Enjoy a 4-day hike to the Choquequirao ruins. Discovered by a French explorer in the 18th century, this place fascinated 19th century explorers and was also visited by Hiram Bingham prior to his discovery of Machu Picchu. Grand and mysterious, this abandoned city is similar to Machu Picchu. Just recently COPESCO (the official body responsible for tourism in Peru) partially cleared the site, so there still remains a lot more to be discovered. This is perfect if you want to visit a number of stunning Inca sites linked by a beautiful stone pathway built in the midst of the most incredible scenery in rising altitudes.
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Our first day starts out from the village of Cachora, a 4 hour drive from Cusco. Leaving Cachora, the path works its way down in to the Apurimac Valley. We will have fantastic views of snow-capped peaks in the distance with the Apurimac Valley spread out before us throughout the day. After, a few hours of walking, we'll get to have our first views of Choquequirao sat on the far side of the valley. The area around Choquequirao is rich in life and we will see a wide variety of flora and fauna as we make our way down in to the valley.
Our campsite for the night is at Santa Rosa (2200m / 7215ft.) which is on the other side of the Apurimac River. As the campsite is a little further along the trail than most groups, it is one of the quietest places to camp on the whole trek so we can enjoy the beautiful scenery around us without distraction.
Today is probably the hardest day of the trek. To get to Choquequirao, we need to make our way back up the opposite side of the Apurimac Valley, which involves ascending about 800m / 2624ft. over a distance of 14km / 8.7 miles through hot and humid conditions. It's quite tough going but the views we get today mixed with the wide variety of flora and fauna you find on this side of the valley make it worth it. Throughout the day, we will see a wide variety of bromeliads, orchids and stalks of bamboo. We’ll also hopefully see birds such as Quetzals, Toucans and a variety of hummingbirds. After about a 5 hour walk, we arrive to our campsite close to Choquequirao (3050m / 10,005ft.) and settle down for the night. If the weather is clear, the views of the sun setting from here are amazing and we may be lucky enough to spot Condors soaring over the valley below.
Today's focus is on exploring Choquequirao. Upon waking up early, you'll head off on a guided tour of the site during which you'll be shown the most important and interesting sections of the city. While getting to learn about the Incan culture and the close relation between Choquequirao and Machu Picchu. Compared to Machu Picchu, little is known about Choquequirao even though it has been known about for much longer. Originally, discovered in the 17th century by the Spanish, it laid abandoned and forgotten until recent years. When tourism raised the profile of the city and exploration began. Even with this increased interest, only 25% of the city has been explored and many of its secrets still wait to be discovered. After your tour, you'll begin the trek back to Cachora along the route we came. Our campsite for tonight is Chiquiska (1800m / 5905ft.) in the base of the valley by the Apurimac River.
Today, is the final stretch of the trek as we make our way back to Cachora. Winding our way back up the side of the valley, we'll have our final views of Choquequirao in the distance before arriving to Cachora in the late afternoon and travelling by bus back to Cusco.
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This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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