Horseback riding Cusco: Temple of the Moon with anthropologist

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (202 reviews) 100% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/23

Duration4h

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Ride to sacred Inka temples and learn their cosmovision from an anthropologist

A 4-hour horseback tour of Cusco led by a professional anthropologist explores the Temple of the Moon, Chuki Marka, and Inkilltambo—hidden archaeological sites most travelers never reach. Limited to 5 guests, the tour includes hotel pickup, all entrance fees, safety gear, water, and expert guidance on Andean cosmovision and ritual practices. English-speaking guide; children welcome from age 8.

The Experience

The Temple of the Moon sits at the heart of this tour, a site where the energy of fertility still registers in the stone. You ride there on horseback through Cusco's high terrain, moving past the crowds that pack the main tourist routes. The anthropologist leading the group is not a guide reciting facts; they are a researcher steeped in Andean cosmovision and their own family heritage, and they explain what you are standing in front of—the 'Llamado del Ánima', the call of the soul in Inka ritual—as someone who has studied it and lived it. The group stays at 5 people, which is why the sites stay quiet and the conversation stays deep.

The ride itself is built for all levels. You get personalized instruction on your horse before you leave, and the pace offers trot and canter for riders who want it. The anthropologist watches the group's comfort and the horses' wellbeing at once. You stop at Chuki Marka and Inkilltambo, archaeological sites that sit outside the standard itinerary, and at each one the guide unpacks the cosmovision—how the Inka understood the world, the sacred geography they built into the landscape, the ceremonies that still echo in the places where they happened. This is not a sightseeing pass; it is an immersion in how the Inka saw.

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco's city center are included, which means you do not arrange transport or navigate the high altitude on your own. Safety gear—helmets and protective equipment—comes with the tour. Bottled water is provided throughout the 4 hours, and all entrance fees to every site are already paid. The anthropologist is available by message before the tour to advise on altitude adjustment and to point you toward other hidden spots in the city if you want them.

What’s included

Safety gear including helmets.
expert anthropologist guide speaking English.
private round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco's city center.
all entrance fees to every Inka archaeological site.
fresh bottled water throughout the tour.
continuous horse handling support and local guidance.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Thalia Valencia Diaz

Is this one for you?This tour is built for travelers who want to understand Andean cosmovision and sacred sites from an anthropologist's perspective rather than a standard script, and who are comfortable on horseback for 4 hours at high altitude. The 5-person limit and timing of visits ensure you experience the Temple of the Moon and hidden sites in a quiet, intimate atmosphere—the opposite of the crowded main routes.