Choquequirao Trek 4 Days

Choquequirao Trek 4 Days is the best alternative trek in Cusco when Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is sold out; Choquequirao is a beautiful city built above 3,000 meters above sea level, is known as the “Sacred Sister” of Machu Picchu because of its structural and architectural similarity. It comprises nine sectors, including the religious centers, an astronomical observatory, the gate group, the political sector with some administrative buildings and rooms, a Main Square with a group of royal residences, some up to two levels, food storages, beautiful water fountains that supplied the liquid element to the whole urban sector.

Choquequirao is bordered by snowy summits that make the place more impressive, so delicate, and at the same time so strong inspiration, built to worship their gods, to approach the top, to understand the unknown and the eternal in a sacred space. The condors, superior spirits, watch it from the air, revolting, caring as if they were the eternal guardians of the sacred, a task they surely received from their younger brothers the Incas.

It is a challenging hike of 4 days, but we can promise you that it is worth every drop of sweat and tears. If you have more time, you may like to choose our 5 Day Choquequirao Trek with a finish at a different points.

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:
Choquequirao Expeditions 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!

Early in the morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco, to drive for about 4.5 hours to Capuliyoc (2910m / 9,547ft), the starting point of our adventure, before we will stop in Cachora to have breakfast (not included) and get some items for the trail. Upon our arrival to Capuliyoc, we’ll meet our horseman, who will pack everything for the trek and load the camping equipment onto horses. After getting everything filled and finalized, we start hiking downhill to Playa Rosalinas.

We will be surrounded by snow-capped mountains, deep valleys, and birds such as the big Andean bird, called Condor of the Andes. After hiking for about 3 hours from Capuliyoc, we will reach Chikisca, where we will enjoy our first just made lunch about mid-day; after lunch, our trek continues walking down to Playa Rosalina (1,500 m – 4,921 ft) which is the lower part of the route, then we ascend for 1.5 hours until Santa Rosa campsite. In the evening we will have tea time, subsequently dinner.

• Total Walking Distance: 12 km
• Total Walking Time: 6-7h
• Minimum Altitude: 1520m (4986 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 2970m (9744 ft)
• Altitude of camp: 2095m (6973 ft)
• Approx. night temperature: 8°C

After a healthy breakfast, we begin to walk up, we walk along a desert trail where agriculture is almost impossible due to the dryness. However, the inhabitants of the area are able to take advantage of some streams to cultivate sugar cane. After hiking uphill for around 2.5 hours we get to Marampata, where we enjoy a lunch surrounded by fantastic scenery.

After lunch, we will walk for 1.5 hours with mostly flat until we reach The park of Choquequirao; as we hike, we will see some orchids, native flowers, and birds such as the hummingbird, Chiguanco Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Condor so on. Upon our arrival at Choquequirao park, we will start to explore the ruins.

After about 3 hours of touring the site – including the religious sector and central part of the ruins – we start our two-hour hike back to the campsite of Marampata. This is a very long but rewarding day as we aim to maximize our time in Choquequirao. In the evening we will have tea time and a delicious dinner.

• Total Walking Distance: 16.2 km
• Total Walking Time: 7-8h
• Minimum Altitude: 2095m (6873 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 3050m (10,007 ft)
• Altitude of camp: 2940m (9646 ft)
• Approx. night temperature: 5°C

Today we will leave the beautiful Marampata campsite and start our descent towards the Apurimac River and the so-called Rosalina Beach (1520 m/4986 ft). From there we will continue hiking upwards until we reach our campsite of Chiquisca (1950 m / 6397 ft).

At Chiquisca our Cook will prepare our lunch and we will have a free afternoon to relax. This is the place where we will spend the night and enjoy a tasty dinner. We will be more than ready for bed when the time comes.

• Total Walking Distance: 8.9km (12.3km if camping at Cocamasana)
• Total Walking Time: 4-5h (6-7h if camping at Cocamasana)
• Minimum Altitude: 1520m (4986 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 2940m (9646 ft)
• Altitude of camp: 1950m (6397 ft) (or 2450m (8038 ft), if camping at Cocamasana)
• Approx. night temperature: 5°C

This morning, we finish our Choquequirao trek with a 3 to 4-hour climb upwards to Capuliyoc. When we reach our destination, we’re once again rewarded with spectacular views. Our car will be waiting here to pick us up to start the 4.5-hour drive back to Cusco.

On the way, we have the option of visiting Saywite (3500m / 11,483 ft) which is a pretty archaeological site located in the district of Curahuasi. It’s an Incan complex that probably was built in the 16th century. Saywite occupies an area of around 2 hectares which houses important examples of Inca stone art, as well as religious-ritualistic spaces.

On the other hand, if all we want to do is relax, we can instead visit the Cconoc hot springs (1780m / 5840 ft). Its waters reach temperatures of 26°C and 35°C with a pH of 6.9, and are surrounded by carob trees, reed beds, and cactus. It’s a wonderful place to relax. The medicinal properties of the thermal baths and their pleasant temperatures offer the perfect place to rest our muscles and feet after this amazing 4-day Choquequirao hike. After a quick dip, we can enjoy lunch surrounded by the beautiful views of the Apurimac River valley.

Finally, we hop in our private car to continue the journey back to the City of Cusco, where we will be arrive around 6 pm.

• Total Walking Distance: 7km (or 3.6km, if you camped at Cocamasana on D3)
• Total Walking Time: 3-4h (or 2h, if you camped at Cocamasana on D3)
• Minimum Altitude: 1950m (6397 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 2970m (9744 ft)

• 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.