CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK & MACHUPICCHU 8 DAYS

DAY 1: CUSCO – CACHORA –  ROSALINA BEACH (RIO APURIMAC)

To enjoy one of the best walks in South America, which will be a new experience to reach the top. The hotels offer them breakfast, then we pick them up and direct them by car for 5 hours, when the travelers arrive they will cross to Cachora, once there we will meet the rest of the team (rider and horses). Then we will start the hike uphill, passing through the Capuliyoc pass, where we can see condors and a great view of the Apurimac canyon. In the valley there is a microclimate and we stop to indicate and the location of Choquequirao.

ROSALINA BEACH

Finally, we will descend through the cactus forest to Rosalina beach, on the banks of the Apurimac River, the main tributary of the Amazon River, to go down the river we will have the microclimate. This is our first night at Rosalina beach (1550m).

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 16 km (9 miles approx.)
• ALTITUDE OF THE CAMP: 1550 meters above sea level
• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• MEALS: Lunc | Dinner

DAY 2: ROSALINA BEACH – MARANPATA – CHOQUEQUIRAO

Our first breakfast, pick up bags of snacks in the backpack to eat during the day, because the ascent is 4 hours of walking uphill through a long and narrow road, our adventure begins by crossing a cable car over the wild river and that It is surrounded by dense vegetation with several varieties of orchids. Halfway to lunch in Maranpata, which is the beginning of the view mainly to the Choquequirao complex and then continue walking for two more hours until arriving.

CHOQUEQUIRAO

Choquequirao is considered the sister city of Machupicchu, due to several similarities, it is 1500 meters above sea level over the Apurimac canyon, and Machupicchu over the Urubamba canyon. The afternoon is free time to have the best views of the sunset and the canyon is spectacular; It is also possible to see Andean condors rising in the mountains. We will camp near Choquequirao (3050m).choquequirao trek

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 14 km (8,5 miles approx.)
• ALTITUDE OF THE CAMP: 3050 meters above sea level
• DIFFICULTY: Challenging
• MEALS: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

DAY 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO – STEP OF CHOQUEQUIRAO – RIO BLANCO

Very early before breakfast, we recommend going to appreciate the magnificent sunrise from this picturesque place. We will have breakfast at 6 am, start the hike going on and exploring the ruins of Choquequirao. We walk uphill through the cloud forest, mountains and valleys to reach the Choquequirao pass. After 5 hours of walking, the trail continues through agricultural terraces called Pinchinoyoc, which means “forward water jump” (2750 masl – 9022 FASL). There we will see different species of birds, varieties of orchids and coca plantations.

BLANCO RIVER

We will have lunch near the Blanco River. Here we will take a break to take a refreshing dip in the cold and crystalline waters of the river, if you wish. We cross the river on foot because there are no bridges. On the other hand, we begin the long, steep ascent to our camp in Maizal, over the river and closer to the sacred Apus of the Incas. This climb lasts approximately 3 hours. This is the day of many challenges. We will camp at (3000 masl – 9842 FASL). choquequirao trek

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 18 km (11 miles approx.)
• ALTITUDE OF THE CAMP: 3000 meters above sea level
• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• MEALS: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

DAY 4: MAIZAL – MINAS VICTORIA – YANAMA

Waking up to the sounds of the forest and the birds is a truly fantastic experience. Recharging our energy with a good breakfast and following the path upwards, in a landscape of lush green vegetation. If we maintain our motivation and the gods give us a clear sky, we can simply sit back and appreciate the snow-capped mountains that surround us. The climb costs around 7 hours to the top today, and this trail is of historical importance due to some archaeological remains and Inca canals along the way. We will pass through the impressive Inca mines called Minas Victoria (4200 masl – 13773 FASL), where the silver was extracted.

