Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge Tour

Etymology

QUESHUACHACA, q’iswa = maguey rope or braided dry ichhu and chaka = bridge. It is a bridge made of ropes made of grass and that crosses the Apurímac river near Huinchiri, in the district of Quehue, province of Canas – Cusco. It is the last remaining Inca rope bridge.

Length

The Qeswachaka Bridge is 28.67 meters long and suspended 30 meters above the Apurímac River. It was part of the huge network of Inca roads (qhapac ñan) that led to the Inca city of Machu Picchu. Every year the local population renovates the bridge just as the Incas did hundreds of years ago.

Inca Trails Network

This road network included different types of bridges, such as: log bridges, stone bridges, floating bridges, oroyas (sliders) and suspension bridges. Suspension bridges were the most used in the Incas, as they easily resisted earthquakes. They were built with ropes made of ichu (wild grass from the Andes) and could reach lengths of 60 meters.

By Inca order, suspension bridges were renovated once a year through the work of ‘minka’ (community work for the benefit of the entire population. After the Inca Empire, suspension bridges continued to be used due to their resistance to earthquakes. The best known example is the ‘Puente Qeswachaka’ in the city of Quehue (Cusco).

A route that pass through the Qapac Ñan is the inca trail to machu picchu.

Q’eswachaka Bridge Festival

Although there is a modern bridge nearby, residents of the region keep the ancient tradition and skills alive by renovating the bridge annually on the second Sunday in June. Thanks to this tradition of Inca origin, it has been possible to maintain the Qeswachaka suspension bridge. This cooperative work is carried out by the communities of Huinchiri, Chaupibanda, Ccollana, Quehue and Pelcaro. The party lasts 4 days and involves all the men and women of the towns involved.

At dawn on the first day, the ‘Paqo’ (officiant of the ceremony) celebrates the rite in favor of the ‘Apu tutelar Quinsallallawi’. The ‘icchu’ (straw) was collected and stacked in advance by members of the 4 communities. The women of the communities that have the function of weaving the first rope or ‘qheswa’ participate actively. In the afternoon the men divided into 2 groups gather on the sides of the bridges and spread the ‘queswas’ in a straight line on the road, the ropes are braided by the ‘Chakaruwac’ (Inca engineer) to build the ‘Qheswasca’ ( big braid). On the fourth day, the Chakuruwacs finish weaving the bridge that secures the last fibers and give a shout announcing the end of the hard work; It is a festival with typical dances of the region and sale of typical foods of Cusco.

The bridge can now be used by tourists who come to the village to experience the adventure of crossing the Qeswachaka Bridge.

  • Minimum altitude: 3600 masl / 11 811 feet
  • Maximum altitude: 3700 masl / 12139 feet

Places to visit:

  • Pomacanchi Lagoon.
  • Asnaqocha Lagoon.
  • Pampamarca Lagoon.
  • Inca Bridge of Q’eswachaka.

Itinerary:

DAY 01: CUSCO – Q’ESWACHAKA – CUSCO

We will start our Tour to Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge from 4:30 AM. With the pick up of our passengers from their corresponding hotels and once the whole group is concentrated at 5:00 am, we will begin our tour in our tourist transport through some districts of Cusco. Our first stop will be in Combapata, where we will stop to use the toilets and enjoy the local breakfast.

Then we will go to the viewpoint of Combapata continuing with the tour we will pass through the district of Yanaoca is one of the eight districts of the province of Canas in Cusco. Then we will continue our tour for one more hour and we will arrive at the Q’ewe district where the famous Inca bridge of “Q’eswachaka” is located, which is built with vegetable fiber and has a length of 28.67 meters. The surprising thing is that it is rebuilt once a year in June by four local communities, in this place we will have time to explore Q’eswachaka and the surrounding area, while your guide will tell you the history of this Inca engineering work .

We will continue our trip for an hour more and we will appreciate the Lagoons of: Pampamarca, Asnacqocha, Acopía and Pomacanchi; where we will stop to make our lunch observing a large amount of regional flora and fauna experiencing an enriched Andean culture ending our lunch returning to Cusco we will make a stop at the Rumipunku Portal to finally reach Cusco in our tourist transport for an average of 2 hours, arriving at approximately 4:30 pm. End of the Tour to Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge

Included:

  • Pick up from the Hotel in Cusco.
  • Round trip transportation.
  • Bilingual guide
  • Breakfast.
  • Entrance fees to the Inca Bridge of Qeswachaka
  • Lunch.
  • Walking sticks.
  • First aid kit, oxygen

Not Included:

  • Snacks.
  • Tip.

What you need to bring:

  • We recommend that you bring only what is necessary to enjoy your Tour to Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge and leave the rest of your things at our Lodge.
  • A small 20-liter backpack that allows you to put all the things you will take with you.
  • Suitable clothing for walking, waterproof and comfortable shoes for hiking to the mountains, shorts, long pants, sports shirts, rain jacket or rain poncho.
  • A bottle / canteen with water we recommend at least one liter of water.
  • Toilet paper, hand sanitizer gel.
  • Personal medications. Within this list it also includes muscle relaxants, tablets for pain and blessed for scratches, blisters on the feet (since it can be generated after several hours of walking).
  • Items to protect yourself from the sun (sunglasses, hat or hats for the sun).
  • Extra cash, for your personal spending.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I cross the Q’eswachaka Bridge?

