Trekking in Peru

Two trekking regions, two different experiences

Trekking in Peru is concentrated in two areas. Around Cusco, the routes are cultural as much as scenic: they cross high passes, but they also pass Inca ruins, farming villages and, for several of them, end at Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail, the Salkantay trek, the Lares trek and the Inca Jungle trek all belong to this group, along with the remote Choquequirao and Ausangate routes.

Around Huaraz, in the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Huayhuash, the draw is pure mountain landscape: glaciers, turquoise lakes and peaks above 6,000 m. Culture plays a smaller part, and the routes feel wilder. Day hikes such as Laguna 69, Laguna Churup and Laguna Parón make good introductions, while Santa Cruz is the classic multi-day route and Huayhuash the serious circuit.

Matching a route to your level

If you want a first multi-day trek with Machu Picchu at the end, the Inca Trail is the best known, but it needs a permit booked well ahead. Salkantay and Lares are more flexible on dates, and Lares is generally the gentler of the two. The Inca Jungle trek mixes walking with cycling and other activities and suits people who do not want a long, pure hike.

For fit walkers who like quiet trails, Santa Cruz, Choquequirao and Ausangate reward the effort. Huayhuash is the most demanding of the group, with long days, repeated high passes and camping that is genuinely remote.

A useful way to choose is to ask three questions in order: how many days you can spare, how many of them you can spend at altitude before the walk starts, and whether you care more about ruins or about mountains. The answers usually narrow the field to two or three routes.

Day hikes are a different category

Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain and Laguna 69 are short in distance but happen at very high altitude, so they are harder than they look on a map. They are sold as long day trips with a very early start and a transfer of several hours each way, which makes them tiring even for fit people. Read about Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain, or Rainbow Mountain versus Humantay, before choosing.

The Colca trek offers the opposite profile: a steep descent into the canyon and a hard climb out, at lower altitude but with heat and dust as the main challenges. Most of these day trips are best placed after a few days of acclimatisation, not at the start of a trip.

Season and booking

The dry season, roughly May to September, is the main trekking window: clear skies, cold nights and the most crowded trails. The wet season brings mud, cloud and a higher chance of landslides or cancelled departures, and some routes close for maintenance during part of it. Shoulder months can work well, but weather is less predictable. For what to expect month by month, see dry season.

Plan permits and operators early for anything regulated. Most multi-day routes are sold as organised trips with guides, porters or muleteers and camping equipment, and some routes legally require it. Choosing an agency explains what to check, and gear covers what to carry and what you can rent locally.

Building trekking into a longer trip

A multi-day trek works best when it comes after a few days of lower, gentler sightseeing. A common pattern is to land in Lima, fly to Cusco, spend two or three nights in the Sacred Valley and only then start walking. For how to build that buffer, see acclimatisation, and the trekking itinerary puts it into a day-by-day plan.

Leave a spare day after the trek as well. Weather delays, blocked roads and tired legs are all more likely than people expect, and an onward flight booked for the evening you finish is a common source of stress. If Machu Picchu is part of the plan, remember that its tickets are separate from the trek on most routes.

Independent walking or an organised trip

Some routes can be walked without an operator, but many cannot. The Inca Trail requires a registered operator, and remote circuits such as Huayhuash are risky without experience, navigation skills and self-sufficiency. In the Cordillera Blanca, many day hikes can be done by public transport and a national park ticket, while the longer routes are usually sold with arrieros and mules.

An organised trip takes care of tents, food, porters and the Machu Picchu ticket, but quality varies widely. Look at the guide ratio, group size and porter conditions rather than only the price. Best tours sets out the checks in detail.