Choquequirao & Machu Picchu Route

We’ll start our adventure very early in the morning. We’ll pick you up at your hotel at 4:30 a.m. and will travel for 4 hours in our private mobility to Cachora. We will stop along the way to enjoy a nutritious and delicious breakfast (price not included) while we contemplate the impressive snow-capped mountains of Salkantay and Humantay in the distance. In Cachora we’ll meet the rest of the team of assistants as well as the animals who’ll carry our belongings and after defining some details we’ll begin the walk. 4 hours downhill awaits us to the lunch point in Chikiska, a beautiful town full of fruit fields. Along the route we’ll be able to contemplate the impressive landscape that the Apurímac Valley offers, as well as two other gigantic snow-capped mountains: Padreyoc and Wayna Cachora. We’ll continue the descent for 2 more hours until we reach the bottom of the valley where you’ll find the fast moving Apurímac river, whose name in Quechua means "speaking God", which is ideal for canoeing thanks to its class 5 rapids. Then, we’ll make a 2-hour ascent until you reach the Santa Rosa camp (1,800 masl / 5,906 fasl) where a delicious dinner and an incredible night of rest await

After savoring a delicious breakfast, we’ll continue our journey and start the walk at 5:30 a.m. A 3-hour zig-zag climb awaits us, up to Marampata (3,100 masl / 10,170 fasl) where you can capture impressive photographs of the canyon and the snow-capped peaks. Then a gradual descent of 3.5 hours will begin that will take you to the very archaeological complex of Choquequirao where you’ll enjoy lunch. Our camp will be set up near there. Contemplate your surroundings, feel the energy that this place has stored for 5 centuries, and take advantage to stretch your muscles as we will briefly visit the most important places in Choquequirao. At sunset, enjoy a beautiful sunset that will flood the endless valleys and white glacial mountains with its orange light. When it begins to get dark we will return to the camp to enjoy a dinner that will comfort your stomach and restore your energy.

Today we recommend waking up before the sun come up to appreciate the magnificent sunrise. See how the flashes of Father Sol or Tayta Inti fill all corners with colour and life. Connect with the closest star of fire and feel his deep affection. Take the opportunity to thank the sacred mountains that surround you and the powerful Apurímac River. In this way we’ll say goodbye to Choquequirao. After breakfast, we’ll begin our ascent towards the cloud forest. We will arrive at the Choquequirao pass (3,300 masl / 10,826 fasl) to descend to the archaeological site of Pinchaunuyoc (2,750 masl / 9,022 fasl) that will surprise you with its agricultural platforms suspended over the abysses of the White River canyon. We’ll continue descending to enjoy our lunch near the river where you’ll be able to appreciate various species of birds, different orchids, and plantations of the sacred coca leaf. Many of our travellers take advantage of this opportunity to take a dip in the cold and crystal clear waters of the river. It will be a pleasure to take a bath after 3 days of trekking! We’ll cross the river and begin a challenging ascent to our camp in Maizal. This will be the most difficult day.

Today you’ll wake up with the unanimous song of the birds that will greet the sun. After recharging your energy with a delicious breakfast, we’ll head down an uphill path covered by lush vegetation. The snowy mountains will surround us once again reminding us of their power and beauty. In case the sky is not clear, you’ll see how the clouds cover the valley below us. In one way or another, the landscape will be extraordinary. 7 hours of ascent await us. This sector of the route is of great historical importance because several archaeological sites are scattered along the way. In addition, you’ll be able to observe some ancient Inca silver mines called Minas Victoria and then ascend to the Victoria pass (4,200 masl / 13,773 fasl). It will be quite a long climb, but the beauty of the route is so great that you won't even notice the effort. We’ll walk through the Amazonian cloud forests and then we’ll go up to the puna that is known for its grasslands or ichhu. Near the top we’ll begin to see cobbled sectors of the road that are original constructions of the Incas. We’ll have lunch observing the immensity of the snowy mountains of Choquetakarpo and Padreyoc. If we’re lucky and the weather allows it, it’s very likely that we can appreciate the flight of the condor whose spread wings reach 3 meters in length. For this reason it’s the largest flying bird in the world. Finally we will make a decent to the Yanama camp (3,500 masl / 11,482 fasl) a small town located at the bottom of a huge valley.

The people of Yanama have known how to preserve the ancestral traditions of the Andes to this day. It’s an excellent place to make new friends and perhaps give some things to the children who’ll come to greet you. You’ll wake up to the relaxing sound of a waterfall and the countless voices that the jungle hides. After breakfast, we will begin a 5-hour ascent to the highest point of the entire trek, the Yanama pass (4,700 masl / 15,419 fasl). On our walk we’ll observe the people of the place lovingly working the land in the potato fields. Along the way, the snowy mountain ranges of Saqsarayoc and Padreyoc will appear with their gigantic bodies of snow. Depending on the season, we may be able to walk on the snow at this point of the trek. In addition, you’ll see, for the first time, the imposing sacred mountain Salkantay, one of the main deities of the region. Later, we’ll descend through a long and mysterious fog-filled path towards the community of Totora. After dinner, enjoy a restful night amid the tranquillity of the place and its indescribable beauty.

The last day of walking has arrived. We will walk on a sector of the original Inca Trail that will lead us through the jungle. From there you can see the incredible landscape of the Santa Teresa valley and some coffee and passion fruit plantations. Once we reach the top of that mountain, we’ll find the fabulous Inca site of Llactapata from where you can already make out the location of the citadel of Machu Picchu. Then we will descend for 3 hours to the Hydroelectric train station. Here we’ll enjoy our last lunch on the route and say goodbye to our support team. You’ll receive your luggage inside the duffle bags and embark on a train trip to the miniature town of Aguas Calientes (2,000 masl /6,562 fasl) where you’ll stay in a comfortable hotel. Before or after dinner, you’ll have the option of visiting the thermo-medicinal waters that exist in the place (price not included). Then, a night of deserved rest awaits you since the next morning, very early, we’ll go to the fantastic archaeological complex of Machu Picchu.

Today this great adventure concludes and we’re sure that you’ll no longer be the same person. As we’ve done every day, we’ll start very early to take advantage of the amazing lights of dawn. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then choose between these 2 options: go by bus for 30 minutes to Machu Picchu or walk to the sacred citadel on a mysterious route in the company of your guide. Remember to notify your guide the night before if you decide to walk. Once you have arrived at this impressive site, you’ll take a 2-hour guided tour of the most important places. Machu Picchu is a true architectural and engineering wonder. Discover how granite chaos turns into magnificent buildings that are always in careful harmony with nature. You’ll feel a powerful energy that will finish transforming your spirit after this intense walk. Remember that Machu Picchu is an extremely sacred place. After the guided tour you’ll be able to explore this Inca citadel on your own and feel the presence of the ancient Peruvians. If you have booked the entrance to the Huayna Picchu Mountain, you’ll have the opportunity to stay an additional amount of time. You’ll reach the top after climbing some bleachers that have rock walls on one side and an endless steep face on the other. At approximately 3:00 p.m. You must take your bus back to Aguas Calientes where you can choose one of the restaurants for lunch (price not included). Then collect your bags from the hotel and go to the train station where you’ll board a wagon at approximately 4:20 p.m. After a magical trip to the banks of the Urubamba River you’ll arrive in Ollantaytambo where our private mobility will be waiting for you that will take you back to Cusco. You’ll arrive at the door of your hotel at approximately 8:30 p.m.