Choquequirao Trek 4 days

Tour Highlights

• Off the beaten path
• Pristine wilderness
• Choquekirao

Trip Style

• Adventure
• Culture / History
• Nature
• Trekking

Physical Difficulty

⭐⭐⭐     CHALLENGING

• Experience the ancient ruins of Choquequirao, "Sister City" of Machu Picchu
• Nat Geo's 25 "World's Best Hikes"
• Soaring mountain peaks
• Charming Quechua farming villages
• Having the Andes all to yourself!
• Private tour of Choquekirao
• Choquekirao sunset 
• Deluxe camping sites
• Fantastic Peruvian cuisine prepared by Professional Quechua chef
• Premier camping accommodations - Sleeping bag, mattress, pillow, blanket and poles included
• Personalized service Small group sizes
• Personal Porters included

Day 1, Cusco – Capuliyoc – Santa Rosa

We leave Cusco at 5:30am for the 4 hour drive to Cachora in our private transportation. On the way we will stop to have breakfast admiring the wonderful Limatambo Canyon and the Salkantay and Humantay Mountains. We then continue to the little village of Cachora - Capuliyoc 2,900m / 9,512 ft, the beginning of the trail. At this place we’ll meet up our muleteers, and horses, where we’ll get ready for the trek. We’ll start with our expedition, hiking for about 3 hours on a downhill trail to get the lunch spot called Chikiska located at 1,900 m / 6,213 ft, with stunning views of the snowcapped mountains of the Vilcabamba range, and the great Apurimac canyon. At Chikiska, we’ll enjoy our just prepared fresh lunch. After having lunch, we’ll hike for 4 more hour to get the first camp site called La Santa Rosa 1,500m / 4,920 ft. Here we will set up camp and spend the night.

Day 2, Santa Rosa – Maranpata – Choquequuirao (Afternoon Exploration)

Very early in the morning, we’ll wake up with a nice coca tea, and we’ll have a nutritious breakfast, after that, we’ll ascend for about 3 hours on the steep switchback trail to get the  town called Maranpata, where we will have our lunch. From this lunch spot, we’ll see a part of mystical Choquequirao in a further direction. After having lunch, we’ll walk for 2 more hours to get the second campsite, located in the park of Choquequirao 2,950 m / 9,676 ft. This afternoon, we’ll go to explore a part of Choquequirao’s religious site, where we’ll savor an amazing sunset, we’ll then come back to our campsite.

Day 3, Marampata - Chikisca - Coca Masana

A great breakfast will make us ready for another great day. After that, we’ll start hiking downhill for about 3 hours on a steep switchback trail to reach the Apurimac River again, this section of the trail is less hiked and explored. On this section of the trail, we’ll savor dramatic views of the great Apurimac canyon from different angles. Upon our arrival to the river and playa Rosalinda 1,450 m / 4,756 ft, we’ll take a deserved break, and enjoy our snacks. As of this place, we’ll start hiking up for about 45 minutes to reach the next Lunch campsite located at Chikisca 1,820 m / 5,970 ft. After this we continue to our camsite for enjoy the sunset. This afternoon, at Coca masana , we’ll have a chance to explore the local orchard where we’ll learn about the Coca plant, Cocoa plant, Avocado tree, and other fruits.

Day 4, Coca Masana – Capulichayoq – Saywite – Cusco

It’s our last hiking day, after enjoying a nutritious breakfast, we’ll continue trekking up the highland valley with some trees along the trail and amazing views, this final section of the trail is a gentle trail for 3 hours to reach Capulichayoq 2,320 m / 7,610 ft, a place where we’ll end our adventure. Once we arrive at this place, we’ll have a farewell time to our muleteers, cook and other members who were part of our team for 4 days. After that, we’ll take our private transport back to Cusco for about 5 hours with some stop offs on the way, one them is a stop at Saywite a unique place to see a great Incan monolith called the monolith of Saywite is a symbolic representation of our cosmos, where the Incas used a living granite rock to carve over 208 figures like geometric and zoomorphic figures, including reptiles, frogs, felines, irrigation channels, etc. The site is regarded as a center of religious worship for Incan people, focusing on water. It’s a big granite boulder whose circumference is about 11 m / 36.08 ft, 4 m / 13.12 ft of diameter, and about 2 m / 6.56 ft high. After learning about this site, we’ll then drive back to Cusco for about 3 hours.

With the Choquekirao Trek package you will receive:

Transportation and Tickets

• Private transport from your Cusco hotel to the start of the trek
• Transfer back to your Cusco hotel
• Entrance tickets to Choquekirao

Camping Equipment

• We use four-season Eureka tents with two entrances and a capacity for four people (for comfort, only two people per tent)
• Foam mattresses, tables, and seat for each tent
• Food and drink utensils
• Dinner tent and kitchen tent for the group
• First aid kit and emergency oxygen bottle

Team

• Professional, knowledgeable bilingual guide
• A cook to prepare your meals
• Porters to carry provided equipment and food (additional porters can be hired to carry your personal belongings)
• Our guides are professional and multilingual. Not only do they possess an excellent knowledge of the Inca Trail, but they’re also wholly familiar with all of the intricate archaeological, historical, and cultural Inca traditions. All of our tour personnel are also highly qualified in tour group management and in first

Food

• High quality meals to provide the necessary energy for this challenging trek
• In addition to three meals daily, you will be given revitalizing snacks
• Hot drinks such as tea and coffee, as well as enough water for your canteens, water bottles, or hydration packs (collected from local streams and boiled while on the trek)

Price per person: US$ 550, (Minimum 2 persons; departures all year)

• We include duffle bags 8kls and a horse that will carry your personal belongings in all of our treks at no additional cost.
• Emergency horse available throughout the trek, in the event someone is not feeling well.

