Tour Details

Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu, Grandiose and mysterious, this abandoned city has lots of parallels with Machu Picchu and there are a variety of theories about its function and purpose. It´s only relatively recently, however, that COPESCO (the official body responsible for tourism in Peru) has partially uncovered the site and there still remains a lot more to be discovered.

Lying in a cloud forest, a dramatic 1150 meters above the Apurimac River and surrounded by the fascinating landscape of the Vilcabamba mountain range, Choquequirao has everything to offer an adventure trekker. Due to its remote location few tourists have visited this site so far. Fortunately, COPESCO have now also constructed a footbridge over the Apurimac River, below the site – making it more accessible.

It is a challenging but truly rewarding hike down to the depths of the Apurimac Canyon and then up to the site – in the clouds!

Day by Day : Summary

Day 1: Cusco – Cachora- Santa Rosa
Day 2: Santa Rosa – Choquequirao
Day 3: Choquequirao – Chikisca
Day 4: Chikisca – Cachora – Cusco

Itinerary: Choquequirao Trek

Choquequirao Site
Choquequirao Site

We pick you up from your hotel at about 8am and travel by bus for about 4 hours to the small village of Cachora where we will meet our horsemen and mules. We begin our trek along the edge of the Apurimac canyon and follow the trail, enjoying the dramatic landscapes and a variety of plant and animal life along the way until we reach our campsite at ‘Santa Rosa’ (1650m).

We get up early, have breakfast and begin our walk by crossing the Apurimac River and then descending to the lowest point on the trail. Following this, we have a steep ascent through a thick cloud forest heading towards Choquequirao. We will have lunch and then time to relax and enjoy the archaeological zone, plants, animals (hopefully condors!) and views of nearby canyons and snow-capped mountains (Soray – 5428m and Tuncarway 5910m). We will camp in Choquequirao itself (3033m).
More or less 5 hours walking this day.

Choquequirao Trekking Check Point
Choquequirao Trekking Check Point

This day we will have an early breakfast followed by a 3-hour guided tour around Choquequiraw and free time for you to explore and take pictures at your own pace. After this, we descend to our last campsite in ‘Chiquiska’. More or less 6 hours trekking.

We wake to the sound of birds chirping and a beautiful scenery before us. We walk to Cachora (6 hours more or less) and from there take a bus back to Cusco to arrive there at about 8pm.

The sequence of times indicated is Choquequirao Trek is subject to modification depending on weather conditions or unforeseen events

Included

  • Collection from your hotel in the morning of trek departure
  • Transport from Cusco to the trailhead at the beginning of the trek in private car (Cachora)
  • Entrance fee to Choquequirao
  • Professional guide (you will have an assistant guide for groups over 8 people).
  • Tents – 2 people in a 4 person tent which allows for greater comfort, and also storage of backpacks
  • Basic foam mattress. If you require greater comfort during the trek we can hire you an inflatable mattress (eg. Thermarest) for $5 per day.
  • Cook and Cooking equipment (Assistants are provided for larger groups)
  • Meals as indicated 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 afternoon snacks (hot drinks, biscuits and popcorn) and 4 dinners
  • Horses (for equipment and personal items) including horsemen. They carry camping equipment, food and kitchen utensils.
  • We provide duffel bags at your briefing for your personal items (up to 5 kg per person). If you wish to take more, you can hire an extra mule at a cost of $10 per day
  • 1 emergency horse which can be ridden if you are feeling ill or if are a little slower
  • Dining tent with camp tables and chairs & Kitchen tent for the cook to prepare meals
  • Tents for our staff to sleep in, sleeping bags & mattresses plus a budget for their meals
  • First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle – but not blister treatments as known in western countries.

Not Included

  • Expenses of personal nature such as beverages, laundry, tips
  • Guide gratuity
  • Any item including meals which has not been covered in the itinerary

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