Choquequirao Trek 4 days: the complete guide
Choquequirao is what Machu Picchu was a century ago — vast, half-excavated and almost empty of visitors. The four-day trek to reach it is demanding, plunging in and out of the deepest canyon in the Americas, and that effort is exactly why so few people stand where you will stand.
The “other Machu Picchu”
Often called Machu Picchu’s sister city, Choquequirao shares its architecture, its latitude and its dramatic setting — but receives a tiny fraction of the visitors. You may explore its terraces, plazas and the famous llama mosaics with hardly another soul around.
The route, day by day
| Day | Route | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cusco → Cachora → Chikisca | Descend into the canyon |
| 2 | Chikisca → Marampata → Choquequirao | The big climb; reach the ruins |
| 3 | Choquequirao → Chikisca | Explore and descend |
| 4 | Chikisca → Cachora → Cusco | Final climb out |
See the full itinerary
Read the day-by-day plan, inclusions and dates.
How hard is it?
Make no mistake — this is a tough trek. The descent and re-ascent of the Apurímac Canyon mean thousands of metres of steep climbing in warm, dry air. It rewards genuine fitness and good acclimatization, but you do not need technical skills, just determination.
When to go
The dry season (May–September) is strongly recommended — the canyon trails are exposed and can be treacherous when wet. See our best-time guide.
The Apurímac Canyon: the real challenge
What makes Choquequirao hard is not distance but vertical relief. The trek descends some 1,500 m from Capuliyoc down to the Apurímac River, then climbs roughly the same again up to the ruins at Marampata and Choquequirao — and reverses it all on the way out. In warm, dry, exposed terrain, that is a serious workout for the legs and the lungs.
| Section | Altitude change | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Capuliyoc → Chikisca | Down ~1,400 m | Hot, dusty, steep switchbacks |
| Chikisca → Marampata | Up ~1,500 m | The big climb; start early |
| Marampata → Choquequirao | Gentle | Terraces and the citadel |
| Return | Repeat in reverse | The climb out is the hardest day |
What you actually see at the ruins
Choquequirao is often called the 'sister' of Machu Picchu, and the comparison holds: terraced platforms, ceremonial plazas, water channels and residential sectors spread across a high ridge. Its signature feature is a set of terraces decorated with white-stone llama mosaics — figures of llamas worked into the retaining walls, unique among Inca sites. Crucially, only an estimated third of the complex has been excavated, so much of what you walk past is still half-reclaimed by cloud forest.
Because it is reached only on foot, you will often have entire sectors to yourself — the opposite of a busy day at Machu Picchu.
How to prepare, and who should attempt it
This trek rewards genuine fitness and good acclimatization more than technical skill. There is no climbing or scrambling, but there are long hours on steep ground in heat. Train your legs beforehand, acclimatize in Cusco for a few days, and pace the big climbs in the cool of early morning. Strongly favour the dry season (May–September), when the exposed canyon trails are safe and firm; wet-season mud on these gradients is genuinely dangerous.
If four days feels tight or you want to push deeper toward Machu Picchu itself, see the 5-day version and the epic Choquequirao-to-Machu Picchu traverse.
Frequently asked questions
It is one of the harder treks in the region, with steep descents and ascents in and out of the Apurímac Canyon. Good fitness and acclimatization are essential.
It is different — far less excavated and almost crowd-free. Many trekkers find the solitude and effort make it more rewarding, though Machu Picchu remains the more complete site.
No Inca Trail permit is needed. You pay a Choquequirao entrance, which we arrange, and there is no daily cap like the Inca Trail.
