Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu 8 Days

GUARANTEED DEPARTURES

All departures for Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu are guaranteed, so once you’ve booked you can be sure you’re going! This guarantee gives you the confidence to book all of your travel arrangements and simply look forward to your holiday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Guided trail to Choquequirao
• Viewpoint of Choquequirao
• Viewpoint of Apurimac Canyon
• Watch the soar of the condors over the Apurimac Canyon
• Visit picturesque villages
• Guided tour of Choquequirao an Inca ruins
• Free time at Choquequirao Inca ruins for further exploration
• A Moderate trekking through the Vilcabamba mountain range
• Sunrise /sunset at Choquequirao
• Sunrise at Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Free time within Machu Picchu for further exploration
• Scenic walks and inspiring hikes

TREKKING FACTS

• LOCATION: About 4 hours drive west of Cusco to the zone of Capuliyoc
• ALTITUDE: Min. 1,500 masl – Max. 4,670 masl
• TIMING: 8 days and 7 nights
• STARTING & ENDING POINT: Cusco hotel
• LEVEL: Modearte / Challenging due to steep ascents and descents.
• ADVENTURE RATING: The Choquequirao Trek Machu Picchu is one of the better known adventure hikes around Cusco.
• DEPARTURE DATES: Any day with two people.
• ACCLIMATISATION: Minimum 2 days at altitude (recommended).
• ACTIVITIES: 6 days trekking, 1 day explore Choqeuquirao, 1 day explore Machu Picchu, 6 nights in Camping tents and night hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes
• DESTINATION: Cusco to Choquequirao and Machu Picchu in Peru
• SINGLE SUPPLEMENTARY: US$50 (It will be up to them to apply who do not like to share the tents).
• DAILY WALK: Approximately 6-8 hours

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day 1: Cusco – Capuliyoc – Chikisqha camp.

We leave Cusco at 5:30am in our private car and drive for 4 hours to the zone of Capuliyoc; along the route we’ll stop for toilets, get breakfast and purchase some items for the trek. From Capuliyoc we’ll trek to Chikisqha camp.

Day 2: Chikisqha camp – Maranpata  – Choquequirao Camp.

The trail of today is very warm; the beginning of the trail is down to the bottom of the valley; the we cross traditional bridge and climb to the shores of Choquequirao Inca settlement.

Day 3: Choquequirao Camp – Explore Choquequirao – Maizal.

Today is the hardest day. We’ll explore the magnificent Inca archaeological sites of Choquequirao, our guide will lead us through the most important sites and then you’ll have free time to explore or rest. Then we’ll continue trekking down to Rio Blanco and later long climb up to Maizal camp.

Day 4: Maizal – Yanama.

The trail continues climb to “Minas Victoria” and the pass of San Juan; from here we descent to the community of Yanama, the entire day you’ll be surrounded by splendid views of the mountains and great flora and fauna.

Day 5:  Yanama – Totora.

Other long day. Today we’ll hike toward the highest pass (4,670 masl) from where you will be rewarded with awe-inspiring views. Then we continue to Totora community.

Day 6: Totora – Playa Sawayaco.

The trail of today is mainly down through the high Andean valley and near the small river; by the afternoon we’ll hike through the cloud forest with the presence of plants, orchids and different types of flowers.

Day 7: Playa Sawayaco – Aguas Calientes town.

The trail start with a short climb to the Llacta pata pass from where we’ll see the mountains of Machu Picchu and Huaynapicchu; the trail runs by the skirts of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu mountain to the town of Aguas calientes.

Day 8: Aguas calientes – Machu Picchu Tour –  Cusco.

Very early we’ll take the bus up to Machu Picchu and explore it; our guide will lead us through the most important sectors and then you’ll have free time for further exploration: In the afternoon we’ll ride the train and return to Cusco.

DETAILED ITINERARY FOR  TOP TREKKING CHOQUEQUIRAO TO MACHU  PICCHU

8-Day Top Trekking Choquequirao includes trekking and exploration of the Inca Archaeological Complex of Choquequirao and Machu Picchu. The trekking start from the zone of Capuliyoc, near the town of Cachora and ends in the Inca ciradel of Machu Picchu from where we’ll return through the valley of Urubamba to Cusco.

Day 1: Cusco – Capuliyoc – Chikisqha camp.

