Author: Mo Ibrahim
Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

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Chichen Itza

Mexico is an enchanting country full of culture, history, natural beauty, and historical monuments; and the most famous of all is Chichen Itza. This amazing pyramid is a must-see for any trip to Mexico and especially the Yucatan peninsula. Contrary to the perception that Mexico is a dangerous country and that everything has to be done through an organized tour, you can easily and safely visit this marvelous site On Your Own from Cancun! So, in this blog, I’ll take you through the journey of how to visit Chichen Itza like a local & throw in an added bonus side-trip afterwards.  

First of all, let us agree that most people visiting the Yucatan peninsula will be either based in Cancun or Playa del Carmen. For the sake of this blog, I’ll provide insights about how to visit Chichen Itza from Cancun and you’ll find info about going from Cancun to Playa in my Cenote Chaok Tun post, so let us begin the adventure!

Cancun has two major parts: the resorts part and the local downtown part. So, if you are after beaches and nightlife then stay in the former, but if you are interested in culture and local life, then definitely downtown is the place to go & you can still go to the beach:)

So, to do any of my Mexican trips, you’ve to use local transport and find your way to downtown. Next, for anyone looking to travel independently in Mexico, you’ll have be familiar with and use the collective system. These are small public buses that locals use to get from one town to another. They are very frequent and can be flagged down from anywhere and have a set fee according to the distance. At first, they might look intimidating and people will try to convince you that its dangerous to get you to use their expensive transportation options, but believe me…they are perfectly safe, fun, and gives you the real Mexican experience, so use them whenever you can!

To go to Chichen Itza is very easy and straightforward from Cancun downtown. There are daily buses that depart from the bus station and go directly to Chichen Itza, non-stop (click to request info).

The buses are very comfy, have AC, and the trip takes around 3 hours, so take an early bus and you can sleep in it if you had a long night before:)

Arriving at Chichen Itza, you’ll immediately realize how touristy it is with lots of tour groups, but you are there for the history, so ignore this and remember…You came On Your Own🙂  

From the entrance of the site, you’ll walk the forest path for around 15 minutes and then the great pyramid will unveil itself to you 

Admire this incredible structure and start walking around it while taking pics from every angle

Then its time to take a picture of yourself with this famous monument, so chose the perfect spot & smile:)  

Although this pyramid is the highlight of the area and will dwarf any other structure around it, you can still take a look around for the other structures and there is a hidden pool in the forest that you must visit as it feels like heaven (click to request info) 

This concludes your day at Chichen Itza, but if you still have the energy you can do a side trip on your way back. It is time to visit the small town of Valladolid and admire its colonial architecture and history. So, ditch the bus and take a collective heading to this town (click to request info).

Upon arriving, start walking around and explore the center square and the town’s church which will make you feel that you went back in time 

After exploring the city, you can grab something to eat in one of its amazing local restaurants and take a collective back to Cancun downtown.    

 
Venice

Venice

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Venice

Venice has a reputation of being an expensive and touristy city, yet it is a very special city like no other on the world, so it is a shame that this reputation puts off adventure budget travelers, like us, from exploring this city because it is really a special one! So, in this blog, I’ll show you how you can visit Venice without breaking the bank and, also, avoiding all the tourist traps…so lets go:)

To visit Venice on budget you have to venture off-the-beaten-path and be prepared to walk…a lot:) Although, the city is abundant with landmarks and amazing sights, I don’t recommend that you stick with particular itinerary. Yes there are must sees in Venice; like: the Realto bridge and Piazza San Marco, but the best way to explore the unique nature of Venice is by wandering On Your Own and navigating the endless maze of small alleys while getting lost every now & then:)

The first step to enjoy a budget trip to Venice is to acquire a very good map and orient yourself with the different districts of the city (click to request info). Then you’ll have to figure out how to reach Venice and where to stay?

