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Étaperia

Choquequirao and Vilcabamba in 10 days: trekking itinerary

Ten days of adventure far off the beaten track: the Humantay lagoon, the great trek down the Apurímac canyon to Choquequirao, then Vitcos and Espíritu Pampa, the last refuges of the Incas.

Compiled by Kylian, updated on Aug 29, 2026

The Inca ruins of Choquequirao below a forested mountain
  • 10 days
  • 14 places
  • 10 nights
  • fast pace
Start
Sacred Valley (Skylodge)
End
Cusco
Main transport
Agency vehicles to the trailheads, five days on foot
Recommended season
May to September; heat at the bottom of the canyon, sub-zero nights at Soraypampa

What you get

  • The complete itinerary: 10 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
  • The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
  • Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
  • The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
  • A PDF file of 12 pages

What the price does not include

  • Flights
  • Hotel nights
  • Tickets and admission fees
  • Travel insurance
  • On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The itinerary preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 1

Zipline and the road to Soraypampa

Morning

Skylodge Adventure Suites, zipline descent

Wake to the sunrise over the valley, have breakfast in the capsule, then descend a series of giant ziplines to the foot of the cliff. It is the most spectacular way to start a travel day.

Afternoon

Road to Soraypampa (4 hr 30)

Drive up the valley, then along a high-altitude track to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,800 ft), the hamlet where the Salkantay trek begins, at the foot of the glaciers.

Evening

The starry sky of Soraypampa

A cold night and an exceptionally starry sky at 3,900 m (12,800 ft), beneath the icy faces of the Salkantay and the Humantay.

Hotel · Night 1

Salkantay Sky Lodge (Hostel Soraypampa)

A camp of transparent domes facing the Salkantay, at the foot of the Humantay: real beds, heating and private bathrooms at 3,800 m (12,470 ft), plus a restaurant serving Andean cuisine. Thick blankets are essential: nights fall well below freezing in the dry season.

Address
· Soraypampa, Mollepata district, Anta province
Website
· hostelsoraypampa.com (new tab)
Check-in
11:00 AM · Check-out 10:30 AM
Book this hotel (new tab) affiliate link

Buy this itinerary

€39 incl. tax

that is €3.90 per day of travel

Billed in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts at its own rate.

  • Secure payment through Stripe, bank card, Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Available immediately in your customer account: online reading with clickable booking links, downloadable PDF for offline use
  • Method: what is checked, and when

A hotel in the itinerary closed or impossible to find, a place to visit permanently closed?

Within 12 months of purchase, email contact@etaperia.com

Itinerary corrected within 7 days, or refunded in full. Terms in article 12 of the terms of sale, on top of the legal warranty (new tab)

€39 incl. tax · 10 days

Buy

A question before buying? Email Kylian, reply within 2 business days.

The day-by-day rundown

9 stops, 470 km as the crow flies

  1. Day 1 Zipline and the road to Soraypampa Skylodge Adventure Suites, zipline descent Free
  2. Day 2 The Humantay lagoon and the road to Capuliyoc The climb to Laguna Humantay Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  3. Day 3 The descent into the Apurímac canyon Down to Playa Rosalinas, up to Marampata Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  4. Day 4 Choquequirao, the cradle of gold Up to Choquequirao, site visit and back to Marampata Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  5. Day 5 The climb back to Capuliyoc The walk back to Capuliyoc Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  6. Day 6 Back to Cusco and Casa Concha Back to Cusco (4 hr 30) Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  7. Day 7 Toward Vilcabamba: Vitcos and the White Rock Cusco, Abra Málaga, Huancacalle: Vitcos and Ñusta Hispana Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  8. Day 8 Espíritu Pampa, the last capital Drive to Chontabamba, then walk to Espíritu Pampa Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  9. Day 9 Back to Cusco Back to Cusco Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  10. Day 10 The circuit of Cusco's huacas Balcón del Diablo, Zona X and Templo de la Luna Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

1 day is free to read above. The other 9 unlock when you buy. Buy the itinerary, €39

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Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

  • The Choquequirao trek is one of the toughest in Peru: 1,500 m (4,900 ft) of descent, then 1,300 m (4,250 ft) of climb in the heat, both ways. Train beforehand.
  • The Apurímac canyon is an oven from 10:00 AM. Start at dawn, carry at least 3 liters of water per person and refill at Chiquisca and Playa Rosalinas.
  • Nights well below zero at Soraypampa (3,800 m / 12,470 ft) in the dry season: bring thick blankets and warm layers. Reach the Humantay lagoon early, before the groups from Cusco.

Transport and permits

  • Agency vehicles to the trailheads: Soraypampa before dawn (lodge shuttle from Cusco), then Capuliyoc via Curahuasi and Cachora, about 4 hours.
  • Hire pack mules at the Capuliyoc viewpoint or in Cachora the day before you set off. Walking light makes a huge difference on 1,500 m (4,920 ft) of descent.
  • You can visit Vitcos and Espíritu Pampa only through an agency (wildwatchperu.com): 4x4 over the Abra Málaga, guide and basic lodging included.

Formalities and safety

  • Pay the Choquequirao entry fee in cash (about 60 soles); it is checked at the Marampata post. There is no cell signal in the canyon, so book the lodge before descending.
  • You can do the trek fully guided: Apuñam Lodge and Trek's Desafío Choquequirao 4D/3N package costs about US$250 with guide, pack mules, nights in Marampata and meals.
  • Expect mosquitoes from Espíritu Pampa onward, in the selva: bring repellent and long sleeves. Pack a blister kit, bandages and anti-inflammatories for the five walking days.

Budget and meals

  • Bring cash for the whole canyon: site entry, Marampata lodge, mules, meals. There is no ATM between Cachora and the return.
  • The community entry fee for the Humantay lagoon is paid in cash at the Soraypampa trailhead.
  • Apuñam sells nights alone or all-inclusive packages (3D/2N to 5D/4N), with low-season discounts.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening and says where you spend the night, with the address and booking link for each place to stay. Timed-entry tickets are flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Module, classic or complete itinerary: which one should I choose?

A classic is a short trip built to stand on its own, designed for a first visit to the country. A module covers one region in depth. The complete itinerary crosses the whole country, and buying it also unlocks each of its modules in your customer account.

Can I get a refund if the itinerary doesn't suit me?

No. It is digital content delivered right away, and you waive your right of withdrawal at checkout. To judge before you pay, every product page gives one full day for free and the list of every stop. After purchase, the guarantee applies: a closed hotel or a permanently closed place is corrected within 7 days, otherwise you get a refund.

Who is selling you this itinerary

  • Consumer mediator: ANM Consommation
  • Payment handled by Stripe: Étaperia never sees your card number
  • Publisher, not a travel agency: you book flights, hotels and tickets yourself

In the same country

This module is one leg of the full itinerary: Complete Peru itinerary: 82 days, hotels and bookings

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