Top 10 Treks In Peru: The Ultimate Guide to Experience the Best of Peru

Traveling to Peru is awakening pending dreams, is to connect with oneself, is entering into 5 thousand years of alive history. Get ready to dominate waves on caballitos de totora, surfboards and enjoy sunsets in the oasis with protective dunes. In the sierra, with the sound of quenas in the wind, you will breathe the pure air of the Andes and contemplate with devotion the harmony of man with nature in Machu Picchu. In the jungle, the Amazon River will welcome you with pink dolphins and will invite you to dance, to be free. Browsing the regions of Peru is enjoying a mestizo gastronomy, unique and recognized in the world. If the heart tells you yes, dare to visit.

Peru is a country on South America that has a great diversity of soils, landscapes and climates that make it a very interesting destination when it comes to choosing a location for your holidays. You cannot lose the chance to go to such a wonderful place.

1.- Trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (Cusco)

The Inca Trail Tours are considered one of the best treks in the world due to its exquisite beauty and natural surroundings. This includes different ecological areas from high deserts to tropical Andean forest. Following this ancient Inca Trail, pass through mysterious archaeological sites, environments covered by vegetation, which create the impression that they are being discovered for the first time, to finally reach the lost city of the Incas: Machu Picchu. Our adventure is led by expert guides who will take care of your trip is safe and enjoyable. Our services include native porters for luggage and delicious soups throughout the trip.

2.- The Ausangate is the most Representative Mountain (Cusco)

For the Cusquenian. It is located in the Vilcanota Mountain range and it is one of the most difficult area to reach. Its main climate is the one of the 6,372 meters of altitude with big greenish blue color lagoons. There are also stone shrubs, which make the place look like a very modern paradise. Walking through Ausangate Mountain is an indescribable adventure and it is impossible to not be impressed by the great beauty of the perpetual snow. You will often find rocks with tongues of ice which come down in magnificent shapes and forms ice lagoons.

The Ausangate trek is one of the most attractive in Cusco.

3.- The trek to the snow-mountain of Huaraz (Ancash)

The Pastoruri glacier also called Huanaco Punta, is located in the district of Aquia, province of Bolognesi, department of Ancash, the Cordillera Blanca, Alley of Huaylas, inside the National Park of Huascaran, in the Carpa sector.

This snow-capped mountain has an altitude of 5,150 MAMSL, which makes it proper to enjoy the snow and the ice that covers it, as well as also to go in for sports as climb in ice, cycling in snow and the event of national character as the Ski championship.

4.- The trek in Llachon and Ticonata (Puno)

Llachon town: In this town we find Inca tombs and the “Inca Caros”, located on the top of the Llacho Mountain. “Inca Caros” is a ceremonial structure where a payment to the Earth is made each year (February). You can find the tunnels of Capano on the same peninsula, those tunnels allows the ascent to the top of the mountain and descent (on a snake form) to then expand and arrive to Siale and Cotos.


The Ticonata Island: It is located at 66 kilometers to the northeast of Puno, it counts with a location that allows the travelers to enjoy imposing landscapes. You can rest in Ticonata or watch the sunset. The bank of the Titicaca Lake offers paths to walk calmly or horseback. A night of dancing or a visit of a craft workshop will be the perfect complement. But without a doubt, go fishing on a sailboat or a rowing boat is the most valuable experience for those who have the joy of visiting this corner of Peru.

RELATED: What is a great place to go trekking hiking in Peru?

5.- The trek the Colca Canyon (Arequipa)

The Colca Canyon is located to the north of the city of Arequipa, in the providence of Caylloma, where the Colca River passes by. The origin of this valley is due to an Earth’s flaw that eroded for thousands of years by the Peruvian Coast longest river with 200 kilometers length.

The trip to the canyon is extremely interesting, not only because of the beautiful scenery, but also by the evidence of the agricultural domain of the area, with a large number of platforms, colonial architecture monuments and picturesque villages along the way. Visitors may be delighted with beautiful natural sceneries, as well as the fauna of the area, such as herds of vicunas, llamas and alpacas, several types of birds like the giant hummingbird, eagles, geese and the majestic Andean Condor.

6.- Explore the Peruvian Jungle Forest (Puerto Maldonado, Iquitos and Manu)

This adventure in the Amazonia starts with a trek through the jungle of Peru. Voyages in boat are made towards remote places such as the world’s biggest Macaw clay lick and the visit of the High Tambopata (ideal for wildlife observation). Many other tourism activities are combined in the Amazon with the best accommodation. This adventure tour is a unique experience that allows you to know more about the Amazon by living an unforgettable experience. This tour is perfect for those who are interested in adventure tourism in Peru.

