CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK 5DAYS-4NIGHTS

2018 DEPARTURES

Price per person: US$516 (Group tour)
Price upon Request: (Private tour)
The tour INCLUDES land tourist transportation from Cusco hotel to Cachora village start of the Trekking, the combined entrance ticket to Choquequirao and campsite fees, English-Spanish speaking guide for 05Days Trekking, horses and porters to carry all the camping equipment, all meals & accommodation in tents, land tourist transportation back from Cachora to Cusco and others. Besides pre-trip information + organization and all local taxes. There are not hidden extras in our prices. Other local companies 2016 prices 04DAYS-03NIGHTS CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK, by group service: US$790 (2016), US$580 (2016), US$665 (2016). The price includes all money transfer fees. For full details see below.

DAY 1: CUSCO – CACHORA – CAPULIYOC – CHIQUISCA:
Early morning our driver and guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the village of Cachora which will take us about 4 hours, starting point of of the trek. Upon arrival in Cachora village (2800m/9184ft) where we will have breakfast. This place offers to visitors views of the Snow Mountains of SalKantay, Humantay, Pitusiray, Chicon and Veronica. Then we meet our porters or mule-drivers (arrieros) who will carry our camping equipment and backpacks. We start to climb for about 2:30hrs towards (pass) Abra Capuliyoc (2910m / 9545ft), where we may enjoy our first views of Apurimac Canyon and the snow peak of Qolquecruz, we continue descending for 2 more hours in direction to Coca Masana (2330m/7642ft), where the climate gets warmer, the flora and fauna begin to change. Besides we will see sugar cane plantations, where your guide will explain about the process of sugar. Arrival in Chiquisca and lunch prepared by our team. Afternoon free time to relax. Dinner included in tents. Overnight at Chiquisca.

• Land transport: Cusco – Cachora 4 hours
• Walking distance: 12km / 7.5 miles
• Estimated walking time: 5 hours
• Maximum altitude: 2910m / 9,545ft
• Accommodation: Camping tents
• Weather conditions: Cold, rainy December-March, dry
• Trail conditions: Rocky, narrow, slippery

DIA 2: CHIQUISCA – PLAYA ROSALINA – MARAMPATA – CHOQUEQUIRAO:
Breakfast included in tents. We leave our first campsite, and continue hiking for about 1 hour downhill until Playa Rosalina (1540m/5051ft), crossing Apurimac River, reaching to Playa Rosalina which lies besides Apurimac River. Then we follow the path hiking 3:30hrs slowly towards Marampata, our hike will be slowly because it is uphill. Once we reach in Marampata (3000m/9840ft), which is a flat area, where we will have lunch, and enjoy the view to Apurimac canyon and Choquequirao, besides some medicinal plants used by the locals, also we will have the chance to see corn farms. After this, we continue again with our trek for 2hrs until we reach the archaeological complex of Choquequirao (3100m/10168ft), located in the middle of the forest. Afternoon free time to explore this Inca complex on your own, and enjoy the spectacular view to the canyon and snow-capped mountains Soray (5428m/17804ft) and Tuncarway (5910m/19385ft), sometimes condors can be seen. In the evening observe the sky where your guide will explain about Inca constellations. Dinner in tents. Overnight at Choquequirao.

• Walking distance: 10 km / 6 miles
• Estimated walking time: 6 – 7 hrs
• Maximum altitude: 3200m/10,496ft
• Accommodation: Camping tents (Choquequirao campsite)
• Weather conditions: Cold, rainy December-March, dry
• Trail conditions: Rocky, narrow, slippery

DIA 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO:
Breakfast included in tents. After breakfast 30 minutes walking until Choquequirao, then a complete guided tour of 4 hours the archaeological site of Choquequirao and the Inca trail, where our guide will explain the history of this magnificent construction in the Peruvian Andes and its people, with its 8 sectors as the Main Plaza, barns, houses, the ceremonial site, temples and the famous Llama sector, where this sacred animal has been represented in stone in their constructions (wall of farming terraces), besides we will have the chance to visit the three levels of the excavated ruins of this late Inca village as the upper parts (Hananpacha), central area and the lower parts (Urinpacha) of Choquequirao, considered as the last refuge of the Inca Empire, and finally the areas that are unexplored, not very visited, and still covered in wild foliage, ready to be restored in a future not far away. Return to our campsite and lunch prepared by our team. Afternoon enjoy the flight of the condor and free time. Dinner in tents. Overnight at Choquequirao.

