Tour overview
Cusco Choquequirao 10D/9N is our ten-day program combining Cusco’s great classics with the hike to the Choquequirao archaeological complex. On the first day we pick you up at the airport, give you a few hours to acclimatize, and in the afternoon do the Cusco City Tour (Cathedral, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay). On the second day we spend a full day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Taray viewpoint, Pisaq, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero). On the third day we travel by train to Aguas Calientes, visit Machu Picchu with a guide, and return to Cusco. On the fourth day we see the South Valley (Tipón, Pikillaqta, and Andahuaylillas), and on the fifth day we do the half-day tour to Chinchero, Moray, and the Maras Salt Mines. From day six to day nine we hike to Choquequirao: Cusco – Capuliyoc – Playa Rosalina, Playa Rosalina – Santa Rosa – Marampata – Choquequirao (with a guided visit), Choquequirao – Chiquisca, and Chiquisca – Capuliyoc – Cusco. On the tenth day, after breakfast and free time, we transfer you to the airport. We run the program with tourist transport, a professional guide, admission to every place, the Cusco Tourist Ticket, train tickets to Machu Picchu, and ongoing support from our team.
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Best time to travel Approx. April to October (dry season)
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Approximate altitude Cusco ~3,400 m · Machu Picchu ~2,430 m · Choquequirao ~3,033 m
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Physical difficulty Moderate on days 1–5; demanding on hiking days 6–9
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Minimum number of passengers 2 adults (double-room base rate)
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Maximum number of passengers Depends on the hotel
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Booking lead time Book in advance; confirm flights, train, and hotel category
Overview
- Day 1 – Arrival and Cusco City Tour: airport pickup, transfer to the hotel, time to acclimatize, Cusco Cathedral, Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Pucapucara, Tambomachay, and return to the hotel.
- Day 2 – Sacred Valley full-day tour: Taray viewpoint, archaeological site of Pisaq, Pisaq craft market, buffet lunch in Urubamba, archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, archaeological site and craft market of Chinchero, and return to Cusco.
- Day 3 – Machu Picchu full day: transport to Ollantaytambo, train to Aguas Calientes, bus to the sanctuary, 2-hour guided visit at Machu Picchu, buffet lunch in Aguas Calientes, craft market, train to Ollantaytambo, and transport to Cusco.
- Day 4 – Cusco South Valley tour: archaeological site of Tipón, Pikillaqta, Andahuaylillas church (Sistine Chapel of the Americas), and return to Cusco.
- Day 5 – Maras and Moray half-day tour: Chinchero (wool dyeing and weaving), archaeological site of Moray, Maras Salt Mines, return to Cusco, and the rest of the day free.
- Day 6 – Cusco – Capuliyoc – Chiquisca – Playa Rosalina: departure at about 4:30 a.m., breakfast in Curahuasi, the village of Cachora, Capuliyoc, start of the hike, Playa Rosalina camp, and dinner.
- Day 7 – Playa Rosalina – Santa Rosa – Marampata – Choquequirao: Santa Rosa, Marampata, Choquequirao archaeological complex, lunch and camp, and a guided walk through the whole afternoon.
- Day 8 – Choquequirao (3,033 m a.s.l.) – Chiquisca: return hike, lunch and a one-hour rest at Playa Rosalina, Chiquisca camp, and the last night.
- Day 9 – Chiquisca – Capuliyoc (8 km) – Cusco: uphill hike to Capuliyoc, lunch, transport to Cusco, and overnight at your hotel.
- Day 10 – End of the trip: breakfast at the hotel, free time, transfer to the airport, and farewell.
Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival and Cusco City Tour
When you arrive at Cusco airport, our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city. Once you get there, you will have a few hours to acclimatize to the altitude.
In the afternoon we start the Cusco City Tour. We pick you up in our vehicle and take you to the city center. Our first stop is Cusco Cathedral, on the main square. After the guided visit to the Cathedral, we walk to Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, where Inca and Spanish cultures meet.
When we finish at Qoricancha, we leave Cusco. Our first stop is the archaeological site of Sacsayhuamán, where your guide explains the importance of its massive walls. We then continue a few minutes outside Cusco to Qenqo, a mysterious place you will get to know.
To finish the tour we visit Pucapucara and Tambomachay and learn a little more about the Incas. When the circuit ends, we drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.
Day 2 — Sacred Valley full-day tour
You have breakfast at your hotel in Cusco and our vehicle picks you up. Your hotel needs to be in central Cusco; if it is outside the center, arrange an extra transfer with our travel agency. On the way we stop at the Taray viewpoint for photos of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
We continue with a visit to the archaeological site of Pisaq and then the Pisaq craft market, where you can buy a few souvenirs. After that we head to Urubamba, where you have our buffet lunch.
After lunch we continue to Ollantaytambo to visit its archaeological site. When that ends we go to Chinchero for a guided visit to its archaeological site and its craft market.
When the tour ends we set off back to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.
Day 3 — Machu Picchu full day
You have breakfast at your hotel in Cusco and we pick you up to drive you to Ollantaytambo train station. From there you travel by train to Aguas Calientes, where we meet you at the station and go to the bus station to board the bus to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary.
We enter the Machu Picchu Sanctuary for a 2-hour guided visit. When the guided tour ends we board the bus back to Aguas Calientes, where you have a buffet lunch. After lunch you have time to visit the craft market in Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo.
