INFORMATION
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Every Day
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Cusco
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8
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60
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2 - 14
OVERVIEW
The Classic 5 Days Choquequirao Trek is a great trek for true adventurers and trekking lovers. You will visit a place that is just as incredible as Machu Picchu, but with fewer tourists. Sounds interesting? Then this might be the perfect trek for you. Escape the crowds and explore spectacular sceneries of the impressive Choquequirao ruins!
The archaeological site of Choquequirao is surrounded by towering glacier peaks and means “the Cradle of Gold” in the native Quechua language. The Inca citadel is not as well-known as Machu Picchu, but it is three times bigger! Are you ready for your next trekking adventure?
Why not book the 5 Days Choquequirao Trek Peru only for you? We offer this trekking experience as a private session (from 2 participants), which means that you decide how many people will be in your group, and no other travelers join your group.
ITINERARY
Early in the morning we will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and drive for approximately 3 hours to the village of Curahuasi, where we have a large breakfast. Our transportation will take us to the Capulilloc pass and on the way you will observe beautiful views of Apu Salkantay and Apu Veronica. The trek begins with a 4-hour descent, which brings us closer to the roaring Apurimic river. In Chiquisca, we will have time to rest and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our chef. We will then continue our hike until we reach our campsite at Playa Rosalina, where we will spend the night, have a delicious dinner and hot tea.
Early in the morning, our team will wake you up with a hot cup of coca tea. We start our hike with a tough 3-hour climb, where we will be able to cach out first glimpses of the Choquequirao ruins. Passing by the rural villages of Santa Rosa and Marampata, we will arrive at our campsite close to the ruins. We enjoy the beautiful of the Inca citadel of Choquequirao and rest at our camp.
After a nutritious breakfast, we will finally visit the archeological site of Choquequirao, which literally means “Cradle of Gold” and used to be the control gate between the Amazon and the city of Cusco. The sacred Inca site is filled with ruins, its buildings and terraces tuck in below a flattened hilltop, leveled several hundred years ago, and circumferenced with stones to create a platform. Our guide will explain more about the history and importante of the Inca citadel, and you will have enough time to explore this incredible place by yourself. Later, we will go back to our campsite.
After an early breakfast, we will leave our beautiful Marampata campsite and start the descent towards the Apurimac River and the Rosalina Beach (1520 m/4986 ft). From there we will continue hiking upwards until we reach our campsite of Chiquisca (1950 m / 6397 ft), where we will spend the night.
On our final day, we will follow the trail up the walls of the canyon and toward the pass of Capuliyoc, enjoying spectacular mountain views. Arriving in Capuliyoc, we will have a delicious lunch and take our transportation back to Cusco.
Please let us know in case you would like to add an extension to Machu Picchu!
📦 What Is Included?
📦 Accommodation
- Instead of sleeping in small tents, we set up our 4-person tent for 2 persons for greater comfort.
🍽️ Meals
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (4x Breakfast, 5x Lunch, 4x Dinner).
- Professional cook and cooking equipment.
- Dining tent and kitchen tent for the cook to freshly prepare your meals.
- Meals can be accommodated for dietary requirements such as vegetarian or vegan. Please inform us in advance of any preferences.
- A hot cup of Coca Tea every morning.
- Boiled water provided for drinking water at the campsites (to be carried in your own reusable water bottle).
🚐 Transportation
- Private transportation from your hotel in Cusco to Capuliyoc (day 1).
- Private transportation back on day 5 (Capuliyoc – Cusco).
🧑🤝🧑 Local Guides & Equipment
- English/Spanish speaking professional guide, plus an assistant guide for groups over 12.
- Horse and horsemen to carry camping equipment, food, and kitchen utensils.
- All our trekking guides have a minimum of 3 years of guiding experience and are certified. They carry a first aid kit and an extra oxygen bottle for emergencies.
- We provide duffel bags at your briefing for personal items (up to 5 kg per person).
- Sleeping bag included.