Discounts

• Student Discount (with valid ISIC card) – $25
• Under 15 Discount – $25
• Under 7 Discount – $35

Rentals

• Hiking poles - US$15.00 (pair)
• Sleeping bag -4 season - US$30.00
• Private Tent - US$30.00
• Air mattress -$15

THE EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU® DIFFERENCE - DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE

Explore Adventures Peru® has been setting the standard for Trekking Peruvian Andes since 2010. As one of the few specialist companies organizing high quality expeditions, we are recognized as one of the best operators on the Peruvian Andes. Come see why we are the premier Andes outfitter. When you travel with us, you gain access to people and places. You’re enriched by the knowledge of our experts and guides, and by local experts we meet along the way. And you give back. Simply by taking a trip with Explore Adventures Peru, you support the work of our explorers and indigenous Quechuas villages.

WE HAVE A 99.8% CLIENT SATISFACTION RATE!

Undoubtedly, the most honest and accurate feedback comes from our clients themselves. With the goal of constantly improving our service, a post-Hiking survey is taken from each client in order to assess our staff, equipment, and food.

LOCAL GUIDES - KNOWLEDGE: LET OUR EXPERTS GUIDE YOU

• Professional, experienced, licensed local Quechuan guides
• Our guides are formed by expert Photographers, Explorers, History teachers, Archaeologists
• Honest, hardworking, team oriented support staff
• Over 600 times hikes on Inca Trail success experiences and client satisfaction

QUALITY EQUIPMENT HIGH QUALITY EQUIPMENT & SERVICE.

• Rugged, four season North face, Mountain Hardwear, Doite, Vango tents
• Super warm North face, Mountain Equipment, Mountain Hardwear -30F sleeping bags
• Spacious mess tents and private toilets
• Outdoor utensils in stainless steel

FANTASTIC MEALS

• Delicious meals made from fresh, local ingredients
• Clean water treated with Water Guard
• we customize our menus depending on the preferences of the group,
• we never use freeze-dried backpacking meals
• Hearty, delicious meals that will optimally fuel and inspire you during your trip!
• We also regularly accommodate vegetarian, vegan, kosher, non-gluten and other specialty diets

FOCUSED ON SAFETY; WE HAVE MANY LAYERS OF SAFETY BUILT INTO OUR OPERATIONS TO MINIMIZE THE RISKS ON INCA TRAIL AND BEYOND .

•  We have established protocols for handling emergencies on the mountain, including rescue and evacuation
• Certified Wilderness First Responders
• Certified of the oficial firemen of Peru
• Daily pulse and oxygen saturation monitoring
• We provide evacuation by helicopter Andes Corp. For hikers seriously injured or sick.
• Emergency oxygen, portable stretchers and medical kits
• Emergency horse available in all our Alternatives treks

RESPONSIBLE TREKKING - GIVE BACK: WHEN YOU TRAVEL WITH US, YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Environmentally and socially responsible company
• Member of Inca Trail Porters Welfare
• Member of Leave No Trace
• Fair and ethical treatment of porters
• Empowering Peruvian women

PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION BY EXPLORE

Instead of local buses, which other companies use to reduce their costs,
we always provide private transportation. This service allows our clients
flexibility and privacy.

HAPPY CUSTOMERS

• "Great experience!"
• "Very well planned & organized"
• "Excellent service all around"
• "A solid company"
•  "Highly recommended!"
•  "Genuine, authentic, and flexible with deep local knowledge!"
• "Absolutely Amazing!"

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Trip CheckList

• Original passport and some copies.
• Travel insurance (and some copies).
• Sleeping bag (or you can rent one from us).
• Backpack to carry your things.
• Phone and Camera charger and adapter.
• Camera.
• Torch or headlamps.
• Ear Plugs.
• Deet or mosquito repellent ( recommendable 30% deet).
• Hiking poles ( or you can rent one pair from us).
• Rain gear (especially if traveling in the wet season, from October to March).
• Comfortable hiking clothes, including warm clothes for the nighttime.
• Good hiking boots with protector ankle or similar, and one pair of flip-flops or light sandals.
• Sunblock and sunglasses.
• Hiking long sleeve T-shirts.
• Hiking trousers.
• Thermal underwear.
• Hiking socks.
• Water bottle or canteen.
• American dollars and peruvian soles in cash.
• Sun hat, cap, and warm hat and gloves for the nighttime.
• Toilet paper, and face tissue paper.
• Anti-inflammatory tablets (e.g. Ibuprofen).
• Personal first-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration power, extra prescription drugs you may take).