There are various ways by which you can arrive to Venice, but the most affordable and logistically easy way is by train to S. Lucia station. By arriving at S. Lucia station, you’ll find yourself right in the magic of the city with all its canals and amazing buildings

Next step is to take care of your accommodation. There are no hostels in the city and most hotels tend to be pricey and touristy, so first advice is to avoid hotels that are close to the main sites or right on the grand canal. You’ll find hidden gems in the side alleys, and since there will be no tourists around, you’ll feel like a local! I found one of these hidden gems that was very charming, clean, and close enough to the major attractions and I highly recommend it if you want to enjoy a local Venetian experience (click to request info) 

After settling in your hotel, its time to explore this amazing city. I know that the first thing you’ll want to do is to ride a gondola in the canals, but unfortunately, these are way overpriced and very touristy. Don’t be discouraged!! You can still explore Venice’s famous grand canal and On Budget! Use the Water Bus! For ϵ7.5 only, you can buy a ticket and ride the water bus for the entire day and hopping on & off as you like. The water bus will get you up close to all the major attractions along the grand canal.

Armed with your map and the knowledge of how to use the water bus, it is time to explore the major attractions of the city. For me, there are some must do’s; like:

Realto Bridge

Piazza San Marco

Bridge of Sights

Basilica Salute

But don’t restrict yourself to these sights only, Venice is full of countless marvels & the best way to see them is by just wandering in the small alleys and canals aimlessly without a particular agenda…just immerse yourself in the true magic of the city away from the mass tourism; and believe me, you’ll feel like a kid running in a maze:)

To put the icing on the cake, how about a bird-eyed view of Venice!! Yes you can see Venice from top and it is FREE!! (click to request info). The views are out of this world and you’ll find yourself taking loads of pictures from all directions…it is an amazing view so enjoy it as long as you want:)

Now it is time to relax and have an evening drink and dinner. Avoid the touristy restaurants and tourist traps and go eat where the locals eat. So, it is time to head away from the touristy districts and venture into the residential ones (click to request info). Here you’ll find local bars and restaurants with amazing food and friendly people

 On your way back to your hotel, take a final water bus ride at night and marvel the amazing atmosphere and architecture.

     

 
Ljubljana

Ljubljana

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Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a small nice city with a small, yet bustling center. The city is so charming and perfectly walkable, so no car is needed here. To get the best out of your stay here, I recommend that you stay one full day and night to see what all this city has to offer; and the best way is to stay somewhere in the city center to optimize your time. However, if you are a budget traveler, like me, finding a good hostel in the center can be tough, but I’ve the perfect one for you:) (click to request info). It is a hostel right in the center with all the day & night action literally just a step out of the door!

A walking tour around the city center is the best way to explore the city and I’ll give you here some tips to help you navigate the city. There are 2 main squares in Ljubljana’s city center; each on one side of the river: Mestni Trg & Presernov Trg, which are located in the pedestrian only zone. The city’s layout is along the river, so navigation is easy. I don’t suggest that you stick to a particular itinerary here, the city is very relaxed, compact, and there are hidden gems at every corner…so, armed with a good map (click to request info), just walk around, cross its famous bridges like: the dragon bridge and the famous Tromostovje bridge, visit the market, and have a bite or drink at one of the amazing riverside restaurants 

The only plan you, maybe, need to make; is if you want to visit the castle which lies on a hill overlooking the city. You can go up there by public bus or a funicular 

At night, the riverside restaurants become bustling with people, especially during the weekend, servicing nice cocktails and delicious food in an amazing setting

However, these places tend to close around midnight, so if you are up for a late-night drink, you should head to another area which is away from the river, yet only 5 minutes walking (click to request info)  
Soca Trail

Soca Trail

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Soca Trail

When you first see this majestic river, you won’t believe your eyes…its turquoise blue color is something out of this world and like no other river I’ve seen before! You’ll want to walk along this river forever to satisfy your eyes with its magnificent color & the best way to do so and discover its magnificent waterfalls and narrow deep gorges is to hike the 25 km Soca trail.

The Soca trail is the oldest hiking trail in the Triglav NP, and although it is long, it is an easy hike as you’ll always hike downstream. However, since this is a one-way hike, you’ll need to take care of some logistical steps first.

