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
We started tracking this trip on 20 Jul — the chart appears once a few days of real history build up. Every point is a price we recorded ourselves.
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
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Cusco · 31 Jul – 1 Aug
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