Tour to Choquequirao (4 Days – 3 Nights)
The Choquequirao complex trek is very fascinating and one of the most popular trips in the Cusco area. And it’s no surprise as it´s surrounded by fantastic natural landscapes with valleys, snow-capped mountains and an amazing variety of plants, birds and animals.It is situated in the spur of the Salkantay Mountain range, at over 3030 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Apus (mountain gods) of Yamana, Ampay, Chokecarpu, Pumasiyo and Panta, on the left bank of the Apurimac River. During the time of the Incas, everything was connected and in communication with Machu Picchu through a complex network of trails. Choquequirao is considered “The Last Refuge of the Inca Empire”. Visitors will have a chance to discover a complex hydraulic system, most likely for domestic, ceremonial and agricultural use. The geographic location of Choquequirao in reference to other religious centers of the same period tends to indicate that its function was that Inca enclave toward the valleys of the Apurímac River. There are many similarities between Choquequirao and Machu Picchu.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Cachora – Chikiska.
We’ll pick you up at 5:00 a.m. from your accommodation, then we’ll take a bus to go to Cachora (small village-starting point) where we’ll arrive after 3 hours, after the breakfast we’ll start to walk, this first day we’ll walk approximately 6 or 7 hours in the route we’ll find some typical plants and a beautiful view of Padrayoc and Wayna Cachora snow-covered peaks, we’ll arrive to Capuliyoc a nice view point where you can appreciate the Apurimac Canyon and sometimes you can see flying some condors, from this place we’ll descend by a nice road and in the afternoon we’ll arrive to Chikiska our first camping site, where we’ll rest this first night in our tents. the way we will observe, this day is very nice because you see the full change of the landscape from precipices to snowy mountains.
- Food: Lunch and dinner
- Maximum Altitude: 3100 msnm.
- Minimum Altitude: 1900 meters above sea level
- Travel distance: 14 km.
- Approximate walking time: 7 hours.
Day 2: Chikiska – Marampata – Choquequirao.
After a healthy breakfast we’ll start to descend 40 minutes to the river bank where in the route we’ll see the difficult day is waiting because we’ll be able to see the zigzagging route we have to walk up, after crossing the footbridge we’ll start to walk up like 3 or 4 hours to arrive to Marampata, in this place you’ll see the nice scenary of the other side of the mountain, and you’ll see a piece of Choquequiraw, this is a nice place to take a rest as well and have lunch, after we have to walk other 1 or 2 hours more to arrive to Choquequirao camping site, there we’ll rest the second night, in the afternoon we can visit some places of the big Inka citadel. Choquequirao is considered as “The Last Refuge of the Inca Empire”. The oldest reports assign to Juan Arias Diaz as one of the first persons that explored the zone in 1710. Our bilingual guide will explain the history and importance of the site after the Spanish arrived to Peru. We will have our dinner in the camping site of Choquequirao.
- Food: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Maximum Altitude: 2850 meters above sea level
- Minimum altitude: 1500 meters above sea level.
- Travel distance: 16 km.
- Approximate walking time: 8 hours approx.
Day 3: Choquequirao – Inca Site – Marampata – Chiquiska.
Early morning we’ll have breakfast to go up to the main place of the Inka citadel, then you’ll have 2 hours guiding around the main sites, after you’ll have other one hour free to visit this place yourself, you can go to visit the highest part of this place, or the very popular Andean terraces with llamas shape on it, then we pack and start walking back to Chiquiska. On the way we can observe again Apurimac canyon, the exuberant vegetation and its variety of flowers and orchids. The time of the hike is about 6h. Altitude: 3033-1950 m.a.s.l. Passing the same small settlements as on the way up. We will stop in Playa Rosalina where we will have our lunch and after that we’ll continue to Chiquiska. Here we will spend the night on our campsite.
- Food: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Maximum Altitude: 3035 meters above sea level.
- Minimum Altitude: 2850 meters above sea level.
- Travel distance: 18 km
- Approximate walking time: 8 to 9 hours approx.
Day 4: Chiquiska – Cachora – Cusco.
Early morning after breakfast (5:00 am), we continue to arrive to Cachora town. On the hike we can appreciate again the majestic Padrayoc snow-covered peak that decorate to Apurimac canyon The time of hike to arrive to Cachora is about 4 or 5 hours then we’ll take our bus to return to Cusco 7 pm.
- Food: breakfast, lunch.
- Maximum Altitude: 3100 msnm.
- Minimum Altitude: 1900 meters above sea level.
- Travel distance: 14 km.
- Approximate walking time: 8 hours.
- End of Our Services.
Included/ Not Included
Included
- Breafing a day before.
- Pick up from your hotel.
- Bus Cusco – Cachora – Cachora – Cusco.
- Tents, matras.
- 03 breakfast, 03 lunch and 03 dinner.
- Professional english speaker guide.
- Cooker and horseman
- Horses (for camping equipment and food supplies + 05 kilos per paxs)
- Entrance fee to choquequirao.
Not Included
- First breakfast and the last lunch.
- Special snacks.
- Sleeping bag (renting 3 dollar per day)
- Purifying tablets.
Important
Important
- Vegetarian (vegan) if you have any special diet, just ask for it without any additional cost.
- !! You literally will be treated like royalty while on this tour!
- The price shown at the top of the route is in shared service or Pull.
- Prices for private service according to the number of passengers consulting fees.
- In private service according to the number of passengers, consult rates to: reservas@peruplanetexp.com
Recommendations
You Need To Carry:
- Photo camera Flashlight and batteries.
- Sleeping bag.
- A personal backpack with a change of clothes.
- Rain jacket in rainy season.
- Cleaning articles.
- Trekking shoes
- Money in soles or dollars.
- Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent.
- Drinking water (2 liters) and purification tablets (Micropur)
- Trek canes.