The trail starts at Soca river source, known in Slovenian language as Izvir Soca, and continues all the way to the town of Bovec and will take you around 8-10 hours to complete. Yet, arranging the logistics of this hike On Your Own is not easy, especially in low season, as most outfitters in the area offer transportation only as a part of a guided hike which the independent adventurer in you doesn’t want! When doing this hike in low season (April), the public bus that takes you from Bovec to Izvir Soca won’t be running so you need to arrange your own transport. After a lot of research, I found only one tour company that offered to transfer us (1-way) to the parking lot at the top of the trail & let me acknowledge this…their service was great and I highly recommend them (click to request info)  

Now to the hike itself. The first part of the hike will be from the parking lot where you’ll be dropped to the source of the river. This is actually a detour of the trail and the only upstream part, but the seeing the source of this majestic river with the background of the towering Julian Alps mountains is an amazing experience. It’ll only take 20 minutes to hike from the parking lot to the source and 10 minutes back. You’ll hike up in the forest next to the river and after about 10 minutes you’ll start getting the stunning views of the mountains at your back 

Continue hiking up, but be careful as the last part of the trail is along a narrow edge with sheer drops on your side! Luckily, it is easily manageable part and there are ropes that can assist you, but don’t forget to look back or you’ll miss this view:)

The source of the river is a spring in the rocks which really exemplifies the stunning meticulous order of nature as a tiny crack leads to a roaring river!! So admire & enjoy.

Now that you are back at the parking lot, you’ll start hiking the Soca trail proper which is a well-marked and easy to follow trail. From here it’ll be all downstream and easy and the beauty surrounding you will make you stop many times for pictures:) As this is the widest part of the river, the color isn’t as turquoise as further downstream, but still unique. This entire section of this trail to Alpinium Juliana will be in the shade of the forest next to the river with a nice refreshing breeze.

The next section stretches to Markov most and in this section you’ll start crossing the river through the famous Soca river hanging bridges

This will be a long section so a picnic along the river will be well deserved 

At the end of this section, you’ll cross the Markov most and walk briefly along the side of the road.

The next section continues along the river till you find a sign pointing towards 2 directions: “easy way” & “hard way”…so take your pick:) We chose the hard one as we still had some adventurous spirit in us and also we found out that the easy one will take you back along the road. The start of this way was really nice walk very close to the river

Then it took us uphill which was really tough and slippery…but you are here for the adventure:)

After around 5 km you’ll start approaching the crown jewel of the entire trail…The Soca Gorge!! Starting from here you’ll have to walk along the road as the river becomes really narrow and the gorge starts. This is nature at its best which demonstrates how forceful the water flow is and here the turquoise color of the water becomes very vivid and beautiful. 

There are many hanging bridges that cross the gorge to all you to enjoy the views and experience the force of the soca river, firsthand.

After the gorge, you’ll now enjoy a leisurely walk in the valley towards Bovec, but you’ll be tired and the grass is so green so don’t resist taking a break:)

 
Predjama Castle

Predjama Castle

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Predjama Castle

A castle built inside a cave!! Yes, it is true:) Predjama Castle is truly a one-of-kind attraction that you’ll only find in Slovenia. The Castle is located in the southwest region of the country and is easily accessible by car from Ljubljana via E70. You drive on this highway for 50 km, then you’ll find signs for the exit that takes you to a byroad towards the castle. Then, you’ll drive around 20 minutes more on this road till you reach the castle complex. However, if you don’t have a car, there are tour buses that goes from Ljubljana to the castle during the day.

You won’t believe your eyes when you first see the castle, it is an engineering marvel & since I’m an engineer, you can understand my fascination with it:)

You can enter the castle and take a tour, but for me the main reason of visiting this castle was its location, so take your time admiring it, I bet you’ll want to take a picture from every angle hoping to capture the perfect one…hope I did a good job:)

 

The ticket for entering the castle costs 14 euros/person (2018) and there is also a cave complex next to it which you can visit. For a complete list of the tours, prices, and timing, there is comprehensive website with all the details (click to request info)  

After you finish your tour, there is a nice restaurant where you can enjoy a drink or food in the terrace with amazing views of the castle…So Enjoy! 
Lake Bled

Lake Bled

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Lake Bled

Lake Bled is one of the famous touristic destinations in Slovenia & rightly so! It is a very picturesque lake with crystal clear water with towering mountains surrounding it and, above all, the small little church in the middle of the lake!!

