Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and Titicaca Lake

 Join us in visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas including the Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo. Then hike the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu before taking a touristic bus to Puno where we’ll visit the Floating Islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca!.

Availability for the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu and Titicaca Lake 9 Days/8 Nights
The Peruvian government has strict limitations on how many people are permitted to use the Inca Trail (permits are issued to about 200 trekkers per day and about 300 porters/guides with a total of 500 permits issued daily). We recommend booking the Inca Trail as early as possible, sometimes even 6 months in advance!.



We also recommend booking the Inca Trail trek before booking your hotels, flights, etc., since Inca Trail permits are limited!.

Daily departures are available throughout the year (March through January-February the Inka Trail is closed), even though the recommended period for this trek is April to October because it is the dry season.


All private service departure dates are adapted to your request any day you choose. Also contact us for group departure date availability.            

Attractions Along The Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu

Choquequirao is a symbol of the Inca resistance with its unique stone walls located up to the mountain. Discovering its beauty is an exciting, exhausting and unforgettable adventure in which we go trough a road passing by a sight with far snow mountains and endless greenness.


The excursions to Choquequirao, this distant archaeological complex called the other Machu Picchu due to its historical importance and archaeological style, generally start by bus or van from Cusco to the town of Cachora (Abancay) where the dusty 30 kilometres trail begins before arriving at this mysterious citadel situated at the top of a green and powerful mountain at 3085 m.a.s.l.  

Pampas of Anta: It is known by its stone masses which according to a legend became, as God ordered, into strong soldiers formed to save the Incas if they would lose against the Chancas.

Thermal Baths of Conoc: With medicinal properties and able to avoid tiredness and relax the muscles. They are found on the left side of Apurimac river ( before called the king of the rivers or prince of deepness) in the district of Curahuasi the city of anise in Apurimac.

Archaeological complex of Saywite: Overstanding a monolith of 11 meters wide and 2.30 meters high. It is known as the "layout of Tawantinsuyo". In its surface, there are more than 200 carved figures representing animals, Andean gods, canals, trails and water storages.
The rest of the complex, situated in the district of Curahuasi, is composed by temples and masses of carved granite.

Limatambo: Is along the Choquequirao trek where we’ll find archeological ruins left by the Incas called Tarawasi.       

Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days & 4 Nights

Day 1: Cusco - Calca – Lares Hot Springs – Wakawasi

Your journey through Lares to Machu Picchu starts at your hotel in Cusco 5.00 am, where a bus will transport you to the village of Calca for 45 min. After a little break the bus ride continues for 2 hours to the hot springs of Lares, where we will enjoy a nice lunch before our hike begins and you can take a swim in the hot natural thermal pools in beautiful surroundings of the mountain environment. The hike of the day takes 4 hours uphill until we reach the campsite of Wakawasi, where a delicious dinner is waiting for us.

Day 2: Wakawasi – Abra Wakawasi - Auroruy Cocha - Yanahuara

Early in the morning the guides will wake you up with a nice cup of wake-up-tee and breakfast. Thereafter we ascend to the mountain top of Abra Wakawasi (4300 m), where we will have a breathtaking view of the mountain surroundings and the flora and fauna. From there the Lares trek will take us downhill for 1 hour to the village of Auroruy Cocha, where our chef will prepare a fantastic lunch for us. For the next 4 hours the route continues downhill to the camp of the night; Entrada a Yanahuara, where we will enjoy a dinner together and get settled for the night.

Day 3: Yanahuara - La Pista Central - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes

On this day we will hike from our camp early in the morning at 6.30 after a solid breakfast and good-morning-tee. First we have a little hike downhill for 40 min. to La Pista Central, where a bus is waiting for us, to transport us to Ollantaytambo; the bus ride only takes 30 min. In Ollantaytambo we will enjoy a nice lunch together and you can walk around the town and its market. It is optional to visit the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, which will give you a great insight of how skilled the Incas were, in their constructions and architecture. After visiting Ollantaytambo, we end the Lares trek and continue by train to the village of Machu Picchu; Aguas Calientes. In Aguas Calientes we will get settled in our hotel and enjoy a nice dinner.

Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes

Very early in the morning, after the breakfast, we will begin hiking to “the lost city of the Incas”; Machu Picchu. The hike takes 1.5 hours uphill. At the city of Machu Picchu the guide will show you around the city and its different important sites, ruins and temples from 8.00 to 10.00 am. After the tour you will have some free time to explore the city, its many different roads and its beautiful surroundings. It is optional to take a hike to Huaynapicchu (extra cost 65 $), where you can get an extraordinary view from the mountain top over Machu Picchu and its beautiful surroundings. After you have enjoyed the magnificent City, a bus will take you down to Aguas Calientes, where you can visit the popular market and enjoy all the nice restaurants the town has to offer or visit the hot springs of the natural thermal pools (extra cost 4 $). In the night you will overstay in the hotel.

Day 5: Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo - Cusco

On the last day we will say goodbye to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu and head towards Cusco via Ollantaytambo. After a breakfast the train will take us to Ollantaytambo, and there a bus will be waiting for us to take us back to Plaza de Armas in Cusco where our adventure ends.

Choquequirao Trek in 5 days

Day 1: Cusco – Cachora – Chikisca (19 km)

We’ll being our first day with picking you up from your hotel, early in the morning. We’ll head out from Cusco to Cachora, a small town where we’ll start our Choquequirao trek. On the way to Cachora we will visit Limatambo where we’ll have the opportunity to visit the Inca ruins of Tarawasi as well as seeing Saywite, a large stone carved as a model by the Incas. On our first day, we don’t have breakfast as part of our program, so you if you missed breakfast you can have a short breakfast in Cachora or buy enough snacks to get you through until lunch. Cachora will also be the last stop where you can buy your water, snacks, and other supplies you weren’t able to bring beforehand.
From Cachara we will hike to Chikisca wich should take about 6 to 7 hours. We’ll have lunch along the way in Capuliyoc or Cocamasana. Capuliyoc is a great a view point at 2800 meters where we’ll be able to see the surrounding area. From here we’ll continue on to Chikisca where we’ll stay in our camp. Chikisca is a small community where you’ll be able to see papaya, orange, cherimoya. We’ll be in camp at around 5:00 to 6:00pm for tea and have our dinner 7:00pm. Afterwards you’ll have a little time to rest and we’ll stay there overnight.

Day 2: Chikisca – Marampata (9 km)

On our second day of our trek to Choquequirao we’ll be woken up by the cook and his helpers with a hot cup of coca tea. We’ll have breakfast at around 5:00am and a half hour afterwards we’ll start our Choquequirao trek and descend to the Rosalina Bridge (Puente Rosalina) which will take about an hour. From here we’ll cross the Apurimac River and continue towards Rosa Baja which is an additional 2 hours away. Here we’ll have a short break. Here there will also be a small store, one of the few along the Choquequirao route where you can buy your water and other supplies.
From here we’ll continue our Choquequirao trek for another 2 hours up to Marampata. We’ll be in Marampata at around 12:00 to 1:00pm where we’ll have our lunch. We’ll stay here the rest of the day to give you some time to rest from your trek so far, have dinner and get to know the rest of your group. We will also have a great view from this area and you’ll have more opportunities to take some great pictures.

Day 3: Marampata – Choquequirao – Marampata (6 Km)

At around 6:00am we will wake up and have breakfast before starting our Choquequirao trek trying to stay in the shadow until we get to Choquequirao. In Choquequirao we will have a box lunch and a tour of the main areas and sacred sites as well as the Plaza Principal where most visitors take their classic pictures of Choquequirao. We will leave Choquequirao in the afternoon, trying to avoid the dark and since there are woods in the surrounding area, it does become dark early. We will return to Marampata where we’ll have tea and then dinner and stay overnight in the camp again.

