You are here : Peru Vacations - 4 Unmissable Peru Treks That You Should Do

Peru Vacations - 4 Unmissable Peru Treks You Should Do

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America

If you are planning a Peru vacation and you’re in good shape, you should consider doing some trekking. Peru has some of the most famous terrain on the planet that brings hikers from all over the world. If you are going to be in the country, you should see what all the fuss is about!
For Peru trekking and Peru hikes, here are four of the best.

1) The Classic Inca Trail
By far the most famous hiking route in Peru and possibly in the world, the Inca Trail is the best preserved part of the massive network of ancient Inca Trails that ran from Colombia down to Chile at the height of the Inca Empire. The trek itself is a 43 km section running from the Sacred Valley to the Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru.  The trek can be completed in 3 to 5 days, depending on the starting point.

This route proves so popular because the Inca Trail offers a combination of varied scenery, history and local culture; not forgetting the spectacular finish as you descend to the ruins of Machu Picchu.  En route you can see birds, orchids, Inca ruins and impressive views with a great variety of scenery.

However, you have to earn your trek; for the regular 4 day Inca Trail the toughest day is the second, taking you over the highest point (appropriately named Dead Woman's Pass) at over 4,000 meters. Altitude can flatten many trekkers, so hydration and acclimatizing are a must.

The Inca Trail has become a victim of its own popularity and in an effort to minimize the wear and tear on the route, the Peruvian government have limited access to 500 people a day, including porters and guides. This means that if you want to get a permit to hike the trail, you have to book a place at least 3 months in advance through a tour operator.

2) Choquequirao
If permits for the Classic Inca Trail have all gone, here is another option. Choquequirao is a site few tourists visit but shares the same structure and architecture as Machu Picchu, accessible by a 4 day round trip hike out of Cusco.

The road to Choquequirao starts at 2,300m from Cachora, a small town in the Apurímac department. After around four hours traveling on the mainly paved road from Cusco, walkers set off on foot for the two day journey to the site.

Situated at an altitude of 3,050m on the border of the Apurímac department, access  to Choquequirao is not as punishing in terms of altitude, but is still a very demanding trek. Hikers will face a tough downhill to the Apurimac River, followed by a challenging climb up to the site. Once there you will be compensated by the beauty of the landscape, a wide range of flora and fauna and, on a good day, be largely alone. A far cry from the crowds at Machu Picchu...

3) Salkantay
This trek is a fine option to take the longer way to Machu Picchu. Recently named by National Geographic’s Adventure Travel magazine amongst the 25 best treks in the world, you don’t need a permit to hike this route.

Starting from the village of Mollepata and ending by the train line to Machu Picchu, walkers will follow a footpath that passes the snow capped peak of Salkantay (6,271m) impressive mountain scenery and tropical rain forest. Salkantay is translated from Quechua to mean "Savage Mountain" and is considered a holy mountain by the local people. Salkantay is a challenging trek, with the highest point at a pass of 4,600m.

Trekkers normally finish with a night in the town of Aguas Calientes before visiting Machu Picchu the following day.

4) Lake 69
Further north in the Cordillera Blanca, trekkers can also find a wide range of trekking routes out from the mountain town of Huaraz. One route possible as a day trip is to the very practically named Lake 69.

An electric blue glacial lake, 69 sits at 4,400m. Visitors enter the Huascaran National Park by private transport and begin the hike from within the park. The trek is a steep climb past waterfalls, surrounded by glacial peaks. Hikers will be rewarded with spectacular views of the mountains and lakes from the trail, before dropping back down to the road and heading back to Huaraz by late afternoon.

Have you done any trekking in Peru? What do you think of the routes suggested? Do you have any other favorite Peru trekking routes?

Gary Sargent is the Managing Director of the Cusco-based Tour Companies Escaped to Latin America and Escaped to Peru which offer custom vacation packages and tours from Mexico to Patagonia. The team at Escaped To Latin America has over 15 years experience in all things Latino. If you would like to recieve our Free Monthly Newsletter please CLICK HERE!