Although you’ll find lots of organized tours offering a trip to lake Bled, it can be easily done on your own. The lake is located in the northern part of the country, near the Austrian border, and is only 40-minute drive from Ljubljana via E61. If you don’t have a car, you can still reach the area easily through one of the many regular buses from Ljubljana to Bled. Although you can visit lake Bled as a day trip, I recommend that you spend one night there and allow yourself one complete day to explore and enjoy the beauty of the area at your leisure.

Without a question, the main attraction here is the lake and you should plan your day to do as many activities as you like to explore this majestic lake and enjoy its beauty. The first must do activity is to hike the entire recreational trail around the lake; and believe me when I tell you, that you can’t get enough of this lake:) Start the hike from the far end to the church and walk counter-clockwise. This way you’ll be constantly excited with every step as you are getting closer to the church and with unobstructed views. Throughout the trail you’ll find yourself taking a multitude of pictures with every step you take, like I did:) Some from the furthest point to the church

Some when you get closer…

& some when you get to the closest point:)

However, to get the best views for the entire lake with the church in the middle, you’ve to head into the forest and up the mountains where there is a short trail that will give you the best views ever!

The Ojstrica trail will lead you uphill in the forest and after 30 minutes of hiking from the trailhead (click to request info), you’ll reach a viewpoint with the same name; and OH MY!! What a view!! 

There is also a bench at the top, so if you are lucky (like I was:), you sit, enjoy a stunning view and have an amazing picnic

When, and if, you were able to leave this view and head back down, there are some more activities that you can do and enjoy. If you want to visit the church itself, there are two ways of doing so: the adventurous way, and the relaxed one. So depending on your mood you can either rent a kayak and paddle your way to the church (will be a tough paddle if windy), or take a touristy boat ride with one of the many touristy outfitters around the lake…so make your pick:)
Europe

Europe

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  • Austria: Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves, Vienna, Mayrhofen, St. Johann im Pongau
  • Belgium: Brussels 
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo, Mostar, Hajduka Vrata, Lukomir, Kravice Waterfalls 
  • Croatia: Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes NP, Split, Zadar, Zagreb,     
  • Cyprus: Nicosia  
  • Czech Republic: Prague
  • Denmark: Copenhagen, Odense, Funen Island
  • England: London, Manchester, Dover, The Cotswolds, Peak District NP 
  • Finland: Helsinki, Rovaniemi (Northern Lights) 
  • France: Paris, Lyon, La Plagne (Ski Resort), Toulouse, Cauterets, Carcassonne, Cirque de Gavarnie, Marseille, Nice, Parc National des Calanques, Parc National Mercantour
  • Germany: Berlin, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Koln, Munich, Stuttgart, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
  • Greece: Athens, Crete, Rhodes
  • Hungary: Budapest, Holloko, Visegrad 
  • Iceland: Reykjavik, Skaftafell-Vatnajökull National Park, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Fimmvorduhals Hike, F-Roads
  • Italy: Bolzano, Etna Volcano, Kasterluth, Lucca, Florence, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Seiser Alm (Ski Resort), Siena, Taormina, Portofino, Amalfi Coast, Napoli, Lake Como, Venice, Cortina d’Ampezzo
  • Latvia: Riga
  • Liechtenstein: Vaduz, Malbun
  • Luxembourg: Luxembourg City
  • Malta: Valletta, Gozo
  • Monaco: Monte Carlo
  • The Netherlands: Amsterdam
  • Norway: Geirangerfjord, Jostedalsbreen NP, Sognefjord, Oslo
  • Portugal: Lisbon
  • Romania: Bucharest, Sasca Montana, Baile Herculane, Arad, Brasov
  • Scotland: Ben Nevis Mountain, Cairngorms NP, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hidden Valley, Isle of Skye, West Highland Way 
  • Slovakia: Bratislava
  • Slovenia: Nova Gorcia, Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Predjama Castle, Soca Trail
  • Spain: Barcelona, Canary Islands, Cordoba, Grenada, Madrid, Monserrat, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Soller 
  • Sweden: Kiruna (Northern Lights), Stockholm
  • Switzerland: Luzern, Interlaken, Geneva, Jungfrau, Zurich
  • Turkey: Goreme, Istanbul, Pamukkale
  • The Vatican: Vatican City
  • Wales: Bangor, Llandudno, Llyn Idwal

