Choquequirao trek in tents: wild adventure in the Apurímac canyon (4 Days)

Your adventure begins with a morning briefing with your guide at your hotel to check your equipment. You then leave Cusco at dawn, following the Apurímac River to the archaeological site of Sayhuite. After a brief stop in Cachora (2,850 m) for last-minute supplies, you reach a splendid viewpoint overlooking the Apurímac canyon, dominated by the Padreyoc glacier (5,571 m). This is where you meet your muleteers and begin a long descent of more than 1,000 meters in elevation drop leading to the Chiquisca hacienda, where you set up your first camp in the heart of Andean nature.

Distance: 8 km
Elevation gain/loss: +40 m / -1,070 m
Maximum altitude: 3,600 m
Accommodation: Night in a tent at the Chiquisca campsite.

After breakfast at the camp, you resume walking, initially descending to Playa Rosalina (1,550 m), at the bottom of the canyon. You cross the river and tackle the main difficulty of the trek: a sustained and demanding ascent of 1,500 meters in positive elevation to reach the perched village of Marampata (2,850 m). Your efforts are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the ridges housing the citadel of Choquequirao. With a little luck, you might observe the majestic flight of the condor at dusk.

Distance: 9 km
Elevation gain/loss: +1,500 m / -450 m
Maximum altitude: 2,950 m
Accommodation: Night in a tent at the Marampata campsite (1.5 hours from the archaeological site).

This entire day is dedicated to a guided tour of Choquequirao (3,033 m), the 'cradle of gold' in Quechua. You enjoy the serenity and magic of this extraordinary site, still preserved from mass tourism. You explore its most emblematic sectors: the ceremonial palaces, the liturgical fountain, the main temple, the famous terraces adorned with white stone llamas, and the Ushnu (ritual platform). Although only 30% of the site has been restored, its energy remains intact. At the end of the day, you return to Marampata to spend the night.

Distance: 5 km
Elevation gain/loss: +265 m / -145 m
Maximum altitude: 3,040 m
Accommodation: Night in a tent at the Marampata campsite.

You get an early start to enjoy the coolness and avoid the intense heat at the bottom of the canyon. You begin the descent back towards the Apurímac River, before crossing it and embarking on the final vertical ascent towards the Capuliyoc pass (2,850 m). Once this last effort is accomplished, you say goodbye to the muleteer team and meet your vehicle for a 4-hour transfer to Cusco, where you are dropped off directly at your hotel.

Distance: 17 km
Elevation gain/loss: +1,500 m / -1,500 m
Maximum altitude: 2,850 m