Meals Included on Choquequirao Trek

So, about food on the trek, we’ve got you covered. We handle all the meals and snacks from the start right up until the last lunch. That final lunch, usually after you’ve explored Machu Picchu, is on your own. You’ll find plenty of places to eat in Aguas Calientes town (the village near Machu Picchu, sitting at about 2,050 meters or 6,725 feet). If you’re doing a train tour, lunch is also up to you there.

Our Choquequirao Trek Chefs and Cooking

You might be wondering ‘how good can food cooked in a tent on a mountain be?’ right? Well our cooks are actually trained chefs. They know how to whip up great breakfasts lunches dinners and snacks using just a small tent kitchen and a stove. Honestly people seem pretty happy with the food based on reviews. After you finish hiking each day, you get a kinda ‘happy hour’ with snacks and drinks before a big buffet-style dinner. It’s usually really good.

Fresh Food from Local Markets

We don’t mess with canned or dried stuff. All the ingredients are fresh bought from the local market right here in Cusco (which is pretty high up at around 3,400 meters or 11,150 feet). The porters carry everything and then the chef prepares it fresh each day. Think healthy and tasty.

Got Dietary Needs for Choquequirao Trek? No Problem

If you have special food needs – like if you’re vegetarian, vegan, or have allergies – just tell us when you book. It’s no problem we can sort that out for you.

Staying Hydrated: Safe Drinking Water

Water’s super important yeah? We collect tap water from the campsites and boil it for a good 15 minutes to make sure it’s totally safe for you to drink. We provide plenty of water during the whole trek. You really only need to carry enough water yourself to last until the first lunch stop. After that, you can refill your bottles or water bladder at breakfast, lunch, and dinner spots. Easy.

How Often You’ll Eat

You definitely won’t go hungry. We feed you five times a day. Starts with a big breakfast then a snack for the trail a huge lunch afternoon tea (that’s the ‘happy hour’ bit) and finally dinner. We try to look after you really well on the trail. Hey maybe bring some coca leaves yourself just in case – lots of travelers find they help a bit with the altitude sickness or ‘soroche’ as they call it here.

A Taste of What You Might Eat: Sample Menu

Just remember: This is just an example menu okay? What you actually get might change based on what’s fresh and available.

Breakfast on Choquequirao

• Pancakes sometimes with cool designs like the Nazca lines – those giant old drawings in the desert down south in Peru (Nazca’s much lower altitude, around 520 meters or 1,700 feet).
• Thick oatmeal maybe with fresh apple chunks.
• Andean Chuta Bread – a traditional bread they bake here.
• Omelets filled with veggies and cheese.

Snacks for the Choquequirao  Trail

After breakfast they usually pack you a little bag of snacks to keep you going. Super handy when you need a quick energy boost.

• Bananas
• Chocolate Bars like ‘Sublime’ – seriously try this Peruvian chocolate it’s good grab extra to take home.
• Candies maybe like hard candies.
• Mandarin Oranges
• Granola Bars
• Apples
• Juice box

Midday Fuel: Lunch

After hiking for maybe 4 hours lunch is awesome. They balance it so you get energy but don’t feel too stuffed to hike more.

• Soups like Asparagus Cream Quinoa or Vegetable.
• Peruvian style Chicken Salad.
• Native Potato Chili with Rice maybe a Spinach Cake thing.
• Chicken Rolls.
• Veggie Salads.
• Russian Salad (potato salad basically).

Afternoon Choquequirao Teatime (Happy Hour!)

When you get to camp maybe after another 4 hours of hiking you can chill out. Around 5pm they have teatime which is great for relaxing.

• Different teas like Coca (good for altitude!), Anis (aniseed), Manzanilla (chamomile), Te Puro (black tea).
• Hot Chocolate.
• Coffee.
• Fresh cookies.
• Crackers with jam honey butter.
• Popcorn.
• Crispy Wontons sometimes.

Dinner on the Choquequirao Mountains

Last meal of the day is usually a nice three-course dinner. It’s pretty amazing what the chefs make in their tent maybe just with a flashlight and a camping stove.

• Soups again like Potato Rice and Veggie or Andean Corn Soup (kinda like a thick chowder).
• Main dishes could be steamed trout with mushroom sauce and veggies.
• Or maybe lightly fried chicken with fresh potato chips (fries).
• Stir-fried noodles with mushrooms and kale.
• Desserts like Apple and Cinnamon Pudding.
• Chocolate Cake or Pudding.
• Even Gelatin – yeah Jello in the middle of the Andes!