RELATED: Best time of year to visit Peruvian Amazon

7.- The Trek the Salkantay Mountain (Cusco)

Salkantay is located on the Vilcabamba Mountain Range at 6,271 MAMSL. It is the main snowcapped mountains and the Apu of Cusco. To reach it you go through beautiful landscapes, 5,000 meters coves, and go through an area where you have the chance to see condors and alpacas on its natural habitat. You can take a bath in the natural hot springs from the depths of the earth. The Vilcabamba Mountain is a beautiful and isolated place. It is dominated by the Apu Salkantay who owns many snowcapped mountains like the Tucarhuay (5,910 MAMSL), The Veronica (5,682 MAMSL) and the Hucayhuilca (5,361 MAMSL) among others. The geography is difficult and hard in all the outline of this attractive mountains complex. The Salkantay is surrounded by deep valleys and ravines and this makes its route interesting but exhausting at the same time. Although the difficulty in this trek is superior to the Inca Trail, it is not a high level trek. It is longer (5 days instead of 4), more high more savage but that is the reason why is so interesting.

8.- The Ascent to the Misti Volcano (Arequipa)

The Misti volcano is the most popular symbol of the Arequipa town. Talking about this volcano is talking about Arequipa and its rich history. Thanks to this volcano and its eruptions acid (ashes) now the city of Arequipa has one of the richest land for agricultural activity. On the bottom of the volcano Misti rich valleys are placed, such as the Valley of chilina, inhabited since before of the arrival of the Spaniards in the year of 1540.


To climb this volcano you do not need technical training since it is not a technical mountain, is a stratum volcano composed of ash and lava.


Climbing this volcano is making a trek of height. The only difficulty that we will have when climbing this volcano is volcanic ash and sand forming sand dunes in some cases. The fact that we find these elements in the volcano make our ascent a little more difficult and forced.

9.- The Trek to Choquequirao (Cusco)

Choquequirao, the so-called Gold Cradle or Sacred sister of Machu Picchu, shows it imposing print on a hill at 3,100 MAMSL. Its stone walls do not have the fine finish of the temples of Machu Picchu but the seal of the Incan engineers is unmistakable.


The Choquequirao Trek is usually started with a bus or van from Cusco to the town of Cachora (Abancay), where the dusty 30 kilometer trail leads to the mysterious citadel located on the top of a green mountain at 3085 MAMSL.


It is composed of nine sectors, among them the religious political center, the system of fountains and channels with aqueducts and the group of covers. It is necessary to emphasize the religious character of this complex. The architecture is distributed around an esplanade or main square and is complemented by a very well preserved agricultural terrace system. The archaeological remains are distributes in the descending part of Choquequirao hill and are grouped as small districts, separated from each other and following a probable criterion of function and social rank.


The complex is located in a low mountain area or jungle eyebrow, northwest of the Apurimac Canyon. It has a particular ecology which is characterized by abundant vegetation. The warm climate – typical of the area – alternates with cold temperatures which contributes to the diversity of flora and fauna. These geographical conditions were prodigiously exploited by the Incas.

10.- The Trek to Espiritu Pampa to Choquequirao (Cusco)

The archaeological site of Choquequirao was part of the complex system of Andean towns in Vilcabamba, Espiritu Pampa and Vilcabamba la Nueva (New Vilcabamba) on the Incas times, joining and in communication with Machu Picchu by a complex network of trails. This route is one of the unexplored routes that still last today. More people are exploring the landscape and they also get closer contact with the Andean people who dress customs very typical and unique in the world.


This is a route quite tiring in the jungle and andean vegetation, visiting archeological sites like Lucma, Rosaspata, Ñusta Hispana and towns as Yupanca, Concevidayoc and Vilcabamba, to end up in the ruins of the lost city of the last governor Manco Inca, Espiritu Pampa.

Other Treks in Peru

Many are the routes in Perú, but none is like the Inca Trail, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.

  • Salkantay Trekto Machu Picchu 5 days
  • Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 5 days
  • Inca Quarry Trail4 Days
  • 2 Day Inca Trail Tour
  • 2 Day Inca Trail with Camping
  • 3 Day Inca Trail
  • Vilcabamba Hike to Machu Picchu 6 days
  • Choquequirao trek to Machu Picchu 9 days
  • Ausangate trek 7 days

If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.

When is the best time to hike in Perú?

The best season is during the dry season, which covers the months April to the end of September. In October the rains begin and you can find Machu Picchu covered by clouds. If you travel in June, we recommend you to book the Inti Raymi 2023 Tour that takes place in June 24th, and also hike the Palcoyo Mountain Tour, which is an incredible Rainbow Mountain located in the Andes.

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