• Walking distance: 4km / 2.5 miles
• Estimated walking time: 4 hours (including complete visit to Choquequirao)
• Maximum Altitude: 3200 m / 10,496ft
• Accommodation: Camping tents (Choquequirao campsite)
• Weather conditions: Cold, rainy December-March, dry
• Trail conditions: Rocky, narrow, slippery

DIA 4: CHOQUEQUIRAO – MARAMPATA – PLAYA ROSALINA – CHIQUISCA:
Breakfast included in tents. Then after to have enjoyed the overnight and guided visit to Choquequirao complex we start to go back towards Chiquisca (1930m/6330ft), where along the way we will find different types of flowers and birds that can be found in this area. Arrival in Playa Rosalina, free time for refreshing in the waters of the Apurimac River (which translates to Speak God), place where we have lunch prepared by our team. After lunch we continue with our trekking for about 2 hours along the route in direction to Chiquisca our last campsite, where we will have free time in the afternoon. Dinner included in tents. Overnight at Chiquisca

• Walking distance: 16 km / 10 miles
• Estimated walking time: 6 hrs
• Maximum altitude: 3200 m / 10,496ft
• Accommodation: Camping tents
• Weather conditions: Cold, rainy December-March, dry
• Trail conditions: Rocky, narrow, slippery

DIA 5: CHIQUISCA – CACHORA – CUSCO:
Breakfast in tents. Early morning we leave our last campsite in order to go back to Cusco. We continue with our trekking until Abra Capuliyoc (pass) a trek for about 3hrs, passing in the other side of this place we will have lunch. Finally the last walk of our trekking for about 2hrs, until Cachora village, where our transport will be waiting to take us back to Cusco. Also today we will say good bye to our porters, after to have carried our backpacks along the way to Choquequirao. Arrival in Cusco. Transfer to your hotel.

• Walking distance: 13 km / 8 miles
• Estimated walking time: 5 – 6 hours
• Maximum altitude: 2910m / 9545ft
• Weather conditions: Cold, rainy December-March, dry
• Trail conditions: Rocky, narrow, slippery
• Land transport: Cachora – Cusco 4 hrs

WHAT IS INCLUDED: The tour INCLUDES land tourist transportation & escort guide from Cusco hotel to Cachora village (start of the Trekking), the combined entrance ticket to Choquequirao and campsite fees, English-Spanish speaking guide for 05Days Trekking, horses and porters to carry all the camping equipment (spacious sleeping tents, sleeping bags, double thickness foam sleeping mattress, cooking equipment, dining tent, kitchen tent, tables and ecological toilets), horses for riding in emergency cases, 7hg personal luggage allowance to put on the horses, experienced cook, all meals (4 breakfast, 5 lunches, 4 dinners), food (includes fresh fruit, avocados, fish, chicken, meat, pancakes, omelettes, pasta, soup and rice) recommended for trekking journeys, also hot drinks as coca tea and coffee, filtered drinking boiled water, guided visit of Choquequirao ruins with English-Spanish speaking guide, land tourist transportation back from Cachora to Cusco. Besides pre-trip information + organization and all local taxes. There are no hidden extras in our prices. Our company, in shared operation with our partner in Cusco provides for our guest comfortable Tents as Eureka, North Face or Doite, in single & double occupancy, besides oxygen & first aid kit, exclusive for foreign.

NOT INCLUDED: Breakfast (1° day) but you can have in Cachora village, sleeping bags for the trekking, and dinner at the end of the tour (5° day), we recommend in Cusco where there are restaurants. Optional gratuities for the guide, cook and porters. Our staff is well paid so tipping is voluntary, as desired.

USEFUL INFORMATION:

You can see that in Rumbo Explora we have developed for you tailor-made itineraries with the best price as competitive as possible, providing an excellent service and paying our guides 10% above the legal wage agreed with association of the tour guides – Cusco. Our staff are some of the best paid in Cusco & Machupicchu, which allows us to attract only the Best Tour Guides and Land Transportation with national permit, to none other local company, that can only provide a cheaper price by providing a far inferior service and saving on staff costs, ¿How? Hiring tour guides in training without experience and not paying them, besides avoiding taxes to government.

Big Travel companies from Europe, North America, Australia and others work with the Peruvian Tour Operators located in Lima-Peru, who work as middlemen receiving from them good prices from the Tours & Packages, and paying to us 40 to 50% minor the normal price, besides 2 to 3 months delayed, being this the reason that Rumbo Explora have decided to offer tours & packages directly to travelers.