The tour begins with the pick-up at your hotel in Cusco in our private mobility, we will take the route from Cusco to Abancay in the direction of San Pedro de Cachora, this journey from Cusco to Cachora lasts approximately 4 hours of travel through the wonderful valley of Limatambo, its beautiful Andean landscapes, and the amazing view of Salkantay Mountain.

The first place to visit on this trek will be Saywite, which is an Inca archaeological center where there are squares, rooms, and important ritual centers such as the Saywite Monolith, which has rich carvings of Zoomorphic, Anthropomorphic, and Phytomorphic figures.

Then we will continue to the town of San Pedro de Cachora; from here we’ll continue 45 minutes to the zone of Capuliyoc; here we will meet with the rest of the team, the muleteers, the horses and all Trekking team, then we will start our excursion. 15 minutes after, we will arrive at the natural viewpoint of Capuliyoc from where we will be able to appreciate the canyon of Apurimac in all its splendor, also the views of the snow mountain of Padreyoc and Wayna Cahora.

After these beautiful views we will descend until we reach Cocamasana where we will have a short rest, here the temperature is warm unlike Cachora, then we will continue descending until Chiquisca where we will have our first camp.

• Private Vehicle: Cusco – Cachora: 4 hours . Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
• Choquequirao Full Trek: Cachora – Chiquisca5h30m-6h 10km
• Meals included:  Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Chikisqha camp – Maranpata – Choquequirao Camp.

After early breakfast we’ll continue trekking through the Apurimac River/canyon on the way to Marampata. Keep your eyes open for condors as you make your way up into the cloud forest to Choquequirao, where you’ll camp for the night. Along the trail we’ll see great variety of wildlife.

We’ll begging descending toward the Apurimac River, the we cross over the traditional suspension bridge and start the vertical climb following the switch back trail up to Marampata village; here will be served our lunch. After the lunch, continue an undulating trail to the magnificent Inca ruins of Choquequirao (3,030m/9,872 ft). Once we arrive to the camp you can rest and enjoy the panoramic views of the Inca site and the impressive canyon.

• Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping 2 people per tents
• Approximate Walking Time: 6 -7 Hours

Day 3: Choquequirao Camp – Explore Choquequirao – Maizal.

After breakfast we’ll explore the ancient Inca ruins of Choquequirao, comparable only to Machu Picchu in its beauty, grandeur and architectural accomplishment. After the tour within Choquequirao we continue with a gentle climbing for one hour until be at 3,300 masl. Or 10,890 Ft, then we will descend until Rio Blanco camp at 1,900 masl. Or 6,270 Ft. On the way we will pass by Pinchiunuyoj Inca Ruins; A beautiful Inca terraces were the Incas have cultivated different types of crops like maize, potatoes, etc. There, we will observe different species of birds, different varieties of orchids, and local coca plantations (2,750 masl. Or 9075 Ft.)

Choquequirao Guided Tour:

Please Note: Before breakfast, we recommend you go to appreciate the magnificent sunrise from this picturesque place! We will have breakfast at 6 AM.

Today you’ll enjoy plenty of time to explore the Inca site of Choquequirao. Considered the other Machu Picchu; Choquequirao was built on the top of an almost untouched mountain in the province of La Convención. Ancient stone walls protect its two-leveled palaces and temples, systems of fountains, canals and aqueducts that fed the fantastic terraces farmed by the Inca during the Inca Pachacutec government (XV century).

• Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping 2 people per tents
• Approximate Walking Time: 8 -9 Hours

Day 4: Maizal – Yanama.

After breakfast at 6:00AM, we’ll start waking up on the hillside to the sounds of the forest and birds which is a truly a great experience! We’ll experience the landscape of lush green vegetation.
If we keep up our motivation and the gods give us a clear sky, we will be able to sit back and appreciate the snowy mountains that surround us. The uphill climb today is around 4 hours to the top, and this trail is historically important due to some archaeological remains and Inca canals along the way.

We will pass through the impressive Inca mines called “Minas Victoria”, from where silver was extracted. and head towards San Juan Pass (4200 MASL – 13773 FASL). From the pass you’ll be rewarded by splendid views. The lunch also will be served next to the top.

