The purpose of the Trail to Choquequiraw was religious and ceremonial, a pilgrimage that included rituals to honor the mountains and peaks of the route, like Salkantay sacred mountain.
It is situated in the mountain range of the Salkantay, at over 3030 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Apus (mountain gods) of Yamana, Ampay, Chokecarpu, Pumasiyo and Panta, on the left bank of the Apurimac River. During the time of the Incas, everything was connected and in communication with Machu Picchu through a complex network of trails.
Choquequiraw is considered "The Last Refuge of the Inca Empire". Visitors will have a chance to discover a complex hydraulic system, most likely for domestic, ceremonial and agricultural use. The geographic location of Choquequiraw in reference to other religious centers of the same period tends to indicate that its function was that Inca enclave toward the valleys of the Apurímac River. There are many similarities between Choquequiraw and Machu Picchu.
We will pick you up from your hotel by touristic transport to take you to “San Pedro de Cachora” (2800masl) a beautiful Andean Village; in Cachora we start the 4 hours hiking before to reach our lunch place. then we will head to Kapuliyoq sector, where we continue our trek. There in Kapuliyoq, during the way we can enjoy a big diversity of landscapes that belong to different climates, like Padriyoc snowcapped, flora and fauna Andean diversity that makes beautiful our trip.
We will be able to see the deepest canyon of the world, the Apurimac canyon where the Apurimac River flows and also is possible to see the first views of Choquequiraw. We will continue descending until Chiquisca, where we will have a short break.
After Lunch we will start with our last descent of the day, it will be about 2 hours approx. towards the La Playa Sector. La playa is about 1800 m.a.s.l Close to Apurimac “the sacred river”.
Meals: Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Minimum altitude: 1550 MASL – 4650 FASL
Maximum altitude: 3100 MASL – 9300 FASL
Distance: 14 km – 9 miles
Time: 5 hours (approximately)
Difficulty: Easy
fter organic breakfast, starts the climb up of 2 hours to Santa Rosa small village (break point) then continues the uphill for 3 hours to Marampata lunch spot. During the hike you get to enjoy the splendid of Apurimac canyon, the mountain of Choquequiraw and beautiful sharply mountains. After lunch the walk is very gentle to get the lost Inca city, Choquequiraw. The campsite is only outside of the Inca site (Chance to see the sunset and Condors).
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Minimum altitude: 1550 MASL – 4650 FASL
Maximum altitude: 3100 MASL – 9300 FASL
Distance: 16 km - 10 miles
Time: 5 hours (approximately)
Difficulty: Easy
After breakfast, we will visit the magnificent archeological site of Choquequiraw for the entire day. Enjoy the private guided tour and explore all of the beautiful city sections: Temples, terraces, palaces, llamas’ quarters, and much more. We will return to the same campsite for tea and to spend the night.
Choquequiraw means “Cradle of Gold” in Quechua - the language of the Incas - although this is probably not its original name. It is another “Lost City of the Incas” rediscovered officially late in the 20th century. It is located high on a ridge spur almost 1750 meters/5741 feet above the raging, glacier-fed Apurimac River and is surrounded by the towering Salkantay and Humantay snow-capped peaks. Excavations and restoration of the 1810-hectare site began in the 1990s, and it is estimated that only 30% of the site has been restored to date. Every day archeologists are finding new things.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Minimum altitude: 1550 MASL – 4650 FASL
Maximum altitude: 3100 MASL – 9300 FASL
This morning we will start our walk back towards Santa Rosa, where we are going to have lunch. Then we will continue descending for another 2 hours until we reach Rosalina Beach at 1450m/4756ft, where we might have time to take a refreshing dip in the waters of the Apurimac River. We camp and dine here; also, we spend the night close to the river exactly in the first campsite.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Minimum altitude: 1550 MASL – 4650 FASL
Maximum altitude: 3100 MASL – 9300 FASL
Distance: 16 km - 10 miles
Time: 5 hours (approximately)
Difficulty: Easy
Today we will leave the campsite extremely early in the morning after the breakfast, we’ll hike 4 hours uphill to Capuliyoc, where will you have the last lunch with your expedition team. After lunch we still have 2 more hours of hike to Cachora Andean village, finally since this point we are going to take the bus to Cusco we will be arriving in the afternoon.
About Choquequiraw Campsites:
Please note: Campsites may change (be different from this itinerary) depending on booking time and availability, weather conditions or on restrictions undertaken for safety reasons by the Peruvian Government.
Meals: Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Minimum altitude: 1550 MASL – 4650 FASL
Maximum altitude: 3100 MASL – 9300 FASL
Distance: 14 km – 9 miles
Time: 5 hours (approximately)
Difficulty: Easy
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Sarah M
December 5, 2025
Percy was a fantastic guide, and the whole hike to Choquequirao was magical. The route was very varied and Percy timed everything perfectly so that we had the best hiking and time to explore the site when we got there. We will be back again!
Arthur S
December 5, 2024
Our hike to Choquequirao was a beautiful experience. Our guide Percy was well informed, kind and very knowledgable. We felt well looked after the entire time (the cups of tea delivered to our tents in the morning were a particular highlight). Even after four days I wasn’t ready to leave.
Miguel A
November 25, 2024
Nos gusto mucho esta agencia de viaje, nos la recomendaron y nos quedamos con una buena experiencia, muy profesionales, todo en tiempo y cumpliendo con lo contratado. Sin duda los recomendamos y volvemos con ellos.
marialaina p
November 23, 2024
We initially tried booking with one of the more popular companies, but they were fully booked. So, we decided to give this smaller company a try—and it turned out to be the best decision! Smaller groups made the experience more intimate, and the guides were incredibly attentive. Here are some examples of why it was a great experience: Percy and Iza, our tour guides, went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and cared for. They paid close attention to our needs, making the entire journey enjoyable and safe. On top of that, the cooks provided by the company were outstanding—creative, skilled, and very considerate. I have a gluten intolerance, and I felt very special because they would make an effort to prepare separate dishes for me. It made me feel truly valued. Despite not exercising much before the Salkantay trek, I was able to complete it thanks to Percy and Iza’s support. They motivated me every step of the way, and I felt safe and cared for throughout. I’m so grateful for their kindness, humor, history about the trek and professionalism. When we go back to Cusco we’re definitely wanting to book here and have Iza/Percy as our guides… if we can . Thanks for making our trip so memorable
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