7-DAY CHOQUEQUIRAO TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

We will start the 7-Day Choquequirao Trail to Machu Picchu! We will pick you up from your hotel and have the 5-hour car trip to travelers crossing Cachora. Once there, we will meet the rest of the team (riders, cooks, etc.). Then we started walking uphill, crossing the Capuliyoc pass, where we can see condors flying overhead. We will have a great view of the Apurimac Canyon and experience the lush microclimate of the valley. At our stopping point, we can see the location of Choquequirao from afar. Finally, we descend through a cactus forest to Rosalina Beach, on the banks of the Apurimac River, the main tributary of the Amazon River. Along the river, there is another microclimate. This first night, we will camp at La Playa Rosalina (1550 MASL – 5085 FASL).

Distance: 22 km – 13.6 miles
Warm weather
Walking time: 7 hours

After a hearty breakfast, you will be given a bag of snacks to snack throughout the day. The first part of our day consists of a 4-hour ascent on a long and narrow path. Our adventure begins by crossing by cable car over the wild river that is surrounded by dense vegetation with several varieties of orchids. Halfway, we stop for lunch in Maranpata, where we have our first main view of the Choquequirao complex. Then we continue walking 2 more hours to Choquequirao (Golden Cradle), which is considered the sister city of Machu Picchu due to its various similarities. It is located at 1500 meters / 4921 feet above the Apurimac Canyon, and Machu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Canyon. In the afternoon, you will have free time to enjoy the sunset views of the canyon: it’s spectacular! Here, it is also possible to see Andean condors that rise in the mountains. We will camp near Choquequirao (3050 MASL – 10006 FASL).

Distance: 14 km – 8.7 miles
Climate: Warm day / Cold night
Walking time: 7 hours

Before breakfast, we recommend going to appreciate the magnificent sunrise from this picturesque place! We will have breakfast at 6 AM. We begin today’s hike going on and exploring the ruins of Choquequirao. We walk uphill through the cloud forest, mountains and valleys to reach the Choquequirao pass. After 5 hours of walking, the trail continues through agricultural terraces called Pinchinoyoc which means “forward water jump” (2750 MASL – 9022 FASL). There we will see different species of birds, varieties of orchids and local coca plantations. We will have lunch near the White River. We use the rest here to take a refreshing dip in the cold, clear water of the river if you wish. We cross the river walking because there are no bridges. On the other hand, we begin the long, steep climb to our camp in Maizal over the river and closer to the sacred Apus of the Incas. This climb lasts approximately 3 hours. This is the most challenging day. We will camp at 3000 MASL – 9842 FASL.

Distance: 18 km – 11.2 miles
Warm weather
Walking time: 9 hours

Waking up on the hillside with the sounds of the forest and the birds is a really great experience! Recharging our energy with a good breakfast and following the path upwards, the landscape is lush green vegetation. If we keep our motivation and the gods give us a clear sky, we can sit and appreciate the snowy mountains that surround us. The climb uphill today is about 7 hours to the top, and this trail is historically important due to some archaeological remains and Inca canals along the way. We will pass through the impressive Inca mines called Minas Victoria, where silver was extracted. and head towards the Victoria Pass (4200 MASL – 13773 FASL). This is a long climb, but we will walk through an absolutely stunning area, first with cloud forest and then over the Andean Puna with its well-known Ichu grass. As we approach the top, we can appreciate the original paved Inca trails. We will have lunch at the port overlooking the Choquetakarpo and Pedrayoc mountains. While we have lunch, we hope to appreciate the flight of the condors, depending on the weather. Finally, we will descend to our camp in Yamana, a small village settlement at the bottom of a long valley surrounded by mountains (3800 masl – 12467 FASL).

Distance: 17 km – 10.6 miles
Climate: warm and windy day, cold night
Walking time: 8 hours

The Yamana native community surrounds the base camp. We start another long day with the big smiles of the local children, the sun shines at the camp, the noise of a large waterfall and breakfast at an outside table to appreciate everything around us. Then we start walking uphill to the highest pass on this hike (5 hours). This is the Yamana pass (4700 MASL – 15419 FASL). During the day, it is common to observe Andean farmers growing potatoes in their fields and possibly even some frozen potatoes. Once again, the view will be incredible from here, as we will be surrounded by the mountain ranges of Saqsarayoc and Pedreyoc. Once again, we have the opportunity to see the condors flying, and the gentle climbing this morning takes us through new landscapes, especially the fields of wet grass below the snow line and the water current. On the pass We may be walking through the snow at a new entrance to the Santa Teresa Valley. Here, we can observe one of the Inca gods: the Salkantay mountain. Then, we descend a long, foggy road through grassy fields and shrubbery areas, crossing bridges on the road to the community of Totora. We will spend the night in tents, surrounded by natives and indescribable natural beauty!

Distance: 20 km – 12.4 miles
Climate: cold and windy
Walking time: 9 hours

Today’s hike is further downhill, continuing along the original Inca trail in the forest to appreciate the depth of the jungle. The walks will take 10 hours while we return to the heat of the jungle to harvest some fruit while we descend to the Totora River. We will observe wildlife, such as hummingbirds, woodpeckers and many species of orchids and begonias. Then we take a path on the left side of the Santa Teresa River where we will see small plantations of bananas, passion fruit and coffee (which you can try if you wish!). The Beach is the largest town on the road, also the first place with electricity, and here we will have lunch. There are also small shops here to buy snacks and water or use the bathrooms. After lunch, we will drive a small van to Hidroelectrica for approximately 1 hour passing through Santa Teresa. We cross the Vilcanota river and have an excellent view of Machu Picchu and the Aobamba canyon from a different angle; Here you can also see another Inca trail. From Hydroelectric, we walk to Aguas Calientes for 3 hours. This last part of the hike is flat and surrounded by the mountains that house Machu Picchu. If you are tired, there is an optional train trip to Aguas Calientes (US $ 32.00) There is also the option to visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night in a hotel in the city.

Distance: 25 km – 15.5 miles
Warm weather
Walking time: 10 hours

Today we reach the long-awaited end of our 7-Day Choquequirao Trail to Machu Picchu, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and World Heritage by UNESCO: Machu Picchu! We will get up early after a refreshing night in our lodge to beat the crowds to the top of Machu Picchu and enjoy their serenity in the soft morning light. The entrance checkpoint to Machu Picchu is open from 06:00 a.m. at 5:00 p.m. We will walk to Machu Picchu (a bus trip is optional and included if you do not want to walk) and we will enter the hidden Royal Citadel of the Incas. Here we will have a guided tour of 2 hours through this incredible ancient city to visit temples, terraces, palaces, houses of priests, the sundial, the industrial sector and the fields of cultivation. Surprise yourself with the engineering ingenuity of the Incas that was so far ahead of its time and that it is still partially a mystery today!

After this tour,you will have time for lunch and then take the train towards Ollantaytambo and have a car ride to Cusco. End of our 7-Day Choquequirao Trail to Machu Picchu.