Choquequirao to Machupicchu – 6D/5N

We leave Cusco early in the morning by private transport at about 5:30 am and arrive after 4 hours to Cachora (2,900 m.a.s.l.), a typical Andean village where we meet the rest of our trekking team. After a well-deserved breakfast, we start a two-hour hike to Capuliyoc (2,915 m.).

On the way we get our first views of the Apurimac Valley below and the snow-capped peaks of Padreyoc and Huayna Cachora (5,482 m.). We then descend the eastern slopes of the Andes to reach Coca Masana (2,330 m.). The temperature increases, the flora and fauna begin to change. Finally we arrive at Playa Rosalina at 1,550 m., where we camp next to the Apurimac River.

Again we get up very early to have breakfast and start our hike to get to Marampata or Choquequirao. After noon we will arrive at the archaeological site and we will know it step by step, the great skill and intelligence that had the people who built this vestige that makes us see again the glorious time of the Inca empire.

Admiring the beauty and with our heads full of ideas, we observe how the condors fly, which around 3 pm appear in the Choquequirao area when they fly to higher areas. Later we take a route to Raqaypata where we camp and after dinner we spend the night.

This day we will dedicate exclusively to enjoy all the magic of the history and splendor of Choquequirao, with a guided tour and time to know the entire site with its 8 sectors, such as barns, houses, temples and also observe the three levels of the excavated ruins of this late Inca city, as the ruin under excavation and finally unexplored areas that can inform us about this last refuge of the terraces of the oppressed Inca empire.

Again, this day we have the opportunity to enjoy the majestic flight of the condors that with a lot of luck will pass very close to you. In the afternoon we will return to our camp for lunch and then rest and enjoy the tranquility of Choquequirao.

After breakfast, we will begin to descend towards Santa Rosa, where the vegetation will become abundant and the climate warmer. We will continue to the Chiquisca sector to camp.

We will wake up with the birds singing and the beautiful landscapes. We will walk to Cachora and after lunch we will take our bus to Ollantaytambo to take the train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu village) where we will spend the night in a one star hotel.

We get up early in the morning around 4 am. to have breakfast and leave for Machu Picchu which takes 1:30 minutes walking, but there is another option to take the first bus that leaves at 5:30 am. to Machu Picchu (takes 25 minutes) to appreciate the magnificent city as the sun rises.

Your guide will give you a 2-hour tour and then you can explore the mysterious city on your own. If you still have energy, you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2,720m. / 8,890 ft.) It takes 1:45 minutes to reach the top (optional and check availability). Then you will take the train around 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm or 6:20 pm depending on the availability of the train, so you will arrive to Ollantaytambo after 2 hours of travel, so a private transportation will take you back to Cusco.