Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu 8 Days

We will pick you up from your hotel between 3:30 to 4:00 AM to start our trip in a private van for 4 hours to northeast of Cusco city, through small towns until Capuliyoc town (2.800masl) where we have a delicious breakfast and where also we will meet with our trip staff (muleteers and horses).

After breakfast we begin with our hiking for about 20 minutes and will arrive to our first viewer where we have a panoramic view, in front of us we can see the vilcabamba mountain range called ( padreyoc) and the famous Apurimac Canon, after having an amazing view we will start our descend for 3 hours through beautiful landscapes where you will be able to see different medicinal plants which were used by our ancestors ( muña, chilca and different varieties of plants) If we are lucky we will be able to see the majestic Condor, we descend until Chiquisca Hamlet (1800masl) where we have a delicious tipycal Cusco Lunch Buffet.

After having Lunch we will have a 30 min break to continue with or hiking, Descending 45 minutes more until Playa Rosalinas (1700masl), located in Apurimac River separated by two important Peruvian regions CUSCO and APURIMAC

After passing the famous Apurimac river we continue descending for 4 hours until Marampata (3500masl) on the way we will see bird dance, at sunset we will see andean people, how they live in the mountains with a style of life that maybe you wont believe compared to the city. We will arrive to our private Choquequirao trek Lodge approximately at 5:30 pm, after a small break its time for dinner, approximately at 7pm and overnight in our LOGDE, during the night you will be able to see constellations according Andean or Inca religión.

In the early morning you will be woke up with a coca tea and have enough time to organize our stuff. Approximately at 7:30am we will have a delicious typical Breakfast. Then we will continue with our hiking to Marampata, on this day the hiking is going to have a high level physically, where we will be able to see an amazing view of the Archeological Choquequirao Complex (3900masl) through our hiking we will have amazing canon views where our tour guide will explain about the flora and fauna, we´ll have 3 hours to explore all the Choquequirao Complex (cradle of gold) also knew as the lost city where you will visit plazas sector, llamas sector, astronomic sector and other important places.

After to visit all of this places we will start our descend until Choquequirao Camping where our picnic Lunch is waiting for us, after having lunch we will take a 30min break and continue to an amazing place that only us know about it, this place is called cataratas de Pachayoc (water falls) a place where you will be in touch with the nature. Finally we will return to Choquequirao Camp where dinner is ready and is time to stop over.

Before breakfast, we recommend going to appreciate the magnificent sunrise from this picturesque spot! We will have breakfast at 6 AM.

We start today’s trek passing through and exploring the Choquequirao ruins. We hike uphill through cloud forest, mountains, and valleys to reach the Choquequirao pass.

After 5 hours trekking, the trail continues through agricultural terraces called Pinchinoyoc which means “water jumping forward” (2750 MASL – 9022 FASL).

There we will see different species of birds, varieties of orchids, and local coca plantations.

We will have our lunch near the Rio Blanco. We use the break here to take a refreshing dip in the cold, clear river water if you would like.

We cross the river by walking because there are no bridges.

On the other side, we start the long, steep climb to our camp in Maizal high over the river and closer to the sacred Apus of the Incas. This climb takes about 3 hours. This is the most challenging day. We will camp at 3000 MASL – 9842 FASL.

Waking up on the hillside with the sounds of the forest and birds is a truly great experience! Recharging our energy with a good breakfast and following the trail upward, the landscape is lush green vegetation.

If we keep up our motivation and the gods give us a clear sky, we will be able to just sit and appreciate the snow-capped mountains around us. The uphill climb today is around 7 hours to the summit, and this trail is historically important due to some archaeological remains and Inca channels along the way.

We will pass by the impressive Incan mines called Minas Victoria, from which silver used to be extracted. and head toward the Victoria Pass (4200 MASL – 13773 FASL).

This is a long climb, but we will walk through an absolutely breath-taking area, first with cloud forest and then over the Andean Puna with its well-known Ichu grass.

