Choquequirao Trek 4 Days

If you want to live a different experience and get to know the Inca culture, Choquequirao trek 4 days is the perfect trek for you.

Through this spectacular walk (Choquequirao Trekking) surrounded by the most important snow-capped mountains in the Cusco region, live the experience of knowing one of the last bastions of the Inca Empire, Choquequirao (3033m.s.n.m). An archaeological center in complete discovery, a magical place that made the Spanish conquerors think it was a city completely built-in gold because its name refers precisely to this, discover Choquequirao in the light of sunset.

Also, experience the great variation in biodiversity, altitude levels, forest, flora, and fauna.

Choquequirao Trek 4 Days highlights:

• Trek to the hidden incan site that not many people go.
• Like Machu Picchu, Choquequirao has structures that mark solar events such as solstices and equinoxes.
• You will be practically alone with an archeological site very spectacular like Machu Picchu.
• The few tourists in the world who visited Choquequirao agree that it was worth it.
• Learn a lot about the Inca culture.
• Discover the second lost city of the Incas.
• The Choquequirao ruins receive less than a dozen visitors a day.
• Chance to see local flora and flora including the Andean condor.
• You will savor the Peruvian cuisine which will be prepared by our master chef.

Acclimatization:
We recommend you be in Cusco at least 2 days before your trek to be acclimatized to Cusco’s altitude so that you won’t have a problem during the tour.

About us:
Peru Tripper is a direct local tour operator in Cusco – Peru; we never share our tours with other companies as most of them do to minimize operating costs. We don’t work with intermediaries or have hidden prices; we have the best local guides and professionals. We guarantee that your travel expenditures will support the local economy, and improve the lives of local Peruvians, due to the simple reason we are a local business!

Leaving Cusco, we’ll first drive for about four hours to the village of Capuliyoc, where we begin our trek, which on Day 1 should take about five hours. Our route works its way down in to the Apurimac Valley, where we have spectacular views of snow-capped peaks in the distance and the Apurimac Valley spreading out before us. After a few hours of walking, we’ll have our first glimpses of Choquequirao, sat on the far side of the valley.

The entire area around Choquequirao is a paradise of flora and fauna, a largely untouched region where human activities are relatively scarce. In this pristine wilderness is where we’ll make our campsite for the night, at Santa Rosa (2,200 m / 7,215 ft above sea level) on the other side of the Apurimac River. This campsite is a little further along the trail than the most frequented campsite, making it one of the quietest and prettiest places to camp on the whole trek. Settling down for a well-earned dinner, we can enjoy the views and regain our strength for the next day’s hike.

After an early breakfast, we’ll set off on what is probably the most challenging day of the trek to Choquequirao. To get to Choquequirao, we have to make our way back up the opposite side of the Apurimac Valley, which involves an uphill trek rising some 800 m (2,624 ft) over a distance of 14 km (8.7 miles). It will be hot and humid, so get ready to dig deep and take every step as it comes – but don’t worry, we’ll get there in the end!

It’s quite challenging going, for sure, but you’ll be constantly rewarded with the spectacular views from the trail, as well as the wide variety of flora and fauna you’ll find on this side of the valley. We’ll make our way passed beautiful bromeliads, orchids, and stalks of bamboo and hopefully see colorful birds such as quetzals, toucans and a variety of hummingbirds. After another five hours of trekking, we’ll arrive at our campsite close to Choquequirao, at the height of around 3,050 m (10,005 ft) above sea level. Tired but exhilarated, we’ll eat and settle down for the night. If the weather is clear, the sunset from the campsite is truly stunning, and we may even see some condors as they soar through the valley below.

All our challenging trekking will be rewarded on Day 3 when we wake up early to explore the archaeological site of Choquequirao. Your guide will take you around the area, showing you all the most critical sections and explaining the history of Choquequirao. You’ll learn about the Inca Empire, its traditions and culture, as well as the close relationship between Choquequirao and Machu Picchu.

Choquequirao has not been explored or studied as comprehensively as Machu Picchu, despite being discovered earlier than its more famous counterpart. The first non-Inca visitor to Choquequirao was the explorer Juan Arias Díaz in 1710, two centuries before Hiram Bingham’s rediscovery of Machu Picchu. But the site lay abandoned and forgotten until recent years when archaeologists and tourists began to pay more attention to Choquequirao. Still, even with more attention turned towards it, only about 25% of the archaeological site has been explored, and many secrets remain discovered.

As far as we currently know, Choquequirao is divided into 12 sectors, with Inca agricultural terraces typical throughout the complex. Meanwhile, most of the buildings appear to have been built for ceremonial purposes, as residences of the priests, or for the storage of food. The fact that we don’t know more about Choquequirao only adds to the wonder of the tour, as your imagination tries to piece together a picture of what life was like at this vast and isolated site atop a truncated hilltop.