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Camping Equipment – Choquequirao Trek

TENTS & LAMPS FOR OUR CLIENTS:
All of our tents are made of waterproof materials. Rumbo Explora, in shared operation with our partner in Cusco offer deluxe & private services for our demanding clients, supplying solar-powered lamps, for giving an excellent service at night, thus substitute the gas lamps currently employed for group tours by many local companies. The camping equipment with some brands or models:

• Eureka Tunnel Vision – larger groups
• Eureka Timberline 4 Outfitter – double occupancy
• Eureka Timberline 2XT – single occupancy
• Eureka K2XT – double & single occupancy
• Eureka Equinox – single occupancy
• The North Face VE25 – double & single occupancy
• Doite Cima 4 – single & double occupancy
• Doite Kailas 3 – single & double occupancy
• Doite Himalaya – single & double occupancy

TENTS & LAMPS FOR OUR STAFF (GUIDES, COOKS AND PORTERS):
Tents, sleeping bags, sleeping foams, rain ponchos and shoes for our staff are manufactured in Peru. We can guarantee the comfort of our staff during the excursion. For deluxe and private Choquequirao Trek, our company in shared operation with our partner in Cusco supply solar-powered lamps for our staff, to give an excellent service at night, thus substitute the gas lamps currently employed in group tours by many local companies.

COLLECTIVE TENTS:
For Choquequirao Trek program it is employed dining tents, kitchen tents, and shower tents available. Additional to camping equipment we have porter backpacks, support belts, shoes, duffle bags, porter jackets, all manufactured in Peru. Besides our partner in Cusco have provided free insurance for all Choquequirao Trek staff, we can guarantee that our staff are well paid in Cusco region, we consider them as the absolute minimum requirements for treating our camp staff fairly and as human beings.

SLEEPING MATS/PADS & SLEEPING BAGS:
For giving a top comfort service for all our clients at Choquequirao Trek we work widely with three layers of orthopedic foamy pads, to guarantee a good rest, after a long hiking.
Our company, in shared operation with our partner in Cusco provide for our guests clean and comfortable sleeping bags (eureka), who offers different models in remote areas far away from city for different temperatures.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT / TABLEWARE & CUTLERY:
For ensuring a maximum hygiene and the best service possible, our company, in shared operation with our partner in Cusco buy all fresh produce and food directly from local markets, where we can find out fresh fruits, meat, fish, potatoes, vegetables and others. Also it is employed for Choquequirao Trek cutlery which is stainless steel, dishes, cups and glassware made in China, as Choquequirao Mountain is located in the Andes, in remote areas far away from Cusco city, the weather is cold and plastic equipment not good. Besides the kitchen is equipped also with ovens, exclusive for our clients.

WATER FILTERS FACILITIES:
Rumbo Explora guarantee all meals and food along the journey. Travellers do not have to bring water purification tablets or water filters on the trek. Be sure that we operate in areas where water source is clean besides it is filtered for cooking and boiled for drinking purposes, and it is regularly monitored, for not put our clients’ health at risk. We use biodegradable soup and detergent, in shared operation with our partner in Cusco, exclusive for clients of Rumbo Explora.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSABILITY:
Toilet facilities: As Choquequirao Trek program takes several days, our company, in shared operation with our partner in Cusco employ (toilet tent) portable toilet facilities including biodegradable bags (manufactured in United States). Some organic wastes are taken out and buried in remote areas far away from Trail, or carried back to Cusco. On the journey of Choquequirao Trekking there are not proper flush toilets.
In Cusco & Machupicchu: On the Choquequirao Trek (protected area) is not allowed drop-off rubbish or polluting the environment that is why our Company put in operation the collecting of garbage from all our excursions where we operate following the Peruvian regulations, respecting the protection to environment.
In Puno & Lake Titicaca: Rumbo Explora recommends to all our drivers during the excursions, put on tourist transportations and motor boats a small rubbish bin and all this will be taken to the garbage collector and then to the Municipal dump, to avoid the pollution in Lake Titicaca region.
In Arequipa & Colca Valley: As the excursion to Colca Valley takes 02Days or more, people carry water in plastic bottles for several days, which produces garbage against the environment. We decided to collect all wastes possible from all our tours, especially from our Trekking program in Colca Valley where we operate, taking back to Arequipa to send to Municipal dump.
Lima & Nazca-Paracas and other places: Lima, Nazca and Paracas are towns located on the desert, where the temperature in summer gets warm up to 30°-35° degrees, and wastes produce contamination. We suggest to all our visitors put the wastes into the rubbish bin.

FOR EMERGENCIES – FIRST-AID-KITS & OXYGEN BOTTLES:
Inca Trail program, Salkantay, Ausangate, Lares Treks and others implies downs and ups along the trekking and not medical centers, in some areas our clients will cross hiking over 4300m/14,100feet, is our priority to carry for emergencies oxygen & first aid kit, exclusive for foreign. Our guides are trained in first aid, and we can guarantee the trekking for the Inca Trail program and all treks where we operate. In a future not far away we will provide satellite phone as a priority for our services on Inca Trail program, exclusive for our clients and staff, just for emergencies.