“Worth it if you're fit enough for serious altitude and want guides who genuinely know Peru. Think twice if you need hand-holding on physical demands.”
- About £143/day across 8 days
- We only rate a price against this trip's own history once we've tracked it for 21 days — no guessing before that.
- About average per day vs 4 similar trips (~£133/day)
- 4.8★ from 23 traveller reviews
Price movement, fill and the all-in cost come from our own daily tracking— not the operator’s feed. You book on TourRadar; the live price always applies there.
About this trip
This is a proper trek to Machu Picchu, not a bus-and-ticket visit. You spend days on foot in the Andes on the Salkantay route before reaching the ruins, so the walking is the point, not a means to an end.
Along the way you climb over Salkantay Pass, pass turquoise alpine lakes, and spend a night with a family on their coffee farm in Lucmabamba, getting a look at rural highland life rather than just guesthouse to guesthouse.
It rounds out in Cusco and the Sacred Valley before Machu Picchu itself, so you get the wider region as well as the headline site.
What you'll do
- Hike over Salkantay Pass with views down into the valley
- Pass turquoise alpine lakes high in the Andes
- Stay overnight with a coffee-farming family in Lucmabamba
- Explore the Sacred Valley
- Spend time in Cusco
- Walk the archaeological site of Machu Picchu
- Billed as a serious trek — you're hiking at high altitude over several days, so it suits people who want a physical challenge rather than a gentle walk
- Fully guided throughout, in a group
Day by day
Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.
What's included
- Guide: Guide & porter services
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the trek Farewell dinner
- Activities: Trekking permits and entry fees baggage transport (limited to 15lbs/7kg)
- Transport: airport transfers on Day 1 and Day 8 all ground transportation to/from trail
- Accommodation: 3 nights accommodation in Cusco 1 night accommodation in Aguas Calientes 3 nights camping
- Activities: Pickups and dropoffs outside of the first and last day of itinerary (can be booked separately) Emergency medical & evacuation insurance (required) Trip cancellation insurance (recommended) Snacks during trek Beverages outside of designated meals Personal items (laundry, clothing, snacks, etc.) Single Supplement $300.00
- Flights: Flights are not included.
- Optional: Other activities and services are not included.
- Insurance: EMERGENCY MEDICAL & EVACUATION INSURANCE (REQUIRED) All OneSeed travelers are required to purchase Emergency Medical and Evacuation Insurance prior to their expedition. You must show proof of insurance prior to your trip and will not be permitted to begin your expedition until completed. You may purchase this coverage through the insurance provider of your choice but it must include emergency medical and emergency evacuation insurance, providing coverage against personal accident, death, medical expenses, emergency repatriation and personal liability. We also strongly recommend that it covers cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. A reputable insurance provider will have customer support agents who can answer questions and help choose the best plan for you. At a minimum, your coverage must include: Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expense Benefit: $100,000 Emergency Evacuation Benefit: $300,000 The pandemic has added additional complexities surrounding insurance as no policy covers all COVID-19 travel risks. It is the responsibility of the traveler to understand what is and is not covered under their specific policy. Insurance providers often bundle medical and evacuation with trip cancellation & interruption insurance. CANCELLATION INSURANCE (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) We highly recommend purchasing additional trip cancellation & interruption insurance after booking your flights. Supplemental insurance may cover the following: Trip cancellation due to an injury before your expedition Trip cancellation if a family member becomes ill Reimbursement if your flight is cancelled or delayed due to weather Lost baggage or theft 24-hour customer support
How travellers rate it
Cheapest live departure per day, in £, recorded by our tracker since 20 Jul. Never a brochure “was” price.
Your free day in Cusco
Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Cusco — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).
Worth it if you're fit enough for serious altitude and want guides who genuinely know Peru. Think twice if you need hand-holding on physical demands.
- Guides like Ronald and Herlin are genuinely knowledgeable about Inca culture and languages, not just tour-script readers.
- Food quality and quantity are remarkable—chef Mario's meals stand out even on a high-altitude trek.
- The hike is very difficult; older travellers and those unfit will struggle, though guides do respond well to altitude sickness.
- Salkentay route reaches 15,000 feet with basic tent camping; expect wind, cold nights and serious physical exertion.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Getting there
One-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown on Trip.com.
Hotels in Cusco
View more accommodationLive prices via Booking.com & partners, booked on their site — separate from your tour. We may earn a commission; it never changes your price.
On a budget?
Hostels in Cusco for the night before your tour · 31 Jul – 1 Aug
Booked on Hostelworld, separate from your tour. We may earn a commission — it never changes your price.
Common questions
How long is Ultimate Machu Picchu?
It's a 8-day trip. It starts and ends in Cusco.
How much does Ultimate Machu Picchu cost?
The land price starts from £1,144 per person for the 8-day trip. You book on TourRadar, where the live price always applies.
What's included in the price?
The price covers all your accommodation, transport during the trip, a group leader/guide. Anything the operator lists as optional or not included — see the full breakdown on this page.
What's not included?
international flights and travel insurance (required) are not included, so factor them into your budget. We show typical flight costs and can point you to insurance on this page.
How big is the group?
Groups are capped at around 10 travellers — a small-group trip, mostly solo 18–35s travelling to meet people, not a coach tour.
When does Ultimate Machu Picchu run?
It runs across roughly 11 months of the year, so there's usually a departure to fit your dates. Check live availability and prices in the dates section above.
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