The Thinking Man's Inca Trail...
Four-day trek to Choquequirao for £850pp
When you first see a photo of the Inca ruins of Choquequirao, you can be forgiven for confusing it with Machu Picchu. They were built at the same time, abandoned at the same time, and have the same stunning location, high in the cloud forest. One thing gives it away though... there's nobody around!
You can't get the train to Choquequirao, and there are no roads, just a good old-fashioned trek, taking you through some beautiful scenery before you arrive at this lost Inca city. Naturally this really cuts down on the number of people visiting Choquequirao and means that you can have the whole place practically to yourself! The Choquequirao trek itinerary we've given here is a four-day trek but you can also extend the trek itinerary by a day or so to take in some other Inca sites or even make it a full 9-day trek which has you visiting Choquequirao AND Machu Picchu...
Detailed Itinerary
Day One – Start the Choquequirao Trek
We leave Cusco early this morning in a private bus and pass through Limatambo the ruins of Tarawasi and the bridge of Kunyac before we disembark in Cachora, where we will arrive at about 10am. We will then walk downhill along winding footpaths for about two hours to Capuliyoc, where we will have lunch. In the afternoon we will continue downhill, passing through the town of Chiquisqa and emerging into the warmer, tropical climate of the lower valleys, where we will camp for the night. (Lunch and Dinner included)
Day Two – Chiquisqa to Sanchupata
After an early breakfast, we will start this morning’s trek to the riverside beach of Rosalina, with the roaring waters of the Apurimac river before us. We will rest and relax here, before crossing by a footbridge and heading upwards on a winding path towards Maranpata. We will leave the tropical climate behind as we head up into the higher cloud forest and Sunchupata, where we will camp for the night. (B/L/D)
Day Three – Tour of Choquequirao
Today is dedicated to an exploration of Choquequirao. From our campsite in Sunchupata, we will walk for approximately an hour until we arrive at this remarkable archaeological complex. We will have a guided tour of the site and lots of free time to visit the six sectors of the complex including the altar of the sun, terraces and all the other quarters of the town. After a full day at Choquequirao we will return to our campsite, and then head off downhill back across the Apurimac to our final night’s campsite. (B/L/D)
Day Four - Return to Cusco
We'll have a little lie-in today as breakfast isn’t quite so early! We will have a gentle walk back through the lower valleys on our way back to Chiquisqa and Cachora. From here we will head on to the thermal springs at Qonoq, where we can relax and bathe in the healing waters! We will then head on back to Cusco, where we will arrive in the late afternoon. (B)
What's Included?
Our standard price for the Choquequirao trek is £850 per person, and we can fit it into just about any of our holidays in Peru.
That price includes top-class trekking equipment including tents, cooking equipment, sleeping bags and sleeping mats; all transport between Cusco and the start/end of the Choquequirao trek, the services of guides and group porters, all meals and entrance fees.
The price includes the use of the group porters, who will carry all the tents, food, water and cooking equipment. We provide top-quality sleeping bags and mats, but you would normally carry these items along with whatever personal items you want for those four days. However, we can arrange an extra porter for you (at a cost of £60pp) which would be sufficient to carry absolutely everything for two people, so you can trek entirely unencumbered!