Choquequirao Trek 5D/4N

Itinerary

• Day 1 : Cusco – Cachora – Capulichayoq – Chiquisca
• Day 2 : Chiquisca – Playa Rosalina – Marampata
• Day 3 : Marampata – Choquequirao – Marampata
• Day 4 : Marampata – Rosalina Beach – Chiquisca
• Day 5 : Chiquisca – Capulichayoq – Cachora – Cusco

DAY 1 – CUSCO – CACHORA – CAPULICHAYOC – CHIQUISCA

The Trek to Choquequirao starts with pick up at 5am from your hotel in Cusco.

Your private transportation will take you on a 3.5-hour drive through the lush valley of the Apurímac River, until we reach the mountain town of San Pedro de Cachora at 2,900 m / 9,514 ft. Here you will be greeted by your chef and horsemen and enjoy a hearty breakfast at a local restaurant.

After breakfast in Cachora, you will load the horses and follow your guide on a 3-hour trek to El Mirador Capulichayoc. From the viewpoint, you will be treated to your first panoramic vista of the archaeological park of Choquequirao, including its stunning Apurimac Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world. Amidst that beautiful backdrop, you will also rest and have lunch.

Continuing along the trail for a further 3-hours, you’ll descend through the canyon, accompanied by breathtaking views of the snow-capped peak of Pedrayoc, until you reach the campsite in Chiquisca at 1,869 m / 6,132 ft. Upon arrival, you will set up camp, enjoy a freshly cooked dinner, and sleep alongside the sound of the Apurimac River under a starlit Andean sky.

• Food : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Estimated walking time : 6 hours
• Total walking distance : 15 km / 9.3 mi
• Altitude of our camp : 1,869 m / 6,132 ft

DAY 2 – CHIQUISCA– MARAMPATA – CHOQUEQUIRAO

Day 2 will begin with breakfast at the Chiquisca camp, prepared fresh by our personal chef.

After breakfast you will embark on a 4-hour hike, ascending up the valley to our camp in Marampata at 2,870 m / 9,416 ft. As this will be our resting point for the night, you will have an opportunity to get settled and take lunch before the afternoons’ hike to Choquequirai.

After refuelling at camp, you and your guide will begin the 90 minute trek to the archaeological site of Choquequirai at 3,050 m / 10,010 ft, meaning ‘Cradle of Gold’ in Quechua. This spectacular complex is considered to be ‘the last refuge of the Incas’ and is famously referred to as the ‘Sacred Sister of Machu Picchu’ due its resemblance to the Inca Citadel. It is widely believed that 15th century site was one of the last bastions of resistance and refuge of the Inca royalty, after the siege of Cusco by the Spanish.

In its entirety the complex of Choquequirai spans 1,800 hectares, making it larger than the citadel of Machu Picchu. However currently only 40% of the ruins have been excavated. Delightfully for you though, this leaves plenty for you to explore with your guide, whilst you unravel the mysteries hidden beneath its walls. The afternoon will be yours to investigate the sites urban sector, agricultural terraces and religious sector, before returning to camp in Marampata in the evening, for a hot cup of coca and a delicious dinner.

• Food : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Estimated walking time : 9 hours inc. Choquequirao visit
• Total walking distance : 17 km / 10.6 mi
• Altitude of our camp : 2,870 m / 9,416 ft

DAY 3 – MARAMPATA – TOUR OF CHOQUEQUIRAO – MARAMPATA

Day 3 will begin with breakfast at dawn at the Marampata camp, whilst admiring the sunrise over Choquequirai.

After breakfast, you will follow the trail back to the archaeological complex of Choquequirao. After a 90 minute walk, your guide will take you on a journey through the rich history of the site and lead you along the archaeological terraces to a beautiful waterfall. All the while hoping to see the local Andean Condors in the skies above. Shortly after, you will return to camp for a wholesome lunch prepared fresh by our chef.

In the afternoon, your guide will give you an extensive tour of the lower section of the site that sits 300 meters below the main structure. These include the terraces of the restored llamas, the house of the Inca, the main temple, the house of the priest and the sacrificial platform. After which you will retrace your steps back to camp for dinner and rest.

• Food : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Estimated walking time : 6 hours inc. Choquequirao visit
• Total walking distance : 8 km / 5 mi
• Altitude of our camp : 2,870 m / 9,416 ft

DAY 4 – MARAMPATA – ROSALINA BEACH – CHIQUISCA

Day 4 will begin with breakfast at dawn at the Marampata camp, whilst admiring the sunrise over Choquequirai.

Having befriended the ‘Sacred Sister of Machu Picchu’, you will now retrace your steps along the trail to the camp at Chiquisca. Descending first for 3-hours until you reach the lunch stop at Rosalina Beach on the banks of the Apurímac River at 1,550 m / 5,085 ft.

After lunch, you will steadily ascend for a further 3-hours up the canyon to the campsite in Chiquisca at 1,869 m / 6,132 ft.

• Food : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Estimated walking time : 6 hours
• Total walking distance : 12 km / 7.5 mi
• Altitude of our camp : 1,869 m / 6,132 ft

DAY 5 – CHIQUISCA – CAPULICHAYOC – CACHORA – CUSCO

Day 5 will begin with breakfast at the Chiquisca camp, accompanied by the first rays of the sun as it rises over the Apurímac canyon.

After breakfast you will begin the challenging ascent back up the Canyon to the transport in Cachora. Depending on your physical abilities, the climb of 1,100 elevation, will likely take around 4-hours to reach the lunch stop at the Mirador Capulichayoc at 2,912 m / 9,554 ft. Followed by a further 3-hour hike along relatively flat terrain culminating at the finish line in Cachora. Here your driver will be waiting to transport you the 4-hour drive back to your hotel in Cusco.

• Food : Breakfast and Lunch
• Estimated walking time : 7 hours
• Total walking distance : 15 km / 9.3 mi