Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trekking holiday, Peru
Highlights
Cusco | Vilcabamba Range | Apurimac canyon | Choquequirao ruins | Pichaunuyoc | Rio Blanco canyon | Maizal | Views of Salkantay and Padrilloc | Fully supported trekking, with mules | Abra San Juan pass (4050m) | Cordillera Vilcabamba mountain range | Corihuayrachina | Mina Victoria silver mines | Choqueqatarpo Pass at (4000m) | Lucmabamba | Llactapata | Urubamba valley | Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) | Lucmabamba | Machu PicchuDescription of Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trekking holiday, Peru
This Machu Picchu trekking holiday and small group tour takes a very alternative route which takes in the magnificent Incan ruins at Choquequirao before heading onwards and upwards to Machu Picchu. Choquequirao was covered in jungle for many years, and even though it is similar in size and architecture to the great Machu Picchu, its true treasures are still being uncovered. And because it is only accessible by foot, a two day trek from Cusco, it is very much off the tourist trail.You will be trekking through the Vilcabamba Range, with magnificent views and varied walking terrain. As well as taking in the stunning ruins themselves, you will take on the likes of Apurimac Canyon, mountain passes over 4000m and also the iconic Urubamba Valley. With views out to snow capped peaks of, for example, Salkantay and Padrilloc.
Your last stop is the Machu Picchu ruins which we reach via the ‘back door’ having completed the most magnificent trekking trail. You will have a guided tour of the great UNESCO site before descending to Pueblo (formerly known as Aguas Calientes) for a well deserved night at a hotel, after several days of camping.
Please note that the cost of this holiday includes guides, mules and all camping equipment, and so you only carry day pack. Although this trip is a small group tour, we can run this trek on any day as a tailormade trek, please get in touch for further information and prices.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.comCheck dates
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
Cusco office recycling: we use both sides of our paper for printing and only print when necessary; we also separate paper, plastic, glass, and inorganic waste and take it to the city’s recycling centre.We accept recyclable materials from tourists in our office and it is listed as a Green Business Cusco by South American Explorers Club.
We encourage clients to refill their water bottles instead of buying plastic bottled water.
We provide bottled water to clients at the beginning of treks in order to discourage them for buying plastic bottled water for the first morning of treks (we provide boiled water during the rest of the trek).
We follow Leave No Trace guidelines at our camp sites and along the trails.
We organize and participate in clean-ups for treks and local rivers through the Cusco office.
For our treks, we provide reusable cloth bags for our snacks instead of small plastic bags.
We use biodegradable soap and dishwashing liquid for treks and other tours.
We purchase local food in bulk for our treks and tours when possible we provide education and training for our staff on the company’s environmental policy and practices.
And we are planting trees as part of a reforestation project in Peru.
The Cusco office has contributed to the construction and maintenance of toilets in the communities of Quishuarani and Cuncani to discourage environmental contamination by tourist groups.
The Impacts of this Trip
We are continuing to undertake community projects such as clothing and school equipment donations. Each year we donate some money to the communities our Inca Trail porters come from.
Currently we donate in the region of USD$1000 at the start of each school year. We ask the community what is most needed and usually we are asked to provide materials (books, pencils, paper etc.) for the children and the local school.
Most of the porters are farmers and cannot afford to pay for all of the materials their kids require for school. By hiking the Inca Trail you are directly helping the families and communities of your porters.
Also, since 2006 we have been able to support the Huchuy Yachaq community project in the marginalised neighbourhood of Hermanos Ayar, on the outskirts of Cusco, with the help of everybody who has travelled with us. We donate USD $3000 a year to this community project.
The project has been set up by volunteer social workers and teachers to provide much needed social and educational support to the children and families of this neighbourhood. Children are encouraged to attend study and games sessions held each afternoon and participate in holiday projects. Our contributions so far have paid for educational books and games, tables and chairs, improvements to the structure of the basic community owned building and the addition of functioning toilets, materials for the children to take to school, school books, holiday programmes.
