Choquequirao is one of the lost cities of the Incas, and supposedly one of the last built as they were fleeing the Spanish conquistadors.  Reachable only by walking a minimum of 32 km each way, going from 2800 to 1400 and back up to 3100 meters  above sea level. Much of the ruins of this lost city are yet to be uncovered.  When the whole thing is excavated, they say it could be bigger than Machu Picchu.

Departure:                     5:00am. 

Return:                           8:30pm

Highest pass:                 3300

Trip grading:                   V                                                              

Distance:                        32km

Walking per day:           7 to 6 hours

Itinerary

1^st Day: CUSCO - ROSALINA CHIQUISCA

Early in the morning passengers will be collected from their hotels, after we will have a nice 4 hours bus ride to Cachora.  Once we are there we will pack all our gear on the horses and set off!  During the way we can appreciate beautiful mountains, after we will arrive to the path of Capuliyoc and we will have a great view of the Apurimac River Canyon the source of the Amazon River.  We will start to descend until 1550 m . see level, where we will have our first camp in a place call Rosalinda. 

2and Day: CHIQUISCA-SANTA ROSA-CHOQUEQUIRAO.
Early morning (5:00 am) after breakfast, we continue our hike going up to Choquequirao.  We will arrive to the archaeological place Choquequirao after 5 hours.  Good time to enjoy that majestic place.  We will walk the three levels of the excavated ruin, where we can appreciate houses, terraces and other parts of this late Inca-town, along with the ruin in progress of excavation.  Approximately at 3 o'clock in the afternoon (depends on the weather) we can appreciate "the flight of the Condors".

3rd DAY: CHOQUEQUIRAO-MARANPATA-CHIQUISCA.
After an early breakfast we pack and start walking back to CHIQUISQA.  On the way we can observe again Apurimac River canyon.  Here we may be lucky to appreciate the flight of the Condors, the exuberant vegetation and its variety of flowers and orchids.  We will have our lunch and after that we'll continue to Chiquisqa.  Here we will spend the night. 

4^th DAY: CHIQUISTCA-CACHORA-CUSCO.

We continue until we arrive at the town of Cachora.  On the hike we can appreciate again the majestic PADRAYOC snow-covered peak that decorate to Apurimac canyon.  The time to hike to Cachora is about 7 hours.  In Cachora we'll take the bus back to Cusco.

 What is included:

 -Private transportation

 -Bilingual speaking guide

 -Horses as  porters

 -Extra horse in case of emergency

 -Horsemen to look after the horses

 -Kitchen, dinner and toilet tents

 -First aid kit                                                               

 -Mattress

 -All camping gear

 -Entrance fees to Choquequirao

What is not included:

 -Sleeping bag (may rent in our office for $ 4 a day)

 -Entrance fees to hot springs.

 -Tips

We recommend bringing pills for altitude sickness, and stomaching problems, this is the most frequent trouble for travellers.