 
Sacred Valley (Hikes)

Sacred Valley (Hikes)

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Salineras de Maras & Moray

Not only is it full of magnificent Inca ruins, the sacred valley of Peru boasts a stunning nature which can be enjoyed through a number of hiking trails. The hike that I did and will be described in this post will take you, not only, through unspoiled nature away from mass tourism, but also will pass by two of the must-see ruins/sights in the sacred valley; and as always…All On Your Own…So let us begin:)

Urubamba → Salineras de Maras → Moray:

This hike is fairly easy and suitable for the average hiker; albeit, it is a bit long. So, based in Cusco, you’ll need to start your day early to take your time and enjoy all it has to offer.

To get to the start of the hike from Cusco, again the collective is your savior:) As you now became an expert with how to navigate your way in the sacred valley through collectivos, there is a designated stop in Cusco for the collectivos heading directly to Urubamba, or you can take a collective to Pisac then Urubamaba (click to request info).

Urubamaba is in the middle of the sacred valley and when you arrive there, the collective will drop you on the main sacred valley’s road adjacent to the river. Don’t enter Urubamaba itself, instead head across the street towards the river to reach the trailhead (click to request info).

Immediately when you start hiking you’ll cross a wooden bridge over the river and then you’ll find a small gate and a little boy selling tickets to Salineras. Don’t be alarmed, it is not a scam!! But because you took the road less-traveled to reach Salineras, this is not the main gate that all tourists use to reach the salt mines. Buy your ticket and be ready to reach Salineras like no other tourist:)

The hike from the gate to the salt terraces of Salineras is an uphill hike, yet it is fairly moderate and will take you around 40 minutes to reach your destination.

The trail digs itself in the pass between the hills and along the way you’ll get amazing views of the valley behind you…so enjoy.

 

Since you took the road less-traveled, you’ll reach Salineras from the bottom, unlike the tour groups’ tourists, so you’ll have this section of the mines to yourself:) 

The way these mines are engineered from ancient times and the fact that they are still operational till today is fascinating. You can walk on the terraces themselves but be careful not to slip…so enjoy and admire this marvelous engineering feat. When you are ready, head your way up the terraces to the main gate from which tour groups arrive and say a final goodbye to those amazing mines.

Now that you finished the first leg of the hike, take a break and rest because the next leg is very long and it is the true definition of “off-the-beaten-pass”!

There is a road connecting Salineras to Moray, but few people know that there is also a hiking trail along the ridge of the mountains that takes you directly there. First, you’ll start walking on the main road and after few meters you’ll venture into a side road away from the tour buses. On this road, you’ll be totally alone…Only you, some wildlife, and stunning nature! 

It is a serene and a very satisfying feeling to be so immersed in nature with no civilization around you to spoil the views! But don’t let the serenity take you along this road for too long because very shortly you’ll take a detour to the hiking trails (click to request info).

Once you find the trail, it’ll be a straightforward hike to Moray on a mostly flat terrain; however, it is a long trail which will take you around 3 hours to complete.

Congratulations!!! You’ve arrived at Moray On Your Own and via a route that few people take; and, above all, this isn’t one of the main ruins on the tourists’ trail so there will be few people around. Enjoy this ancient amphitheater; and then you’ll need to arrange your ride back to Cusco.

