Imagine Machu Picchu but without the large crowds of selfie-stick wielding tourists. Imagine hiking the Inca Trail but without seeing nearly as many fellow trekkers, and having campsites where only a few intrepid tourists are sleeping for the night. If that image sounds appealing, then consider this 4 day Choquequirao trek tour.
The Inca archaeological site of Choquequirao is very similar to Machu Picchu, both in structure, intricacy, and geographical setting. But unlike the world-famous Machu Picchu, Choquequirao has only really started to open up to tourism in the recent decade. It’s a challenging trek lasting four days and three nights, but the route passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in Peru. And with plans afoot to build a cable car to Choquequirao, making it far more accessible, now is the time to visit this stunning Inca complex, before it becomes one of Peru’s next tourist hotspots.
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Our Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu starts when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco. We’ll first drive for about four hours to the village of Cachora. We will continue to Capuliyoc where we begin our Choquequirao hike. We will load our trekking gear onto mules and climb for two and a half hours to the Capuliyoc pass, which sits at 2,890 m (9,481 ft.) above sea level. We’ll then descend the other side of the pass, heading into the beautiful Apurimac Valley, where we have spectacular views of snow-capped peaks in the distance and the valley spreading out before us. This section will take about 2.5 hours, after which we’ll reach our lunch spot at Chiquisca. After lunch, we will then continue our hike to Santa Rosa Baja crossing the Apurimac River at Playa Rosalina. We then begin our ascent on the other side of the river for approximately 2 hours to reach our campsite at Santa Rosa Baja, where we’ll have dinner and spend the night.
Hiking Time: 6-7 hours.
Hiking Distance: 12 km / 7.5 miles.
Highest Point: 2,890 m / 9,481 ft.
Lowest Point: 1520 m / 4,986 ft.
After an early breakfast, we’ll set off on what is probably the hardest day of the trek to Choquequirao. To get to Choquequirao, we have to continue our ascent up the opposite side of the Apurimac Valley, which involves an uphill trek rising some 955 m (3,133 ft). over a distance of 16.2 km (10.07 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 tough 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 bamboo stalks, 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 at Marampata, close to Choquequirao, at a height of around 3,050 m (10,005 ft) above sea level. Tired but exhilarated, we’ll enjoy our lunch, before we head out to explore the impressive Choquequirao Archaeological Complex. We will visit the lower sections of Choquequirao and the religious sector for approximately 3 hours. We will then return to Marampata for a well-earned dinner, prepared by our chef. 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. We will then head to our tents to rest for the evening.
Hiking Time: 7-8 hours
Hiking Distance: 16.2 km / 10.07 miles.
Highest Point: 3,050 m / 10,007 ft.
Lowest Point: 2,095 m / 6,873 ft.
All our tough 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 site, once more showing you all the most important 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 having been 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. Even with more attention turned towards it, only about 25% of the archaeological site has been explored, and many secrets remain to be discovered.
As far as we currently know, Choquequirao is divided into 12 sectors, with Inca agricultural terraces common throughout the complex. Most of the buildings, meanwhile, 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.
This second visit to the Choquequiro Archeological Complex is optional, as we have planned to reach the Cocamasana campsite in the evening. Alternatively, if we decide to spend more time at the ruins, we can spend the night at the Chiquisca campsite, which means more hiking on the final day.
We will need to begin our hike back along the same route that we came on back to Capuliyoc. We will have lunch along the way in Chiquisca, and continue on our way. We’ll camp for the night at the Cocamasana campsite, at 2,650 m / 8,695 ft. above sea level, at the bottom of the Apurimac River Valley.
Hiking Time: 6-7 hours.
Hiking Distance: 12.3 km / 7.65 miles.
Highest Point: 2,940 m / 9, 646 ft.
Lowest Point: 2,650 m / 8,695 ft.
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 amazing Inca ruin. We’ll get to Capuliyoc in the late afternoon, from where we’ll board our transport for the drive back to Cusco, with visions and theories of the mysterious Choquequirao still swirling in our minds.
Hiking Time: 2-3 hours.
Hiking Distance: 3.6 km / 2.24 miles.
Highest Point: 2,970 m / 9, 744 ft.
Lowest Point: 1,950 m / 6,397 ft.
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Real experiences from fellow travelers who hiked, explored, and shared moments with us. Honest voices to inspire and prepare your own journey.
Valencia Travel was amazing to work with, and I would highly recommend them for any new travelers. Special thanks again to Andes (guide) , Maria (agent/coordinator) , and Washington (driver) . Thank you for making this a trip to remember for a lifetime.
Valencia Travel was amazing to work with, and I would highly recommend them for any new travelers. Special thanks again to Andes (guide) , Maria (agent/coordinator) , and Washington (driver) . Thank you for making this a trip to remember for a lifetime.
We truly had an incredle experience from booking with Maria, to meeting Miguel upon arrival at the airport, and of course trekking with our incredible guide Aldo and the amazing porters who helped make trekking much more comfortable and luxurious than we're used to. We couldn't believe the 3 course meals they cooked up. Truly blew us away.
The trek itself is incredible as you're able to see so many Inca sites along the way before arriving to Macchupicchu. The mountain range was beautiful.
Aldo our guide was the best! He was very information and taught us so much about the incas and knew so much about all the trees, wildlife, and fauna we saw along the trek. He's been guiding for many years and thanks to his experience and forethought we managed to catch amazing views away from the other groups of trekkers and were the first to arrive to Macchupicchu making for an even more private experience. I highly recommend Aldo!
