Choquequirao Trek
A Spectacular Trek to a Less-Visited Incan Citadel
Days: 10 | Contact us for pricing
- Includes accommodations at first class hotels that reflect the best of local culture
- Includes excursions and tours with superb private guides
Enjoy world class cuisine and museums in Lima, then renew your sense of wonder exploring lost Incan cities and contemporary Peruvian culture. Trek for several days through mountain scenery to Choquequirao, a fascinating and remote Incan site.
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Specialist
We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.
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At a glance
- Lima
1 night: renowned cuisine and world class museums - Cusco
2 nights: walk the streets of the captivating former Incan capital - Sacred Valley
1 night: Andean life and ancient ruins in this magnificent river valley - Choquequirao Trek
4 nights: hike and camp among unmatched Andean scenery - Cusco
1 night: more time to explore this fascinating city
All itineraries are fully customizable. We will send you a personalized variation that reflects your interests and travel dates at no extra cost. Call to discuss your travel plans with one of our Specialists who know this region firsthand.
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Sample itinerary
Welcome to Lima
Arrive to Lima, former capital of the Spanish empire in the Americas, and transfer to your first class hotel in Miraflores, Lima’s main cultural and commercial district. This is a great area for strolling around and is home to many of Lima’s best restaurants.
Private tours of Lima or visits to any of Lima’s museums can be arranged; we can also arrange culinary tours focusing on Peru’s increasingly renowned cuisine, or art tours for those with special interests.
Accommodations: Atemporal
Housed in a renovated 1940s townhouse in the chic Miraflores district, this six-room hotel provides a relaxed atmosphere with excellent service. Atemporal offers its guests an alternative lodging experience in three room categories: Grand, Charming, and Cozy. Atemporal is entirely private, meaning only guests and those they invite can use its exclusive spaces, with their offbeat but functional collector’s aesthetic, including a veranda, salon and private garden.
Upgrades and alternatives: Hotel B, Miraflores Park Hotel, and othersFly to Cusco
Fly over the Andes to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, where your private guide will take you to your hotel. Enjoy the afternoon free to acclimatize to the altitude and explore a bit on your own. Cusco is located at 11,000 feet and you’ll have the next 2 nights here to get accustomed to the altitude as you prepare for your trek.
Accommodations: Inkaterra La Casona Cusco
A Relais & Chateaux property, La Casona is set in a restored 16th-century colonial manor house, which was built over an Inca complex and later occupied by the conquistadors of Peru. Its 11 suites surround an elegant courtyard, and the hotel offers a dining room, dining terrace, lounge and sitting area. La Casona graciously preserves the site's historic details while offering modern comfort and amenities. An exclusive boutique hotel experience, and one of the top options in Cusco.
*Includes: BreakfastUpgrades and alternatives: Palacio Nazarenas, Palacio del Inka, and others
Private Tour of Cusco: History, Culture, Architecture, and more
Get to know Cusco with your knowledgeable private guide, visiting the historical highlights of this fascinating city. Visit Sacsahuaman, the massive Incan fortress on the hills above the city, where you can enjoy views out over Cusco and the entire surrounding area. Afterward enjoy the afternoon to explore more of the city on your own.
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Spend the day exploring the Sacred Valley with your private guide, seeing less-visited sites that will deepen your understanding of the local culture. You’ll get out and see the Sacred Valley on your own two feet, with the chance to do some acclimatization walking (your guide will be there to accommodate whatever level of additional hiking you want to do; additional days of acclimatization can also be added as desired/needed).
Discover the unique Incan site of Moray and the nearby town and ancient salt pans of Maras. After a scenic picnic lunch, visit Ollantaytambo, one of the few towns to survive in its current layout from Incan times. In the late afternoon you’ll be dropped off at your hotel in the heart of the Valley.
Accommodations: Hotel Sol y Luna
The Sol y Luna Lodge is located in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas, not far from the town of Urubamba. Peruvian art adorns each of the first class, comfortable adobe cottages, whose terraces offer spectacular views of the mountains. A place that does things the right way, this hotel has long been among our traveler favorites due to the superb accommodations, location, and service. The property offers two outstanding restaurants. There is also a stable with beautiful horses that can be taken out into the surrounding mountains on horseback riding excursions. This is a Relais & Chateaux property.
