11-Day Peru Hiking Tour: From Ancient Trails to the Roof of the Andes

Today’s Highlight: Touch down in Peru and settle into one of Lima’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

Welcome to Peru. Upon arrival, our team will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Miraflores or Barranco. The rest of the day is yours take a first walk along the Pacific cliffs, try your first ceviche, and prepare for 11 days of extraordinary hiking ahead.

Overnight in Lima

Optional: Add our Lima half-day city tour and explore the city’s beautiful neighborhoods, local markets and more.

Today’s Highlight: Arrive in the heart of the Inca world and let the Sacred Valley ease you gently into altitude.

An early flight brings you to Cusco (11,150 ft.). Rather than heading straight into the city, we transfer you to the Sacred Valley, lower in altitude and the ideal place to begin acclimatizing before the hikes ahead. Stop at the Pisac ruins or the Awanakancha alpaca farm along the way, then settle into your valley hotel and rest. Your legs will thank you later.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Sacred Valley

Today’s Highlight: Explore the agricultural and spiritual heart of the Inca Empire before the big trails begin.

A full day in the Sacred Valley, visiting its most significant sites with your expert guide. Explore the Pisac ruins and their sweeping agricultural terraces, descend into the valley to visit a local community, and continue to the imposing fortress of Ollantaytambo, one of the best-preserved examples of Inca urban planning still standing. This day sets the historical context for everything you’ll see on the trail tomorrow.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Sacred Valley

Today’s Highlight: Trek one of the world’s most legendary paths through cloud forest, mountain passes, and ancient ruins.

An early start onto the Inca Trail. Today’s route covers approximately 12km through some of the most dramatic Andean scenery imaginable, cloud forest, high mountain passes, and a string of ancient ruins that hint at what awaits at the end.

Your expert guide shares the history and ecology of the trail throughout. Reach the Sun Gate as the light begins to fade for your first view of Machu Picchu below, before descending to Aguas Calientes for a well-earned rest.

Breakfast & Box Lunch included.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Today’s Highlight: Machu Picchu at its most peaceful, early entry, expert guiding, and the citadel almost to yourself.

Rise early for the first entry into Machu Picchu. Morning mist, golden light, and the ruins nearly to yourself, this is why the early start matters. Your licensed guide brings the site fully to life: the architecture, the astronomy, the agricultural terraces, and the story of a civilization that built all of this without mortar or the wheel.

After time to explore independently, board the train back toward the Sacred Valley for an overnight rest before returning to Cusco tomorrow.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Sacred Valley

Today’s Highlight: Arrive in the former Inca capital and spend the afternoon exploring on your own terms.

Transfer back to Cusco and check into your hotel in the heart of the city. The afternoon is entirely yours, wander the cobblestone streets, browse the artisan markets around San Blas, find a rooftop café overlooking the Plaza de Armas, or simply rest your legs ahead of the high-altitude hikes to come. Dinner is on your own tonight, and Cusco has no shortage of excellent options.

Breakfast included.

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: Hike to one of Peru’s most beautiful glacial lakes, tucked into a high Andean valley below a snow-capped peak.

An early departure for the Humantay Lake trail, one of the most rewarding hikes in the Cusco region. The path climbs steadily through open Andean terrain before revealing the lake: a striking turquoise body of water fed by the Humantay glacier, sitting at 13,779 ft. with snow-capped peaks reflected in its surface.

The hike takes approximately 2 to 3 hours round trip and is considered moderate in difficulty. Your guide will pace the group carefully with altitude in mind.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: Two civilizations layered on top of each other and the extraordinary story of how they coexist.

A guided morning tour of Cusco’s most significant sites. Visit Koricancha the Inca Temple of the Sun, where perfectly fitted stonework still stands beneath a Spanish colonial church the vibrant Plaza de Armas, and the monumental ruins of Sacsayhuamán overlooking the city.

The afternoon is free to explore independently, shop for last souvenirs, or rest ahead of two big mountain days.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: Hike to one of Peru’s most extraordinary natural wonders a mountain streaked with vivid bands of color at over 5,000 meters above sea level.

Rise before dawn for the drive to the trailhead. Depending on conditions, weather, and your preference, choose between two spectacular options: Vinicunca, the famous Rainbow Mountain, with its iconic multicolored mineral slopes or Pallay Punchu, a lesser-visited alternative that offers equally dramatic scenery with far fewer crowds.

Either way, the high-altitude landscape of grazing alpacas, snow-capped peaks, and sweeping Andean views makes this one of the most memorable days of the entire trip.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: A well-earned free day in one of South America’s most extraordinary cities, explore at your own pace.

Your final full day in Cusco is yours to spend however you choose. Wander the cobblestone streets of San Blas, browse the artisan markets around the Plaza de Armas, discover hidden cafés, or simply rest your legs after an extraordinary week of hiking. Cusco rewards those who slow down.

Optional Add-On: Siete Lagunas

For those who want one final challenge, the Siete Lagunas trail is the most rewarding and least-visited full-day hike in the Cusco region. The trail climbs through remote Andean terrain to a chain of seven vivid glacial lakes, each a different shade of blue and green. Longer and more demanding than Rainbow Mountain, it rewards those who make it with scenery and solitude that few travelers ever find. Approximately 14km, moderate to challenging terrain.

Breakfast included.

Overnight in Cusco