Choquequirao Trek
Start your Andean adventure

We will leave the hotel very early to arrive at the town of Capuliyuc (2,850 m / 9,350 f) to see to our staff and guides, as well as the horses that will carry the equipment, tents and food for our hike. We will continue our trip to the Capuliyoc Pass (2,800 m / 9,186 f). During the tour, beautiful landscapes will capture our sight and accompany us during the walk, and we will not lose sight of the deep canyon and the Apurimac River. We will descend to the bottom of the canyon called Chiquisca (1,930 m / 6,332 f), where we will spend the night in our camp.

After breakfast, we will descend to La Playa Rosalina (1,550 m / 5,085 f). From there, we will go to Marampata (2,850 m / 9,350 f), from where we will have a beautiful view of the archaeological complex of Choquequiraw (3,033 m / 9,951 f). Our camp is located 25 minutes from this place.

This day is essential because we are going to visit the entire archaeological complex of Choquequirao (3100 masl / 10170 feet) and explore some places that are covered by the lush vegetation of the cloud forest. We will visit the religious sector, the administrative sector, granaries, terraces with llamas and other buildings located near the religious center. You will be able to explore incredible areas of the site, such as the llama area for example, which is a steep 30-minute walk downhill, where you will see extensive agricultural terraces. All the flame representations were built with white stones, on the wall. It was probably built by the Incas to represent the flame constellation in the Milky Way. You can also visit the Usno area where you can enjoy the sunset over the mountains. Our guide will be responsible for providing all the respective information about the place, its history and the importance it had in the past. After this, you will have free time to explore the resort on your own, come evening. You will then walk back to your camp for the second night in Choquequirao.

This day, we will appreciate the tranquility of this magical place, between the fortifications, streets, buildings, terraces and squares. We will continue our walk climbing towards the Choquequiraw pass (3,270 m / 10,728 f), walking through an archaeological zone called Pinchaunuyoc (2,450 m / 8,038 f). From this point, we will go down to the river bed, known as Río Blanco (1,900 m / 6,234 f) or Río Silvestre. We will camp there.

That day will be difficult due to the complexity of the terrain. We will relax in the Maizal (3,000 m / 9,843 f) to rest a little and catch our breath without stopping to appreciate the view of a beautiful landscape. After a trip of several hours, we will arrive at San Juan (4,170 m / 13,681 f), a pass in the middle of the Andes, from which we can appreciate the great view of the valleys, mountains and glaciers. , some of which reach more than 5,000 m / 16,404 f. We will camp in the town of Yanama (3,530 m / 11,581 f). Climate: Warm and Cold with mosquitoes

Early in the morning, we will head towards the highest pass of this trip: Yanama (4670m / 15.32152 feet). If we are lucky, we will be able to see condors. During the hike, we enjoy the view of snow-capped mountains such as Salkantay (6264m/20.551181 ft) and Pintuyu (5450m/17.880577 ft). Today our camp will be in the Totora Pampa valley (3200 m / 10.4986877 feet).

In Totora pampa, we will have the opportunity to know to the Andean peoples who speak Quechua and live from agriculture and livestock. The vegetation along the way becomes increasingly thinner and reveals the diversity of orchids, bromeliads and other native species. We will also see some coffee, papaya, passion fruit and avocado plantations. This day, we will camp at La Playa (2,100 m / 6,890 ft) or at Lucmabamba (2,020 m / 6,627 ft).

Our trip will begin early in the morning. We will follow the Inca trail to Llactapata (2,650 m / 8,694 feet), an archaeological site with remains of Inca buildings from which we can have a view of the Machu Picchu mountain. Our trip continues towards Hydroelectrica (1,950 m / 6,398 f), from where we will take the train to the town of Aguas Calientes (2,050 m / 6,726 f). Accommodation in a local hotel.

That day, we will leave early after breakfast (5:30 a.m.) and go up to Machu Picchu (2,400 m / 7,874 f) by bus. After a guided tour of the important places in the fortress, we will have time to walk around the site. Then we will go down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included), and we will have time to visit the town's thermal baths. At a convenient time, we will take the train back to Cusco. Transfer to your hotel.