Choquequirao
Choquequirao is what Machu Picchu was before anyone had heard of it. A large Inca ceremonial and administrative centre clinging to a ridge above the Apurimac canyon, only around 30% excavated, and reachable only by a demanding multi-day trek. The Peruvian government has been planning a cable car to Choquequirao for years — if it is ever built, visit immediately before it is. For now it remains one of the last genuinely uncrowded major archaeological sites in the Americas. The trek itself, through dramatic canyon scenery and cloud forest, is as good as the destination.
Why visit
A Machu Picchu-scale Inca citadel requiring two days of trekking to reach. You will almost certainly have it largely to yourself. Some terraces are still unexcavated.
Crowd level
Fewer than 50 visitors per day. Genuinely remote. Plans for a cable car would change this dramatically if built.
Best time
May to September — dry season essential for the trail
Getting there
Road to Cachora from Cusco (3-4hrs), then 2-4 day trek each way. No road access.
Tradeoffs
Requires real fitness and 4-8 days round trip. No infrastructure at the site — camping only. Over 1,500m of descent and ascent each way.
Direct comparisons
Layers
Region
At a glance
- Country
- Peru
- Region
- Apurimac
- Fresh Air Score
- 90/100
- Cost level
- $
- Distance from Cusco
- 80 km