Trek Choquequirao to Machu Picchu

The scale of this trip was truly epic – long days of challenging trekking through the magnificent Andes, each day revealing new and fascinating aspects of the region. The whole team were incredible, dealing impressively with the complex logistics and difficult terrain. Lino couldn’t have been a better guide, sharing his extensive knowledge and unbounded enthusiasm, and always knowing the exact details and little secrets to get the very best from every place along the way. He made certain everyone in the group had the best possible experience. The landscapes we travelled through were awe inspiring, and far more varied than I had expected. Surrounded by stunning scenery, wonderful nature and rich history, this was truly a trip that I’ll remember (and be talking about) forever.

Amazingly well organised trip with beautiful sceneries and great cultural insights.

Our guide Lino and team made this treck extremely smooth - we were always well informed and Lino catered for different paces really well on the hikes. The vegetarian food was great, lots of varied options of veg and protein!

Some of the campsites were a bit colder than I expected so I wish I’d brought more warmer layers (September group). But it’s all worth it! Most campsites had showers (sometimes even warm water) and some even had wifi!

Love the trekking route which is more challenging and less travelled! Our guide Lino was absolutely amazing, and was passionate about introducing the Inca history and sites along the way. The group was such a wonderful company through out the trip. Friendly, fun and supportive. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a great trekking experience to Machu Picchu!

Incredible trek—physically demanding but worth every step. Highly recommend if you want an adventure. Choquequirao is majestic and the route to Machu Picchu is full of dramatic scenery. Long days, steep climbs, basic campsites, but unforgettable views and zero crowds until the very end. The crew, chefs, and the guide team are wonderful.

Can’t imagine trekking to Machu Picchu any other way! So thankful for the days on this trail that we rarely saw other hikers. Steep hiking both up and down while at altitude. Lino is an amazing guide - he took great care of us and it was wonderful to see how well-respected he is by the local communities. Lovely small touches throughout the trip and food on the trail far exceeded expectations, thank you Freddy & Alberto. Our 11 horses and 3 horse keepers kept the trip running smoothly. Bring extra trail snacks, electrolytes, and toilet paper! Light weight pants worked better than shorts.

This was probably the best hike I've ever done.

The landscape throughout the whole journey is breathtaking. I was really surprised how much it changed as well, starting with really dry and desert-y looking places and then changing to lush high forests. The trail in Choquequirao was very empty, we barely saw any other groups on it, and made for a very peaceful trip. The highlight for me was camping on the Inca terraces in Pinchaunuyoc.

It was definitely challenging at times, but it felt manageable and the guides took really good care of us and made sure we're safe and managing the altitude.

The whole staff was amazing. Our guides, Hipo and Eddie, were incredible. Super knowledgeable about the history of the places we saw but also very friendly and fun. They definitely kept things light and helped us all enjoy the trip. The food was also fantastic.

I honestly can't recommend more. I was very happy I chose to do this and not one of the busier routes to Machu Picchu.

It was an amazing experience. The best

A challenging and incredible experience. The scenery was simply stunning, hiking through an array of ecosystems, from the Peruvian Andes, up through cloud forests and deep into parts of the Amazon jungle, rarely walked or offered by other tour operators.

The mountain views from all our ‘wild camping’ locations were simply amazing and the final day reaching Machu Picchu for sunrise before the crowds arrived was incredible.

Lino, our guide for the trip was outstanding in every way, professional, diligent, enthusiastic, funny, ridiculously fit, and extremely passionate about all things Inca and his amazing country.

The Horse Porters and Chiefs were amazing, extremely friendly, always smiling and constantly going above and beyond to ensure our tents were set up prior to our arrival, regardless of how long they departed after us in the mornings. They constantly strived to ensure we were appropriately fed and watered throughout the entire trip.

The cuisine provided during the trek was also first class, what the team produced daily along the trail was faultless, constantly providing a wide variety and always plenty to go around.

Recommendations/ Observations:

1. ESTA Application: (if travelling via America) - make sure you remember to apply for an ESTA in advance, even if you are just transiting through and not leaving the airport, you still require it! You will not be allowed to even check into your flight UK side without it. Once applied for, it was authorised within a few hours.

