Choquequirao Trek – Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Cachora – Playa Rosalinas
In Cusco at the scheduled time, travelers will be picked up from their hotels, we then drive for four hours to arrive to the village of Cachora the beginning point of our Choquequirao tour. We will enjoy breakfast at the house of our horseman before we start hiking. Leaving Cachora we will walk for 4 hours through a gentle path until we arrive to the lookout point of Capuliyoc where we will have a magnificent view of the Apurimac canyon and the Vilcabamba mountain range with it is fantastic snow-capped peaks above the Apurimac Canyon.
After a few hours walking down-hill, we will arrive to Cocamasana for lunch. On the opposite side of the canyon, we will see Choquequirao on the far side of the valley. The places around Choquequirao are rich in life and we will see a great variety of flora and fauna typical of this region. After lunch, we will walk for three more hours to arrive at the first camp.
Our campsite for the night is at Playa Rosalinas, which is located 100 meters away from Apurimac River.
- Overnight: Camping
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 2: Playa Rosalinas – Choquequirao
Today is probably one of the hardest days of the trek. After breakfast we will continue with Choquequirao tour, starting our hike up-hill through a Zigzagging path for approx. 5 hours until we arrive to Marampata (lookout point for Choquequirao tour). We will be ascending 1600m over a distance of 18km / 11.2 miles through hot and humid conditions. It’s rigorous trekking but the views we get today mixed with the wide variety of flora and fauna on this side of the valley makes it worth it.
After having lunch at Marampata, we will continue with our Choquequirao tour walking another 2 hours to arrive to the base camp of Choquequirao, Throughout the day we will see a great variety of orchids, bromeliads and different types of bamboos; we’ll also hopefully see birds such as Quetzals, Toucans and a variety of hummingbirds.
- Overnight: Camping
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 3: Choquequirao full day exploring.
The third day of Choquequirao trek starts with a delicious breakfast. Today you will have a guided tour to all the main places of interest throughout lower terraces. After lunch, there will be more time for a further exploration of upper Choquequirao with our tour guide. Choquequirao is composed of an amazing and extensive set of agriculture terraces, religious and administrative sites with a total area of over 1800 hectares.
There are amazing irrigation water channels and all of this set in the dramatic setting of the steep Apurimac Canyon. In the late afternoon, we may be lucky enough to spot Condors soaring over the valley below and then we walk back to our campsite.
- Overnight: Camping
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 4: Choquequirao – Cocamasana
After breakfast you will depart from Choquequirao and start trekking back to Cocamasana. Walking through the cloud forest, the trail will lead us to Marampata an isolated village of farmers and then we descend toward the Apurimac Canyon. We will reach Playa Rosalinas, where we can enter in the Apurimac River, for a refreshing bath. This river is considered by the locals, as a sacred river.
In the afternoon, we will walk up-hill for approx.3 hours to arrive in Cocamasana. This is a beautiful campsite with mind-blowing views of the snow-capped mountains and the Apurimac canyon.
- Overnight: Camping
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 5: Cocamasana – Cachora – Cusco.
On the final morning of Choquequirao trek, we leave the Camp after breakfast, there will be up-hill hike for 3 hours, until to reach the lookout place of Capuliyoc. This place is great for a little break and enjoy the wonderful scenery. We then end our trip
We will enjoy lunch in Cachora and be picked up by our transportation. Then the drive will be for 4 hours to get back to Cusco. At your arrival in the city you will be dropped off in the hotel.
- Meals: Breakfast and lunch.
What you should bring for Choquequirao Trek?
- Personal sleeping Bag
- Bottle of water
- some drinkable water
- Purification tablets
- Original passport in a plastic bag
- Day-pack with essential items
- Extra money in cash
- Hiking shoes or waterproof boots
- Rain coat or poncho
- Water bottle and flashlight
- hat, sun block and sunglasses
- Warm clothes and Light clothes
- Insect repellent and sunblock
- Tablets for the altitude Sickness
- Extra plastic bags
- Chocolates, candies or other snacks
- camera and batteries