As we approach the top, we can appreciate original paved Inca trails. We will have lunch on the pass with views of the mountains Choquetakarpo and Pedrayoc.

While we have lunch, we will hopefully be able to appreciate the flight of the condors, depending on the climate.

Finally, we will descend to our campsite at Yamana, a small village settlement at the bottom of a long valley surrounded by mountains (3800 MASL – 12467 FASL).

The native community of Yamana surrounds the base camp. We begin another long day with the big smiles of local children, the sun is shining on camp ground, the noise of a grand waterfall, and breakfast on a table outside to appreciate everything around us.

We then start hiking uphill to the highest pass in this trek (5 hours). This is Yamana pass (4700 MASL – 15419 FASL).

During the day, it is common to observe the Andean farmers growing potatoes in their fields and possibly even some frozen potatoes. Again, the view will be amazing from here as we will be surrounded by the mountain ranges of Saqsarayoc and Pedreyoc.

Once again, we have the chance to see condors flying about, and this morning’s smooth climb brings us through new landscapes - especially the wet grass fields under the snowline and water stream.

In the pass, we may be walking through snow in a new entrance to the Santa Teresa Valley. Here, we can observe one of the Incan Gods – Salkantay Mountain.

Afterward, we descend on a long, foggy path through grassy fields and bush areas, crossing bridges on the way to the community of Totora. where we will have lunch

After a short break we continue back down to warmer climes again and our path will eventually converge with in Colpapampa (2900m / 9514 ft.) where we will camp for the night.

After breakfast at 6:00 AM we begin our day hiking until we reach our lunch site at La Playa. After lunch we will have a fairly easy descent where you will be able to experience Ceja de Sela, the jungle highland. Here, you will see coca, coffee, fruit plantations, birds, orchids, and begonias.

We will then have a bus drive us for two hours down to the village of Santa Teresa where, we have dinner and spend the night in tents.

After breakfast, we will board our transport to the hydroelectric plant, where the government control is located and the entrance to Machu Picchu National Park (Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary).

At this point we will start our trekking to the town of Aguas Calientes, passing through the area called Intihuatana, a small archaeological site where the guide will share an explanation to better understand the site.

Then we will continue to Inka Rakay, where we will enjoy our lunch. During the journey, we will enjoy and contemplate the majesty of the Machu Picchu mountains, Huayna Picchu as well as other agrological sites in the heights of the mountain.

We will finish the hike in the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the third night of the tour.

Today we arrive at the long-awaited finale of our trek, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Machu Picchu! We will wake up early after a refreshing night at our hostel to beat the crowds to the top of Machu Picchu and enjoy its serenity in the soft morning light. The Machu Picchu entrance check point is open from 06:00 AM until 17:00 PM. We will hike up to Machu Picchu (a bus ride is optional and included if you do not want to walk) and enter the hidden Royal Citadel of the Incas.

Here we will have a 2-hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city to visit temples, terraces, palaces, priest’s houses, the sundial, the industrial sector, and the farming fields. Be amazed at the engineering ingenuity of the Incas which was so far ahead of their time and still partially a mystery today! Without having modern tools or even steel and iron to work with, the people who built this city were genius in organizing this community in a sustainable and beautiful way on the side of a mountain, even bringing water in canals through its streets for the people to use. When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and in a state of disrepair. It has since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world at large!

After this tour, you are free to climb up to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (Be sure to book in advance to get tickets for these!). Each mountain takes approximately 3 hours to hike up and down. Another lower-impact option for which you do not need an extra ticket is to trek to the Sun Gate, the main entrance from the Inca Trail (this takes about 2 or 2.5 hours round-trip).

Another option is walking to see the Incan Bridge. You will be able to stay and enjoy this magical city for more than 7 hours before hiking back down to Aguas Calientes for the train ride at 6:45 PM to Ollantaytambo. A private bus will pick up our group and drop you off at your hostel in Cusco at about 11:00 PM. Rest your feet and your body now, but we can assure you your heart will still be soaring for weeks and years to come!