After the pass, we’ll continue the trail descending for two hours until the village of Yanama. Here it is possible to purchase some items like drinks, snacks, etc. You also can recharge the batteries of your camera if it is necessary.

• Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping 2 people per tents
• Climate: warm and cold with mosquitoes.
• Approximate Walking Time: 6 -7 Hou

Day 5: Yanama – Totora.

After breakfast, we’ll start another long day with the big smiles of the local children, the sun shining on the campground, the sound of a big waterfall. We then start the hike uphill to the highest pass of the entire Trekking (5 hours). This is the Yamana pass (4700 MASL – 15419 FASL).

During the day, it is common to observe Andean farmers growing potatoes in their fields and perhaps even frozen potatoes. Again, the view will be amazing from here as we will be surrounded by the Saqsarayoc and Pedreyoc snow mountains.

Also, if we are lucky enough, we’ll see condors overflying the valley of Yanama. The trail is gentle climb that brings us through some new scenery – especially the wet grass fields below the snow line and the stream.

In the pass we probably will walk on the snow doe to its altitude; this is the entrance to the Santa Teresa Valley. From the pass you’ll observe the Salkantay Mountain; very famous for been considered an APU a natural spiritual protector of the locals.

We’ll descend on a long, misty path through grassy fields and bush areas, crossing bridges on the way to the community of Totora where we’ll camp (3,400m/11,155 ft). There is an option to take car since recently was build route for cars that local are using nowadays. However if you like this option you’ll cover the extra expenses.

• Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping 2 people per tents
• Approximate Walking Time: 8 Hours
• Climate: warm and cold with mosquitoes.

Day 6: Trek from Totora Pampa to “La Playa Sawayaco”

Today is our six-trekking day and our destination is «Playa Sawayaco» located in the beginning of the Amazon Jungle. After early Breakfast we’ll continue the trekking down through a picturesque valley of Totora; The Trail follows a gentle slope, passing farming lands and herds of Llamas and Alpacas and picturesque communities. As we go down the Natural life will be more interesting, with lots of hummingbirds, woodpeckers and many species of orchids and begonias. Our camp at Playa Sawayaco is located at 2,125 masl. Or 7,012 Ft. here the Guide will propose to continue to Santa Teresa by car or camp here. why? Because there is a natural hot spring in the town of Santa Teresa which is highly recommended after a long days of trekking.

• Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping 2 people per tents
• Approximate Walking Time: 8 Hours
• Climate: warm and cold with mosquito

Day 7: Trek from “La Playa Sawayaco” to the town of “Aguas Calientes”

After early breakfast we continue with our last hiking day. The trail climbs up to Llactapata pass from where we can see the mountains of Machu Picchu and huayna Picchu. It is three hours uphill, along the hillside with great views of the Santa Teresa Valley and some coffee and passion fruit farms. Once we arrive at the top of this mountain, we will be at the famous Inca site of Llactapata, which was built by the Incas in the XV century. The site was used it to observe the sunrise during the winter solstice.

Then, we will walk the last three hours, descending down to the hydroelectric station. Here, we will enjoy our last lunch and say goodbye to your trekking chef. From here we continue walking through the Urubamba canyon and next to the railway until the town of Aguas Calientes (3-hours); Once in the town of Aguas Calientes, you’ll have accommodation in the hotel.

• Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel
• Approximate Walking Time: 8 Hours
• Climate: warm with mosquito

Day 8: Explore Machu Picchu and ride on train to Cusco.

Today we reach the long-awaited end of our trek, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Machu Picchu! We will wake up early after a refreshing night in the hotel. Head early to Machu Picchu and enjoy its serenity in the soft morning light. The entrance control to Machu Picchu is open from 06:00 to 17:00. We go by bus up to Machu Picchu.

In Machu Picchu, you’ll have 2-3 hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city to visit temples, terraces, palaces, sundial, industrial sector and agricultural fields. Be amazed at the technical imagination of the Incas, which was so far ahead of its time and is still partially a mystery today! Without having modern tools or even steel and iron to work with, the people who built this citadel were brilliant at organizing this community in a sustainable and beautiful way on the side of a mountain, even carrying water in canals through its streets so that the people use it.