2. Mosquito Repellent – This is an absolute must, make sure you take plenty of repellent or alternatives, I would recommend them having a deet content, as this was most effective, the repellent wrist bands and other Flextail like chargeable devices would also be recommended, we did not take them all and ultimately paid the price! The mosquito's and midges are on another level, particularly post shower and at stages on the trek near water sources whilst under the tree canopy. I would highly recommend taking antihistamines, creams, and other ointments to ease the itching post bite, that normally kicked off around 0300hrs each morning.

3. Additional snacks - these are an absolute must, although snacks are provided daily by the team at breakfast, some of the climbs are long and hard, made more difficult by the heat. A bag of nuts, haribo, assorted sweets or flapjack, would greatly assist with maintaining your energy levels. There are a number of shops along the route that you can purchase a welcome Gatorade/ Powerade and sweets from, but at the time, you are not always aware of where these are, and they may come after you crash.

4. Electrolytes/ water filter - I would highly recommend bringing some form of isotonic powder or electrolytes to help keep you hydrated, particularly on the longer, warmer days. I would also consider taking a small filtered soft flask and sterilising tablet, I craved cold water during the trek, and we often passed freezing cold, waterfalls, or springs, that id happily have drank from, if treated correctly.

5. Washing/ Showers - There were plenty of opportunities to wash and even shower during the trek. Nearly every campsite had either showers/taps or a freshwater spring to wash under. Some sites had hot showers you could purchase for ten soles.

6. Agues Calientes - is an amazing, vibrant town, oozing atmosphere. I would highly recommend not wasting any time in the hotel and getting out and exploring as soon as you arrive, therefore maximising the gorgeous sunset photo opportunities.

7. Machu Picchu – you must 100% make sure you are on time on the day you visit Machu Picchu itself. You only get a 45-minute window in relation to your allocated entry time slot (this is including your bus transit time to get up there). Walking poles are not permitted in Machu Picchu, so make sure to leave these at the hotel prior to departing.

8. Difficulty rating - The trek to Choquequirao on days could have been labelled as Challenging/ hard. We had a fit group, that would have struggled to get into our camp site locations during daylight if individuals had potentially been slower.

9. Downtime – Throughout the trek, there was often afternoons where you had free time, this I would suggest would be down to the overall speed of the group. I would recommend taking a kindle/book/ cards or music to pass the time, or just make the most of the opportunity to take a well-earned siesta. There is no way to charge items until you get to the hotel the night before Machu Picchu, so we took power banks, X2 were ample for us to charge our phones, head torches and other items as required.

10. Misc - I would 100% recommend booking an extra day at the end of the trip and remaining in Cusco before flying home. We visited Lake Humantay (Salkantay Lake), it was well worth it, even though it was a couple of hours traveling and a surprisingly tough climb, but the view at the top and over the lake was worth it. There was also an option to get a paid lift to the top on horseback if required.

All in, this trip was truly an incredible experience, and one challenge I would highly recommend embarking on.

Much Better Adventures were excellent throughout, I will 100% be booking with them again in the future.

An amazing hike through the Peruvian Andes visiting Incan sites and camping in places only accessible by foot. It felt like a real adventure that very few others have done. But it is very tough going at times and the camping facilities (showers, loos & electricity) are basic to say the least. On the other hand we were so well looked after by the crew (chefs, horsemen and our guide Lino) that this made it manageable. Lino was a great guide; passionate and knowledgeable about the Incan history and culture. The quality and quantity of food was outstanding. I'd say anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and multi day hiking experience and a willingness to rough it for a few nights should manage it but be prepared to cope with long steep ascents & descents, mozzies, heat, lack of oxygen at high altitudes and you'll be rewarded with unbelievable views and an unforgettable experience.

Where to even start? a tough but incredible experience all in all. The ever-changing scenery was an adventure in itself, hiking through conditions ranging from the Peruvian Andes, through to the Cloud Forest and part of the Amazon Jungle.