YANAMA

This is a long climb, but we will walk through an absolutely stunning 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 the original paved Inca trails. We will have lunch at the pass overlooking the Choquetakarpo and Pedrayoc mountains. While we have lunch, we hope to appreciate the flight of the condors, depending on the weather. Finally, we will descend to our camp in Yamana, a small town at the bottom of a long valley surrounded by mountains (3800 masl – 12467 FASL). choquequirao trek

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 17 km (11 miles approx.)
• ALTITUDE OF THE CAMP: 3800 meters above sea level
• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• MEALS: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

DAY 5: YANAMA – CORDILLERA – TOTORA

The Yanama native community surrounds the base camp. We start another long day with the big smiles of the local children, the sun shines at the camp, the noise of a large waterfall and breakfast at an outside table to appreciate everything around us. Then we start walking uphill to the highest pass on this hike (5 hours). This is the Yamana pass (4700 masl – 15419 FASL).

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

Once again, we have the opportunity to see the condors flying and the gentle rise of this morning takes us through new landscapes, especially the wet grass fields under the snow line and the water stream. On the pass, we may be walking through the snow at a new entrance to the Santa Teresa Valley. Here, we can observe one of the Inca gods: the Salkantay mountain. Then, we descend a long and foggy road through grassy fields and shrub areas, crossing bridges on the road to the community of Totora. We will spend the night in tents, surrounded by natives and an indescribable natural beauty! choquequirao trek choquequirao trek

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 20 km (12 miles approx.)
• DIFFICULTY: Challenging
• MEALS: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

DAY 6: TOTORA – BOSQUE NUBOSO – LA PLAYA – SANTA TERESA

Today’s hike is further downhill, continuing along the original Inca trail in the forest to appreciate the depth of the jungle. The walk will last 10 hours as we head back to the heat of the jungle to harvest some fruits as we descend towards the Totora River. We will observe wildlife, such as hummingbirds, woodpeckers and many species of orchids and begonias.

Then we will take a path on the left side of the Santa Teresa River, where we will see small plantations of bananas, passion fruit and coffee (which you can taste if you wish). Along the way, we will stop in small waterfalls along the way to cool off. The weather and vegetation are very different here than in the other days of our walk.

SANTA TERESA BEACH

The Beach is the largest town on the road, as well as the first place with electricity, and here we will have lunch. There are also small shops here to buy snacks and water or use the bathrooms. After lunch, we will drive a small van to Santa Teresa (1600 masl – 5249 FASL) for about 40 minutes. There will be our camp for the night. In the afternoon, we recommend visiting the hot springs of the city to regenerate energy after the hard trip. choquequirao trek

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 10 km (11 miles approx.)
• ALTITUDE OF THE CAMP: 1600 meters above sea level
• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• MEALS: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

DAY 7: SANTA TERESA –HYDROELECTRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES

On this day you can wake up late. You will have time to walk around the city and explore the new city that has been rebuilt after its collapse in 1997 due to the El Niño phenomenon. After knowing the history of the area, we will drive to Hidroeléctrica, 40 minutes away, where we will start walking to Aguas Calientes (a 3-hour walk) on a path where we can appreciate many types of orchids and birds. From below, we can see the city of Machupicchu from afar, in a dense and strange vegetation. There is also an exceptional view of the Machupicchu mountain from which the city takes its name. For sick or tired hikers, there is an optional train trip to Aguas Calientes (Not included). We will spend the night in a hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes. choquequirao trek

• TOTAL DISTANCE: 10 km (6 miles)
• ALTITUDE OF THE CAMP: 2300 meters above sea level
• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• MEALS: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

DAY 8: MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

We arrived that we were all waiting for, one of the 7 wonders of the world and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO we will wake up early and after breakfast option to walk or board the bus to Machupicchu, we will make a 30-minute trip arriving at the citadel of Machupicchu. We will have a guided tour of 2 hours and 30 minutes to know the most important places of Machupicchu, you can visit the most impressive places such as the Royal Mausoleum, the 3-window temple, the main temple, the Sacred Square, the famous Intihuatana where Incas sages tied the sun on the winter solstice in June, stairways, squares, fountains, etc.

