Choquequirao Trek
5 days | 4 nights | 35 miles hiking | 4 nights camping
What is included?
Tents for trek
Guided tour of Choquequirao
Four days hiking in Andes range
All transportation for the trek
All meals during trek
All professional guides and staff
All permits, tickets, taxes, and fees
Be one of the first to visit an incredible new site of Inca ruins and escape the crowds
You get to Cusco and we will handle the rest!
Schedule Overview
Day 1
The Journey Begins
Pick up from Cusco hotel around 4AM
2.5 hour drive from Cusco to trail head
6-7 hours of hiking to first campsite
Day 2
Challenging Day
Early start
Hike to highest point of trek
Arrive to Choquequirao in the evening
Day 3
Full Day at Choquequirao
Entire day exploring various ruins
Professional tour of sites of interest
Camp directly on the ruins
Day 4
Hike on same path
Same hike you had in, to go out
Downhill most of the day
Use same campsite as on Night 1
Day 5
Hike to the van
Uphill hike in the morning
Arrive to van in the afternoon
Drive back to Cusco hotel
Popular Questions
Short answer: "shoulder seasons", the Spring and Fall of North America. These months provide the best combo of good weather and lower crowds.
High elevation effects everyone differently. Two general pieces of advice: take it easy on your first day in Cusco and hydrate
We've compiled the ultimate packing list depending on which trip you're planning to take. Check it out at the link below
Schedule Details
Let's get specific...
Day 1
The Journey Begins
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Max Altitude: 9,500ft. (2,900m)
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Min Altitude: 4,900ft. (1,500m)
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Distance Hiked: ~8 miles (12.8 km)
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Ascent: 4,600ft. (1,400m)
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Walking Time: 6-7 hours
Note: Our trekking times are approximate and will vary depending on: weather conditions, group ability and other factors.
MORNING
Today’s journey starts early! A Kusa Treks van will pick you up from your hotel at 4:00AM and drive to the trail head called Capuliyoc. Upon arrival you’ll enjoy the first of many professionally prepared meals by our chef and his staff. During breakfast you’ll meet the crew that will be hiking with you including the Porters, the chef, and assistant guides. You’ll snap a quick family photo (before we lose anyone to the Andes), with gorgeous snow-capped peaks as the backdrop!
After the picture, you will start your life-changing expedition to Choquequirao. There is only one trail to reach Choquequirao, so you will take the same path on the way out that you will hike on the way in.
The first leg is a 3-hour descent (caution to those with knee issues!). This section of Inca Trail can be a bit slippery if there has been recent precipitation. However, with trekking poles and good hiking shoes you’ll make it through just fine! After hiking for 3-4 hours, you will reach your lunch spot, where a hot meal in a meal tent awaits.
AFTERNOON
After taking a break to enjoy lunch, the hike will continue downhill. All of today’s hike will be downhill, and you will take your time and take breaks along the way. Your guide will pause to show you incredible vistas along the way. This part of the Andes is one of the most remote places on the planet, and you will feel a sense of overwhelming wonder and awe at the incredible scenery that surrounds you.
After hiking for another 3-4 hours, you will reach the first campsite (which you will see again on Night 4).
EVENING
Each night you will have a family “tea-time”, where you’ll enjoy hot chocolate, a variety of teas and snacks together to wind down from the efforts of the hike. You’ll swap stories and prepare to eat a delicious, hot dinner prepared by our chef and his staff. If the weather allows, your guide will show you the Inca Constellations in the millions of bright stars that stretch overhead.
After dinner your Tour Guides will go over our plans for Day 2. Buenas Noches!
Day 2
On Top of the World!
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Max Altitude: 9,842ft. (3,000m)
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Min Altitude: 4,900ft. (1,500m)
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Distance Hiked: 9.5 miles (15.2 km)
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Ascent: +4,942ft. (1,500m)
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Walking Time: 6-7 hours
MORNING
Your day will start early with Porter’s waking you up with a fresh cup of hot tea at 5:30AM. As our staff packs up camp, you will eat a nutritious, warm breakfast. Today’s hike will begin by crossing a huge river using a cable car, and then the hard part begins!
You will use switch backs to hike up a severely steep hill (mountain, it’s really a mountain). However, the views of sugarcane farms and the gorgeous valley that surrounds you will take some of the edge off of the hike’s difficulty. This climb is the most challenging stage of our trek.
