Peru Walking Tour

Peru Hiking

From Cusco to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu has a gravitational pull. So strong that Inca culture still influences people today. Some still practice the 600-year-old pottery techniques. Others, like you, are influenced from thousands of miles away. It urges you to hike the hills of Cusco at 11,000 feet above sea level, investigate the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, "Stonehenge of the Andes," make friends with the local schoolchildren who live in hidden weaving communities in undiscovered valleys, stand above it all at the summit of Montaña Machu Picchu and testify to the resilience of humanity. Theirs and yours. 

Permits to hike the Inca Trail are extremely limited. We recommend booking a minimum of 4-6 months prior to departure date to significantly increase your chance of securing a permit. If permits are unavailable during some seasons, you will take a train to Aguas Calientes, bus to the entrance and hike into Machu Picchu.

Trip Highlights
  • Walk amid the Inca Salineras' beautiful honeycomb of pools
  • Machu Picchu: the incredible "Lost City of the Incas"
  • Visit a weaving community hidden in the hills
  • Sacsayhuamán ruin, "Stonehenge of the Andes"
  • Rub elbows with the locals at Pisac’s lively market
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The Day-to-Day Itinerary

Days 1-2 Extraordinary archaeological sites  Ascend with our guide into the hills to Puca Pucara, Q’enko, Temple of the Moon and Sacsayhuamán Marvel at the canals and aqueducts of Tipon, an Inca site visited by few foreign tourists, yet a rival to Machu Picchu View the superb collection at Cusco’s Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and sip a pisco sour in the museum’s historic courtyard.

Day 3 Walk amid the Inca salt pans' beautiful honeycomb of pools high above the Urubamba River Valley  Alpaca sweaters, decorative gourds, appetizing smells and colorful characters fill Pisac’s lively market.

Day 4 Visit a weaving community tucked in the hills to experience authentic rural Andean life In peaceful Ollantaytambo, meet kids at the local school, climb the ruins of an Inca fortress and walk along the terraced valley Urubamba is great place to shop for ceramics crafted using traditional Inca techniques.

Days 5-7 Machu Picchu, the incredible Lost City of the Inca, replete with intricate stonework and mysterious religious designs Hike on the Inca Trail, lined with ancient stones and stairs, to reach the Gate of the Sun and your first unforgettable view of Machu Picchu Got an intrepid streak? Summit Machu Picchu Mountain for a bird’s-eye look at the ruins.

Look at what other guests are saying about this trip!

I had an amazing week. When thinking about the value of the trip, I could not have put together the number and range of activities for a single week on my own. Not even close. So really, it is like having three weeks of vacation seamlessly organized into a single week. All I had to do was show up. My favorite aspect of the trip is how the activities fit together like a story across the week as opposed to a random collection of activities. Wow.
Carol Waldo - Ventura, CA More about this Trip All Guest Reviews

For 32 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the tour experts. To see all our walking tours and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning multisport tours click here.

Peru Hiking

Premiere Inns

Sol y Luna Lodge
Sol y Luna Lodge

Urubamba (2 nights) "An unpretentious but impeccably maintained lodge set in a wonderful garden surrounded by mountains," according to the Hideaway Report. (pool, spa) 

Hotel Monasterio
Hotel Monasterio

Cusco (2 nights) "An outstanding Orient-Express property housed within a converted 16th-century monastery situated just a short stroll from the Plaza de Armas," says Andrew Harper.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Aguas Calientes (2 nights) Considered by Travel + Leisure a World’s Best hotel with "Andean-style casitas" close by the ruins of Machu Picchu. (pool, spa)

Peru Hiking

Routes For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Biking Average Walking Average
1 2-3 hours 10-20 miles 2-5 miles
2 2-4 hours 21-30 miles 5-7 miles
3 3-5 hours 31-40 miles 7-9 miles
4 4-6 hours 41-55 miles 9-11 miles
5 5-7+ hours 56-75+ miles 11-13+ miles

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level 1  3 Route Options Available
  • 2.5, 4.3, 5 miles
  • 30 - 80 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • 3.1 miles
  • 400 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Levels 1 to 2 3 Route Options Available
  • 2.2 miles
  • 0 feet elevation gain
  • 2.2, 4 miles
  • 1080 - 1710 elevation gain 
Day 4
  • Level 1 3 Route Options Available
  • 0.6, 1.9, 2.8 miles
  • 0 - 680 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Levels 1 to 2  2 Route Options Available
  • 2.2, 6.8 miles
  • 770 - 2150 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Level 1  1 Route Option Available
  • 2.2 miles
  • 820 feet elevation gain; 820 feet elevation loss 
  • Guided Tour of Machu Picchu 3 hours
Day 7
  • Conclusion of Trip
Terrain Description
Mountain trails, Inca stone jungle paths, village and archeological site walks. Please note: Altitude and rugged terrain make the routes feel more challenging than the mileage suggests.