Code: XA-17
Road: Closed
Altitude: 1550 - 4670meters
High-Season: May to November
Duration: 8 Days and 7 Nights
The trek that will lead us from Choquequirao to Machu Picchu is an absolute must for those whom love to explore landscapes, tenting to learn a bit more about the Inca history and to rediscover their lost past. We will visit these important Inca capitals while crossing some of the most impressive landscapes this part of the Andes has to offer us.
This is a physical trek because of the large change of altitude during the trek, sometimes in hot temperatures and with heavy climates as can be found there.
We'll hike trough a lot of different landscapes that will take your breath away… Going from deep canons, cloud-forests or snow-peaks through high fields, the entrances of the jungle, lakes and a lot more… The whole is covered with signs of Inca-presence, ruins of different importance.
Because of all these different altitudes and therefore climates, we'll come upon an incredible variety of fauna and especially flora with some plants yet unknown to science.
The occidental light of the Cordillera of Vilcabamba bathes the landscapes in a beautiful emerald shine at certain hours of the day. Hidden in foggy clouds appears now and then before our eyes great constructions of impressive Inca walls and terraces with perfectly curved stones seem to reach for the sky.
We'll have the opportunity to visit some of these Tambos (resting-places and food supplies along the Inca Trail) on our road.
Not only will we be amazed by the enormous variety of plants and flowers on this trek, it is also the natural habitat of three important spiritual and symbolical animals in the Andean culture… The snake represents the world below, the puma that represents the earthly world and of course the condor, the largest bird of prey in the world, representing the heavenly world.
We will also be able to appreciate meeting with local people that continue to live and work their lands the ancestral way. They hold on to their ancient traditions and wear typical clothes that seem to be out of time.
The river that slingers through the landscape and that is known by the Incas as Willkamayu will lead us through a gigantic garden with an incredible amount of orchids until the majestic Inca ruins of Machu Picchu (2400m)… A historical and religious capital, an agricultural and astronomic center floating in the sky, hidden by clouds… Mystical and wonderful.
First Day - Cusco - Cachora - Chiquisca (3350 - 2850 - 1930m)
We leave Cusco for Cachora through Abancay early in the morning. Cachora is a small village, situated at 2850meters in the province of Apurimac , surrounded by majestic snow-peaks such as for example the Padreyoc (5571m). It's the place where we meet with our horsemen and their mules, which will carry all our camping equipment, and start hiking. The road to the pass of Capuliyoc (2800m) is flat. At the pass we enjoy the sight over the Apurimac Cañon and part of the trail direction the archeological remains of Choquequirao. After six hours hike we finally arrive at our first campsite called Chiquisca (1930m).
Second Day - Chiquisca - Rosalina beach - Marampata - Choquequirao ( 1930 - 1550 - 2850 - 3033m)
We have breakfast and take of early, descending for about an hour down to Rosalina Beach (1550m). Here starts the difficult ascension up to the village of Marampata (2850m) from where we have some beautiful views over the Choquequirao archeological complex. Soon we arrive at our campsite on the platforms of Choquequirao.
We hike about 7 hours today in a rather warm climate.
Third Day - Choquequirao - Choquequirao Pass - Rio Blanco (3033 - 3270 - 1900m)
Watching the sunrise over Choquequirao is an impressive sight even more with the explanations of a professional tour-guide concerning the ruins and recent excavations. We have plenty of time to explore the ruins before we start hiking again on an Inca Trail to the Choquequirao-pass (3270m) to the archeological site of Pinchaunuyoc (2450m) in full restoration and from there down to the deepest part of this trek, run through by a river called Blanco (1900m) on border which's we set up the campsite and the possibility to bathe. After a refreshing swim we have a coffee time and nice dinner. Our trekking time is about 6 hours.
Fourth Day - Río Blanco - Maizal - San Juan pass - Yanama (1900 - 3000 - 4200 -3530m)
Early morning, we hike up to the village of Maizal , that's the most difficult part to do it, because the pathway is getting step and the whether is really hot in a sub tropical-area. Afterwards we continue our hike upwards coming upon another Inca trail, not always in a very good shape, that lead us to the highest pass of this day, the San Juan pass (4200m), one of the most beautiful places for sightseeing over the mountains and snow-peaks of the area, the Vicabamba mountain chain. From here we hike down to the community of Yanama (3530m), looking for a suitable place to camp. We hike for about 9 hours today.
Fifth Day - Yanama - Yanama Pass - Totora pampa (3530 - 4670 - 3200m)
Early morning, we start hiking upwards to the highest Pass of the trek called Yanama (4670m) from where we continue downwards crossing mountains over different altitudes, coming upon an amazing abundance of flora and fauna throughout the Vilcabamba area. We camp in Totora pampa (3200m) after a 7 hours trek.
Sixth Day - Totora pampa - La Playa (3200 - 2100m)
Continuing on the Inca trail we come upon cultivated lands, flower-fields, tubers, fruit-trees, and etcetera. While crossing these high Yunga floors, we realize just how fertile these lands are in this area's micro-climate. Arriving at the beach (2100m), we have the choice between continuing the trail until Santa Teresa (1830m), where we'll spend the night in a family-hostel, on foot or in a truck. We hike for about 7 hours today.
(We propose an additional day that will permit you to see different parts of the famous Inca Trail that leads to Machu Picchu .) We can also change directions, walking towards Lucmabamba (2020m); a 30 minutes walk downhill, from where we'll follow the Inca Trail until the Llactapata Pass (2650m) which is an excellent place to observe the fauna and flora in the Aobamba Valley . This alternative road will add 6 walking hours on our trek.
(Nevertheless, if we decide to keep on walking up to the archeological site of Llactapata, we should spend a night in the Lucmabamba camp site. Next day in the morning we have to go up to Llactapata (2650m) from where we'll have a breathtaking view over the Machu Picchu-mountain as well as the Veronica snow-peak. Afterwards we'll continue downhill until the Hydro-electric Station where we have lunch before catching the train to Aguas Calientes where we'll spend the night in a hotel.)
Seventh Day - Santa Teresa - Aguas Calientes (1830 - 2050m)
The district of Santa Teresa (1830m) has a very gentle climate which is why the vegetation is so developed. They have a very good organization concerning the exportation of coffee, with the help of some foreign institutions, aiming to develop their competence within the extern market. Continuing our hike we cross the River Vilcanota, also known as Willcamayu, in a typical transport of this area, the cable-car. Continuing through this warm and humid climate we soon arrive at the Hydro-Electrical station (1900m) which is the place to take the train for a short ride to Aguas Calientes (2050m), the tourist-town beneath the ruins of Machu Picchu where we spend the night in a hotel. We arrive at Aguas Calientes approximately at 17h00.
Eight Day - Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
The sunset over Machu Picchu is a breathtaking sight. Therefore, after an early rise and breakfast, we'll take the first bus up to the ruins (2400m), at 6 ‘o clock. After enjoying the sight and taking pictures of an almost empty Machu Picchu we'll have a guided tour with a professional Machu Picchu-guide. After this tour that will last for about two hours you'll have plenty of time to wonder around the ruins by yourself…And for the bravest among us there is always the ascension to Huayna Picchu or the nearby Temple of the Moon. We'll all meet afterwards to go down to Aguas Calientes (2050m) where we'll take our train back to Cusco .
The climate in Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu is rather warm and humid with mosquitoes.
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