Choquequirao - Solo Hiking “the Other Inca Trail” for 3 Days

In my search for lesser-known hikes I discovered the ancient terraced ruins of Choquequirao also known as "the other Inca Trail” and “the Next Machu Picchu.” I spent 2.5 days hiking over 30 miles and 13,500 ft of elevation change.

The main things I packed:
45L pack -
Camelbak bladder -
Tent -
Sleeping bag -
Sleeping mat -
Water filter -
Jet boil -
Long spoon -
Sony A7III camera -
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 lens -
Rode VideoMic Pro Plus -
Tripod -
Drone -
My current gear kit -

The entire cost of the trip can be less than S/500 but make sure to have small bills/coins while hiking. You can buy food at campsites or pack your own. I recommend: ramen noodles, oatmeal, rice, tuna, olive oil, cheddar cheese, beef jerky, dried mangos, lentils, fresh fruit, cocoa leaves and coffee.

Book a $10 bus from the Terminal Terrestre in Cusco to Abancay but get off at Ramel de Cachora. Hire a taxi for $10 to take you to Cachora. I stayed at a lovely hotel called Casa Nostra. It’s just outside of the town, has great food and only costs about $11 with breakfast included. Take a taxi to the trailhead called Capuliyoc Mirador for another $10. Visit the little booth to sign in and pay the $18 entrance fee.

I’m a huge fan of the AllTrails app ( and used that to record my route. If you download the map before hand, you can see elevation, distances and campsites all while on airplane mode. Simply follow the first two days of the Choquequirao AllTrail maps.

Even if it’s hot in the sun, seriously consider wearing pants and long sleeves whenever possible to block mosquito bites. I ended up with dozens of bites all over my legs and arms. This side of the mountain is very dry and desert-like because of the direct sunlight. You’ll pass campsites with hot food, drinks and plenty of dogs to pet.

To take things slow and easy, I recommend camping here for the night. If you happen to meet a white and orange cat please say hello for me. Sunset was at 6pm for me in May so going to bed at 7pm meant sleeping for 11 hours to wake up with the dawn. It seems crazy but after hiking for 10 miles, you body doesn’t mind so embrace the rest.

If you start the next day early you’ll be in tree-cover and shade for most of the climb so it won’t be as hot. You’ll pass two small campsites but will eventually reach the adorable mountainside village called Marampata. There are plenty of places to rest at and farm animals to say hello to. You can camp here or continue to the campsite at the base of the ruins. I recommend camping in Marampata at least one night just because of the views and availability of hot village food.

It’s a pretty gradual and easy ascent up to Choquequirao. Follow signs that say Plaza Principal and eventually you’ll reach the terraces. Walk along them and up a little bit to reach the entrance to the site. There should be a single attendant who will rip your ticket and hassle you if you have a tripod. Take your time and explore around. It’s quite the descent down to see the Llama Terrances so be prepared for that. I recommend bringing snacks and plenty of water if you leave your larger pack behind. The ruins were basically empty which was amazing compared to my experiences in Maccu Picchu.

Congrats, you made it to Choquequirao and completed half of the hike. Now return the exact way you came and stop at campsites as you require. Although 3-4 days is recommended for the entire out and back hike, I completed it all in 2.5 days.

My entire trip to Peru and the Choquequirao hike was made possible by B&H Photo. If you’re in the city in July make sure to stop by for their #AdventureWeek. I’ll be giving a talk all about the behind the scenes of how I planned, shot and edited this film. I’ll post information about the event on Instagram. Thank you for watching and supporting my adventures.

Music in this video -

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