Tour Information
This trek combines the journey to Choquequirao with a section of the Short Inca Trail, merging two distinct experiences into a single route: the remote adventure to a lesser-visited Inca citadel and the final approach to Machu Picchu via the classic route. Along the way, the chefs accommodate any dietary requirements, including vegetarian or vegan diets.
The elevation gain along the route is 3,340 m (11,000 ft). The starting point is a 4.5-hour drive from Cusco, and the closest towns to the trek are Cachora and Santa Teresa.
Highlights of the journey include the dry Andean valley, views of the Apurímac Canyon and the Vilcabamba mountain range, as well as sections featuring cactus zones, cloud forest, and high-mountain moorland (páramo), along with local villages. Regarding wildlife, it is possible to spot horses and prairie dogs, viscachas, Andean foxes, and the spectacled bear, as well as birds such as the Andean condor, mitred parakeet, sword-billed hummingbird, black-backed grosbeak, giant hummingbird, and peregrine falcons. Activities include hiking, guided tours of archaeological sites, and encounters with Andean communities.
Itinerary
Day 1
Day One
- Starting time: 4:00 am
- Travel: Travel by bus on a 4 hour bus ride to the village of Cachora, Hiking afterwards.
- Difficulty level: The hot temperatures inside the Apurimac canyon make it a challenging hike, especially when we commence the last climb to our campsite from the river crossing at Playa Rosalina. The trail starts at 2930m/9524ft and descends to 1530m/5020ft at Playa Rosalina, the trail then climbs again to 1890m/6200ft at Santa Rosa Alta.
- Highlights of the Day: On this day we meet our horseman and other staff members. We will begin our Choquequirao hike in Cachora 2950m/10005ft a town along the edge of the Apurimac canyon. We will follow the trail, enjoying the dramatic landscapes and a variety of plant and animal life until we reach our campsite at Santa Rosa 1890m/6200ft.
- Meals: Breakfast on the way to Cachora (not included), Lunch on the trek and dinner at the evening campsite.
- Accommodation: Camping in tents at a campsite at Santa Rosa. The temperature at night is usually around 15º degrees.
- Other information: It is a challenging but amazing experience to hike down to the depths of the Apurimac Canyon and then up to the site in the clouds. Mind the altitude change from Cachora 2950m/10005ft to Santa Rosa 1650m/5413ft.
Day 2
Day Two
- Starting time: 5:00 am
- Travel: Trekking all day.
- Difficulty level: Strenuous, today we continue to climb from Santa Rosa Alta to Marampata and Choquequirao.
- Highlights of the Day: A steep and arduous ascent from our campsite to the highest point at Marampata 3150m/10579ft. Following this, we will hike through a thick cloud forest towards the Inca site of Choquequirao. At the campsite we will have some time to relax and enjoy the archaeological zone, as well as plants, animals (hopefully condors), and views of nearby canyons and the snow-capped mountains of Choquetacarpo 5910m/19389ft. We will camp right beside Choquequirao Inca site 3033m/9950ft.
- Meals: Breakfast at Santa Rosa Alta and both Lunch and dinner will be at the campsite in Choquequirao.
- Accommodation: Camping in tents at Choquequirao 3033m/9950ft. Temperature at night is usually around 9ºC/48°F.
- Other information: After we arrive at our destination in Choquequirao, we will have lunch and a well deserved rest before we commence our first 2 hour visit to Choquequirao.
Day 3
Day Three
- Starting time: 5:00 am
- Travel: Trekking all day.
- Difficulty level:
- Highlights of the Day: During the first half of the day, we will dedicate to continuing to explore the city of Choquequirao 3033m/9950ft. In the afternoon we will continue with our hike towards our third campsite at Pinchunulluc 2487/8160ft.
- Meals: Breakfast and lunch at the Choquequirao campsite and dinner at the Pinchunulluc campsite.
- Accommodation: Camping in tents at Pinchunulluc campsite.
- Other information: We will finish with part 2 of our tour of Choquequirao in the morning. In the afternoon, we will continue trekking towards our next campsite.
Day 4
Day Four
- Starting time: 5:00 am
- Travel: Trekking all day.
