Q'eswachaka – Private Day Trip to the Last Inca Bridge
Description
Q'eswachaka - this Inca bridge is the only one that still exists. It is located approximately three hours from Cusco by car, in the province of Canas. People who love adventure and culture should visit this place. people who have the courage can cross the bridge that measures 28 meters and that is made of ichu (puna straw).
Tour Options
Itinerary
The trip begins in the city of Cusco with the pick-up from your hotel at 6 am. approximately in the south-west direction. After almost two hours of travel, we will visit the four lagoons: lagoon of pomacanchi, of storage, asnaqocha and pampamarca or tungasuca. After enjoying a quiet moment near the lagoons, the next place we will visit is the small volcano of pavilions that are located near the town of yanaoca. finally, we will arrive at the Apurimac River and the impressive Inca bridge. This hanging Inca bridge is made of vegetable fibre (ichu) and is located on the Apurímac River in the district of Quehue. The existence of this bridge dates from the Inca period. The renovation and maintenance are done once a year by the local people of the four communities that are around. Before starting with the renewal of the bridge an offering is given as a sign of respect and gratitude to the Pachamama. We will have the opportunity to cross the Inca bridge. But be careful, it seems easy, but it takes courage. Undoubtedly you will feel a great emotion crossing this bridge so much that you will feel like Indiana Jones. On the way back to Cusco we will visit the archaeological remains of Rumiqolqa. The buildings probably date from the time of the constructions probably date from the time of the Tiahuanaco-Huari civilization and were later covered with stones carved and polished at the time of the Incas. Rumicolqa served as a checkpoint. This construction is located 31 km southeast of Cusco, near Piquillacta, on the edge of the Cusco-Puno highway. Some stones on the inner sides of the door have mysterious protuberances that also appear on Picasa and other Inca monuments. According to Victor Angles, it is a form of ideographic writing. This interesting trip ends in the city of Cusco at approximately 5 pm.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will be picking you up from your hotel within the historic centre of Cusco. Please Note: This service doesn't include pick up in private residencies, example; Airbnb or hotels that are outside the historic centre.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(18)
It was wonderful! Freddy the tour guide greeted us early in the morning, and together with Juan the driver, took us to the Q'eswachaka bridge. We first stopped for a warm and nice breakfast, and lucky us that Sunday the Q'eswachaka village had its market and festival day! We had some local food, witnessed nice dances by the locals, we went to the bridge, took a canoe by the river, we crossed to the other side of the bridge and back to Cuzco. On our way back we stopped at the "Sugar and Salt" lagoons and also enjoyed some chicha de cebada a local drink. Then we had lunch and we arrived in Cuzco before 6pm. It was a wonderful day with Freddy explaining the local traditions and being a helpful tour guide. Thank you mate!
We had an unforgettable experience visiting the Inca Bridge, and so much of that is thanks to our incredible guide (Hilda) and driver (Victor). Their knowledge of the history, culture, and significance of the site brought everything to life in such a meaningful way. They were patient, engaging, and made sure everyone felt safe and comfortable along the way. We’re so grateful for their passion and care—highly recommend to anyone wanting a deeper, more personal experience!
I want to thank guide Fred and driver Juan for the wonderful day you gave me. Yeah, the night before the tour Fred called me warning that all people in the group had an unforeseen and could not go. But instead of canceling the tour, he asked me if I would accept a private tour and not pay more for it. I immediately accepted and am very grateful for such a simple gesture and that marked me, because in other occasions I had tours cancelled because I did not have the minimum of people. This gesture for me made all the difference, with a private tour they were at my disposal to stay attractive as long as I wanted. In addition to a class and immersion in the Inca culture. Super indico. And even not being on the contract they left me back at my lodging place.
Great! We arrived driven by our private driver, our private guide accompanied us. We go down a few steps and then arrive at a gentleman who explains to us that we must make an offering with coca leaves, corn (we needed an alpaca fetus but he had none left)... We learned how the bridge is built and deconstructed each year by 1000 people (4 communities). We had a demonstration, we were able to try and then leave with the ropes. We had paid for a 40 minute boat ride. Cheap. Very entertaining for our teenager despite the fact that the gentleman wondered how we would get her back in the boat because she was too small (frankly no notion of age)!! We crossed the bridge, one by one, and my daughter with my husband, our guide joined us then the gentleman also to say goodbye (he ran on the bridge!). After you have to climb about 5-10 minutes of the steps. I recommend, nice experience to live with family with teenagers (and not small children) or as a couple.
It was okay, but I won't do it again. Main language was spanish, not really bi-lingual. Entrance was 20sol, not 10 like on Tripadvisor shown... For me this trip is not bad but overpriced.
Carried out individually with rental car. 62 km drive from Checacupe where we lived. Poorly passable road on the second part of the journey towards Qehue. Do not go as far as Qehue, about ten kilometers before, a fork to the right leads to the rope bridge. Dangerous descent in bends. 2 pedestrian accesses, both paying (20 soles per person), one higher than the other. The bridge is not visually extraordinary. It is the history that it conveys and the work of the communities for its annual renewal (in June) that makes it interesting. Boat trip possible below the bridge. In the end, a lot of return journey by car which leaves a mixed feeling..
Fantastic ancient engineering feat, masterfully and traditionally preserved for 600 years! Please go and walk across this piece of history, feel it swinging under your feat, see the river flowing beneath you, feel the braided ropes in your hands. The tour itself was also a great experience - our guide, Diego, was kind, intelligent, and funny, and he knew the answers to all our questions. The first stop, the mini volcano was a wonderful trip into the archaic depths of prehistory, and it's got to be the cutest volcano in the world! On the way back, we stopped to see a few lagoons, which were hosting some migratory flamingos! (My wife particularly enjoyed the flamingos.) Breakfast and lunch were provided at a tourist-pit-stop buffet, which was convenient. However, since the tour began so early, we were hungry before breakfast and before lunch, so bring pleanty of snacks and water. The only reason this isn't a 6/5 star rating is that we had to get up at 4:15am. It would have been much more enjoyable if we could have started a few hours later, even at the expense of cutting parts of the tour out or arriving in Cusco later. However, my wife and I seem to be the only tourists in Cusco that think such, because nearly every tour leaves well before dawn - making for a lot of busses full of groggy, unenthusiastic tourists.
I’ve wanted to visit the Q'eswachaka bridge for a long time. As the last remaining Inca bridge that is annually rebuilt by the surrounding communities, it represents a several centuries old tradition that exists nowhere else. The bridge doesn’t disappoint. Just be aware that it takes a long time to get there. It’s about a 12 hour round trip. Despite efforts to make the trip interesting, by the tour company, it’s still a long ride. For me, it was worth it because I’m quite interested in both history and architecture. But if you’re under time constraints just be aware of how long the trip is.
This day trip isn't going to compete with Machu Picchu or Rainbow Mountain, but if you enjoy learning a little about the culture and history outside of the main tourist areas, I highly recommend this tour. Watching the family prepping the bridge (some watering and stressing) and understanding how this is built annually is really interesting. And riding in the countryside and seeing the small villages is a peek into the past. Yes, the long ride is a bit of a pain, but the vans this company uses do seem to have slightly more legroom than the other vans I rode in on other tours. And tour guide seemed very mindful of photo opportunities along the way, making very brief stops for photos as we saw interesting things along the way, such as the flamingos. I thought the winding road into the valley was cool and asked if we could stop for a few minutes and they obliged. Overall, if getting away from the typical tourist stuff excites you and you want to experience a small slice of very rural life, take this tour!
Really beautiful and amazing landscapes around the bridge that is fascinating, the connection you feel with nature is indescribable
