One day trip Sacred Valley
The trip is Sacred Valley, the daily trip is wonderful, the guide Grobert and the driver are nice. We enjoyed the full trip.
From $977.00 / Person
Short Inca Trail Machu Picchu has designed this incredible journey to connect the two most remarkable Inca cities in the Cusco region: Choquequirao and Machu Picchu. Your adventure begins in Cusco, the historic heart of the Inca Empire, before you set off across the high Andes toward the spectacular ruins of Choquequirao. There, you will have time to explore the site in depth and discover what role it played in the Inca world. Further along the route, the Inca site of Llactapata offers your first view of Machu Picchu, framed by Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain, and the snowcapped summit of Salkantay. Once you reach the famous citadel, your guide leads an in-depth tour, followed by free time to wander and take it all in at your own pace, before you return to Cusco.
Trip Details
This stunning but demanding trek is best suited to experienced hikers or travelers in good physical condition who regularly hike or run.
Your adventure begins at 5:00 AM, when your guide collects you from your hotel in our private van. A 4-hour drive past charming villages and dramatic valleys brings us to Capuliyoc, perched on the rim of the Apurímac Canyon and surrounded by towering snowy peaks. Here, we meet our horsemen and load the equipment onto the pack horses, so you only need to carry a small daypack with your essentials for the trail.
From the trailhead, we hike downhill for about 2 hours to Chikiska, where lunch is served. After another hour of walking, we reach Playa Rosalinas (1,550 m / 5,085 ft), our campsite for the first night. Your tent will already be pitched, and hot drinks and snacks will be waiting for you. Take some time to settle in before a hearty, delicious dinner.
Your guide wakes you with a hot cup of tea or coffee, followed by breakfast. We set off early on a fairly steep 4-hour climb from the river, passing through Santa Rosa on the way up to Marampata, where we stop for lunch. From here, you get your first real sense of just how vast Choquequirao is.
Two more hours of hiking bring us to the Choquequirao Archaeological Site (3,110 m / 10,203 ft). Drinks, snacks, and your tent will be ready when you arrive. Enjoy a well-deserved, relaxing evening watching the sunset as condors glide over the canyon.
After breakfast, we spend the morning exploring the archaeological complex of Choquequirao in detail with your guide, then return to camp for a short rest before lunch.
In the afternoon, we leave camp and climb over a ridge, then descend for about 2 hours to the fascinating Inca site of Pinchiunuyoc, where we spend the night. This is the easiest day of the trek.
Start the day with a hot drink delivered to your tent, followed by a delicious breakfast. We then hike downhill for 2 hours to the canyon of the Río Blanco (1,990 m / 6,529 ft), where we stop for lunch and a rest by the river.
In the afternoon, a demanding climb of 3 to 4 hours takes us up to our campsite at Maizal, where a warm dinner awaits.
We set off at 7:00 AM and climb for about 3 hours through subtropical forest to the old Victoria Mines. After visiting the mines and some nearby Inca ruins, one more hour of climbing brings us to the Victoria Pass (4,130 m / 13,550 ft), with spectacular views all around.
From the pass, we descend for about 2 hours, partly along a stretch of beautifully built Inca stairs, to the lovely village of Yanama. Here, we board local transport for the scenic ride via Totora to Lucmabamba, passing snowcapped mountains and waterfalls along the way.
Today, we walk for 3 hours along an original section of Inca trail through the cloud forest, crossing the Puncuyoc Pass on the way to the Inca site of Llactapata (2,700 m / 8,858 ft). Set directly across the valley from Machu Picchu, it offers a rare, distant view of the famous citadel.
After enjoying the views, we hike downhill for 2 hours to the Hidroeléctrica station for lunch. We then continue on foot to Aguas Calientes through the Machu Picchu National Sanctuary, surrounded by the lush scenery of this iconic area. In the evening, we celebrate the end of the trek with dinner at a restaurant in town.
The big day has arrived: Machu Picchu. After an early breakfast at your hotel, you take one of the first buses up to the citadel to watch the sunrise, an unforgettable sight. Your guide then leads a 2-hour tour of the main areas of Machu Picchu, explaining how the city was organized into three sectors: agricultural, residential, and religious. If you booked the optional Huayna Picchu climb in advance, you can make the ascent on your own after the tour.
When you are ready, take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). Depending on your train time, you may be able to shop, visit the museum, or relax in the hot springs. The Expedition Train leaves for Ollantaytambo at 2:55 PM or 3:20 PM, following the Urubamba River through a narrow canyon full of whitewater; look high up on the canyon wall and you may even spot the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna. At Ollantaytambo station, your driver will be waiting to take you to your Cusco hotel in our private vehicle, arriving at around 7:00 PM.