- Difficulty level:
- Highlights of the Day: Our path begins going down hill toward the Rio Blanco river, throughout this day we will enjoy an abundance of wildlife in this part of the trek. Birds, butterflies, and sometimes the famous Spectacled Bear can be seen on the trek. In the afternoon we will begin climbing again until we reach our campsite at Maizal. This location is in our own words, one of the most beautiful campsites of all treks in the Cusco area.
- Meals: Breakfast at Pinchunulluc, Lunch on the trek at Rio Blanco, and dinner at the campsite in Maizal.
- Accommodation: Camping in tents at the Maizal campsite.
- Other information: The varying ecosystems today are amazing and dramatic, and our campsite at Maizal contains breathtaking views of the Qoriwayrachina Mountain.
Day 5
Day Five
- Starting time: 5:00 am
- Travel: Trekking all day.
- Difficulty level:
- Highlights of the Day: Early in the morning we will continue our climb until we reach the Qoriwayrachina mountain pass. Along the way we will visit the old silver mines of Qoriwayrachina. From here we will continue to our campsite for the night at the beautiful picturesque village of Yanama 3520m/11549ft.
- Meals: Breakfast at Maizal, lunch at the Qoriwayrachina mountain pass and dinner at the campsite in the Yanama village.
- Accommodation: Camping in tents at the Yanama campsite.
- Other information: The trail from Maizal to Yanama is strenuous due to the altitude gain. The Qoriwayrachina pass is 4145m/13599ft is the highest point on our trip.
Day 6
Day Six
- Starting time: 5:00 am
- Travel: Travel by bus followed by trekking.
- Difficulty level:
- Highlights of the Day: From our campsite in Yanama we will be taken to Hydroelectric on a 4 hour bus ride. Here we will be served lunch at Hydroelectric, we will walk toward Machu Picchu following the course of the Urubamba river for 3 hours until we reach the town of Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night in our hotel in Aguas Calientes before our visit to Machu Picchu the following day.
- Meals: Breakfast at Yanama, lunch at the Hydroelectric, and dinner at the hotel in Aguas Calientes.
- Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
- Other information: We will spend the night in Aguas Calientes and have an early dinner, leaving us ready for our visit to Machu Picchu the next day.
Day 7
Day Seven
- Start time: 5:00 am
- Travel: Bus to Machu Picchu, guided tour around Machu Picchu, trip back to Cusco by train.
- Difficulty level: Moderate
- Highlights of the day: A 2 hour walking tour of Machu Picchu with your guide. Optional climb of Huayna Picchu trekking 2720m/8923ft. It takes approximately 45 minutes to reach the top.
- Meals: Breakfast in the hotel at Aguas Calientes. Lunch in Aguas Calientes (not included)
- Accommodation: You will be back in Cusco to your own accommodation for this evening.
Trek Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 days / 6 nights |
| Route | Cusco – Cachora – Santa Rosa – Marampata – Choquequirao – Pinchunulluc – Maizal – Yanama – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes – |
| Machu Picchu | Cusco |
| Distance | 63 miles / 102 km |
| Max altitude | 4,145 m / 13,599 ft (Qoriwayrachina pass, Day 5) |
| Min altitude | 1,530 m / 5,020 ft (Playa Rosalina, Day 1) |
| Difficulty | Strenuous |
| Accommodation | Camping in tents (Days 1 to 5) and Hotel in Aguas Calientes (Day 6) |
| Best season | March to December (does not operate during January and February) |
What's Included
- ✓ Professional, bilingual Tour Guide.
- ✓ Assistant Guide (for groups of 9 or more people).
- ✓ Collection from hotel.
- ✓ Return transportation; to and from Cachora.
- ✓ Water (Not included for the first 4 hours of trek, we will provide you with boiled water for drinking for the remainder of the tour).
- ✓ Entrance fees to Choquequirao Inca Site.
- ✓ 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 afternoon snacks, 6 dinners and various snacks to be eaten throughout the day (Breakfast on day 1 and lunch on the last day are not included)
- ✓ Dining tent with tables and chairs.
- ✓ 2 person tent.
- ✓ Sleeping pads.
- ✓ Porters (to carry cooking and camping equipment).
- ✓ Bus trip from Machu Picchu down to Aguas Calientes.
- ✓ Oxygen bottle.
- ✓ First Aid kit.
- ✓ Vegetarian food/Special meals on request at no extra cost!
Price per person
$950
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