Choquequirao (3,085 m) is situated amongst the spurs of the Salkantay Mountain Range in the Province La Convencion in the Region Cusco above the Valley of the river Rio Apurimac. The entire complex encompasses 1,800 hectares of which 30-40% is uncovered. The typical Inca terraces form the largest constructions on site. A temple, some administrative buildings and the living quarters of the aristocrats are situated around the central square. On the outskirts of the site lie the living quarters of the common people grouped together in a small village. There are numerous water channels, aqueducts and water springs. Most of the buildings are well-preserved and well-restored.
The bus will pick us up at the hotel at 6 :00hrs to begin our journey to the village of Cachora. During our journey we will stop a moment to observe the archaeological remains of Tarawasi from the bus, continuing thereafter towards the Cunyac Bridge between the departments of Cusco and Apurimac. Next we will travel through the district of Curawasi and Saywite Stone, arriving at Cachora at 10:00 hrs. approximately. We will begin our trek from this area, along sloping path leading to the pass of Capuliyoc (2800 m.a.s.l) where we will stop for lunch after a two-hour walk. Then we will continue our journey to the town of Chaquisqa (1930 m.a.s.l). The whole course to Chaquisqa is downward and the landscape is awesome and the weather is warm. Our first camp will be setup here. This is a three-hour walk.
After breakfast (05:00 hrs), we will continue our walk towards Playa Rosalina (1550 m.a.s.l), followed by an early climb up the hill towards Santa Rosa (2100 m.a.s.l) where we stop for lunch. This course is the hardest and we will take three hours after which we will climb up to the Maranpata (2850 m.a.s.l) that is an easier climb. During our journey we will observe the vegetation existing in the area. Later, we will journey along a straight section towards Sunchupata where will camp. Trekking time is two hours. It is a one hour journey from this spot to Choquequirao.
We continue with the downhill walk, with fantastic views of many lakes, llamas and alpacas, you will get to the camp in Cancha Cancha village, where people still practice the Incas real traditions. In this Inca village, most of the houses still consist of an old and original construction, made of stone, with thatched roofs. Your guide will take you to one of the local family houses, where you will learn about the villager’s lifestyle. You will be able to see how they raise their guinea pigs, and also observe the traditional handmade textiles using llama and alpahaca. In the evening you can enjoy hot drinks and have dinner.
Very early and after breakfast (05:00 hrs) we travel towards Choquequirao, which is a one-hour walk to see the sunrise at Choquequirao and where we will remain for three hours in the company of a guide who will provide you with all the details about this important Inca refuge. At the scheduled time, we will begin our return to Sunchupata, descending to Santa Rosa, where we stop for lunch. Thereafter we continue descending to Playa Rosalina that takes about an hour. Upon our arrival at Rosalina we will continue our journey to the village of Chaquisqa, two hours away from Rosalina, where we will spend the night.
source From Huaran, a transport will be taken for a short trip to visit the salt mines in the city of Maras. It is a place where a spring of salt water gushes out of the mountain slope. After visiting Salineras, we will go to a town called Ollantaytambo- It is the only Inca town alive and intact. It still has many Inca water canals, houses and walls. Your guide will take you around this small town until dinner time in a local restaurant. At 7:00 pm a train will be taken to the city below Machu Picchu: Aguas Caliente (Important: Train schedules may vary, depending on availability). Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you will check in your hotel and have time to relax.
A hearty breakfast shall be served in Chaquisqa (06:00 hrs) after which we will return along the same route to Cachora which is the slope we descended on the first day and which is a smoother climb of two hours until we reach the pass of Capuliyoc. From here, it takes another two hours to reach the village of Cachora along a smoother route, arriving at 12:00 hrs approximately. During our journey we will observe the exotic flora and fauna as well as sights of majestic snowcapped peaks and the impressive canyon of the Apurimac. In the afternoon we will travel to the medicinal thermal baths of Qonoq where we will remain for one hour and continue later on our journey to the city of Cusco. You will be transferred to the hotel. End of the services.
