The Choquequirao Trek is a 4 days route to the Inca archeological site of Choquequirao. This site was built during the XV and XVI centuries, under the rule of Tupac Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac. It was one of the last Inca sites to be constructed.
Choquequirao is often considered as the sister city of Machu Picchu. It gained that name due to its late rediscovery during the first decades of the XX century. The archeological excavations of Choquequirao have revealed that it was a sanctuary dedicated to the sun and water gods.
After the Spanish conquest of Peru, Choquequirao was one of the last Inca strongholds in the Vilcabamba Valley. The Incas managed to occupy the area until the Inca Emperor Tupac Amaru was captured and executed in 1572.
Later, Choquequirao fell into oblivion for centuries. It was not until 1909, when an American expedition led by Hiram Bingham found Choquequirao on its search for the last Inca city. After its rediscovery, Choquequirao began to be studied and restored. Nowadays, only 30% of the archaeological site has been uncovered.
The most known buildings of Choquequirao are the Huaqaypata square, the Hurin square, the Qolqas, and the stone terraces. The citadel is located in the middle of Vilcabamba valley, and it is only accessible by foot. Unlike Machu Picchu, there is not an equivalent of the Inca Trail in Choquequirao.
We recommend taking the Choquequirao route during the dry season, between April and October. During this season the trek is easier and safer to walk on due to the lack of rain. Currently there are no alternative routes to Choquequirao. A cable car to the site was proposed in 2014, but the service is still under development.
At Sanvil Turismo we offer the best travel packages in the region of Cusco. Our tour guides are professionals authorized by the local government to guide treks and tours in the region. They are experts in the history and traditions of each destination you will be visiting.
We also offer treks to Machu Picchu and the famous Salkantay Trek. Explore the beautiful Inca archaeological sites in the Cusco region with us.
Your Hotel in Cusco City
4:00 am
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 4:00 am. Then we will drive to Capuliyoq town, located at 2800 meters (9186 feet) above sea level. Once in Capuliyoc, we will get our first views of Choquequirao from the nearby lookout. Then, we will begin our adventure to the beautiful Choquequirao citadel.
After walking for some hours, we will stop to have lunch at Chiquisqa town. Then, we will continue our trek to La Playa Rosalina campsite. This campsite is located near the banks of the Apurimac river. It has some basic services such as bathrooms and showers.
We will set up our tents in Playa Rosalina. Then, we will have dinner and spend the night.
We will wake up early in the morning. After having breakfast, we will hike for around 2 hours to the Santa Rosa campsite, where we will stop to have a short break. Then, we will walk for another 3 hours until we reach the Marampata campsite. We will stop there to have a delicious lunch.
Afterwards, we will hike to Choquequirao. However, we will not enter the citadel on this day. We will set up our campsite near Choquequirao to have dinner and spend the night.
After having breakfast, we will enter the archeological site of Choquequirao. You will have a guided tour of this incredible Inca site. We will visit the most important buildings of Choquequirao, including the stone terraces and the qolqas.
Then, we will return to our campsite, where we will stop to have lunch. Afterwards, we will start our return trip to Capuliyoc. We will walk to Salto Pajchayoc, where we will stop to have a short break. Then, we will descend to Chiquisca town, where we will set up our campsite to have dinner and spend the night.
We will wake up very early in the morning to have breakfast. Then, we will walk for around 4 hours to Capuliyoq town. We will stop there to have lunch.
After having lunch, we will walk for around 2 hours to Cachora town. Once there, we will board our private vehicle to return to Cusco city. We will be arriving in Cusco around 9:00 pm.
