Trekking in Peru offers hikes to suit all abilities, from steady, single day walks to demanding 12-day treks. Read our guide to walking and trekking in Peru, including hiking the famous Inca Trail to the hidden ruins of Machu Picchu.
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South America
The lush, green plains of the Sacred Valley, Peru
The Sacred Valley and Cuzco regions of Peru offer some of the best walking and trekking in the country. Discover lost Inca citadels, breathtaking snow-capped peaks and warm, welcoming people.
Winding its way from Pisac in the south east to the small town of Ollantaytambo, the Sacred Valley runs parallel with the Urubamba, or Sacred, River. This beautiful and fertile part of Peru has been attracting people to settle here for thousands of years, and the region’s rich history is clearly evident in the many Inca ruins and ancient buildings still standing today.
These evocative ruins display the precise stonework that is the trademark of the Incas, and some of the better preserved settlements near Pisac and Ollantaytambo still feature the astronomical observation posts and ceremonial baths fed by aqueducts.
Many of the small settlements throughout the valley are famous for producing hand-made weavings, and visitors have the opportunity to see threads being dyed and woven in the local houses.
The unusual circular Inca terraces at Moray are still used for farming today, and in Maras you can see the busy salt workers extracting the mineral in a way unchanged for generations.
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Resting on a saddle between two forested mountain peaks, Machu Picchu is one of the best-preserved and most well known of all the ancient Inca settlements in South America.
Hidden from the wider world until as recently as 1911, this once great citadel remains shrouded in mystery and its history continues to be a topic of debate for historians and archaeologists. One thing that remains true is the stunning and atmospheric beauty of this ‘Lost World of the Incas’, and our South America specialists have plenty of advice and information on how to get to Machu Picchu and include it as part of a trip to Peru.
Take a look at our walking route map of Peru for further information of treks and walks that visit Machu Picchu, along with many other highlights throughout the Sacred Valley region.
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As the capital of the vast Inca empire, Cuzco was a remarkable city, reputedly built in the shape of a puma, full of magnificent stone palaces and temples decorated with gold.
The conquering Spanish were said to have been so impressed when they arrived, that instead of completely destroying Cuzco, they built their colonial city atop these solid foundations.
Today, Cuzco is a proud, beautiful and lively city with a vibrant art scene, excellent museums and fine restaurants.
At the very heart of the city, the elegant Plaza de Armas is the perfect place to stop, sit and take in the sights around you. San Blas is the bohemian arts district, where houses cling to the steep cobbled streets and inside the craftsmen are hard at work.
Leaving Cuzco, you can travel by road to some of the fascinating surrounding towns and villages, or venture further beyond the Sacred Valley to visit other sites such as Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu.
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