Important to Know:
Please note: The Huayna Picchu climb is unguided and is usually done on your own after the Machu Picchu tour. If you would like a guide to accompany you, please request it in advance, as it has an additional cost.
The 7-Day Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu runs on almost any date that suits you, with a minimum of 2 trekkers. Traveling solo? Contact us for a personalized quote.
| Service Option | Price per Person (USD) |
| Group Trek | $977 USD |
| Private Trek | $1,257 USD |
All prices include a pack horse that carries up to 7 kg of your belongings in the duffel bag we provide, and a large 4-person Eureka tent for every 2 trekkers.
| Extra | Price (USD) | Details |
| Sleeping Bag | $25 per person | Clean and warm, for the whole trek |
| Air Mattress | $25 per person | Therm-a-Rest inflatable mattress |
| Trekking Poles | $20 per pair | Professional, adjustable poles |
| Single Tent | $30 | Private tent for solo trekkers |
| Vistadome Train | $67 per person | Return to Poroy/Cusco at 4:43 PM |
| Huayna Picchu Mountain | $75 per person | Please request when booking |
| Hotel Single Supplement | $40 | Private 3-star room for solo travelers |
Short Inca Trail Machu Picchu is a family-run local tour operator based in Cusco, with many years of hands-on trekking experience. We are a 100% Cusco-owned company with no outside shareholders. Our goal is simple: to create small, personal tours and treks run exclusively by our own local professionals, with a strong focus on high-quality service.
We are proud to be a responsible and sustainable operator. Our team is our extended family, and we make sure every member is fairly paid and well supported. Without them, we could not offer our travelers such outstanding service and unforgettable experiences.
To give every traveler more personal attention, our groups never exceed 8 people. That alone sets us apart from the many companies that run much larger departures.
Our guides are true professionals who speak fluent English and are passionate about Inca history and heritage. They continually study and research so that the information they share reflects accurate, well-established knowledge of Inca and Andean culture. They are also friendly, fun, and highly educated, with university degrees in Archaeology, Tourism, Botany, History, or Anthropology.
Your comfort is our top priority on this fully supported trek. While you meet local people, explore remarkable sites, and discover remote Inca ruins, our crew carries the gear, cooks your meals, and pitches camp away from crowded spots. All you need to do is enjoy the landscape and feel the magic of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the Andes.
We provide our horsemen and cooks, free of charge, with a jacket, sun hat, warm hat, t-shirt, pants, hiking boots, a comfortable duffel bag, a water bottle, a back-support belt, a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, and insurance.
The food is one of the things our travelers rave about most, with many saying it is better than in restaurants. Our professional cooks prepare generous gourmet meals, mixing Peruvian and international dishes made with local and exotic ingredients. We happily adapt every menu to dietary restrictions, food allergies, and special diets such as gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan.
We have always believed in giving back to the remote communities we work with. As part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we hire locally and support community projects. We are proud to help our highland team members and their families, staying true to our own roots.
We give you a duffel bag at your briefing, and a pack horse carries it for you. Peruvian law limits each duffel to 7 kg (15 lbs) to protect the health of porters and animals, and every bag is weighed before the trek. Anything over the limit must go in your daypack. Your sleeping bag (about 2 kg) and sleeping pad (about 1 kg) count toward the limit, leaving roughly 4 kg for personal items.
We recommend a small 30L to 40L backpack for daytime hiking, as large backpacks are not allowed inside Machu Picchu. Everything else stays in your duffel bag, which you will find waiting at camp.
We meet you at Cusco airport and take you to your hotel. Please send us your full flight details at least 14 days before you arrive. Look for our representative holding a Short Inca Trail Machu Picchu sign at the exit of the arrivals terminal.
At 6:00 PM the evening before the trek, at our office in Cusco (Calle Garcilaso 265, Office 201).
Of course. While you are on the Choquequirao Trek, your main luggage can stay at our office or at your hotel, whichever suits you best.
Step 1: Fill out our booking form by clicking BOOK NOW. We need the following details for every traveler in your group to buy your Machu Picchu and train tickets:
Step 2: Pay a deposit of $211 USD per person so we can purchase your entrance tickets. You can pay by VISA or PayPal directly on our booking page.
You can pay in cash in Cusco or online. To avoid Peru’s high card fees, pay in cash (US dollars or Peruvian soles) at our office in Cusco; there are plenty of ATMs in the historic center. You can also pay online by VISA or PayPal, which adds a 5.5% service fee charged by those platforms.
Travelers under 18 on the date of the trek, and university students with a valid card. Under Peruvian law, age is counted on the day you visit Machu Picchu, not the day you book. For example, if you book at 17 but turn 18 before the trek, you will need a valid university card to get the discount.