After the unforgettable visit, a bus will take you down to Aguas Calientes, where you can enjoy your lunch and, in the afternoon, take the train to Ollantaytambo, which departs at 2.55. The train trip will take 1 hour and 40 min. In Ollantaytambo a bus will be waiting for you to take you back to Cusco and transfer to your hotel. The bus trip will take 1 hour and 40 min too.

• Meals included: Breakfast
• Climate: warm with mosquito

 ITINERARY NOTES

The times cited in this Trekking itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group and the guide can change lunch spots and campsites, depending on the progress of the group. Each guide has their own preferred route and it might not correspond exactly to the route described here.

TOP CHOQUEQUIRAO TREKKING TO  MACHU PICCHU INCLUDES:

• Pre-trek briefing one night before the trek
• Pick-up from your hotel in the morning of trek departure
• Transport from Cusco to Capuliyoc, the trailhead in private car.
• Entrance fee to Choquequirao Inca archaeological site
• English-Quechua-Spanish speaking professional guide (you will have an assistant guide for groups over 8 people)
• Tents – 2 people in a 4-person capacity tent which allows for greater comfort, and also storage of backpacks.
• Air mattress for a greater comfort during the trek
• Chef and cooking equipment (Assistants are provided for large groups)
• Toilet tent
• Meals as specified in the program (optional vegetarian food). Our professional Chefs prepare meals that incorporate elements of the western diet and also traditional Peruvian delicacies (Please communicate with your guide/chef during the trek if you have a preference for certain types of dishes). Salads, if served, are washed in boiled water.
• Horses (for equipment and personal items) including horsemen. They carry camping gear, food and kitchen gears. We provide duffel bags at your briefing for your personal items and sleeping bag (up to 6 kg per person).
• 1 emergency horse which can be ridden if you are feeling ill
• Dining tent with camp tables and chairs & kitchen tent for the chef to prepare meals
• Tents for our staff to sleep in
• Entrance Fees and Admission fee for Machu Picchu
• Tourist Train ticket return from Aguas Calientes to Cusco
• Bus up and down from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
• 1 Night in Hotel in Aguas Calientes town
• A duffle bag is provided for your personal items
• You need to carry small day-pack with camera, water and snacks.
• Vegetarian food available upon your request
• First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle

EXCLUDED

• Breakfast on the first morning in the town of Cachora
• Lunch on the last day in the town of Agus calientes.
• Sleeping bags – if you haven’t got a sleeping bag or you don’t want the hassle of bringing one all the way to Peru with you, then we have sleeping bags for hire.
• Tips for the guide, chef and horseman
• Up-Grade Vistadome train return to Cusco US$ 50 pp (Optional).
• Trekking poles a pair US$20
• Entrance to Hauyna Picchu mountain US$ 30

YOU SHOULD BRING FOR TOP CHOQUEQUIRAO TREKKING TO MACHU PICCHU

• A light daypack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek – prepare for a vast range of changes in temperatures.
• Rain gear (jacket and pants if available) or rain poncho. Plastic ponchos can be bought for about $1 in Cusco.
• Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots recommended. Extra socks are a must.
• Sandals or plastic slip on thongs are also good to give your feet a chance to breath in the evenings if you wish to carry them.
• Warm clothes, including jacket, fleeces, gloves, scarf.
• Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping.
• It you get hot in the Apurimac Canyon; you should also be prepared for hot conditions on this trek.
• Sleeping bag (we can hire these to you)
• Torch/ Flashlight and spare batteries
• Camera, films and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions).
• Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold
• Sunblock
• After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body
• Insect repellent – minimum recommended 20% DEET – although no malaria risk has been reported.
• Toilet paper, pack in & pack out
• Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.
• Non-disposable canteen (Nalgene type) and water for the first morning
• We advise you to bring water sterilizing tablets in case you collect water from streams.
• Your own medical kit with special medications that you might require, paracetamol, second skin for blisters and more
• Small towel or sarong
• Cash – sufficient for tips and souvenirs, or any drinks or snacks you might want to buy along the way.
• Original passport & ISIC (International Student Identity Card) if you have one
• Walking sticks or poles (we can hire these to you).
• Binoculars (if you have them)

 Photo Gallery

Zone of Capuliyoc – Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu	The Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu
Apurimac Canyon – Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu	Nice Trekking route – Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu
View of Choquequirao – Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu	Machu Picchu – Top Trekking Choquequirao to Machu Picchu