There are no collectivos or public transportation from Moray to Cusco, so the best way to go back is to find a local taxi (I’ve to admit, not many stop there), or hitchhike a ride and pay a small fee to a local guy. It might sound alarming that you might get stuck in Moray, but don’t worry you’ll find your way back and actually this is part of the fun of doing it On Your Own…SO ENJOY:)
Chinggis Khaan Statue

Chinggis Khaan Statue

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Chinggis Khaan Statue

It is a statue like no other! It is the larges equestrian statue in the world according to Guinness World Records! and it surely fits such a great emperor and warrior… The Chinggis Khaan Statue! Although Mongolia is famous for its nomadic life and stunning nature with vast open spaces, no visit is complete to this land without visiting this statue and paying tribute to one of the greatest conquerors in the history of mankind.

The Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex is located 54 km outside of the capital city “Ulanbaatar” (UB) and you would be forgiven to think that it’ll be straightforward to go there; however, as the public transportation in Mongolia is a bit limited outside UB and whenever you ask about how to go there, people will tell you that the only way is going with a tour group which costs at least $40!! That didn’t make sense to me as, for sure, the land of free-roaming nomads can’t depend on tour companies to visit one of its landmarks. So I did my research before my trip and found out that I can go On My Own and On Budget, but still I needed to figure out the exact route when I arrive there. Using the way that I’ll describe below to visit the statue will immerse you with the locals and make you venture into the unknow; yet confident in your planning skills:)

The independent trip to the statue complex is a two-legged trip; first you’ll take a bus from UB, then a local taxi. Since there is no direct public bus from UB to the statue, you’ll need to take the bus going to a village called Naliakh. Finding the right bus, and the right bus stop, is a challenge in itself. I, myself, had to go to two 3 different stops, ask the drivers of 2 different buses, and seek the help of the friendly locals to know which is which! So, for the spirit of the discoverer in you, I won’t reveal these details here; but, in case you want the exact directions, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help…for free of course:) (click to request info)

When you are on the bus, ask the driver to tell you when the bus reaches Naliakh as there are no signs to point that out for you. Arriving at Naliakh, the bus will drop you at an intersection and you’ll find a shopping center to your left (click to request info) for the exact signs of this shopping center. Here you’ll find some local taxis, although unofficial, that will take you to the statue safely. Expect to haggle the price with the driver, but not too much as their starting price will be already cheap compared to the $40 option. The driver will take you to the statue complex, wait for you till you finish exploring and enjoying the site with no rush, and then take you back to Naliakh. It is a truly amazing experience to visit this emperor’s statue in his homeland with his own people, and the best part of it is that the total cost of the entire trip from UB is no more than $10!!:) and will take you maximum an hour each way.

The statue is part of a complex with museums and shops. You’ll start seeing the mighty Chinggis Khaan riding his horse from afar and it is really impressive.

Soon you’ll enter through a care gate with the name of Chinggis Khaan engraved on it…Yes you are there:)

When you first arrive, you’ll not be able to hide your excitement…this is really a unique statue in a unique land. The first close view of the statue will be from the side and you’ll start taking lots of pictures then realize that there are still 360 degrees views of the statue and still lots of pictures:)

Start walking the circular trail around the statue’s base, I bet you’ll do it multiple time:), and OH MY…here is the face of the statue and how impressive and detailed is that…amazing 

And the back…it is a real horse!!

But wait! That is not all! You can go up the horse!! Pay your entry ticket at the complex’s entrance and go inside. First, you’ll find some souvenir shops and you can take pictures in traditional Mongolian costumes. Next, and saving the best for last, go downstairs to the museum which has many artifacts belonging to the mighty emperor, himself.

Now… Are you ready!! Head up the big circular stairs, then there will be an elevator and narrower set of stairs. From my excitement, I could not wait for the elevator and ran up the stairs in a second:) and now I’m up in the head of the horse and OH MY!!

Behind me is the mighty man himself and infront of me are stunning green views, so take your breath and take multiple pictures with Chinggis Khaan up close and personal.

It’ll be tough to go down and leave this great man, but there is still one more treat for you! Across the street from the complex’s gate is another statue of Chinggis Khaan’s mother, so ask your driver to take you there, which he will happily do. Yes, it is not as impressive, but still a nice statue and a great way to end your day trip.