*Includes: Breakfast, LunchBegin Choquequirao Trek
Enjoy a scenic drive north to Antapampa, a flat agricultural valley. Descend into Limatambo and visit the Inca site of Tarawasi. Your road continues to the Apurimac River, where you cross and enter the village of Cachora. It is here that you begin your hike, walking along the edge of the mountain.
At Capuliyoc you get your first view of the Apurimac canyon, with the snowcapped mountains of Nev Padreyoc in front. Begin the descent and camp by the river at Chikiska (6,070 feet above sea level) at a small campsite next to the river.
About 6 hours of hiking; about 11.4 miles.
Accommodations: Camp at Chikiska
Chikiska / Maranpata / Choquequirao
Cross the river on a footbridge early this morning. From here an uphill walk of about half a day brings you to a small meadow, where you stop for lunch. The afternoon hike is less steep as you approach the hanging valley where the site of Choquequirao is found.
Camp at Marampampa and begin to explore the isolated Inca sites and the surrounding cloud forest. You can visit the Choquequirao main plaza, known for its grouping of terraces with llama figures called “the Llamas of the Sun.”
About 8 hours of hiking; about 8 miles.
Accommodations: Camp at Marampampa
Explore Choquequirao
Spend the day exploring the Choquequirao complex, situated on a ridge overlooking the canyon, as well as some of the outlying buildings. After lunch you can spend the afternoon relaxing at your campsite, or visit some of the other ruins in the area. If you’re up for a good trek, ask your guide about hiking to the rock terraces that house the Llamas of the Sun, or down to the waterfall below your campsite.
Accommodations: Camp at Phuyupatamarca
Choquequirao / Apurimac / Villa Loros
Set out early and descend toward Playa San Ignacio, located at 4,692 feet above sea level. From there, follow the trail up again to the former Hacienda San Ignacio, at 5,577 feet above sea level, for another hour of steep trail to reach El Carmen Bridge. Continue for another 45 minutes to the Villa Los Loros Lodging, where you will spend the night.
About 7 to 8 hours of hiking; about 10.3 miles.
Accommodations: Villa los Loros
Travel to Cusco
Set out mid-morning for the scenic ride back to Cusco. It is a panoramic ascent on this side of the valley, with great views of the surrounding peaks.
Arrive to Cusco in the early afternoon with time to relax, explore more of the city, and enjoy one of the local restaurants.
Accommodations: Inkaterra La Casona Cusco
A Relais & Chateaux property, La Casona is set in a restored 16th-century colonial manor house, which was built over an Inca complex and later occupied by the conquistadors of Peru. Its 11 suites surround an elegant courtyard, and the hotel offers a dining room, dining terrace, lounge and sitting area. La Casona graciously preserves the site's historic details while offering modern comfort and amenities. An exclusive boutique hotel experience, and one of the top options in Cusco.
*Includes: BreakfastUpgrades and alternatives: Palacio Nazarenas, Palacio del Inka, and others
Depart for Home or Your Next Destination
Today you will say goodbye to your local guide and head to the airport for your flight home or to your next destination.
Popular Ways to Customize This Itinerary
Take part in a Pachamanca, a traditional Andean cooking ceremony on the shores of Lake Piuray.
Add a few nights in the Peruvian Amazon or Lake Titicaca, both easily accessible from Cusco.
Add extra days in Lima, Cusco, or Arequipa: All three are worth exploring on your own, and we can arrange a variety of activities, including city tours, culinary excursions, visits to ruins and historical sites, and active options such as hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Include some downtime for rest and relaxation! Some free time to unwind or have a massage will allow you to feel refreshed and ready for the remainder of your trip. Many of our properties include excellent spas or wellness centers. We can help arrange these services or include properties that offer health & wellness amenities.
Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.
Reviews From This Trip
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