Day 4: Marampata – Chikisca – Cocamasana (12 Km)

At around 6:00 am we’ll have breakfast and after an additional half hour, we’ll start our Choquequirao trek. We’ll go downhill for about 2 to 2 ½ hours to the Apurimac River which we’ll cross. From here we’ll go up to Chikisca for lunch. After lunch we’ll continue our Choquequirao trek to Cocamasana which will take another 1 ½ hours. Here we’ll also be able to enjoy the view of the condors from this area. We’ll be in camp at around 3:00 to 4:00pm. Here we’ll also have our tea and dinner and the rest of the time to relax a little

Day 5: Cocamasana – Cachora – Cusco (17 Km)

At around 6:00 am we’ll have breakfast and after an additional half hour, we’ll start our Choquequirao trek. We’ll go downhill for about 2 to 2 ½ hours to the Apurimac River which we’ll cross. From here we’ll go up to Chikisca for lunch. After lunch we’ll continue our Choquequirao trek to Cocamasana which will take another 1 ½ hours. Here we’ll also be able to enjoy the view of the condors from this area. We’ll be in camp at around 3:00 to 4:00pm. Here we’ll also have our tea and dinner and the rest of the time to relax a little

Attractions along the Lares Trek

The hike along the Lares Trek is beautiful with its surroundings of mountain ranges and snowcapped mountains and gives an insight of the native Peruvian mountain people with their their traditional style of life, working with their traditional tools, harvesting crops and shepherding their domestic animals. The route is passing different native villages, lagoons and the popular hot springs of Lares.

The hot thermal baths of Lares: the hot springs of Lares are natural from the nature and are used for medicinal healing. The pools have the shape of volcanoes.

Wakawasi: a small village where the native Peruvians strained from the Incas are living, and working together in a collective every day in traditional Peruvian clothes, shepherding domestic animals like sheeps, llamas and alpacas and working in the fields with a traditional tool (Chaquitaclla), used to move the ground.

Auroroycocha: a lagoon high up in the Andes, surrounded by amazing landscape in a mystical enviorment.

Queuña: typical bushes from the area of Lares – has a form like a miniature tree.

Mantanay: small village with native Peruvians working in traditional closet on the fields of the mountain with their domestic animals, the llamas and sheeps. The Inhabitants are known for their skills of weaving.

Yanahuara: a small village of native Peruvians living and working in the mountains. Every week they catch the fish of “criadero de trucha”, in a lake nearby.

More information in Lares Trek .org

Choquequirao Trek Difficulty Level along the trail

The Choquequirao trek is one of the most difficult routes in Cusco - Peru, because of its verticality. Crossing the deep Canyon of Apurimac becomes a big challenge for those people who enjoy trekking. However, the difficulty of this trail is offset by the beauty of the landscape and the archeological Inca site of Choquequirao.

1. Cusco - Cachora - Chiquisca

The time of the trek to Chiquisca is about 8 hours, and it covers a distance of 19 kilometers. The first part is flat and is an easy trekking until the view point of Capuliyoc, from this part the hike goes downhill until Cocamasana (2330 above sea level), where we finally arrive at Chiquisca (1950 above sea level) which lays at a grove where we can find water and set up the 1st night camp at Choquequirao.
Difficultness of the 1st day of the trail: Medium challenge, 19 km – trekking time: 8 hours

How is the itinerary for this places in this days?