From endless mountain views to what felt like camping directly under the Milky-Way, some of the campsites that you get to visit (especially the wild camping locations) truly have some of the most spectacular views I have seen to this date.

Reaching Machu Picchu for sunrise before the crowds of people arrived was an absolutely incredible bucket list experience that I'll cherish and remember for a life time.

Lino our local guide was exceptional and such a lovely individual who had a great amount of knowledge and passion for his country, in addition to the background/history behind it, guiding us through it at ease.

The Horsemen and Cooks were great, always ensuring to have our tents/camping equipment made up for us, prior to us arriving at the site (when feasible) which was a huge luxury in itself. The food on this trip was also an absolute highlight, and this is coming from someone who classes themselves as a 'fussy eater'. There was always so much variety to offer, and no one ever went hungry which is exactly what you need on a trip like this.

TOP TIPS:

1. MOSQUITO REPELLENT - please, please, please make sure to take a large amount of repellent (DEET included) or alternatives such as bands, solar repellent etc to last you the entire trip as the mosquito's are on another level out here and this is coming from somewhere who never tended to get bitten prior to this trip (I had hit the triple figure marks in relation to bites by the end of it).

2. TOILET ROLL/DISPOSABLE WIPES - as a female traveller, I would highly recommend taking at least 4 rolls to last you whilst you're out there (this includes for the trekking during the day itself, in addition to the campsites as it was rare that any was provided so, just to be on the safe side).

3. ESTA APPLICATION (if travelling via Central America) - make sure to remember to apply for an ESTA plenty of time in advance, even if you're just transitioning and not leaving the airport as you will not be allowed to fly (as almost experienced).

4. PONCHO - definitely make sure to pack a poncho regardless of the stated season as, due to the large amount of travelling, there is the chance for it to be rainy up in the mountains/cloud forests and so, the weather/temperature change can be a bit temperamental at times.

5. TRAVEL SICKNESS TABLETS - if this is something that you suffer with, then I would highly recommend taking travel sickness tablets on this trip, especially for day two of the itinerary. On day two, you will visit The Sacred Valley, Pisac, in addition to Ollantaytambo as well with these journeys being pretty long and there being some questionable roads/speed bumps involved (you're looking at around 5/6hrs of driving on this day which wasn’t initially stated on the itinerary and it can get a little tedious).

6. MACHU PICCHU - make sure to be on time on the day you visit Machu Picchu. There is only a 45 minute leeway in relation to entry (with this including your transportation up there) and so, I would recommend using the toilet back at the hotel prior to attending as time can get pretty short and the last thing you want is your tickets getting voided. No walking poles are also allowed at Machu Picchu and so make sure to leave these at the hotel prior to attending.

7. SNACKS - even though bringing snacks for the trip might be the last thing on your mind and you are provided with them daily, I cannot explain how much you will crave sugary sweets whilst on the hike (there are places to purchase items but sometimes, there's nothing like certain home comforts to keep you going). I would also recommend keeping an eye out on the prices/change you receive in relation to money if you are to purchase anything, as short changing seemed to be quite a regular problem throughout the expedition on this trip (no fault of much better adventures however, just something to be aware of).

8. ELECTROLYTES/WATER BLADDERS - I would highly recommend bringing some electrolytes to keep you hydrated as you will drink a lot and lose a lot of fluid throughout the experience based on the heat and physical demand of this trip. I took both a water bladder and a bottle, and found that the bladder provided a lot easier access to water over a regular bottle which I stored in a side compartment and wasn't able to reach as often.

9. FIRST CAMP SITE - when you arrive at Chiquisca, you will be offered (availability pending), the first choice of camping pitch. I would highly recommend opting for the upper level over lower, as the lower campsite is full of mosquito's whereas the higher level is more open, has a breeze, and is also away from the campsite facilities making it a quieter and more pleasant camping experience for you.

10. SHOWERS - do not panic about the shower situation, there were plenty more washing opportunities available on the trip to offer than first imagined. It is prohibited to bathe/wash in the river however, there are cold showers/taps available at every campsite (relief and not as bad as it sounds), in addition to hot showers available to purchase for 10 soles at the campsites you stay at for day four and five of the trek.

