Choquequirao Trek 4 Days by Lodge

At 05:30, we travel from the Cusco region to the Apurímac region until we reach the Saywite Monolith. We explore the Inca ruins of Sayhuite for an average of 30 minutes and then continue the land trip to Capuliyoc, Cachora.

Capuliyoc begins the three-and-a-half-hour walk to reach our first lodging in Chiquisca. We descend to the Apurimac Canyon along a zigzag pedestrian path. We will find three spectacular viewpoints to rest at and have magnificent views of different scenic landscapes.

• Travel by car: From Cusco to Capuliyoc
  • Start time of the land trip from Cusco to Capuliyoc: 06:00
• At approximately 10:30, start hiking
• Hiking distance: 08 km / 4.9 miles
• Trekking time: 3 and a half hours
• Difficulty level: Moderate to challenging
• Lowest elevation: 1,900 meters (6,270 feet)
• Highest elevation: 2,915 meters (9,564 feet)
• Lodge Name: Chiquisca (LOCAL)
• Meals: Box Lunch and Dinner

RECOMMENDATION

• The equipment you will bring: You will carry hiking equipment daily, so we recommend you take what is necessary.
• Lodging in Chiquisca is fundamental; it improves over time to be one of the best in the tourist area. It’s great to rest.
• We will have local hot or lukewarm showers in the hostels with clean towels; they also provide soap.
• There is WIFI by the hour; the cost is S/10. There is also satellite phone service.
• If you carry a lot of heavy equipment, renting a packhorse with your muleteer for 4 days is better than carrying all the visitors’ belongings.

We leave at 05:30 in the direction of our second lodge, located in Marampata. To get to Marampata, we have approximately 1 hour of descending through the zigzag path until we reach the riverbank. We cross the suspension bridge of PLAYA-ROSALINA to ascend crookedly until we reach Santa Rosa and Marampata, “approximately 5 hours of walking from the Apurimac River to Marampata”.

We have lunch at the Marampata Lodge and enjoy a spectacular sunset over the Andes in the afternoon, with a view of the Apurimac Canyon. If the sky is clear at night, we can see shooting stars and the Inca constellation with its Milky Way.

Hike between Chiquisca and Marampata

• Start time of the walk: 05:30
• Walking distance: 08 km / 4.9 miles
• Walking time: 06 to 07 hours
• Difficulty level: Challenging
• Lowest elevation: 1,475 meters (4,839 feet)
• Highest peak: 2,850 meters (9,350 feet)
• Lodge Name: Marampata Hostel
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Today, we have all day to explore the tourist area of ​​Choquequirao. We bring our box lunch to each explorer provided by the Marampata Lodge. From Marampata, we walk for 1 hour and 40 minutes until we reach the top of the Choquequirao ruins. We have a guided tour of the ruins, including the parts that compose them and their surroundings.

Today, we have two extra hiking alternatives to continue exploring the spectacular Choquequirao archaeological park: Visit the Llamas sector or the Choquequirao waterfalls. It is essential to mention that Choquequirao is ten times larger than Machu Picchu; 30 percent of the Choquequirao ruins are vegetation-free. Therefore, Choquequirao is quite large and is also considered the divine partner of Machu Picchu.

Now, the question is, why the divine couple? A surrounding river surrounds Choquequirao and Machu Picchu; they also have the same microclimate, elevation, mountain range, and endless similarities. Visit it. You will be surprised. In the afternoon, we return to our local lodging in Marampa to shower and have a nice last dinner in the community.

Summary of Hike between Chiquisca and Marampata

• Start time of the walk: 08:30
• Hiking distance: 07 km/4.3 miles; “the distances do extend according to the visits to Choquequirao.”
• Trekking time: 3 hours
• Difficulty level: Moderate
• Lowest elevation: 1,475 meters (4,839 feet)
• Highest peak: 2,850 meters (9,350 feet)
• Lodge Name: Marampata Hostel
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LONGEST AND MOST EXTENSIVE DAY, WE LEAVE EARLY IN THE MORNING.

Without breakfast at 04:30, we begin our trek with personal flashlights and calibrated walking sticks, descend the mountain, and enter the depths of the APURÍMAC Canyon. Between MARAMPATA and the Apurimac River, walking takes us approximately 3 hours.

We use the PLAYA-ROSALINA suspension bridge to cross the APURIMAC River and ascend the rocky mountain for approximately 1 hour until we reach the “CHIQUISCA” breakfast area.

At 10:00, we start our last section of the hike, from Chiquisca to Capuliyoc, “03 hours and a half of hiking.” Between 2:00 and 3:30 p.m., we finish our hiking adventure through the Apurimac Canyon. We have lunch in Capuliyoc, and then we travel back to Cusco.

Thank you for walking through the Choquequirao Trek 4 Days by Lodge, thus contributing to the local economies of the different lodges on the trekking tourist circuit.

SUMMARY OF THE LAST TRACE OF THE WALK BETWEEN MARAMPARA AND CAPULIYOC’S LODGES

• Start time of the walk: 04:30
• Trekking distance: 16 km (9.9 miles)
• Hiking time: 08 to 09 hours
• Difficulty level: Challenging
• Lowest elevation: 1,475 meters (4,839 feet)
• Highest elevation: 2,862 meters (9,389 feet)
• Meals: Breakfast and Box Lunch