Choquequirao Trek 3 Days

Your adventure begins in the early hours of the morning with a hotel pickup between 3:30 and 4:00 AM. You will board a private vehicle with your guide and cook for the 4-hour drive from Cusco toward the trailhead at Capuliyoc (2,800 m / 9,186 ft), passing through spectacular Andean scenery as the sun rises over the mountains. Upon arrival at Capuliyoc, you will meet your team of muleteers and horses, hand over your duffel bags (up to 7 kg per person), and enjoy a hearty breakfast with panoramic views of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range, its glaciers, and the dramatic Apurímac Canyon below. The trek begins with a 2.5-hour steep descent via zigzag trails down to the hamlet of Chiquisca (1,800 m / 5,906 ft), where a traditional included lunch is served. After lunch, the descent continues for a further 50 minutes down to the Playa Rosalinas hanging bridge (1,500 m / 4,921 ft) — the lowest point of the entire trek, where the roar of the Apurímac River and the towering canyon walls create an atmosphere of extraordinary power. After crossing the hanging bridge over the Apurímac River, the long and demanding climb begins: the ascent to Santa Rosa takes approximately 2.5 hours of continuous uphill hiking on switchback trails, followed by a further 3-hour climb to reach Marampata (2,900 m / 9,514 ft), arriving at approximately 7:30 PM. After dinner at your guesthouse, you will be exhausted, amazed, and ready for a deeply well-earned night of sleep.

Day 2 begins with the songs of the Andean birds and a nourishing breakfast with traditional coca leaf tea before setting off to the emotional and historical centerpiece of the entire trek. The morning hike to Choquequirao (2,900 m / 9,514 ft) takes approximately 2 hours along a beautiful path with stunning views of the surrounding canyon and mountains, with the morning light gradually revealing the dramatic scale of the citadel. Upon arrival, your professional bilingual guide will lead you through a comprehensive and deeply engaging guided exploration of the Choquequirao archaeological complex — a vast Inca citadel of extraordinary historical significance, often described as the last refuge and ceremonial center of the final Inca emperors. With fewer than 30 visitors per day, you will explore this magnificent site in near-complete solitude. Throughout the day, you will visit the most significant areas of the citadel, including the main ceremonial plaza (Plaza Principal), the extraordinary llama terraces with their famous white stone llama carvings — a unique artistic feature found nowhere else in the Inca world — the astronomer's house, ritual platforms, the beautiful Pacchayoc waterfall, and the intricate Inca water channels and agricultural terraces, with your guide providing expert historical and cultural commentary throughout. A packed lunch is served on site, allowing you to maximize your time in this magical place. In the late afternoon, you will begin the return hike to Marampata, arriving at approximately 7:00 PM, where a warm included dinner will be waiting, followed by a second peaceful night at your guesthouse under the brilliant Andean stars.

Day 3 begins before dawn at 5:00 AM with breakfast and final preparations for the long return journey to Cusco. The first section is a 2.5-hour steep downhill hike from Marampata back down to the Playa Rosalinas bridge (1,500 m). After crossing the bridge, you will climb for approximately 50 minutes back up to Chiquisca (1,800 m), where you will rest and enjoy a second breakfast to recharge your energy for the final ascent. After resting in Chiquisca, the most demanding section of the return begins — the long climb back up to Capuliyoc (2,800 m / 9,186 ft), following the same route you descended on Day 1 but now in reverse and under increasingly warm sunshine. It is a genuinely challenging final stretch, but the changing views of the Apurímac Canyon and the deep sense of personal achievement carry you forward. Upon reaching Capuliyoc, you will enjoy a well-earned included lunch with final panoramic views of the canyon before boarding your private vehicle for the 4-hour return drive to Cusco, arriving in the evening with drop-off directly at your hotel — tired, deeply satisfied, and carrying memories of one of the most extraordinary adventures Peru has to offer. Note: horses are available to hire from local muleteers for assistance on the uphill sections (subject to availability, payable directly on site); horses cannot be used on steep descents for safety reasons.