple of the Sun
On this tour you will also learn about Inca cosmovision, mythology, symbolism and how they were all interconnected, as well as the bizarre eccentricities of the Inca dynasties, the rituals and ceremonies that took place here and nearby including human sacrifice, the secret Inca prophecies of doom that foretold the inevitable destruction of the Empire before the Inca conquest of the Andes even began, and the legendary curse the Andean gods unleashed.We highly recommend taking and timing this tour to coincide with the spectacular and unspoilt view of the sunset over the ruins with the splendour of the mountains and the magnificence of the valley in the background, especially during the solstices and equinoxes.
Tour Two: Inca Fort and Temple of the Sun
This tour begins with a drive along the Rancagua branch of the Inca road to the ruins of a hillside fort complex by the foothills of the Andes. It is not Machu Picchu; it is a lot smaller and less developed, and as such it represents more of an archaeological site than a popular tourist attraction, but as a result, we always have it to ourselves, and the only sounds you will hear are the melody of songbirds and the bleating of the goats on the hill, carried by the breeze, what the Incas ate when stationed at the site, the tale of the bloody massacre that brought about the destruction of the fort itself, and much more. After lunch, we move on to the tour of what is left of the Empire’s southernmost “Temple of the Sun”. Please beware that we will need to resquest special authorization from the local authorities and this tour is thus subject to final confirmation.
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TOURS
“The Central Chilean Inca Trail”- Half-Day Tour From Rancagua by car (A minimum of 2 people is required for this private tour, with a maximum of 3 per group.
Rates:
CLP 65,000 per person
Includes:
- Tour of the archaeological site
- Refreshments
- Use of hiking equipment
- Transport to and from your hotel or pre-arranged meeting point in Rancagua.
- An Inca-themed souvenir of your tour with us (one per person).
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“The Central Chilean Inca Trail”- Full-Day Tour From Rancagua by car
(A minimum of 2 people is required for this private tour, with a maximum of 3 per group.)
Rates:
CLP 120,000 per person
Includes:
- Tour of two archaeological sites
- Lunch at a Peruvian restaurant
- Refreshments
- Use of hiking equipment
- Transport to and from your hotel or other pre-arranged meeting point in Rancagua (Collection at a pre-arranged meeting point in Santiago is available on request, subject to availability and a surcharge of 60,000 CLP per person).
- An Inca-themed souvenir of your tour with us (one per person).
Takes:
6 Hours approx.
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These tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays only.
A minimum of 2 people is required for these private tours, with a maximum of 3 per group.
These tours require a couple of hours hiking on what is at times relatively steep terrain, so a certain level of physical fitness is required. You are also advised to bring suitable footwear.
Tours are subject to availability and must be booked in advance.
Contact us to book or for further details.
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