Choquequirao Trek (4 Days) – Choquequirao Peru

Your Choquequirao Trek begins before sunrise and we will pick you up from your Cusco hotel at 4:00 AM. Our private transport will wind through the Peruvian Andes for 3.5 hours, passing valleys and villages before reaching Cachora, a remote farming community where locals thrive on agriculture. After a brief stop, we will drive 30 minutes to Capuliyoc (2,915 meters / 9,561 feet), where you will enjoy a traditional breakfast of Andean staples like quinoa pancakes or tamales paired with coca tea.

Here, we will meet the muleteers and cooks who will join your Choquequirao Peru adventure. Watch as mules carry camping gear and supplies, freeing you to focus on the trail. Your guide will share stories about the Inca site and prepare you for the day’s trek. A gentle 20-minute walk will lead to the Capuliyoc viewpoint, where you will glimpse the Apurimac Canyon’s vastness—a dramatic backdrop for the archaeological sites ahead.

From here, the trail will descend for 2.5 hours to the Oasis of Chiquisqa (1,900 meters / 6,234 feet). You will weave through lush plantations of oranges, mangoes, and sugarcane, their vibrant greens contrasting with the canyon’s russet cliffs. After a short rest, we will hike another 1.5 hours downhill to Rosalina Beach (1,550 meters / 5,085 feet), where the Apurimac River roars through the canyon floor.

At Rosalina Beach, our chef will prepare a fresh Peruvian lunch—think ceviche or ají de gallina—using local ingredients. Relax by the river, dip your toes in the cool water, or photograph the canyon’s raw beauty. When ready, we will cross the Apurimac River via the Rosalina Bridge and begin a 2-hour ascent to Santa Rosa (2,100 meters / 6,890 feet). As you climb, the air will cool, and terraced hillsides will hint at the Inca ruins waiting deeper in the trek.

By dusk, we will reach Santa Rosa, your campsite for the night. Settle into your tent, savor a warm dinner under starlit skies, and listen to tales of Manco Inca’s legacy. Rest well—tomorrow, we will delve closer to Choquequirao, the “cradle of gold,” where history and wilderness intertwine.

Your second day on the Choquequirao Trek will start with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee or coca tea delivered to your tent. After a hearty breakfast, we will cross the Apurímac River (1,550 meters / 5,085 feet) via the Rosalina Bridge, where mist often rises from the rushing waters below.

From here, the trail will climb steadily for four hours through cloud forests and sunlit slopes, ascending 1,375 meters (4,510 feet) to Maranpata (2,925 meters / 9,595 feet). As you hike, your guide will point out orchids clinging to mossy trees and birds like tanagers darting through the foliage.

Near Maranpata, we will pause to catch your first glimpse of Choquequirao Peru—its terraces and plazas peeking through the greenery from 3,050 meters (10,006 feet). Though the Inca site remains partially shrouded in vegetation, you will sense its scale. Over 60% of this archaeological wonder still lies buried, a secret guarded by spectacled bears and condors soaring above.

After a picnic lunch overlooking the ruins, we will descend for two hours to Choquequirao itself. Your guide will lead you through the Pikiwasi Sector, where priests once lived, and the Usno, a ceremonial platform aligned with the sun. You will wander the Central Plaza, marvel at the storied Llama Terraces, and explore warehouses that once held crops for the Inca Empire. Each step will reveal how this “cradle of gold” thrived as a spiritual and agricultural hub.

As dusk paints the Andes in gold, we will serve dinner at our campsite near the ruins. You will fall asleep to the whispers of the cloud forest, knowing tomorrow’s trek will uncover even more of Choquequirao’s mysteries. With MUGJU, every moment bridges the past and present, blending adventure with the echoes of a lost civilization.

Your third day on the Choquequirao Trek will begin with the melodies of birdsong drifting into your tent. We will serve breakfast under open skies as mist lifts from the surrounding peaks. After fueling up, we will retrace our steps toward La Playa Rosalina, passing through Marampata (2,925 meters / 9,595 feet), where farmers tend to potato, carrot, and quinoa fields—staples of the Andean diet. Watch as locals work terraced slopes, their methods echoing Inca traditions that sustained this region for centuries.

The trail will then dip into lush bamboo forests and blackberry thickets, descending 750 meters (2,461 feet) to Santa Rosa (2,100 meters / 6,890 feet). Here, avocado orchards blanket the hillsides, and we will pause to sample chicha de Cambray, a sweet fermented drink made from local corn. Sip this traditional beverage while chatting with farmers, then continue downhill to Playa Rosalina (1,550 meters / 5,085 feet), where the Apurímac River’s roar welcomes you back.

At Playa Rosalina, our chef will prepare a picnic lunch featuring regional flavors—think stuffed rocoto peppers or savory quinoa stew. After resting, we will tackle a 1.5-hour uphill hike to Chiquiska (1,900 meters / 6,234 feet), then push onward to Cocamasana camp (2,330 meters / 7,644 feet). As you climb, the air will cool, and views of the Apurímac Canyon will unfold behind you, a reminder of the Choquequirao Peru trek’s raw beauty. We will set up camp at Cocamasana as the sun dips below the ridges. Share stories over a final dinner, savoring dishes like lomo saltado or grilled trout, and fall asleep to the murmur of the river below. With MUGJU, even the return journey becomes a celebration of Andean culture, landscapes, and the quiet triumphs of trekking through the cradle of gold.

Your final morning on the Choquequirao Trek will begin with breakfast at our riverside campsite, where golden light spills over the Apurimac River (1,550 meters / 5,085 feet). We will fuel you with steaming coffee, fresh fruit, and warm bread before starting a 3-hour climb (9.7 km / 6 miles) to Capuliyoc (2,915 meters / 9,561 feet). As you ascend, the canyon’s steep walls will soften into rolling hills, and the air will carry the earthy scent of Andean herbs.

At Capuliyoc, we will say heartfelt farewells to the cooks and muleteers who supported your Choquequirao Peru journey. From here, our private transport will wind through the Sacred Valley, passing Inca villages like Saywite, known for its ancient monolith, and Taray, where Quechua traditions thrive. You will watch farmers herd llamas across emerald fields and spot adobe homes draped in bougainvillea—a vivid contrast to the rugged trails you conquered.

By late afternoon, we will return you to Cusco (3,400 meters / 11,155 feet), where the journey began. As the city’s church bells chime, you’ll carry memories of cloud forests, archaeological wonders, and the quiet strength of the Peruvian Andes—proof that the Choquequirao Trek isn’t just a hike, but a bridge between past and present.