Valencia travel is a local company that supports all the locals they employ. I highly recommend them for any bookings!
**tip: definitely give yourself 3 days in Cusco before hiking in order to acclimate to the altitude. We saw a couple turn around due to issues with altitude.
We truly had an incredle experience from booking with Maria, to meeting Miguel upon arrival at the airport, and of course trekking with our incredible guide Aldo and the amazing porters who helped make trekking much more comfortable and luxurious than we're used to. We couldn't believe the 3 course meals they cooked up. Truly blew us away.
The trek itself is incredible as you're able to see so many Inca sites along the way before arriving to Macchupicchu. The mountain range was beautiful.
Aldo our guide was the best! He was very information and taught us so much about the incas and knew so much about all the trees, wildlife, and fauna we saw along the trek. He's been guiding for many years and thanks to his experience and forethought we managed to catch amazing views away from the other groups of trekkers and were the first to arrive to Macchupicchu making for an even more private experience. I highly recommend Aldo!
Valencia travel is a local company that supports all the locals they employ. I highly recommend them for any bookings!
**tip: definitely give yourself 3 days in Cusco before hiking in order to acclimate to the altitude. We saw a couple turn around due to issues with altitude.
The Porters and Chef Filex were exceptional and went above and beyond with all our needs.
I was surprised with a Birthday Cake on our hike, and I had no idea someone could make and decorate a cake in a tent.
It was incredibly mind-blowing.
I highly recommend them to anyone looking to do the Inca Trail.
We are extremely pleased with the service we received.
I give them A++++++
Un’altro aspetto importante è stata la guida per Macchu Picchu, Washington! Super appassionato del posto e della storia, vi coninvolgerà con i suoi racconti e le sue spiegazioni. E’ davvero una guida molto esperta e professionale!
Thank you for such a brilliant trek!
Our chef, Gregorio, "Goyo", had the best food of all of our Peru!! the culinary expertise of this guy whom planned a menu according to our hike plan, carbs and proteins, and we had plenty.. .I mean plenty to eat. The porters (all 10), with leads from Climico, and special mention to Fortunato who would met us at the end of the trail to help carry our personal packs to our porters applauding our days hard accomplishment. Along the entire trail, Wilbur encouraging the porter of other competitors as his "little brother" to continue to be strong as they quickly passed us on the trail. My respect to the team of Valencia Travel, the porters, head chef and his assistant and mostly to Wilbur for delivering an experience that I encourage anyone to participate in. Thank you Wilbur. we the 7 women from California, USA will forever be your "Flowers".
There were some challenges communicating with the office staff with some questions we had before the trek and booking it, though once we had our meeting with Guillermo it was all sorted out.
After a lot of research, Valencia Travel appeared as the most qualitative and professional agency organizing the excursions we wanted to take part in. We signed in for day trip to the rainbow mountain and had an amazing experience. The guide spoke English and shared a lot of interesting facts with us, the food was delicious and the general activity was perfectly organisez.
Thanks to this very positive experience, we decided to do the 4 days Lares Trail to Machu Picchu with Valencia Travel. Waouw. We spent the 4 days talking about how impressed we were about the professionalism of the agency. The trek was wonderful, the nature breathtaking but the most impressive part was the service, the kindness of the staff, their organisation,… Everything is in the details, the camp are very confortable, they even bring you tea in your tent to wake you up in the morning!
The food was beyond expectations. At every meal, we had a salad, a soup, a main dish and once we even had a cake that they baked in the tents! Being vegan, we are always a bit scared that it could be a problem for trekkings, but with Valencia it is not at all! We had some of the best foods of our trip during our trekking!
I am so happy that we did the Lares trekking with Valencia as there is no better way to reach the sacred site of Machu Picchu than by doing a trekking in the nature. It is a very special place and trekking to reach it definitely add some magic to the experience!
To conclude, I would highly recommend Valencia for any activities in Peru, it will make your experience unforgettable!!
At 55 and with a helpful dose of camaraderie from my younger trek-mates, including my 16 year-old niece who managed the ascents and descents with aplomb, I felt a sense of accomplishment in completing the trek, which is more vertical than horizontal and ranges from about 9,000 to 12,000 feet over three days. Hiking the trail does require above-average fitness for the middle-aged. No unmanageable parts but a walking stick, reliable shoes, dependable leg muscles and accommodating joints, a relatively light backpack of essentials, and stops along the way to gulp down the thin air, take in the jaw-dropping vistas, pause for passing porters, and make way for grazing llamas—all are required to push through. So is a large reserve of self-deprecation. Alex and other minders were more than indulgent while keeping us all on the move.
Reaching Machu Picchu at the end was paradoxically awe-inspiring and anti-climatic given the splendor of the journey to get there. At the end of it, getting on the train that deposits and returns the vast majority of visitors in the space of a day, I simply couldn’t imagine seeing Machu Picchu without doing the trek.
If you are hiking the Inca Trail I highly recommend to go through Valencia Travel. Ask to have Elistan as your guide. The porters are treated very well. They have good hiking shoes, and attire to wear. (though if they could get backpacks that include waist straps I think that would be great!). Ask for Luis to be your cook. I have never eaten so well on a vacation. Luis is amazing at what he can cook up on the trail, we are talking three course meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the food is presented as if it was at a 5 star hotel. Incredible!!!
My only other desire is if Valencia offered a Recipe Book of the meals eaten on the trail. I would totally purchase such a piece of "gold".
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