To receive any student discount, please send us a copy of the passport when you book.
Only before your Machu Picchu tickets have been purchased. Once the tickets are bought, the government does not allow any changes, and tickets cannot be transferred or refunded. If you need to change your date, contact our office as soon as possible. Please note that the deposit is non-refundable if you cancel the trek.
Yes. You must bring your original passport, and its number must match the one you gave us to book your trek, entrance tickets, and other reservations.
If you are renewing your passport or changing your name, book with your old passport details to secure your tickets. When you have your new passport, we can update your reservations for $25 USD per person; we will need a copy of both the old and new passports, so keep a copy of the old one before replacing it. If you prefer not to pay this fee, you must bring both passports to Peru. You can enter the country with the new one, but you will need to show both to enter Machu Picchu and board the train. Without both, entry will be refused.
Very unpredictable. Mountain weather can change quickly, so always dress in layers that you can easily add or remove as conditions shift.
Stay active before your trip and spend a couple of days in Cusco or the Sacred Valley first. Most people acclimatize normally within 24 hours to 2 days. The best remedies are plenty of water, coca tea, and oxygen if needed. Our guides are trained to recognize and treat altitude sickness.
A maximum of 8. Most of our groups have between 2 and 6 people. We specialize in small and private groups, so you always receive personal attention.
Pack horses carry your duffel, and you carry a small daypack. The evening before the trek, we give you a small duffel bag for your clothes and gear, with a weight limit of 7 kg (15 lbs). Our horses carry it along with the food and camping equipment. Since the horses always travel ahead of the group, you will not have access to your duffel until you reach camp each afternoon. Your daypack should hold everything you need during the day, such as a warm jacket, rain jacket, camera, sunscreen, snacks, and water. A 30L to 40L backpack is enough.
This is a moderate to difficult trek and definitely not an easy one. You do not need to be an athlete or an expert, but you should have hiking experience. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the scenery and the Inca ruins along the way. If you do not exercise regularly, we recommend extra walking, hiking, or other cardio activity in the months before your trip.
You will have a private toilet at every campsite. Our travelers really appreciate this: a clean camping toilet with a proper seat, set up inside its own tent at a comfortable distance from the campsite. It is always close by and hygienic, even at night.
Our team will help you get to safety. If a health problem prevents you from continuing, we will help you reach the nearest town and arrange transport. We always carry oxygen for breathing difficulties. In serious emergencies, a helicopter evacuation can be arranged at your own cost, so travel insurance is required. No refunds are given if you cannot complete the trek.
Trekkers who leave the trail early and recover quickly can usually continue to Aguas Calientes (at their own expense) and visit Machu Picchu as planned.
Absolutely. Hotel drop-off on the last day is included. If you are staying in the Sacred Valley, for example in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba, we will take you there instead. And if you spend the night before the trek in Ollantaytambo, we will pick you up there too.
Usually at 2:55 PM or 3:20 PM, depending on availability; in high season, trains can sell out. We choose these times to give you as long as possible at Machu Picchu while still letting you enjoy the views from the train on the way back.
The upgrade costs $67 USD per person, including the transfer from Poroy station to your Cusco hotel. The Vistadome has more comfortable seats, panoramic side and ceiling windows, snacks, and a live dance show on board.
With the standard service, the train takes about 2 hours to Ollantaytambo, followed by a 2-hour drive to Cusco. The Vistadome goes all the way to Poroy in about 3.5 hours, followed by a 25-minute drive to your hotel, so you will be back by around 8:00 PM. If you plan to catch a night bus to Puno, that is still entirely possible.
Tipping is optional, but it means a lot to the team. Even if it is not common in your country, tips are an important part of the tourism industry in Peru and motivate the people who look after you to give their very best. How much you give is entirely up to you and should reflect the quality of the service and the length of your trip.
Yes. We are a local, responsible tourism operator committed to two key principles: protecting the environment and benefiting local communities while respecting their culture and beliefs. All our staff are trained to understand and respect the places we visit and the people who live there.
From the terraces of Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, every step brings you closer to the lost city of the Incas.
Its agricultural terraces cover half the mountainside, making it a trail favorite. Its name means "Eternally Young" in Quechua.
The "Gate of the Sun" was the main entrance to Machu Picchu and gives you your first view of the citadel, a view you can only earn on the Inca Trail.
By far the most well known UNESCO world heritage site in Peru and the pinnacle of many people's visits to South America. This is where you wanted to be.
Real reviews from travelers who explored Machu Picchu and Cusco with us, straight from Tripadvisor, Google and Trustpilot.
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