No train, no bus, no crowds — just a two-day walk across the Apurímac canyon to the ruins Machu Picchu used to be. Honest trek advice, hand-picked tours and everything you need to plan it.
Choquequirao — “cradle of gold” in Quechua — is a late-Inca city spread over a ridge at around 3,050 m, fifteen hundred metres above the roaring Apurímac river. It rivals Machu Picchu in size, is only partly excavated, and can be reached only on foot: roughly 30 km each way from the trailhead at Capuliyoc, with a descent into the canyon and a brutal climb out the other side.
That walk is the point. It keeps visitor numbers to a few thousand a year — on many days you share the plazas, the ceremonial platform and the famous llama terraces with a handful of people and a condor. This guide covers the classic 4–5 day trek from Cachora, the 8–9 day route on to Machu Picchu, the tours worth booking in Cusco and exactly how hard it really is.
Choquequirao treks plus the Cusco classics that pair with them — Machu Picchu, Salkantay, Humantay Lake — booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting points; tap any tour for live availability.
Trek from US$366 The classic out-and-back trek from Capuliyoc: down into the Apurímac canyon on day one, the big climb to Choquequirao on day two, the ruins on day three and the climb out on day four. A GetYourGuide “Top pick” with one of the lowest starting prices for a full-service trek.
Trek from US$798 The better way to do Choquequirao: five days, so that one of them is spent entirely at the site — the plazas, the ceremonial platform, the water channels and the famous terraces decorated with white-stone llamas.
Multi-day trek from US$1380 The epic traverse: from Choquequirao across the Vilcabamba range via Maizal and Yanama, over passes above 4,000 m and down through the cloud forest to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. Remote, demanding and unforgettable.
Trek from US$430 A five-day itinerary priced like most four-day treks, with cabins instead of tents on some nights. A comfortable way to take the slower, more rewarding pace at Choquequirao.
Trek from US$469 A well-structured four-day group trek on the standard route, with a guided visit of the ruins and full camping logistics. A reliable, no-surprises way to see Choquequirao.
Multi-day trek from US$649 The most popular alternative route to Machu Picchu: from Soraypampa over the Salkantay pass and down through the jungle to Aguas Calientes, with a guided tour of Machu Picchu and a panoramic train back.
Day trip from US$332 Machu Picchu in one long, well-organised day from Cusco: transfer, train to Aguas Calientes, bus to the citadel, a guided tour and the journey back. The easy way to add Machu Picchu to a Choquequirao trip.
Day hike from US$24 A superb acclimatisation day: drive to Soraypampa, climb roughly an hour and a half to Humantay Lake beneath the glaciers of the Salkantay range, and return to Cusco. Thousands of reviews and a very low price.
Real-time prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most experiences.
Choquequirao is the goal, but the llama terraces, the Apurímac canyon, Cachora and the Sayhuite stone make the journey — and Cusco and Machu Picchu are never far away.
Choquequirao archaeological park The Inca “cradle of gold”
A late-Inca royal estate and ceremonial centre spread along a ridge at about 3,050 m, 1,500 m above the Apurímac river. Plazas, fountains, a flattened ceremonial summit and terraces spilling down the mountain — and only a handful of visitors a day.
Choquequirao archaeological park Inca art in white stone
On Choquequirao’s western flank, a flight of steep terraces is decorated with more than twenty llamas picked out in white stone against the dark walls — a mosaic unique in the Inca world, uncovered in the early 2000s.
The trail & the Apurímac The “great speaker” river
The trek to Choquequirao crosses one of the deepest canyons in the Americas. From the rim at Capuliyoc the trail drops some 1,400 m to the thundering Apurímac at Playa Rosalina, then climbs the far wall to the ruins.
The trail & the Apurímac The trailhead village
A quiet farming village at about 2,900 m facing the snowy Padreyoc peak, where mules are loaded and arrieros hired. Ten kilometres on, the Capuliyoc viewpoint marks the start of the trail and the first gasp-inducing view into the canyon.
The trail & the Apurímac A carved Inca landscape
Just off the Cusco–Abancay road near the Cachora turnoff, a great granite boulder is carved with a miniature world of terraces, channels, steps and animals. Probably a shrine to water, it is the perfect stop on the drive to the trailhead.
Cusco & beyond Acclimatise in Cusco, sleep at the trailhead in Cachora, and come back to a hot shower — our picks, with live rates.
A 16th-century seminary around a cloister with a centuries-old cedar, two blocks from the Plaza de Armas. Historic, atmospheric and famously restful after a trek.
A reliable upmarket choice in a colonial house near Limacpampa, with a good restaurant, a courtyard and consistently high guest scores.
Small, warm and excellent value in the artisan quarter of San Blas, with generous breakfasts and helpful staff used to early trek departures.
Two days across the Apurímac canyon to an Inca city as grand as Machu Picchu — and almost empty. Compare Choquequirao treks from Cusco and book in a couple of taps.
If you like walking, emphatically yes. You get an Inca city on the scale of Machu Picchu almost to yourself, one of the deepest canyons in the Americas and some of the finest trail scenery in the Andes. If you do not want to hike for at least four days, it is not for you. Compare the options on our best tours page.
Harder than the classic Inca Trail for most people. From Capuliyoc you drop about 1,400 m to the Apurímac river and then climb about 1,500 m to the ruins — and do the same in reverse on the way out. The altitude is moderate; the relentless gradient and the canyon heat are the challenge. See the day-by-day trek guide.
Only on foot (with a mule for your bags if you like). Most people drive about four hours from Cusco to the village of Cachora and the Capuliyoc trailhead, then walk two days to the site. Our Cusco to Choquequirao guide covers every option.
There is no advance permit system like the Inca Trail’s. You buy the entrance ticket at the control point on the trail, in cash — reported at around S/60 for foreign adults, with reductions for students, though figures vary, so check before you go. Organised treks usually include it.
Yes — the Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek links the two over high passes in about eight or nine days. It is one of the great long-distance walks in Peru. Short on time? Do the 4–5 day Choquequirao trek and a separate Machu Picchu day trip from Cusco.
