Amazon Adventures

Peru Tours and Travel

Choquekirau Trek - Machu Picchu's Sister City

Trek to the ruins of one of Peru's most remarkable Inca sites. Choquequirao is as impressively located as its more famous sister city Machu Picchu, but this route through the remote Vilcabamba region is only travelled by local highlanders and our groups, guaranteeing our travellers a sense of discovery after a journey through spectacular scenery and a vivid regional history which includes the guerrilla war fought by the last Incas against Spanish domination. Some researchers have called this city the Incas‚ last secret, for although the Spanish invaded the Vilcabamba stronghold of the last rebel Incas twice, they never discovered Choquequirao.

In 1710, a prospector called Juan Arias Diaz Topete stumbled upon the ruined city. He reported finding an ancient town “wholly uninhabited... named Choquekirau, which in the Inca language means “Golden Cradle”. The French explorer and treasure seeker Eugene Sartiges reached the site in 1824, but it wasn’t until 1847 that the first drawings were made of the ruins, by the French consul, Leonce Angrand. But Choquekirau had to wait until 1909 to be properly explored and documented, when Hiram Bingham, the Hawaiian-born discoverer of Machu Picchu, published his 1910 article in the scientific journal American Anthropologist.

The southern approach to Choquekirau from Cachora requires a steep descent from almost 3200 metres down to the Apurímac river at 1200 metres, followed by an even steeper ascent up to the ruins. The site is perched a magnificent 1150 metres above the Apurímac, surrounded by densely-forested mountain slopes in the shadow of the huge, snowcapped Salkantay massif. The ruins have been partially-cleared by COPESCO, and can be easily explored by those intrepid enough to undertake the demanding trek required to get there.

Day 1 From Cusco we journey by road to the small village of Tambobamba. On the way we will have an opportunity to visit the Saywite stone. This is a limestone outcrop about four metres in diameter on which the Incas carved a model of their empire, Tawantinsuyo. The stone, upon which images of the flora, fauna, topography and customs of the empire were carved, was used in ceremonies dedicated to
the worship of water. Several other similar rock outcrops lie scattered across the surrounding area, along the vestiges of an Inca highway. The journey is 140 kilometres along a paved road, followed by 30 km of dirt road and a 10 kilometre track.
Tambobamba village is located at 2,270 metres (7,445 feet) above sea level. After settling in to our hotel we will take a late lunch. In the evening you will be given a briefing regarding the coming trek.

Day 2. We set off soon after dawn, walking for two to three hours to San Ignacio bridge (1,509 metres/5,244 feet) over the Apurímac River, where after a refreshing dip in the cold waters we will begin the ascent towards Choquequirao. This is a strenuous day’s hiking, but we will be rewarded by fine scenery, abundant bird life and a real sense of discovery. We climb through a cloud forest environment to our first camp at 2,900 metres, where after lunch we will visit the agricultural terraces of Phaqchayoc.

Day 3. Today you will have the entire day to explore the Choquequirao Archaeological Park in the company of our guide and independently, including the administrative and religious sectors, the ceremonial platform, or Usnu, the main square and granaries. With luck we will also see an Andean condor or two from the ceremonial platform as they rise on the thermal air currents from the Apurimac valley some 1,600 metres below.

Day 4 After continuing to explore Choquequirao and the pathways through the surrounding forest, both in the
company of our guide and alone, we will make the descent from the ruins to San Ignacio bridge, where once again the
cold waters of the Apurímac will be there to refresh our limbs. We then hike up to Tambobamba for a well-deserved
night’s rest at our hostel. Horses are available on this final day for those who need them.

Day 5. Today, after a leisurely breakfast in our lodge, we end our journey into this remote and magnificent region of the
Andes with the drive back to Cusco, arriving in the city in the mid-afternoon.

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Dates: any day with minimum of 2 people.

2010 Price per person: US$874 per person for shared services (min. of 2). Private services = ., $695 each for 3, $615 each for 4
4 day trek (same distance) is also available - US$774 per person for shared services (min. of 2). Private services = ., $600 each for 3, $510 each for 4

SERVICES INCLUDED IN TREKKING SERVICES:
Private bus outbound and return.
English speaking tour guide
Entrance fees
Trekking services, including: camp cook, porters and camp assistant(s).
Single supplement includes: single tent on trek.
All group camping equipment, double tents and Thermarest, kitchen and/or dining tent, and toilet tent.
Food: hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner as described in the above itinerary (B.L.D.)
All our trash produced during the trek, returns to Cusco.
First-aid kit.

SERVICES NOT INCLUDED:
Tips to guides
Tips to the staff.
Drinks
Travel insurance. Please ensure that passengers have adequate insurance
Personal expenses: clothing and sleeping bag, laundry, telephone calls, etc.
Meals not included in the program.

What to bring on the trip:
Passport, (bring additional photocopies of your passport).
A big frameless backpack or duffle bag for your things which will be carried by our porters.
A small backpack for daily personal items (to be carried by Passenger)
Sleeping bag
Warm clothing for Andean region.
Rain jacket
Long sleeved shirts (cotton). Shorts for walking (optional)
Cap and sunglasses
Insect repellent and sun block cream
Digital camera or 35mm film camera
Binoculars for bird watching enthusiasts
Well broken in hiking boots, or waterproof sports shoes
Walking poles; if you are used to walking with poles, ensure they are not metal tipped.
Bathing suit and sandals (if you wish to visit thermal baths in Aguas Calientes)
Flashlight. Knife (Remember to pack this in your main luggage for flights)
Bags for garbage.
A bottle of mineral water for the first day only (you can buy this locally) (We provide drinking water on subsequent days)