Peru
Guided, multi-day Peru trekking tours, from the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu to the Huayhuash circuit under Yerupajá. Peru has more great treks than any other Andean country; the trick is choosing the right one for your dates, your fitness and the altitude.
Highest points are rounded; maps differ by 20–50 m. Permit rules checked October 2026.
| Trek | Days | Highest point | Trek permit | Difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salkantay | 5–8 | ~4,630 m | No (Machu Picchu ticket) | Challenging | Machu Picchu without an Inca Trail permit |
| Inca Trail | 4 (2 short, 6 with acclimatisation) | 4,215 m | Yes: licensed operators, about 200 trekkers a day, closed in February | Moderate | Arriving at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate |
| Lares | 3–4 | ~4,450 m | No | Moderate | Quechua villages and a shorter, quieter route |
| Choquequirao | 5 (10 to Machu Picchu) | ~3,050 m (traverse ~4,650 m) | No | Hard | A large Inca site with very few visitors |
| Ausangate | 5 (7 with acclimatisation) | ~5,200 m | No | Hard | A high circuit almost entirely above 4,500 m |
| Huayhuash | 8–12 | ~5,050 m | No (community fees) | Very hard | Remote camping under 6,000 m peaks |
| Santa Cruz | 4 (10 with acclimatisation) | ~4,750 m | Huascarán park entry | Moderate | A first look at the Cordillera Blanca |
Treks without a link are available on request while we finish their pages.
Trek · Cusco, Peru
The high road to Machu Picchu: over the Salkantay Pass at about 4,630 m, down through cloud forest and coffee farms, and up to the citadel. No permit needed for the trek, which makes it the trek you can still book when the Inca Trail is sold out.
FromUS$990 per person
Trek · Áncash, Peru
Ten days of camping around a compact range with seven summits over 6,000 m, glacial lakes under the ice and passes close to 5,000 m. It is remote and hard, and the views from the passes are the reason people come back.
FromUS$2,190 per person
Trek · Cusco / Apurímac, Peru
An Inca city on a ridge above the Apurímac canyon, reached only on foot and visited by about 8,000 people a year, against thousands a day at Machu Picchu. Walk there and back in five days, or carry on over the mountains to Machu Picchu in ten.
FromUS$1,190 per person
Trek · Áncash, Peru
Four days through the Cordillera Blanca, over Punta Unión at about 4,750 m and down the Santa Cruz valley under Alpamayo and Taulliraju. The classic first trek in Peru's highest range, best done after a few days of acclimatisation hikes from Huaraz.
FromUS$790 per person
Trek · Cusco, Peru
A circuit around Ausangate (6,384 m), the sacred mountain of Cusco, almost entirely above 4,500 m: glacial lakes, herds of alpacas, hot springs at both ends and the highest pass of any classic Peru trek, at about 5,200 m.
FromUS$1,190 per person
Trek · Cusco, Peru
Four days on the original Inca road, past ruins that you can only reach on foot, over Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m and in through the Sun Gate at dawn. Permits are limited and sell out months ahead, so plan early.
FromUS$690 per person
Our Peru hiking tours run with licensed local operators in Cusco and Huaraz. That is how Peruvian law and the Inca Trail permit system work, and it means the guides, cooks and arrieros on your trek live in the valleys you walk through. We design the route and, above all, the acclimatisation, then stay your point of contact before and during the trip.
Most Peru treks start high: Cusco is at about 3,400 m and Huaraz at 3,050 m, and the passes run from 4,200 to over 5,000 m. Our itineraries add nights lower down or day hikes before the first pass, which is the single biggest difference between a hard trek and a miserable one.
The dry season, May to September, is the main season for all the treks above. If you are also interested in Ecuador, our Ecuador hiking tours follow the same approach.
It depends on what you want. For Machu Picchu, the Salkantay trek is the most available and the Inca Trail the most famous. For big mountains and remote camping, the Huayhuash circuit is the hardest and, for many trekkers, the best. Ausangate is the highest of the classic treks.
Only the Inca Trail needs a permit: it is sold to licensed operators, limited to about 200 trekkers a day and closed in February. Salkantay, Lares, Choquequirao, Ausangate and Huayhuash need no trek permit, although Huayhuash charges community fees and Machu Picchu needs its own entry ticket.
May to September is the dry season in the Andes and the main trekking season. January to March is the wettest period; the Inca Trail closes in February.
We build acclimatisation into every itinerary: nights in the Sacred Valley before Salkantay, days in Huaraz before Huayhuash. Cusco sits at about 3,400 m and most passes are between 4,200 and 5,100 m, so the first days decide how the trek feels.
Our Peru treks run with licensed local operators in Cusco and Huaraz, which is how Peruvian law and the Inca Trail permit system work. We design the itinerary and the acclimatisation, choose the partner and stay your point of contact.
Tell us your dates, your fitness and which treks interest you. We will suggest the right route and build the acclimatisation around it.