Yes! You can, but it is not recommended for people who suffer from vertigo.

How long is the Q’eswachaka Bridge?

The bridge is 28.5 meters long, 1.20 meters wide.

How long does it take to get to the Inca Bridge of Q’eswachaka?

It is located 4 hours from Cusco.

What time do the Tour to Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge start and end?

The Q’eswachaka Inca Bridge tour begins at 7:00 a.m.

The tour ends at 6:00 p.m.

This is a full day tour, as long as the hike to rainbow mountain peru and the humantay lake full day tour.

What is the maximum height of the Tour to Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge?

The maximum altitude that we will reach in the Inca bridge of Q’eswachaka will be 3,800 m.s.n.m.

Reconstruction and Annual Maintenance of the Bridge

The «Queswachaca» bridge requires annual maintenance in the month of June by four local communities, because the straw (Ichu) used for its construction begins to decompose, the reconstruction is carried out 3 days before the second Sunday of June and the 4th day concludes with a folk festival, where you can share the traditions and customs that this community inherited from the Incas.

Excellent
Based on 151 reviews
Fernanda L
Fernanda L
2023-09-01
Mariela es muy especial! Fue todo perfecto! Mariela es increíble y hizo todo para que nuestro viaje fuera inolvidable. La dedicación de Mariela por su trabajo y por su familia también son muy bonitas. Eso hace todo aún más especial.
Michel
Michel
2023-06-30
Cusco Visitei Cusco em Junho/2023 e reservei todos os passeios com a Qorianka. Equipe muito atenciosa, todos os passeios foram ótimos e bem organizados.
Da F
Da F
2023-06-23
Perfeito!!!!! Quando fui planejar a viagem para Cusco pesquisei muito os locais que queria conhecer e as empresas que faziam os passeios, encontrei a Qorianka Tours entrei em contato e fui super bem atendida pela Mariele que esclareceu todas as minhas dúvidas. Quando estamos planejamento uma viagem sempre surgi o medo de não ser o que esperávamos, mas falo com vocês que foi melhor do que eu esperava, me surpreendeu o comprometimento, a atenção de toda a equipe que esteve comigo e com meu marido no período da viagem. Vou detalhar um pouco como foi, quando chegamos no aeroporto já tinha uma pessoa esperando para levar até o hotel, nos dias de buscar para os passeios foram todos extremamente pontuais, os guias sempre alegres e com toda atenção explicavam as histórias dos locais, os locais de café da manhã e almoço muito bom e agradáveis e no fim da viagem também nos buscaram no hotel e levaram até o aeroporto. Ficamos 9 dias em Cusco, foi uma viagem maravilhosa, um sonho realizado. Agradeço toda a equipe da Qorianka Tours que conseguiram transformar minha viagem em algo mais surpreendente do que eu espera. Se vc estiver planejando super indico a Qorianka Tours, não tem nenhum ponto negativo para reclamar. Podem confiar.
Solange Puga
Solange Puga
2022-09-27
AGÊNCIA CONFIÁVEL!! A agencia é confiável, fiz a reserva pelo Brasil,só paguei uma pequena reserva,em um banco no Brasil,fiz o resto do pagamento diretamente com a Mariella em Cusco. Eles são honestos,mas meio informais. . No city tour,eles atrasaram, logo após 20'' de atraso eu liguei,esqueceram de nós,mas logo Mariella resolveu o problema e mandou um carro para nos levar até o grupo. Adoramos os guias de cada passeio,Aidê,Roni,Ivan e Mari,são eficientes,educados e divertidos . As Vans eram confortáveis. O hotel do pacote em Aguas Calientes,,era bom e bem localizado,foram nos buscar na estação.
Silvia P
Silvia P
2022-09-04
7 lagunas con Diego Go!! La mejor experiencia!!! desde inicio hasta al final... cuentan con servicio de desayuno, almuerzo típico delicioso? Además de conocer y hacer amistades de otros países? y lo más importante el guía quién nos orienta e explica durante todo el trayecto.... totalmente agradecida y muy feliz Guía: Diego Suna Quispe
Rocio O
Rocio O
2022-09-04
TOUR 7 LAGUNAS CON DIEGO GO! La mejor experiencia de la visita a las 7 lagunas además de contemplar su belleza natural fue que el guía Diego nos dejó tomarnos el tiempo necesario para captar las mejores fotografías y hacer videos, ya que estas imágenes quedarán guardadas por siempre para el recuerdo. También agradecer por la alimentación que estaba deliciosa con ingredientes propias de la zona. Un consejo para las personas que deseen aventurarse en este tour (o alguno otro, ya que el guía es experto en muchos tours) no se arrepentirán en tomarlo como guía a DIEGO GO! ( como lo bautizamos ???) su nombre real es DIEGO SUNA QUISPE
Rafa Rodriguez
Rafa Rodriguez
2021-04-26
Todo el viaje valió la pena El viaje fue súper cansador pero llegar a la montaña de colores compensó todo el cansancio! Además con el guía Ronald aka Picasso hizo esta experiencia mucho más gratificante y hermosa!
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