HUAYNAPICCHU

After the tour you have free time of a few more hours to visit Machupicchu on your own and if you go if you want to climb one of the mountains – Huaynapicchu (must be booked in advance) Then you will have to return to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you will have time for lunch (not included). In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (Depends on availability) where our transport will wait for you to return to Cusco. choquequirao trek

• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• MEALS: Breakfast

INCLUYED

  Pick up from your hotel.

  Tourist transport Cusco / Cachora (Start of the trek)

  Choquequirao Entrance & Entrance to the Machupicchu Sanctuary

  Professional bilingual guide (Spanish / English)

  Cargo mules to carry all the equipment, tents, food, kitchen equipment, restaurants and tents, passenger equipment (5 kilos maximum).

  Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 appetizers, 7 lunches and 7 dinners.

  All these meals are prepared by our chef and his assistant.

  Diet options * Vegetarian available.

  Equipment: Kitchen and dining tent.

  Tents for 2 people

  First aid kit with oxygen balloon.

  Emergency horse.

  Executive tourist train: Aguas Calientes / Ollantaytambo or Poroy (According to availability)

  Return transport: Train station / Hotel Cusco.

  07 camping nights

  01 night of 3 * Hotel in Aguas Calientes

  24-hour assistance service from our offices in Cusco.

 

NO INCLUYED

  Breakfast on the first day, lunch and dinner on the last day.

  Ticket to Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain.

  Sleeping bag.

  Walking sticks.

  Tips

  Travel insurance.

  Additional features.

OFFICIAL PAPERS

  Original passport and migration card

  Student card (valid per year)

  Travel insurance

SLEEPING TEAM

  Sleeping bag (can be rented at the agency)

  Thermal rest mattress (can be rented at the agency)

CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES

  Warm clothes: layers of varying temperatures, especially at night.

  Thermal / gloves / scarves: wool socks / wool hat for cold nights, t-shirts for the entire walk.

  Rainwear: a good raincoat and rain pants and a plastic rain poncho.

  Long hiking pants

  Hiking shorts

  Tshirts

  Underwear and casual stockings

  Hiking socks

  Small towel.

  Waterproof gloves

  Swimwear for hot springs (optional).

FOOTWEAR

  Rugged, waterproof, lightweight hiking boots

  Camping shoes such as tennis shoes or sandals or other footwear for use in our camps

TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

  Light backpack of 30-50 liters, which is light for the walk

  Trekking poles (can be rented at the agency)

  Bottle of water “canteen” or camelback

  Personal medical kit

  Personal hygiene kit

  Insect repellent

  Hand sanitizer gel

  Toilet paper

  Headlamp (very important)

  Camera and spare batteries

  Extra battery charger

  Sunscreen / hat and sunglasses

  Earplugs

EXTRA MONEY

  Extra money for drinks

  Tips or gratitude for the work team

  Memories, etc. (soles or dollars)

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

•  To climb the mountain of Huayna Picchu or Machupicchu mountain, there is a limit of spaces per day, it is recommended to check availability with us and book in advance.
•  The pick-up, arrival and train schedules are referential, this will depend on the availability of the train company.
• We always do our best to follow the fixed itinerary, however it may change from time to time based on temporary weather and park restrictions, availability, weather, road closures, guest / injury capacity and natural events such as fires and floods.

ABOUT THE SERVICE

• Prices are per person in US dollars USD
• The cost of the program is based on a minimum 02 program in Shared and Private Service. In the case there is only 01 person to ask if we have a confirmed group to group it in shared service.
•  The reservation of trains, tickets and hotels is subject to space availability.

DISCOUNT

• Foreign tourists up to 25 years with a student card and effective date per year, get a discount of $ 25.00 USD.

ADDITIONAL

  Huayna Picchu Mountain $ 25.00 USD

  Machupicchu Mountain $ 25.00 USD

  Sleeping bag $ 20.00 USD

  Inflatable air mattress $ 20.00 USD

  Walking sticks (Trekking) $ 20.00 USD

  Improve the category to 4 * and 5 * Hotels in Aguas Calientes (Consult us)

 lImprove the category of panoramic return train $ 70.00 USD

  Improve the luxury return train category $ 450.00 USD