AFTERNOON
A little more than halfway through today’s climb, you will stop to rest and eat a refreshing lunch. The views during lunch are incredible, as you are over 9,000ft. up and the valley below you is filled lush forests, a rushing river and wildlife. Hopefully you will be able to spot the King of the Andes: the Condor.
After lunch you can stretch out and rest to prepare for the next section of our hike. The last stage of today’s hike is 2-3 hours, which will take you to the “door step” of Choquequirao. This stretch of the hike is visually stunning and not as difficult as the morning. After an hour or so, you’ll be able to see Choquequirao below you along with the Apurimac Canyon and the snow-capped peaks of the Andes.
Once you reach the campsite, those with energy left can walk 30 minutes uphill to enjoy the dazzling sight of the sun setting behind the Choquequirao ruins.
EVENING
Each night you will have a family “tea-time”, where you’ll enjoy hot chocolate, a variety of teas and snacks together to wind down from the efforts of the hike. You’ll swap stories and prepare to eat a delicious, hot dinner being prepared by our chef and his staff. If the weather allows, your guide will show you the Inca Constellations in the millions of bright stars that stretch overhead.
After dinner your Tour Guides will go over our plans for Day 3. Buenas Noches!
Day 3
Exploring Choquequirao
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Maximum Altitude: 9,842ft (3,000m)
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Minimum Altitude: 9,842ft (3,000m)
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Distance Traveled: ~2 miles (3.2 km), walking around the ruins
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Walking Time: 4-6 hours
MORNING
Enjoy a warm and energy-packed breakfast after which you will spend all day exploring the newly uncovered Inca ruins of Choquequirao. This day will include several historic and archaeological lessons from your guide. Choquequirao is 3X the size of Machu Picchu and some of it is still covered by trees, bushes and vines!
The site itself is spread out over the mountain with several “mini-cities”, within it. You can explore as much of Choquequirao as you would like. Your guide will start with the more “impressive” structures including the temples and astronomical observatories.
AFTERNOON
After 4 hours of touring, the group will take a break to eat lunch and discuss all of the fascinating things seen. After lunch you can choose to explore other parts of the city on your own or with one your guides. You’ll definitely want to check out the agricultural terraces and llama carvings, which are a 30-minute downhill walk from the “main part” of the city.
This section of Choquequirao has stone walls with llamas carved into the edifice, made over 500 years ago! Towards the end of the day, your guide will lead you to the Usno portion of Choquequirao, where you can see the sunset below the Andes and take a family picture.
EVENING
Following this picture perfect ending to a perfect day, you will eat dinner and learn about tomorrow’s itinerary. After dinner your guide will show you how to identify the Inca Constellations in the Southern skies as stars stretch out infinitely above you. We hope you enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime experience, sleep well chicos and rest for tomorrow’s return journey.
Day 4
Leave The Way You Came In
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Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
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Maximum Altitude: 9,842ft. (3,000m)
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Minimum Altitude: 4,900ft. (1,500m)
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Distance Traveled: 9.5 miles (15.2 km)
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Descent: 4,942ft. (1,500m)
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Walking Time: 6-7 hours
MORNING
In its current state, Choquequirao has one way in and one way out. You will journey back out the same way you came. However, what was an incredibly hard ascent to Choquequirao is now and an incredibly hard descent to leave. You will absolutely require trekking poles and determination! You’ll take breaks along the way and try to spot the plentiful wildlife around us including: black bears, condors, llamas, hummingbirds and more.
AFTERNOON/EVENING
After hiking for 3-4 hours, you’ll stop for a lunch break. During this adventure, you will be hiking in one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet, so take your time and enjoy the view. After lunch you’ll have another 2-3 hours hiking downhill to reach the campsite for the night. You’ll share tea-time and dinner and prepare for the final stretch tomorrow.
Day 5
Hike in the Morning, then van back to Cusco!
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Meals: Breakfast and lunch
MORNING
Enjoy an early breakfast and then a 4 hour hike uphill until reaching the trail head where you started on Day 1.
A Kusa Treks van will be waiting to take you back to Cusco. You’ll eat a final meal all together with the Porters, guides and chefs and then, after a tearful goodbye, you will say farewell! You will then have a 3 hour trip by car to Cusco, where you will arrive around 6:00PM.