Cusco: Choquequirao 3-Day Trek via Santa Teresa

Trek from Cusco to remote Choquequirao and Cocalmayo hot springs on a 3-day guided camping journey with all logistics covered.

Getting started

Begin with your pre-trek briefing, where the plan for your 3-day route via Santa Teresa and Yanama is explained and any questions are answered. Meet your professional bilingual guide and prepare the duffel bag provided for up to 7 kg of personal belongings. Once ready, board the private transport from Cusco toward Yanama to reach the starting point of the trek.

What to expect

Choquequirao

Choquequirao is one of Peru’s most remote Inca archaeological sites, reached by trekking through high-Andean landscapes far from crowded routes. You explore its terraces, plazas, and ancient structures with your guide after crossing the dramatic terrain that surrounds the Apurímac Canyon.

Features

• Entry to Choquequirao is included, so you can focus on exploring its impressive terraces, plazas, and stone-built Inca structures while your expert guide shares context on how this citadel fits into the wider Vilcabamba region.
• Your professional bilingual guide leads the trekking days, sets the walking pace, and uses communication radios to stay in contact with the support team, helping you navigate remote Andean paths confidently.
• Two nights of camping are provided with high-altitude camping tents, camping mattresses, and separate dining and kitchen tents, creating a base from which you can enjoy tea, coffee, and hot meals at the campsites.
• Pack horses carry the camping equipment and your duffel bags, while the crew handles all cooking and dining equipment so you can hike with a lighter daypack and concentrate on the route.

Abra San Juan and Vilcabamba mountain range

Abra San Juan, at approximately 4,150 meters (13,615 feet), is a high pass on your route that opens wide views over the Vilcabamba mountain range. This section of the trek highlights the contrast between the rugged high Andes and the valleys that drop away below.

Features

• From Abra San Juan, you experience expansive views of the Vilcabamba mountain range, a vantage point that shows the scale of the Andes and the isolated valleys that shelter routes toward Choquequirao and Santa Teresa.
• This high-altitude crossing is supported with emergency oxygen and a first aid kit carried by the team, adding an extra layer of safety as you move through the thinner air at over 4,000 meters.
• Trekking snacks are available during the day so you can refuel gradually on the ascent and descent, while pack horses continue to move the main camping gear between overnight stops.
• Breakfasts and lunches are prepared using the provided cooking and dining equipment, and hot tea or coffee is served at camp, which helps you recover from the higher, cooler sections of the trek before continuing toward the warmer valleys.

Santa Teresa, Yanama, and the transition of landscapes

Between Yanama and Santa Teresa, you experience a marked transition from high-Andean environments to warmer valleys. The route connects remote Andean communities and vegetation zones, eventually bringing you closer to the Cocalmayo area.

Features

• The trek leads from the high Andes around Yanama into the warmer valleys near Santa Teresa, so you see how vegetation, temperature, and river valleys change as you gradually lose elevation.
• Private transport between Cusco and Yanama is included for the remote access segment of the journey, which means the hiking time is focused on the most scenic and varied parts of the route.
• Your duffel bag travels on pack horses between camps, and dining and kitchen tents are set up each night, keeping the movement through these changing landscapes focused on walking rather than carrying heavy loads.
• Two breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners are included across the three days, complemented by trekking snacks, tea, and coffee, so daily meals are already planned as you move between climate zones.

Cocalmayo hot springs

Cocalmayo hot springs sit in a warmer valley near Santa Teresa, where natural pools are surrounded by lush vegetation and mountain scenery. Your visit here marks a relaxing contrast to the previous days of high-altitude trekking.

Features

• Entry to the Cocalmayo hot springs is included, allowing you to soak in the natural thermal pools and take in views of the surrounding mountains and greenery after completing the main trekking stages.
• Time at Cocalmayo provides a shift from the harsher Andean environment to a softer valley setting, so you can feel the climate difference between the high passes and these lower-altitude hot springs.
• Your professional bilingual guide remains with the group here, coordinating timing so transport and logistics back from the Santa Teresa area run smoothly while you enjoy the water.
• Communication radios, the first aid kit, and emergency oxygen stay available through the final sections of the experience, keeping the same safety framework in place from the high Andes all the way to the hot springs.