📋 Additional
- Briefing: You will have a meeting with your guide in our office to review all the details of your tour. The orientation will take place between 17:00, 18:00 or 19:00 at our office in Cusco the day before departure.
- Entrance to Choquequirao site.
❌ What Is Not Included?
🍽️ Meals
- Breakfast on the first day
- Dinner on the last day.
💼 Other
- Trekking poles (additional $20.00 per person).
- Tips for your guide, cook, and porters.
- National or international flights.
- Travel insurance.
- Other activities not mentioned in this itinerary.
FAQ
Hard! This trek is not for the average hiker because you need to cross the Apurimac canyon on foot. It includes a steep ascent from the valley floor to the crest of the mountains and high cloud forests that hide the archeological site of Choquequirao. There are plenty of zigzag-turns to deal with the steep incline, but the final part towards the Choquequirao is luckily flat. Even though the Choquequirao trek is very challenging, it is definitely worth it! Besides, it is very likely that no other person will be around, and you will have the Choquequirao ruins just for yourself!
We have two main seasons in the Andes Mountains, the rainy season (November-March) and the dry season (April-October).
During the rainy, warmer season temperatures average around 15°C / 60°F during the day and 5°C / 40°F at night. However, these temperatures may feel a lot colder to you.
During the dry season the weather is sunny and clear, and on average 20°C / 70°F during the day but much colder at night, around -3°C / 26°F.
- One personal daypack (a 30 to 50 L backpack is sufficient). Before your trek we will give you one extra duffle bag from our office to carry your extra clothes and personal items (max. 5kg).
- Reusable water bottle
- Small coins in Peruvian Soles (Keep small change on hand too for water bottles, snacks, and toilet paper.)
- Rain jacket or rain poncho
- Strong footwear (Waterproof trekking boots recommended.)
- Sleeping bag (also available for rent)
- Flashlight/headlamp and batteries
- Enough clothes for the whole period of the trek (long-sleeve trekking shirts, short-sleeve shirts, leggings or trekking pants, shorts, pairs of underwear, sweatpants for the night, pairs of hiking socks, a rain poncho, an insulated jacket, gloves, beanie, a hat with a brim, hiking boots, and sandals to rest your feet at the campsites.)
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Additional snacks (remember that we supply you with plenty of food already.)
- Original passport
The best way to prepare yourself for this trekking experience is easy: spend at least 2 to 3 days at a high-altitude place like Cusco, so your body gets used to the high altitude. If you have already been to a high altitude destination before arriving to Cusco, we still recommend you spend at least one full day in Cusco to rest, recuperate from your trip, and enjoy the beautiful views of the city before your trek.
Additionally, taking good care of your body helps deal with the extra pressures that altitude creates. We recommend you to eat healthy food, drink lots of water and stay away from alcohol. Chewing coca leaves and drinking coca tea helps to alleviate any discomfort associated with the altitude.
Congratulations, adventure awaits you! We sent you a confirmation e-mail with more details about your trekking adventure. The day before your departure at 17:00, 18:00 or 19:00, please stop by our office located in Portal Espinar Nro 163 to receive the informative briefing. Our professional guide will tell you everything about your trek and clarify any last questions you may have.
We serve a variety of local superfoods and traditional Peruvian dishes with rice, chicken, beef, salad, potatoes, vegetables, delicious soups and fruits. Everything will be freshly prepared by our local chef.
We have a lot of vegetarian travellers and our cooks have some great options for them to enjoy their meals. We can cater for all other types of dietary requests with adequate preparation and clear communication.
Yes, you can leave extra luggage in our office free of charge.
The minimum group size for private tours is 2 people and the maximum group size is 15 people. There will be an assistant guide for groups over 12.
Please feel free to review our Terms & Conditions and let us know if you have any questions or requests regarding our cancellation policy, which is available on our website.
PACKING LIST
🧳 Personal Gear
👕 Clothing
☀️ Additional Items