11. AGUAS CALIENTES - Agues Calientes is an absolutely beautiful town, and I would highly recommend getting out and exploring it on the day you arrive to catch the sunset and calming vibes of it all over the following morning where it is incredibly overcrowded due to the Machu Picchu transport system, especially if you're into your exploring/street photography.

12. SPARE DAYS - I would definitely recommend considering booking an extra 1/2 days at the end of the trip back in Cusco before flying either back home/onto your next destination if interested in visiting either Rainbow Mountain, or Lake Humantay (Salkantay Lake) as both are popular hiking spots and places that are not included in this specific tour itself or your itinerary.

13. ROOM ALLOCATION - if you are travelling with a partner/companion, I would highly recommend double checking with your host prior to arriving that they have received this updated passenger info, as on arrival to Peru at the first hotel, both myself and my partner were placed in separate rooms with other members of the trip which initially wasn't ideal as we were travelling as a couple and wanted to spend that extra time together as a couple. This issue was resolved promptly however, there could have potentially been a problem if there was limited room availability etc and so important to note.

14. DIFFICULTY LEVEL - The trek to Choquequirao is HARD, with two members from our group stating that it was a lot more physically challenging over the MBA 'Everest and Gokyo Lakes Circuit' which I believe is an important thing to keep in mind when booking as even avid hikers within the group found it a struggle at times. In relation to walking poles, all individuals had poles however, only 4/7 used them on this trip. I personally went without and found it doable and easy to manage so in relation to poles, I would say it is more of a personal preference over a necessity.

15. OTHER - during the trip, there will be certain afternoons where you have free time to do as you wish which ended up being a blessing in disguise for those of us who were in need of a bit of R&R. Due to this, I would highly recommend taking a kindle/book etc, as most people either had a siesta, or spent their time reading/sunbathing. I would also recommend bringing some headphones/music device etc because as much as I loved the group and the company, there were certain days where I just needed a bit of my own comforts to get me through the more challenging parts of the hike and music definitely ended up helping with that.

Overall, an incredible and unforgettable first experience with Much Better Adventures where memories and friends for life have been made, and with this being a trip that I would highly, highly recommend.

Very good trip, really enjoyed it. Great sights and hiking routes (climbs can be challenging). Well planned itinerary. Fantastic guide. Food brilliant - complements to the chefs! Rest of team also very helpful. Would fully recommend anyone looking for a challenging but rewarding hiking experience, with some great Inca sights and landscapes. 10/10

Amazing trek well beyond my expectations. Very impressed by the level of care from our Lino, our guide and the entire team. Highly recommended for a real off the beaten track experience!

This Trek is an awsome experience but tough and should not be underestimated. The whole experience was better than expected not that we knew really what we were in for. The staff, Horsemen, Cooks, general support and our guide Lino were excellent. Lino and his pacing, knowledge of the route as well as his passion for his culture and the Inca ruins was second to none. We had an extra day in Cusco which was very well worth it. There is plenty to do and see and the altitude acclimatisation was needed, Jill suffered and required the altitude medication but i was ok.

This was a most excellent and very well organised trip. The food was far better than expected too.

Thanks must go to all the staff as they made the trip run like clockwork from our early morning cup of Coca Tea and warm washing water to breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and Dinner.

If you do venture onto this trip you will not be disappointed but be warned it is tough!

This trek was amazing! The trek to Choquequirao was really tough but worth every step to be one of 10 people at the site with the incredible views of the site and scenery. The rest of the trek was fantastic too. Whilst the last few days are a bit more ‘typical’ tourist routes it was well planned, visiting Machu Picchu early is certainly a great call. The staff on the trip were great, friendly, helpful and professional. The food (given the location) was amazing and really carefully prepared. Our trek leader was very knowledgeable about the route and extremely passionate about the history of his country which really shone through when visiting the historical sights. It’s a tough trek but worth it for a once in a life time experience!