Choquequirao is located in the Santa Teresa district, province of La Convencion in the department of Cusco. The archaeological site is 47 km from the town of Choquequirao Cachora mountain and is at an altitude of 3,085 meters It was the place where the Incas, Cusco escaped, took refuge and resisted for 40 years to the Spanish invasion.
Day 01: CUSCO – CACHORA – PLAYA ROSALINA
At 4:00 am. We will pick up our customers from their hotels, then we will travel to Cachora (4 hours aprox., by our private van), once there(in Cachora), we will meet our muleteer and horses, there we will pack all our equipment in the horses, then we will begin to walk, the trail is flat until Chiquisca and then we will go uphill, passing through the high pass of Capuliyoc, from there, we will have a great view of the Apurimac Canyon. Finally we descend to playa Rosalina on the banks of the Apurimac River, the main tributary of the Amazon River. Campsite at 1,550 masl. Or 5,115 Ft.
Day 02: PLAYA ROSALINA – CHOQUEQUIRAO
Early in the morning, we will have breakfast, then, we will start walking uphill through a long and narrow trail, arriving Chokequirao around 4pm, then, We will visit the Archaeological site with our guide. The view of the canyon is spectacular, it is also possible to see Andean Condors soaring in the mountains. Campsite(3050 masl. Or 11,055 ft).
Day 03: CHOQUEQUIRAO – MAIZAL
This day we will begin walking uphill for a while until be at 3,300 masl. Or 10,890 Ft, then we will descend until White River(1900 masl. Or 6,270 Ft.) On the way we will pass by Pinchiunuyoj archaeological site. There, we will observe different species of birds, different varieties of orquids, and local coca plantations (2,750 masl. Or 9075 Ft.), From Rio Blanco(White river), we will climb up to Maizal(3,000 masl. Or 9,900 Ft.) for about 3 hrs. Campsite.
Day 04: MAIZAL – YANAMA
This morning, we will start walking uphill passing by the impressive Inca mines called Minas Victoria. Almost on the top, we can appreciate original paved Inca trails. We will pass over (4,150 masl. Or 13,695 Ft.) and finally descend to our campsite(3,800 masl. Or 12,540 Ft.)
Day 05: YANAMA – TOTORA
After an early breakfast, we will start climbing slowly to our higher pass in all the trail (4,670 masl. Or 15,410 Ft.), again the view will be amazing from here, we will be surrounded by snowcapped mountains: The Sacsarayoj mountain and the Padreyoj mountain.
Campsite at 3,630 masl. Or 11,979 Ft
Day 06: TOTORA – PLAYA
On this day we will descend to the Totora river. As we go down the Natural life will be more interesting, with lots of hummingbirds, woodpeckers and many species of orchids and begonias. Campsite at 2,125masl. Or 7,012 Ft.
Day 07: PLAYA – AGUAS CALIENTES
This day, we will walk to our last uphill, until 2,810 masl. Or 9,273 Ft., to arrive there, it will take around 3 hours; from here we will have an excellent view of the lost Inca’s city of Machu Picchu.
After a good rest, we will go down to the Hydroelectric plant on the Urubamba River, from here, depending on the time, we will walk and/or take the train to Aguas Calientes, Night in a Hotel.
Day 08: MACHU PICCHU FULL DAY – CUSCO
After breakfast we will take the bus to Machu Picchu, there, we will have a guided tour for all the Archaeological Site.
Then we will have free time to explore Machupicchu on our own, and maybe to climb the Wayna Picchu.
In the afternoon(At 4:00 pm.), we will take the train from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco arriving at 8 pm. Aprox.
We recommended to bring:
Personal sleeping Bag (If you don’t have, please, see our camping equipment Web)
Bottle of Water(our cook won’t give us water until lunch time)
Purification Tablets
Original passport in a plastic bag
Backpack and Daypack
Hiking shoes or boots
Raincoat or poncho
Water bottle, flashlight, hat, sun block, sunglasses
Warm clothes, Light clothes, 4 pairs of socks
Insect repellent
Tablets for the altitude Sickness(We can find it easy in the Cusco Pharmacies, we hardly recommended the Coramina)
06 Extra pairs of Socks(In case those get wet, all time is important have our feet warm and dry enough)
Extra plastic bags, to maintain our equipment dry during the rain season
Chocolates, candies or other snacks
Photo Camera