Choquequirao Trek to MachuPicchu 6 Days

We leave Cusco early (5:00 in the morning), driving on the road that continues northwest through the famous Pampas de Anta or Yawar Pampa (Pampa de Sangre, due to the fierce battle between the Inkas and the Chankas for the possession of the city of Cusco). We crossed the mountains and descended to the hot town of Limatambo (2600 masl), where the archaeological site of Tarawasi is located.

We continue to the Cunyac bridge over the Apurimac River, the natural border between the Cusco region and Apurimac, and we continue the road to the town of Curahuasi, famous for its aromatic liquor: Anis Macerado. Our last stop is in the city of San Pedro de Cachora (2800 m.s.s.m.) about 4 hours by car from Cusco.

Here we will meet our “arrieros” (knights) and begin our walk. We cross the Cachora stream and climb through a refreshing eucalyptus forest and native vegetation to the dirt track that is passable by cars.

From here, the road is flat until the viewpoint of Capuliyoq (2850 m.s.s.m.). The estimated time to reach that point is 3 hours. From the point of view where we will enjoy our lunch, we have a spectacular view of the Apurimac and Choquequirao rivers.

We descend for 3 hours on a zigzag path, crossing forests and then a forest of native trees called Phaty. Finally we arrive at our first camp called Chiquisca (1930 m.s.n.m.) after 6 hours of walking. We can look forward to a hot night in the valley. Climate: hot with mosquitoes Duration: 7 hours

After breakfast, we begin our descent to Playa Rosalina (1550 m.s.m.), where we will climb the hill on a zigzag path, towards Santa Rosa (2095 m.s.m.). After a recovery time, we continue to Marampata (2850 m.s.m.), a flat place where we can rest in conditions similar to Santa Rosa; enjoying a splendid view of Choquequirao.

The time from the Apurimac River to here is 4 to 5 hours. The gradient varies from almost flat to very steep. We follow the road that begins flat and then we have several sections going up and down before camping in Choquequirao (3033 m.s.s.). This campsite has bathrooms and cold water showers. We did a 7 hour walk on this day in fairly warm weather, with a total distance of 14 km to the campsite.

We have a whole day to discover the huge Shock complex. Your guide will try to show you the most recently discovered areas, agricultural terraces and the llama sculpture sector which is a more remote sector. Archaeologists are still discovering new parts of the complex covered by intense jungle.

You will have time to explore the complex on your own. At the end of the afternoon, we will begin the walk back and we will camp in Marampata (2850 m.s.s.m.) (approximately 2 hours). Our walk will be approximately 5 hours in fairly warm weather.

After breakfast, we continue our return journey, starting with a steep descent towards the Apurimac River, where we will stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we will climb for approximately 4 hours and then we will camp at Coca Masana (2150 m.s.s.m.). The climb will be easier than on the second day. Today we hike around 7 hours in quite hot weather

Day 5 will be the last day of trekking and we will be able to enjoy the Apurimac Gorge while we follow the path that crosses the gorge to the point where the trek began.

We arrived at Cachora (2850 masl) and took our bus to Ollantaytambo. In the evening, you will take the train (1 hour and 30 minutes) from the train station in Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, where you will spend the night in a hotel. Your guide will not follow you to Ollantaytambo, but you will have a new guide waiting for you the next morning.

Early in the morning, we took the bus from Aguas Calientes (2050 m.a.s.l.) to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. You have the opportunity to climb the difficult path to the top of the Huayna Picchu mountain (2700 m.a.s.l.),

the pyramid-shaped peak that dominates Machu Picchu, which offers spectacular and different views. From Huayna Picchu, it is even possible to see the famous Apu Salkantay snow mountain.

The guided tour at 2:30 a.m. Machu Picchu allows us to appreciate the high level of development reached by the Andean civilization through the Incas.

Machu Picchu demonstrates the superior knowledge achieved in astronomy and astrology. Knowledge of the rainy and dry seasons through the solstices was indispensable for the development of agriculture; the source of life in the Andes.

In the afternoon, in Aguas Calientes, guests can enjoy a relaxing bath in the local hot springs before taking the train back to Cusco.  machu picchu wikitravel