Now that you are done, your driver will take you back to Naliakh, which is 20-30 min away, where you’ll take your bus back to UB all proud of yourself that you visited the great emperor…ON YOUR OWN!

 

 
Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

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Towns & Ruins

I explored the magnificent towns of the sacred valley on two different routes which I recommend to every independent traveler and they both can be done On Your Own:

  • Cusco → Tipon → Cusco:

Tipon is not in the sacred valley proper, yet it lies at a high elevation to the south of the valley; yet there are some beautiful ruins here that are worth the trip.

It is really easy and straight-forward to go to Tipon on your own, you don’t need to join a cramped organized tour for that. From Cusco, you’ll take a collective directly to Tipon which takes around 30 minutes and for only 5 soles; however, as there are different collectivo stops in Cusco, depending on your destination, you’ll need to head to the right one for Tipon (click to request info).

Arriving at Tipon, you’ll start hiking to the ruins. Since the ruins are outside of town, which makes them more magical, you’ll hike around 3 hours (each way) to visit them on a well-marked trail. From the collective stop, you’ll see signs to the ruins or you can ask any local about “el camino” to the ruins and they will point which direction to you. The hike is about 1-1:30 hours of an uphill climb to the first terraces of the ruins. The first section of the trail consists of a dirt road passing through some local houses which will then be followed by a trail in the mountains with some beautiful scenery.

These ruins are off-the-beaten-path of the sacred valley and few tour groups go there which makes them much more special. When you arrive at the ruins, you’ll find yourself almost alone there and you be free to explore as much as you want of these ruins, take lots of pictures of your, almost private, Inca ruins; and if you still have an appetite for more ruins, you’ll see signs for “Pucara” which is another ruin’s site close-by. After getting your ruins’ fix:) you can head back to Cusco, same way as you came, or you can try the “cuy” in Tipon (click to request info).

  • Cusco → Pisac → Ollantaytambo → Cusco:

This tour is about visiting the small towns of the sacred valley and their ruins, on your own, and soak in the cultural and historic highlights of this special spot of our planet. In order to be able to optimize your time and be able to visit all the highlights on a day-trip from Cusco, you’ll have to get a grasp of the sacred valley’s geography and have a good map with you (click to request info).

The first stop in this tour will be Pisac. Apart from its ruins, Pisac is famous for its bustling market and a trip to visit this market should be on each explorer’s itinerary. To reach Pisac from Cusco, take a collective from its designated stop (click to request info) which will take you directly to Pisac’s main street. Get out here and walk in the direction away from the river and you’ll find the famous market.

You’ll be tempted to explore the market now, but I recommend to wait till you visit the ruins and explore it on your way back. The ruins are up in the hills, so continue walking through the market away from the river till you reach a dirt road which you’ll follow easily to the ruins. But be warned, the hike up to the ruins is fairly steep and if this is your rest day:) then you can take a taxi or hitchhike your way directly to the ruins. After exploring the ruins, the hike back is downhill and easy and takes you directly to the market. So now its shopping time:) Explore the market at your leisure, there are some hidden gems here and true bargains; however, expect to haggle the prices down with the merchants who are mostly friendly and smiling.

Exploring Pisac should take you around 3-4 hours after which you’ll ride all the way along the river to your next stop…Ollantaytambo. Again, from the main road in Pisac where the collective dropped you, you can take another collective to Ollantaytambo or hitchhike your way, but expect to pay a little fee.

Ollantaytambo is a little charming village famous for its Inca ruins. These ruins were used as defensive structures against the Spaniards and they are, in my opinion, the best ruins outside Machu Picchu. You can visit the ruins easily on your own or you can hire a local guide to give you a brief history about the ruins and the village. After visiting the ruins, don’t miss strolling around the old town and have the famous local drink at one of the village’s watering holes:) (click to request info).

Finally, when you are ready to head back to Cusco, there is a direct collective from here, but be aware that this collectivo will drop you at a different stop than the one you started your tour from (click to request info).    

 

 

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