Choquequirao Trek 4 Days

We collect you from your hotel around 3:00 am for the private transfer from Cusco to Cachora (2,850 masl), where there’s time for a local breakfast (not included, but inexpensive and worth trying) before meeting the rest of the support team — cooks and muleteers — and setting off on the day’s main hike.

The trail climbs through shifting microclimates for the next 6 to 7 hours, with the snow-capped Padreyoc visible in the distance and the surrounding flora and fauna changing with the altitude. From the Capuliyoc viewpoint, one of the trek’s signature moments comes into view: the Apurimac Canyon, one of the deepest on the planet, with the river far below.

From here, the descent continues past Cocamasana — one of the best canyon viewpoints on the entire route — down to Chiquisca, where lunch is served with the first distant views of Choquequirao and a preview of the trail ahead. The final stretch drops to Playa Rosalina (1,550 masl), crosses the Apurimac River by suspension bridge, and climbs to the night’s camp at Santa Rosa Alta, where tea and dinner close out a long first day.

• Meals: Lunch, afternoon tea, dinner
• Distance: 15 km / 9.3 mi
• Walking time: 6–7 hours
• Camp: Santa Rosa Alta
• Max altitude: 2,890 masl / 9,482 ft

After breakfast, a demanding 3.5-hour climb leads to camp at Marampata (2,918 masl). From there, a shorter ascent brings us to the entrance of the Choquequirao Archaeological Complex, with the Apurimac Canyon and surrounding peaks providing a dramatic backdrop for the final approach.

Often described as the “sister city” of Machu Picchu, Choquequirao shares more than a passing resemblance — both citadels sit at similar latitudes, both span more than 8 hectares, and both overlook deep river canyons. The difference is scale: archaeologists estimate that only about one-third of Choquequirao has been excavated, with new discoveries still being made.

The guided visit covers three main areas: the principal plaza at the heart of the citadel, the “Llamas Sector” — home to some of the site’s finest terraces, decorated with white-stone llama iconography — and the “Ushnu Sector,” the ceremonial viewpoint that produces Choquequirao’s most iconic photograph. After the tour, we return to camp for tea and dinner, resting up before retracing our steps the following day.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner
• Distance: 10 km / 6.2 mi
• Walking time: 6–7 hours
• Camp: Marampata
• Max altitude: Choquequirao Citadel, 3,050 masl / 10,006 ft

We’re back on the trail by 6:00 am, retracing the previous days’ route toward Chiquisca. The first stretch is a roughly 5-hour descent back through Playa Rosalina, crossing the same suspension bridge over the Apurimac before a short break.

From there, an uphill push of about 1.5 hours brings us to Chiquisca for lunch. After resting, a final 1-hour walk leads to camp at Cocamasana, where the evening winds down with tea and dinner under the canyon sky.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner
• Distance: 12 km / 7.5 mi
• Walking time: 5–6 hours
• Camp: Cocamasana, 2,286 masl / 7,500 ft
• Max altitude: 2,918 masl / 9,573 ft

Given how hot this stretch of canyon can get, we start early, before the sun is fully up. After breakfast, roughly 3 hours of steady climbing takes us away from the canyon’s heat and toward Capuliyoc pass (2,885 masl), the trek’s final high point, with one last look back at Choquequirao and the surrounding peaks — including the snow-capped Padreyoc — before descending to meet our transport back to Cusco.

Optional: time and group energy permitting, we can stop at the Conoc hot springs on the way back — a welcome way to unwind before returning to the city.

• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch
• Distance: 5 km / 3.1 mi
• Walking time: ~3 hours
• Max altitude: Capuliyoc, 2,885 masl / 9,465 ft