Kraig Adams 835K159K75.3K29KWork with me
Choquequirao and Ausangate: a still from my film

Apurímac canyon and the Andes near Cusco, Peru · May 2019 · Solo

Choquequirao and Ausangate

47.2 KM · 3 DAYS · 3,800 M

3 days alone to the Inca ruins above Peru's Apurímac canyon.

Watch the film 12:27 · 804K views

At a glance

Where
Apurímac canyon and the Andes near Cusco, Peru
Distance
47.2 km (29.3 miles)
Days
3 walking days, 2 nights in my tent. Most people take 4 or 5
Climbing
About 12,460 ft (3,800 m) up and the same down
Season
The dry season, about May to September. I walked May 25 to 27, 2019
Difficulty
Steep: two big climbs in the heat each way, on a clear mule trail. My Day 2 was one of the toughest things I've ever done
Start and end
Capuliyoc
When I went
May 2019
Relief map of the Choquequirao route: 3 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Capuliyoc and Santa Rosa Alta.
Day 1Day 2Day 3Highest 10,050 ft (3,064 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 10,050 ft (3,064 m), lowest 4,850 ft (1,479 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The films

Photos

  • The Apurímac canyon and the snow peaks beyond it, on the way down on Day 1.
    The Apurímac canyon and the snow peaks beyond it, on the way down on Day 1.
  • The terraces of Choquequirao from above, Day 2.
    The terraces of Choquequirao from above, Day 2.
  • The canyon slopes that Day 3 climbs, seen on the way down on Day 1.
    The canyon slopes that Day 3 climbs, seen on the way down on Day 1.
My tent on the afternoon of Day 1.
My tent on the afternoon of Day 1.

The guide · 43-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

3 days alone to the Inca ruins above Peru's Apurímac canyon.

  • All three days
  • My GPX files
  • The park
  • Getting there
  • Campsites, food and water

Paying in the Facebook/Instagram app? Tap ⋯ and Open in browser to use Apple Pay or Google Pay.

$19

Instant download: PDF + GPX files.
Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund.

Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 2 free

The whole Day 2, Santa Rosa Alta to Choquequirao and back to Playa Rosalina page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What I carried in 2019

Filming kit

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

How many days do you need for the Choquequirao trek?
I did it alone in 3 walking days, 29.3 miles out and back from Capuliyoc, with 2 nights in my tent. Most people take 4 or 5 days, and my Day 2, up to the ruins and back down to the river, was far too long.
When is the best time to hike to Choquequirao?
The dry season, about May to September. Avoid January to April, when landslides damage the trail: the park closed from February 1, 2026 until the Cachora route reopened on April 15, 2026. I walked May 25 to 27, 2019.
Do you need a guide or a permit for Choquequirao?
No guide was required on my trip, and I found no official rule requiring one in 2026. You need an entry ticket, S/60 general or S/30 for students in 2026, valid for one day. I paid at the booth at Capuliyoc, and in September 2026 it wasn't sold online, so bring cash in soles.
Where do you sleep on the Choquequirao trek?
At the campsites along the trail; you can't camp inside the archaeological site. I slept in my tent at Santa Rosa Alta and Playa Rosalina, and I'd recommend at least one night at Marampata.
How do you get to the start of the Choquequirao trek?
Take a bus from Cusco toward Abancay to the Cachora turnoff, then a taxi to Cachora, about 3 hours by road from Cusco. From Cachora it's about 11 km by taxi to the Capuliyoc trailhead. In 2019 I paid S/20 for the bus and about $10 for each taxi.

I make my guides with AI, from my own films and GPS recordings. How.