CHOQUEQUIRAO - MACHUPICCHU 9 DAYS AND 8 NIGHTS

Choquequirao  is situated amongst the spurs of the south Andes Mountain Range at 3,104 m.o.s.l.  (10,183 feet), above the noisy waters of the Apurimac river. This is a walk through a sharp landscape, it takes us through different climates from the Andean valleys, descending to the arid Canyon of Apurímac to then arrive to Choquequirao whose environment is a cloudy exuberant forest, Choquequirao was a ceremonial center dedicated to the cult of the Gods of the Mountain, the river and the Natural elements  and it was also the fortress of Manco Inka; the legend says that this Inka  rebelled against the Spaniards and, taking all the gold and inka treasures ran away and hid in the forest. The rugged road to this marvelous makes it a challenge which will be rewarded with the incomparable beauty of the landscape. When we arrive to the Choquequirao plateau  with its impressive view of the Vilcabamba mountain range we will get the sensation to arrive to a forgotten place through the centuries and time has just passed by.

DAY 1: CUSCO - CACHORA – CHIQUISKA
Early in the morning, we start this tour at your hotel door, we will board our private, deluxe, tourist bus which will take us on a panoramic journey for about 4 hours to the town of Cachora, located on the route leading from Cusco to Abancay. We will meet the horses and muleteers who are ready waiting for us and will help carrying all the gear, in order to begin our hike which lasts about 2 hours towards the Abra Kapuliyoq (2800 masl) from where we will have an amazing first sight-encounter with the deep valley of the Apurimac River and the snowy peaks durrounding the area. We will have a down-hill walk during around 3 hrs. leading to our first camp site located in Chiquiska (1800 m).

DAY 2: CHIQUISKA – CHOQUEQUIRAO
After our breakfast we will start our descent, enjoying the magnificent scenery of the Apurimac Canyon until about 1495 m.a.s.l. we will cross the Apurimac river by a suspension bridge in this point. From there we will take a long, hard climb which will last for about 5 hours to get to our crowning destination: the beautiful, archaeological site of Choquequirao. We will arrive there just in time to enjoy the incredible sunset over the snowy peaks of the area and then enjoy a delicious dinner and a subsequent deserved rest in our camp site (3000 m.a.s.l).

DAY 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO – PINCHAUNUYUC
Today we will have our visit the archaeological complex of Choquequirao, led by our Professional Tour Guide, we will go round all and each of the sectors that this Inka complex consists in; After our visit to complex of Choquequirao we will get lunch and then begin our hike along a short climb which will take us to an Abra (the highest part of this route) from where we will be able to enjoy a different view of the architectural group of Choquequirao and the beauty of the deep Apurimac canyon. After a short descent we will reach to the archaeological Pinchaunuyoc architectural Inka remains and, after a short visit, we will have dinner and afterwards we will spend overnight in the campsite located here, yet surrounded by deep vegetation.

DAY 4: PINCHAUNUYUC – MAIZAL
After visiting this site we will hike to the Rio Blanco (White River) where we can be able to refresh at lunch time. In the afternoon, we will continue with a 4 hour-hike up to our campsite located in  Maizal where we will spend overnight

DAY 5: MAIZAL – YANAMA
After breakfast, we will ascend toward the Abra Victoria getting into the Inca Trail. We will have lunch here and after it, we will continue our descent, passing by several abandoned silver mines, toward the village of Yanama where we will camp tonight. Overnight.

DAY 6: YANAMA – TOTORA
The route today is in the midst of Snow, we will hike up to the Abra Yanama where  we will have lunch. In the afternoon we will begin our about 6-hour long descent toward the brow of the jungle and to our camp site located in Totora.

DAY 7: TOTORA – PLAYA   (HOY COMEREMOS PACHAMANCA) 
This morning, after an early breakfast, we will leave through the jungle down to Muñay Poco where our experienced  chefs will prepare a delicious Pachamanca, a traditional Milenary Andean dish of  Peru. It is basically an underground cooking technique, using pre-heated rocks forming a kind of oven. It is made of some typical vegetables and legumes and meat products which are buried under the rocks and the banquet participants will eat them directly from it, this technique was widely used in Inca times, Pachamanca (a kind of barbecue) is closely related to ritual ceremonies.
More than being a way of cooking food, it is a form of celebration itself, being a source of life and fertility.
Cooking Pachamanca is a way of worship to The Pachamama (Mother Earth), the Incas used to cook pachamanca between the months of February and March to celebrate their crop season, as well as other community events.

DAY 8: PLAYA – LLACTAPATA – AGUAS CALIENTES
Breakfast. We will then cross the river to the right bank and we will hike up through some coffee plantations to reach a strategic viewpoint from which we will be able to see Machu Picchu with a different and unique angle, then we will pass by Llactapata where we can appreciate a wide  variety of species of birds and we will visit the archeological center of the same name. A two-hour descent will lead us to the train station taking us from Hydroelectric to Aguas Calientes where we find a hot springs spa, we can spend the night in a more comfortable way in one of the  hotels in this village.

DAY 9: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHUPICCHU – CUSCO
Today is dedicated only to visit the one of the 7 Wonders of the world, Machupicchu, accompanied by our professional tour guide, we will take the bus which will take us to the citadel located on the top of the Machupicchu mountain. All the important places of this Inca citadel, the history and their importance will be explained by the Tour Guide. We will visit the main plaza, the temple of the condor, the Inti Huatana, the mortars room , the Three Windows temple and the other places of importance. Then we will have some time at our disposition so that we can have  other activities, we suggest to walk around and recognize other points of our particular interest in Machu Picchu, we can also go climbing the Waynapicchu mountain. In the afternoon we will travel back to the Aguas Calientes town to catch the train back to Cusco. Meet at the station. Transfer to your hotel.

THE TOUR INCLUDES:

• Round trip private bus Cusco - Cachora - Cusco.
• Entrance tickets to Choquequirao and Machu Picchu archaeological sites.
• Professional bilingual professional Tour Guide(English – Spanish)..
• Complete meals (8 breakfasts , 8 lunches, 8 dinners, vegetarian options),
• Camping equipment (personal, two-people, three-people tents, kitchen tent, dining tent, toilet tent, chairs, table, mattress.
• Biodegradable Bathroom.
• Professional Chef in charge of food preparation and cooking equipment.
• Horsemen and horses in charge of all camping equipment transportation (not for passengers).
• First aid kit.
• Eemergency oxygen bottle.
• Accommodation for guides, cooks and carriers.
• Snack during route.
• Round trip bus Aguas Calientes / Machupicchu / Aguas Calientes.
• Backpacker service train back from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.
• Transfer from the train station to your hotel in Cusco.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Breakfast on the first day, breakfast and lunch on the ninth day.
• Sleeping bag.

WE RECOMMEND TO BRING:

• Hiking shoes.
• Rain jacket or poncho for the rain.
• Hat or cap to protect against sun or cold.
• Proper clothing for the walk to the cold and heat.
• Sleeping bag (if not in income in our office).
• Small towel.
• Sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
• Original passport.
• Bottled water,  purifying tablets (Micropur).
• Canteen.
• énergizer.
• Flashlight.
• Toilet paper.
• Camera film and batteries.

OPTIONAL:

• Poles covered with rubber for the walk.
• Horse Saddle ($ 140.00)
• Discount of $ 10.00 with International Student Card (ISIC Card).
• For children under 8 years (a copy of your passport) $ 10.00 deduction.
• Hiring sleeping bag ($ 45.00 dollars) for the whole trip.
• Backpack Renting ($ 20.00) for the whole trip.
• Vistadome service train for the Return trip: add $ 40.00 per person.