It's easy to grasp the ancient Inca mindset—once your lungs adjust to the rarefied Andean air. From your 15,200-foot vantage point atop Salkantay Pass, it's clear why these majestic pinnacles inspired awe among the native inhabitants. And at the apex of this trek, Machu Picchu. You're breathless. Is it the altitude or the views? A little of both.
Day 1 Savor stunning vistas of the Cusco Valley as you trek to the Inca sites of Q'enko, Temple of the Moon and fortress-temple Sacsayhuamán (Stonehenge of the Andes) with a local expert | Visit the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art to view unique artifacts from ancient Peruvian civilizations.
Days 2-3 Walk up to a glacial lake or opt for a horseback ride—either way, take in views of towering Salkantay, Inca mythology's most sacred mountain | Taste pisco sours, the country's national drink, before our dinner of organic regional cuisine.
Days 4-6 Condors soar overhead as you travel up the Río Blanco Valley, circling Humantay Peak | Descend through a lush subtropical landscape above the Salkantay River before passing a patchwork of orchards and coffee plantations | Feeling adventurous? Try cuy (guinea pig) at a traditional Andean Pachamanca feast.
Days 7-9 Condors soar overhead as you travel up the Río Blanco Valley, circling Humantay Peak | Descend through a lush subtropical landscape above the Salkantay River before passing a patchwork of orchards and coffee plantations | Feeling adventurous? Try cuy (guinea pig) at a traditional Andean Pachamanca feast.
This was our first group travel and we were a little sceptical if this is our "cup of tea". But Fernando and all the local guides did a phenomenal job - and the group chemistry was just right. Absolut highlight of the trip was the blessing ceremony with Herman - a really deep experience!. We are leaving Peru with a lot of knowledge of its history, flora and fauna and the pride and friendliness of the people! The Backroads team has exceeded our expectations -we are already planning another "bucket list" trip.- Winchester, VA
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception. Read the Straight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
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Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the Dates & Prices tab.
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Located between the San Blas arts district and Cusco's vibrant main square, this serene oasis mixes contemporary fixtures with traditional design. A Relais & Châteaux member.
Located at 11,800 feet, this stylish mountain lodge welcomes you with a hot tub and incomparable views of Salkantay, the region's highest peak.
Overnight at "the place where the wind lives" and enjoy a hot tub soak at 12,000 feet.
This lodge with a hot tub rests in a cloud forest at 10,300 feet in the Collpapampa Valley.
Savor spectacular views from this lodge, built right into the mountainside and flanked by an avocado orchard.
This hotel with Andean-style casitas is just minutes from the ruins of Machu Picchu. (pool, spa)
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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Reviewed by 2 customers
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Comments about Peru Trekking Tour:
This was our first group travel and we were a little sceptical if this is our "cup of tea". But Fernando and all the local guides did a phenomenal job - and the group chemistry was just right. Absolut highlight of the trip was the blessing ceremony with Herman - a really deep experience!. We are leaving Peru with a lot of knowledge of its history, flora and fauna and the pride and friendliness of the people! The Backroads team has exceeded our expectations -we are already planning another "bucket list" trip.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Comments about Peru Trekking Tour:
Fantastic trek and trip to Machu Picu. Local experts were really informative and knowledgable. Premium lodges were great....would not change a thing!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
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.
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| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 3* | 300 | 4* | 500 | 5 | 500 | ||||
| 2 | 4* | 1000 | 5 | 1300 | ||||||
| 3 | 4 | 1200 | ||||||||
| 4 | 7 | 2600 | ||||||||
| 5 | 6 | 200 | ||||||||
| 6 | 8* | 1200 | 11 | 1300 | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | 2200 | ||||||||
| 8 | 2 | 2000 | ||||||||
| Machu Picchu Guided Walk (3 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 9 | Early-Morning Naturalist Walk (45 Minutes) | |||||||||
Note: The terrain on this trip includes a mix of village and archaeological site walks, Inca stone jungle and mountain trails. Overnight trekking lodges are located at elevations of 6,600–11,800 feet and trekking routes reach up to 15,000 feet. The altitude and rugged terrain can make the routes feel more challenging than the mileage may suggest. Some routes involve substantial elevation loss.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
Most companies shuttle guests quickly to high-altitude trails, not allowing time to acclimatize. That’s not our style. Before you start exploring the ruins around Cusco, you spend a night at the five-star Inkaterra La Casona, where you can opt to have a bit of oxygen piped into the room. And after our Salkantay trek you stay two nights at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, ranked one of the World's Best by Travel & Leisure, so you can explore Machu Picchu at a relaxed pace.
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Peru, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
In choosing the ideal experts to enrich your travel experience, we look for people with a wealth of local knowledge, but also the ability to convey their insights in English. Too often travelers find themselves smiling politely, not quite understanding what they're being told. Our experts share intriguing facts, anecdotes and inside stories that stay with you forever.
Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.
Our Trip Leaders combine deep local expertise with a firm grasp of North American expectations around quality of service. By the same token, we pair experienced Backroads leaders with local guides who know how to cater to your needs while cracking open the culture or natural history in ways that are meaningful, memorable and often magical.
Thanks to our extensive connections in Peru, Backroads takes you off the beaten track and deep into the region's culture in ways that traditional travel can never hope to do. We know the people and their customs, the legacy of art and architecture, the complex history and politics – and if we're not sure, our amazing local experts can fill in the blanks.
If we told you many companies' leaders can't actually speak the language where they lead trips, you'd say incroyable... ridicolo... không the tha thú. At Backroads, fluency in the local language is a given. Find out more on the best leader recruitment, training and development in the business. (And by the way, that was "unforgivable" in Vietnamese.)
With Backroads you won't end up with kids on what you thought was an adult trip; we have exclusive departures for families, so they're off having their own adventures. As you browse our unrivaled selection of trips and dates, you can count on finding a trip in Peru that's geared exclusively to your choice of traveling companions.
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
Tom Hale has been keeping Backroads on track, with one eye on the horizon, since 1979. His passion for active travel, and for ensuring the highest-quality travel experience, is evident in every detail we add to make a guest's trip unforgettable—and the fact he's right there in the office, making it happen. To hear Tom describe his vision, watch our video.
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from the selection of dates below for your group of 8 or more. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you. Call or email us to reserve your date.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date! i
Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
