CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK 4 DAYS

Classic Choquequirao trek

Choquequirao 4 day trek is an excellent expedition, away from all the crowds of visitors. You will be able to walk and explore the whole Choquequirao site without limitations.

Choquequirao Description

Choquequirao (in Quechua cradle of gold) are the archaeological remains of an Inca city situated in the foothills of the Salkantay snow-capped mountain, Department of Cuzco, southern Peru.

The archaeological monuments of Choquequirao are made up of buildings and terraces distributed in different levels, from the lowest level Sunch'u Pata to the highest truncated summit, which was levelled and fenced with stones to form a platform with an approximate area of 150 square metres.

Choquequirao is known as Machu Picchu's "sacred sister" because of its structural and architectural similarity to Machu Picchu. Recently, it is becoming a more accessible alternative for those interested in learning more about the Inca culture.

TRIP DETAILS

DAY 1 Cusco | Capulichayoc - Chiquisca - Marampata

We will pick you up from your hotel between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. to begin our journey in a private bus for 4 hours northeast of the city of Cusco, through small communities to Capulichayoc (2,800 m.a.s.l.) where we will have a delicious breakfast and where we will also meet our support staff for this adventure.

After breakfast, we start with our hike for approximately 20 minutes and we will arrive to our first viewpoint where we have a panoramic view, in front of us we can see the mountain range of vilcabamba called (padreyoc) and the famous Apurimac Canyon, then we will start our descent for 3 hours through beautiful landscapes where you can see different medicinal plants that were used by our ancestors (muña, chilca and different varieties of plants). If we are lucky we will be able to see the flight of the majestic Condor, we descend to Chiquisca (1800 masl) where we have a delicious buffet lunch typical of Cusco.

After lunch, we will have a 30 minutes break to continue or walk, descending 45 minutes more to Playa Rosalinas (1700 masl), located on the Apurimac River, which is the natural border of two important Peruvian regions, CUSCO and APURIMAC.

After passing the famous Apurimac River, we continue uphill for 4 hours to Marampata (3500 m.a.s.l.) on the way we will see bird dances, at sunset we will see the Andean people, how they live in the mountains with a very different lifestyle compared to the city. We will arrive at our camp in Marampata at approximately 5:30 p.m., after a short rest. We will have dinner at approximately 7 p.m. and during the night you will be able to see constellations and the milky way.

Transfer to Capulichayoc: 4 hours by bus from Cusco.

Walking distance: 15 km / 9.3 miles.

Hiking time: 6 to 7 hours approximately.

Weather: Sunny during the day and cold at night.

Accommodation: Camping

Meals: Lunch, Dinner.

Maximum altitude: 2850 masl / 9350 ft.

Minimum altitude: 1475 masl / 4839 ft.

DAY 2 Marampata | Choquequirao - Marampata

Early in the morning, you will wake up with a coca tea and you will have enough time to organize your things. At approximately 7:30 am we will have a delicious typical breakfast. Then we will continue with our hike to Choquequirao, where we will see an incredible view of the Choquequirao Archaeological Complex (3104 masl) during our hike we will have an incredible view of the Apurimac canyon where our professional guide will explain you about the flora and fauna, we will have 4 hours to explore the whole Choquequirao Complex (cradle of gold), also known as the lost city where you will visit the sector of the plazas, the sector of the llamas, the astronomic sector and other important places.

After visiting all these places, we will start our descent to Choquequirao camp, where our picnic lunch awaits us. Lunch is waiting for us, then we will take a 30 minutes break and continue to an incredible place that only we know, this place is called Pacchayoc waterfalls (cascades) a place where you will be in contact with nature. Finally, we will return to MARAMPATA where dinner is ready and it is time to rest.

Walking distance: 8 km / 4.9 miles.

Walking time: 5½ to 6 hours approximately.

Weather: hot during the day and cold at night.

Accommodation: Camping.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Maximum altitude: 3104 masl / 10190 ft.

Minimum altitude: 2850 masl / 9350 ft.

DAY 3 Marampata - Santa Rosa - Chikisca.

Around 6:00 a.m. we will have breakfast and after an additional half hour, we will start our hike towards Playa Rosalinas. We will go downhill for approximately 3 to 3 ½ hours to the Apurimac River which we will cross. From here we will go to Chikisca for lunch. Here we will also have the chance to enjoy the view of the condors in this area. We will be at the camp around 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Here we will also have our tea and dinner and the rest of the time to relax a bit.

Hiking distance: 7 km / 4.3 miles

Hiking time: 4 to 5 hours approx.

Weather: hot in the day and warm at night.

Accommodation: Camping: Chikisca.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Maximum altitude: 2919 masl / 9576 ft.

Minimum altitude: 1475 masl / 4839 ft.

DAY 4 Chikisca | Capulichayoc - Cusco

After an early breakfast, you will be ready to return to Cusco. It will be the last 4 hours uphill to reach the end of the trek where you will enjoy your last lunch with your guide, porters and horsemen. We will say goodbye to our team and continue with our guide to Cusco for approximately 3 hours.

Optional: After spending time enjoying the site, we head to the Conoc hot springs to relax after several days of hiking. After lunch, we return to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.

Hiking distance: 8 km / 4.9 miles

Hiking time: 4 to 5 hours approx.

Weather: we start with a temperate climate and end in a tropical climate.

Transfer to Cusco: 4 hours from Capulichayoc.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Maximum altitude: 2862 masl / 9389 ft.

Minimum altitude: 1857 masl / 6092 ft.