The Cusco office helps the local community by:
Donation of tools for harvesting crops and help with harvest.
Building of greenhouses to improve agricultural production and nutrition
Provision of teacher in each community to cover more students
Improvement of school facilities and donation of materials such as text sets, books in Quechua and Spanish, desks, chairs, blackboards, pens, paper, etc..
Construction of community centre in Cuncani for villagers to display weaving methods and display wares. This centre will also serve for cultural and educational exchanges/training.
Provision of nutritional breakfast at school for community children attending school.
Visits by health care providers to evaluate children and provide medical supplies to school.
Donation of warm clothing, blankets, personal hygiene items (towels, toothbrushes, soap).
Cusco office recycling: we use both sides of our paper for printing and only print when necessary; we also separate paper, plastic, glass, and inorganic waste and take it to the city’s recycling centre.We accept recyclable materials from tourists in our office and it is listed as a Green Business Cusco by South American Explorers Club.
We encourage clients to refill their water bottles instead of buying plastic bottled water.
We provide bottled water to clients at the beginning of treks in order to discourage them for buying plastic bottled water for the first morning of treks (we provide boiled water during the rest of the trek).
We follow Leave No Trace guidelines at our camp sites and along the trails.
We organize and participate in clean-ups for treks and local rivers through the Cusco office.
For our treks, we provide reusable cloth bags for our snacks instead of small plastic bags.
We use biodegradable soap and dishwashing liquid for treks and other tours.
We purchase local food in bulk for our treks and tours when possible we provide education and training for our staff on the company’s environmental policy and practices.
And we are planting trees as part of a reforestation project in Peru.
The Cusco office has contributed to the construction and maintenance of toilets in the communities of Quishuarani and Cuncani to discourage environmental contamination by tourist groups.
The Impacts of this Trip
We are continuing to undertake community projects such as clothing and school equipment donations. Each year we donate some money to the communities our Inca Trail porters come from.
Currently we donate in the region of USD$1000 at the start of each school year. We ask the community what is most needed and usually we are asked to provide materials (books, pencils, paper etc.) for the children and the local school.
Most of the porters are farmers and cannot afford to pay for all of the materials their kids require for school. By hiking the Inca Trail you are directly helping the families and communities of your porters.
Also, since 2006 we have been able to support the Huchuy Yachaq community project in the marginalised neighbourhood of Hermanos Ayar, on the outskirts of Cusco, with the help of everybody who has travelled with us. We donate USD $3000 a year to this community project.
The project has been set up by volunteer social workers and teachers to provide much needed social and educational support to the children and families of this neighbourhood. Children are encouraged to attend study and games sessions held each afternoon and participate in holiday projects. Our contributions so far have paid for educational books and games, tables and chairs, improvements to the structure of the basic community owned building and the addition of functioning toilets, materials for the children to take to school, school books, holiday programmes.
The Cusco office helps the local community by:
Donation of tools for harvesting crops and help with harvest.
Building of greenhouses to improve agricultural production and nutrition
Provision of teacher in each community to cover more students
Improvement of school facilities and donation of materials such as text sets, books in Quechua and Spanish, desks, chairs, blackboards, pens, paper, etc..
Construction of community centre in Cuncani for villagers to display weaving methods and display wares. This centre will also serve for cultural and educational exchanges/training.
Provision of nutritional breakfast at school for community children attending school.
Visits by health care providers to evaluate children and provide medical supplies to school.
Donation of warm clothing, blankets, personal hygiene items (towels, toothbrushes, soap).
1 Reviews of Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trekking holiday, Peru
Reviewed on 14 Aug 2018 by Ronald Haak
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole trip through the Andean mountains, the remoteness and the beauty of the surroundings. And of course, the way Valentin's company organized it all, it was perfect in one word.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do it! Prepare for a serious physical challenge, especially the Inca trail requires a good condition, steps all the way uphill en slippery stones (when it rains) downhill.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
In a certain way yes, we tipped the porters, cooks and guide and we hope they do good things with it.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
5/5
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