Peru: Trek to Choquequirao

Lima, the capital of Peru, is a world-renowned culinary epicenter that welcomes wayfarers with a delightful mix of indigenous and colonial history, natural beauty and a laidback Pacific-Coast vibe. Upon arrival at the airport check-in at your hotel conveniently located across the terminal.

Built in the shape of a puma by the Incas, Cusco stretches like a slumbering feline along the Huatanay valley. Set some 11,000 feet above sea level, it’s your stepping stone to the Sacred Valley. Upon arrival, journey overland to Lamay, a small community located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Then bike on an easy jaunt to the beautiful Hacienda Sarapampa. After lunch with the owner, check into Explora resort and make a light exploration of the surroundings.

The Sacred Valley carves through the green peaks of the Peruvian Andes near Cusco. Deemed a spiritual epicenter by the Inca people, the valley is home to the massive citadel of Machu Picchu and Quechua-speaking communities whose deeply traditional way of life endures. Explore the Maras Plateau on a light trail walk that begins at a farming community located in the hills and descends to the Incan agricultural terraces of Moray. After a picnic lunch, proceed to the town of Maras and then onward to the bottom of the Sacred Valley where you explore the salt mines of Maras, mined since pre-Hispanic times and today owned by members of two local communities.

In Ollantaytambo, board a train to reach the KM 104, where you disembark and set out with a guide on a hike that culminates at the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) looking out over Machu Picchu, the Incas’ greatest surviving achievement. Rest easy at your hotel tonight.

Rise with the sun to walk through Machu Picchu in the early morning mist before the crowds arrive, an experience some consider the spiritual highlight of the journey. After exploring the "Lost City of the Incas,” board the Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo. Continue to Cusco, where you settle into your hotel.

This morning, gather for a briefing on your forthcoming trek to Choquequirao. Then set out to discover Cusco on a walking tour that includes the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domingo Temple. Listen as a local expert explains how the historic clashes between the Incas and the Spanish played a role in forming today's Peruvian culture. Eat lunch at a fascinating local restaurant, then explore or shop on your own this afternoon.

Rise early for a spectacular drive across the farmlands of the Anta Plateau, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. Follow a winding road over terrain that plunges more than 6,000 feet to a bridge over the Apurimac Gorge and then climbs through lush fields and orchards before making a final descent to the village of Cachora, at over 9,500 feet above sea level. Proceed to Capuliyoc, where you meet your crew and horse pack train and begin your hike, catching a first glimpse of distant Choquequirao at the Capuliyoc lookout before dropping steeply into the Apurimac River Canyon. Camp tonight at the small oasis of Chiquisca.

Descend the last 1,500 feet of elevation to the Apurimac River — the “Great Spirit Speaker,” in the Quechua language of the Incas — and cross the mighty river on a suspension footbridge, at 5,100 feet. Follow a broad trail that makes a zig-zagging ascent from the dry canyon zone to upland meadows where, across a deep valley, you catch your first panoramic vista of the buildings and terraces of Choquequirao. Tonight, camp at an altitude of 9,350 feet.

This morning, hike through the cool shadows of a native cloud forest as you approach the wooded ridgetop, at about 10,000 feet of elevation, to arrive at last in secluded Choquequirao, a name that means “Cradle of Gold,” where the Incas built a ceremonial center. If Machu Picchu was the peak of Incan civilization, Choquequirao was its last great refuge. With the Apurimac River roaring distantly below, approach the heart of the city, taking in the majestic sweep of enormous, curved terraces that lead your eye to an artificial hill and ceremonial platform overlooking the main plaza. You may spot Andean condors soaring on thermals over the complex of temples, mausoleums, royal residences, ritual baths and water channels. View several clusters of newly discovered buildings, including the so-called Ridge Group, and the Waterfall Temple, an intriguing ceremonial complex facing the cascades of a steep ravine.

As the sun rises over the snowy crags of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, make your way across the meadows of Marampata, situated at over 9,300 feet, where a row of Inca storehouses marks the limits of the Inca settlement. Return to the depths of the canyon, gaining new perspectives as you face the immense, multi-hued cliffs on the south bank of the river. At the crossing of the Apurimac River, cool off in a swimming hole among the huge boulders that line the river. Return to the shade of the fruit and avocado trees at Chiquisca, where you make the final camp of your epic trek.

Hike up out of the Apurimac Canyon, with the river receding to a distant, white ribbon below you and the glaciers of the Vilcabamba Range filling the sky ahead. After winding your way beneath spreading, smooth-barked trees, dripping with orchids and bromeliads, regain the mountainous grasslands that stretch toward the Capuliyoc Pass. Here, treat your feet to a well-earned rest as you ride back to Cusco and settle into your hotel. After some R&R time, head out for a celebratory dinner at a Cusco restaurant, where the chef gathers local ingredients for innovative creations that pay tribute to Peru's culinary traditions.

After a morning all your own, fly to Lima, where you have the use of a day room until making your way on foot to the airport, conveniently located just across from your hotel for your departing flight.