At the agreed time we go to the train station and board the train back to Ollantaytambo. When you arrive in Ollantaytambo we will be waiting with our vehicle to return to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.
Day 4 — Cusco South Valley tour
You have breakfast at your hotel in Cusco and our South Valley tour picks you up there. We board our vehicle and head south of Cusco. Our first stop is the archaeological site of Tipón, where we take a guided walk through its streets and beautifully built water channels.
We then drive to Pikillaqta for another guided visit to see its ancient streets. After Pikillaqta we go to Andahuaylillas to visit its church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas.
When the tour ends we board our vehicle and return to Cusco.
Day 5 — Maras and Moray half-day tour
You have breakfast at your hotel and our Maras, Moray, and Salt Mines tour picks you up at your hotel in Cusco. We drive toward the Sacred Valley of the Incas and make a first stop in Chinchero, where you have a guided visit to a place where animal wool is dyed and hundreds of garments are woven from those same materials.
We then drive on to Moray and walk its archaeological site, a set of circular terraces once used for agricultural climate experiments. After visiting Moray and taking photos, we head to Maras to see the salt mines.
We walk the Maras Salt Mines, natural salt ponds that produce a mineral (salt) used for medicinal purposes. When the visit ends we drive back to Cusco, drop you off at your hotel, and you have the rest of the day free for time on your own.
Day 6 — Cusco – Capuliyoc – Chiquisca – Playa Rosalina
We leave Cusco at about 4:30 a.m. by tourist transport for Curahuasi, where we have breakfast. We continue through the village of Cachora to Capuliyoc, where we organize our things and start the hike.
From Capuliyoc we hike to the Playa Rosalina camp, where we have dinner and spend the night.
Day 7 — Playa Rosalina – Santa Rosa – Marampata – Choquequirao
We have breakfast at camp and start the hike through the villages of Santa Rosa and Marampata. We continue to the Choquequirao archaeological complex, where we have lunch and set up camp.
Through the whole afternoon we take a guided walk around this Inca construction. When it ends we return to camp for the night.
Day 8 — Choquequirao (3,033 m a.s.l.) – Chiquisca
We have breakfast at camp and start the return hike. We have lunch at Playa Rosalina, where we rest for an hour.
We then continue walking until we reach the Chiquisca camp, where we spend the last night of the hike.
Day 9 — Chiquisca – Capuliyoc (8 km) – Cusco
We have breakfast at camp and start the 8 km uphill hike to Capuliyoc.
There we have lunch and take the transport back to Cusco, where you spend the night at your hotel.
Day 10 — End of the trip
You have breakfast at your hotel. The day is free for time on your own.
At the agreed time, our travel agency picks you up and takes you to the airport, where we say goodbye.
Recommendations
General
- Leave your luggage at the hotel and bring a small backpack for each excursion.
- Bring snacks or small drinks.
- Follow your guide’s advice on what to wear.
- Bring your camera and extra batteries.
- Bring some cash for souvenirs.
Acclimatization
- When you arrive in Cusco, give yourself at least half a day to acclimatize, because the altitude can affect you.
- At your hotel, drink some coca tea to help you acclimatize.
- If you have any health issues, tell your travel agent so we can take them into account in your program.
What's included
Included
- Airport–hotel transfer on arrival and hotel–airport transfer at the end of the trip.
- Tourist transport for all our excursions.
- A professional guide on all our excursions.
- Admission to every place we visit.
- Cusco Tourist Ticket.
- Tourist train tickets to Machu Picchu.
- Ongoing support from our travel agency team.
Meals included
- Breakfast at the hotel: days 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10.
- Breakfast on the hike: day 6 (in Curahuasi) and days 7, 8, and 9 (at camp).
- All lunches: day 2 (buffet lunch in Urubamba), day 3 (buffet lunch in Aguas Calientes), day 7 (at Choquequirao), day 8 (at Playa Rosalina), and day 9 (at Capuliyoc).
- Dinners included during the hike to Choquequirao.
Not included
- International flights.
- Domestic flights.
- Dinners outside the hike to Choquequirao.
- Meals not mentioned in the itinerary.
- Tips or extra expenses.
- An extra transfer if your hotel is outside central Cusco (arrange it with our agency).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I sleep each night?
Nights 1 through 5 you sleep at your hotel in Cusco. On the hike you spend night 6 at the Playa Rosalina camp, night 7 at the Choquequirao camp, and night 8 at the Chiquisca camp. On night 9 you are back at your hotel in Cusco.
What time does the hike to Choquequirao start?
On day 6 we leave Cusco at about 4:30 a.m., have breakfast in Curahuasi, and start walking at Capuliyoc.
How much time do we have at Choquequirao?
On day 7 we reach the archaeological complex, have lunch, and take a guided walk through the whole afternoon, sleeping at the camp next to the site.
How long is the visit to Machu Picchu?
The guided visit in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary lasts 2 hours, with a same-day round-trip train from Ollantaytambo.
Which meals are included?
We include hotel breakfast on days 2 through 5 and day 10, trek breakfasts on days 6 through 9, lunches on days 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9, and dinners during the hike to Choquequirao.
Does my hotel have to be in central Cusco?
Yes. For the Sacred Valley pickup, your hotel needs to be in central Cusco. If it is outside the center, arrange an extra transfer with our agency.
How is the price calculated?
The price is based on 2 people in a double or matrimonial room and varies with the hotel category you choose (category 1, 2, or 3). We confirm the exact amount when we quote.