You’ll have plenty of time to explore Choquequirao, both with your guide and then on your own. Then, when everyone is ready to leave, we’ll begin our trek back to Playa Rosalinas along the route we came. We’ll camp for the night at the Playa Rosalinas campsite, at the bottom of the Apurimac River Valley.

On our final day, we’ll wake early and have breakfast before completing the rest of the return trek to Capuliyoc. As we wind our way back up the side of the valley, we’ll have our final views of Choquequirao in the distance and a chance to say a final goodbye to this fantastic Inca ruin. We’ll get to Capuliyoc at noon, where we will enjoy our last lunch with our chef, and then we’ll board our transport for the drive back to Cusco, with visions and theories of the mysterious Choquequirao still swirling in our minds.

• Pre trek Briefing (briefing at the hotel or office).
• Pick up from your hotel on the morning of departure.
• Transportation from Cusco to the trailhead at the beginning of the hike by private car.
• English / Quechua / Spanish professional guide speak.
• Second Tour Guide over 12 people.
• Tents – 2 people in a 4 person tent which allows for greater comfort and storage of backpacks.
• Thermarest air-inflate Comfortable sleeping Mattress.
• Cook and assistance of the Cook.
• Cooking equipment.
• Snacks.
• Daily tea service.
• Dining equipment including chairs and tables.
• Portable environmental Biodegradable toilet (The Pett).
• Foodservice in the campsites (3 breakfast, 4 lunches, 3 dinners, 4 snacks) – nutritionally balanced menu.
• Vegetarian and free gluten food for no extra cost.
• Personal trekking food – nutritionally balanced menu(Buffet).
• Horseman and Horses. (To carry our camping equipment, food and 8 kilos of your personal stuff like sleeping bag and mat as well as clothes) We Never overload our Horses(well Animal Welfare).
• Choquequirao entrance fees.
• Camping spots fees.
• First-aid kit.
• Emergency oxygen bottle.

• Extra expenses.
• Breakfast – Day 1.
• Dinner – Day 4.
• Pillows.
• Not detailed meals.
• Travel and health insurance (bring copies with you).
• Sleeping bags (it can be rented from us for US$ 30 for the entire trip).
• Walking sticks (it can be rented from us for US$ 20 for the entire trip).
• Tips (optional).

• Original Passport.
• Original Student Card (if you book as a student).
• A travel insurance card is essential.
• Sleeping bag.
• Walking sticks.
• Rain gear (jacket and pants) or poncho. Plastic ponchos can be purchased for about $ 2 in Cusco.
• Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots are recommended. Extra socks are a must.
• Sandals or plastic slip thongs are also good to give your feet a chance to breathe at night if you want to take them.
• Warm clothes include jackets, fleeces, gloves, scarf, and knit / tour beanies. Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping.
• Flashlight and extra batteries.
• Camera, films, and batteries.
• Hat or cap to protect you from sun, rain, and cold.
• Sunblock.
• Insect repellent – minimum recommended 40% DEET – although no malaria risk has been reported.
• Toilet paper.
• Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.
• Non-disposable canteen (Nalgene type) and water for the first morning.
• We recommend bringing water purification tablets if you pick up water from streams.
• Your own special medicines you may need, paracetamol, second skin blisters, etc.
• Small towel.
• Cash – sufficient for snacks, tips, and souvenirs.
• Eager and adventurous spirit to enjoy your hike.

We also offer a special service only for you or your group, you have the power to choose the size of your group and the date of departure, we will never add other people since it will be organized only for you.

Our Choquequirao Trek 4 Days private service, includes additional items such as:

• Extra Horse to ride.
• North Face 4 season tents.
• Sleeping bag / Silk Liner included.
• 02 Waking Poles per person.
• 1 Duffel Bag to carry all your sleeping bags, self-inflating pad as well as clothes.
• Tour Guide to explore Choquequirao all day. and of course, we pay a little bit more to our Staff and Guide.
• Private round trip transportation.

We offer 3 kinds of service, each with different price ranges and you can book in any of these services according to your convenience, we just need you to be a minimum of 02 people to organize your trip on the date that suits you, all our services are 100 % guaranteed.

We are a direct TOUR OPERATOR that never passes clients to other agencies as most agencies do it here in Cusco to save operating costs with poor quality.

We will make the trip even if there are only 02 people in your group.

Can i be picked up from the Sacred Valley?
Yes, let us know in advance to organize your pick up time (there is an extra cost for it).

Is there a cable car in Choquequirao?
The project to make a cable car that connected the town of Cachora to Marampata was not completed due to the frequent presence of landslides and this plan was gradually lost.

What is Choquequirao?
Choquequirao is named after Quechua Chuqi K’iraw, the cradle of gold. Located just over 3,000 meters high, they are Inca terraces and buildings, very similar to the citadel of Machu Picchu, in terms of its architecture. Some even call it the “Sacred Sister of Machu Picchu” or “Second Machu Picchu.” The site is not as large as Machu Picchu, but it is much less crowded by travelers, since it can only be accessed on foot, with a tour operator, it is the longest and most complete road in Peru.