Our favorite hike and the lonely planet's best destination for 2017. The Choquequirao trek is the way to go.
The amazing Choquequirao trek is our best seller! Laying in a cloud forest, a dramatic 1150 metres (3772 feet) above the Apurimac River, and surrounded by a fascinating landscape created by the Vilcabamba mountain range, Choquekirao Peru has everything to offer a trekker. It is a challenging but amazing experience to hike down to the depths of the Apurimac Canyon and then up to the "craddle of gold".
Trek Details:
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IncludeS:
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Itinerary:
Day One
Start time 5:00 am Travel By bus on a 4 hour bus ride to the village of Cachora, Hiking afterwards. Highlights of Day On this day we meet our horseman and other staff members. We will begin our trek in Cachora 2950m/9678ft a town along the edge of the Apurimac canyon and follow the trail, enjoying the dramatic landscapes and a variety of plant and animal life until we reach our campsite at Santa Rosa 1650m/5413ft. Difficulty level Moderate. Meals Breakfast on way to Cachora (not included). Lunch during the hike and dinner at our campsite. Accommodation Camping in tents at a campsite at Santa Rosa. The temperature at night is usually around 15º degrees. Other information It is a challenging but amazing experience to hike down to the depths of the Apurimac Canyon and then up to the site in the cloud. The altitude change for the day from Cachora 2950m/9678ft – Santa Rosa 1650m/5413ft. |
Day Two Start time 5:00 am. Travel Trekking all day. Highlights of the Day A steep and difficult ascent from our campsite to the highest point Maranpata 3150m/10334ft. Following this, we will hike through a thick cloud forest towards the Inca site of Choquekirao we then have some time to relax and enjoy the archaeological zone, plants, animals (hopefully condors), and views of nearby canyons and snow-capped mountains Choquetacarpo 5910m/19389ft. We will camp in Choquekiraw Inca site 3033m/9950ft. Difficulty Level Very difficult. Meals Breakfast at campsite, lunch on trek and dinner at campsite in evening. Accommodation Campsite at Choquequirao 3033m/9950ft. Temperature around 9ºC/48°F. Other information After we arrive at our destination in Choquequirao we will have lunch and a well deserved rest before we commence our first 2 hour visit of Choquequirao. |
Day Three
Start time 5:00 am Travel Trekking all day. Highlights of the Day Our day begins with a 3-hour guided tour around the Inca site of Choquekirao . After this, we descend to our last campsite, Chiquisca 1680m/5511ft. Difficulty Level Moderate Meals Breakfast at campsite, lunch on the trek and dinner at the campsite in the evening. Accommodation Campsite at chiquisca 1680m/5511ft. Other information The ‘lost city’ Choquekirao meaning ‘cradle of gold’ was discovered in the 18th century by a French explorer, it fascinated 19th century explorers and was also visited by Hiram Bingham III prior to his discovery of Machu Picchu. Grandiose and mysterious, this abandoned city has lots of similarities to Machu Picchu and there are a variety of theories about its function. It is only relatively recently, however, that COPESCO (the official body responsible for tourism in Peru) has partially cleared the site and there remains a lot more to be discovered. |
Day Four
Start time 5.00 am Travel Trekking and bus ride to Cusco. Highlights of the Day We will walk up the hill toward Cachora and from there take a bus back to Cusco to arrive at about 8pm. Difficulty Level Moderate - Easy Meals Breakfast at the campsite lunch during the hike. Accommodation You will be back in Cusco in your own accommodation for this evening. |
Optional services not included.
***NOTE: Total weight includes sleeping bag and pads (Sleeping bags and pads weight approx. 3kg) |
Prices:
Tour prices are based on the number of people in a group. Prices are valid from March 2017 through January 2018. All prices quoted are $USD
Price per person:
IMPORTANT: One of the reasons that our price may be higher than that of other agencies is that we ALWAYS book the maximum number of porters possible (according to Inca Trail regulations) this ensures that our porters are not overloaded. Beware of this when booking they might be cheaper because of this!
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What you need to take:
- Original passport (and *International Student card (ISIC) if applicable)
- Travel Insurance is essential
- Sleeping bag (not included but can be hired from us)
- Walking boots
- Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
- Warm jacket
- Hat and gloves
- T-shirts
- Comfortable trousers
- Sun hat
- Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)
- Insect repellent
- Water (only until lunch time on day 1)
- Toiletries and hand sanitizer.
- Personal medication
- Camera and films
- Torch with spare batteries (headlamps are useful)
Optional items to take:
- Shorts
- Walking stick (with rubber tip)
- Plasters and bandages
- Sandals
- Extra money
- Bathing suit (for hot springs in Conoc)