The adventure to Choquequirao ruins begins early in the morning from Cusco to Cachora (3100 m), which is the last place where you have the opportunity to buy applies and water. You will be picked up from your hotel and be transported to Cachora. On the way we will pass Limatambo which has some very picturesque archaeological sites to visit. From Cachora we begin our hiking towards Chiquisqa (2000 m) for 6-7 hours. Along the road we will pass the two small villages Capuliyoc (2800 m) and Cocamasana, in one of these places we will enjoy our lunch. In Chiquisqa we will settle our camp, eat dinner together and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the forest of Chiquisqa and all its different types of fruits. A good sleep is important so we can be ready for the hike to the imporatant Inca site of Choquequirao the next day.
This choquequirao trekking is comparate to the salkantay trail

2. Chiquisca – Santa Rosa- Choquequirao

This day is a hard section of the Choquequirao trek. From Chiquisca we will pass the Rosalina bridges, from where we will hike uphill for 4 hours to reach Santa Rosa, later another 3 hours trek up to Marampata, which is the highest camp (3.100 m above sea level).
Difficultness of the 2nd day: Hard work challenge, 13 km - walking time: 7 hours

How is the itinerary for this places in our tour this days?

This is an important!, why? Becuase you will experience the amazing city of the Incas; Choquequirao, therefore it is important that we start our day in a good way with wake-up-tee and a solid breakfast. From our camp in Chiquisqa the route will take us to Choquequirao (3150 m) in the end of the day. On the hike we will walk downhill for an hour until we reach the bridge of Rosalina. Thereafter the hike takes us uphill for two hours to Santa Rosa Baja, where we will have a little break to collect some energy before we will ascend the mountain for two more hours to Marampata, where we can en joy the view of the beautiful landscapes of the valley. From there we hike for 1.5 hours to the archaeological site of Choquequirao.
Travel to Peru and not to do Choquequirao trail will be a bad, becuase it is considered like sister of Machu Picchu.                

What is the Inca Trail?

The Inka trail, was used by the Incas to get to Machu Picchu and is also the most famous trail today for tourists trying to get there on foot, is considered sacred and during the trail you can see many archaeological sites like Llaqtapata, Runkuraqhay and Wiñayhuayna before arriving to the sacred city of Machu Picchu.

 Every February the trail is closed for hikers, because the route needs to be cleaned. In 2004, the Peruvian government passed a law concerning the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu.

The regulations restrict the number of people permitted to enter the Inca Trail to 500 per day. Of the 500 people allowed daily on the Inca Trail, only about 150 are trekkers, since the rest of the spots are reserved for the guides, cooks, and porters. The trekking companies who are allowed to work the Inca Trail have to have an operating license specifically for the Inka Trail (operating licenses are issued yearly) and those trekking companies also need to have an office in Peru.

The most popular Inca Trail trek is the Classic Inka Trail and those spaces are reserved quickly! It’s advisable to book your Classic Inka Trail trek months to a year in advance and only afterwards book the rest of your trip to Peru (flights, other tours, hotels, etc.).

The tickets sold according to the new regulations are nonrefundable and nontransferable, but there is no limit of how long beforehand you can buy them. During the peak season (between June and October), the spaces sometimes fill up six months in advance!            

Lares Trek Difficulty Level

The Lares trek is a great alternative trek to the Inca trail. You will trek to Machu Picchu, but since it is lesser known, it will be quieter and you’ll be able to get a glimpse of the local people who live like their families have for hundreds of years.

Cusco- Calca – Lares – Wakahuasi

Difficulty level:	Moderate
Maximum Altitude:	3900m
Minimum Altitude:	3100m
Distance travelled:	7KM
Approximate walking Time:	5-7 hours

Wakahuasi – Yanahuara

Difficulty level:	Difficult
Maximum Altitude:	4300m
Minimum Altitude:	2900m
Distance travelled:	13KM
Approximate walking Time:	7-8 hours

Yanahuara – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

Difficulty level:	Moderate
Maximum Altitude:	2900m
Minimum Altitude:	2100m
Distance travelled:	3KM
Approximate walking Time:	1 hour

Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo – Cusco

Difficulty level:	Easy
Maximum Altitude:	2400m
Minimum Altitude:	2100m
Distance travelled:	6KM
Approximate walking Time:	2-3 hours

if you need more information for your trip; visit the Lares trek . org