We depart early again today, in order to get the most out of the day! We begin by continuing upwards to Marampata where we will have a break. The climb from the Santa Rosa campsite to Marampata (2940m / 9646 ft) takes about 3 hours and is a tough uphill stretch. A little further on from our break site we will get our first view of the ruins of Choquequirao! From here we have 2 more hours of hiking over gentle, undulating terrain until we reach the ruins. We take our lunch at the Choquequirao campsite (2900m / 9514 ft) nearest to the ruins, before we head to Choquequirao itself for the afternoon.

Only around 30% of the Inca remains of Choquequirao have been excavated. What can be seen today, however, is most impressive and very much worth the challenging trek to get there! 

The stonework in Choquequirao is not as sophisticated as that found in Machu Picchu, because the stone found here is very difficult to carve, but the buildings are impressive and suggest a site of high status. Choquequirao evokes a sense of awe simply because of the site’s surrounding beauty and isolation.

Spending the afternoon exploring the ruins, we will watch the sunset and keep our fingers crossed for the chance to see condors soaring through the sky!

We begin this part of the Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu with an early morning visit to the impressive Choquequirao site. Originally discovered in 1710, there were a series of European explorers who passed through this area and knew about this site, however little importance was given to Choquequirao until 1909 when Hiram Bingham, who is credited with the scientific discovery of Machu Picchu, came across the site. This brought more international attention to Choquequirao but even then, the site was largely ignored until the 1970s when the Peruvian government started its excavations.

We will take our lunch within the upper part of the ruins today to allow for more exploration time. After lunch, we climb over a ridge for about 1 hour to the Choquequirao Pass, and then descend for 3h to the ruins at Pinchiunuyoc (2470m / 8104 ft). 

We will have time to explore these ruins and admire the majestic views before settling in for the night at the nearby campsite of the same name. This is one of the most impressive campsites on the Choquequirao hike to Machu Picchu, and if it’s a clear day, you will be treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets.

Today, after breakfast, we will descend steeply to the Rio Blanco (1920m / 6299 ft), a 1.5 to 2 hour walk. Here we can dip our toes in the cool waters of the river before facing the next leg of our journey.

From here, we start a challenging climb to a small cleared agricultural area on the mountain known as Maizal (3000m / 9843 ft). For many people, this is the most difficult section of the whole Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu. The climb is a grinding 4.5h hours zig-zag uphill.

We’ll break for lunch here and then have the rest of the afternoon to relax and rest our tired legs, in preparation for tomorrow’s long day of hiking. We will camp here for the night.

We wake early and climb uphill through cloud forest to the Victoria Mines, an incredible and breathtaking climb. During our trek through the puna, we’ll walk over well-preserved Inca trails, with their classical zig-zag shape. Along the way, we pass Pajonal (4000m / 13,123ft). Pajonal affords stunning views of the trail where we have just walked, back towards the amazing Apurimac valley.

Finally, after 4-5 hours of climbing, we will reach the San Juan Pass, also known as Victoria Pass (4130 m / 13,549ft). From this high pass we will be able to see the imposing Mount Choquetacarpo in front. This is a fantastic spot to take pictures on a clear day, possibly the best photo ops on the whole Choquequirao trek to Machu Picchu!

Time- and conditions-permitting, we will have our lunch here at San Juan Pass, in front of these breathtaking views. There is a good chance we will spot condors soaring past, especially if it’s a sunny day. After lunch, the spectacular views continue from the pass as we descend about 2.5h to the charming village of Yanama (3700m /12,139 ft), which is also our alternative lunch spot.

We will camp the night at Lucmabamba. Note, your campsite altitude tonight is half of what it was the night before! You can also choose to spend the night in a homestay in Lucmabamba. Spend the night with a local coffee-growing family and enjoy a hot shower and a comfortable bed! There is an extra cost for this option. 

We leave early from Lucmabamba and climb for about three hours through the jungle to reach the Llactapata pass. From here, we descend about 10 minutes to the interesting but largely covered ruins of Llactapacta. 

After a 20-30 guided tour of the ruins, we descend very steeply for about 15 minutes until we reach the esplanade of the Llactapata Lodge where we can enjoy our boxed lunch. After a brief lunch break (40 min), we will continue descending on a dirt track for two hours to Aobamba (caution: this track can get muddy in the rainy season!), and finally, after another 30 minutes, we will reach the impressive Machu Picchu Hydroelectric Station (Hidroelectrica). If there is time and you have the strength, you can visit the Inca ruin of Intihuatana.

We will then board the train at Hidroelectrica in the mid-afternoon, arriving in Aguas Calientes about an hour later. After checking into our accommodations, we will enjoy a celebratory dinner before having an early night in preparation for the next day’s visit to Machu Picchu.

We made it! Today we will have a guided visit of the unparalleled Inca Citadel, Machu Picchu. This is a lifelong dream for many, and also the pinnacle of the Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu!

We will take a bus in the wee hours of the morning up to the ruins of Machu Picchu so that you can appreciate this famous city in the early morning light, aiming to enter the site around 7 AM.  Your guide will give you a two-hour walking tour of the historic citadel which will leave you in awe of the Incan people’s ingenuity! At 10 AM, you will ascend the iconic and exhilarating Huayna Picchu Mountain, known for its breathtaking views and untamed beauty.

After our tour, we exit the site and head to the nearby Tinkuy Restaurant conveniently located inside the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge just outside the gates. Here we will enjoy a delicious buffet lunch before taking the bus down to Aguas Calientes in time to catch our train (you can choose to walk down, but the bus ticket is included in the price of your trek).

We will travel on the Expedition train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo where our driver will meet us and transfer you directly back to your hotel in Cusco. Total travel time is about 4 hours from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.