Peru · HIKING TOURS IN CUSCO
The 15 best hiking tours in Cusco you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Leave Cusco before dawn for Pacchanta and trek about 13 kilometers past Ausangate’s bright alpine lakes. You’ll reach roughly 4,620 meters, with guides such as Kevin, Eduardo, Carlos, or Diana helping you manage the pace. Breakfast, lunch, transport, and hot springs make this a full but rewarding day.
“Diana was a great guide! The meal included was good as well”
Travel from Cusco by tourist van to Vinicunca, then hike about 1.5 hours to Rainbow Mountain at 5,020 meters. A bilingual guide, breakfast, buffet lunch, oxygen, and optional trekking poles are included. Guides such as David and Fredy have earned praise for patient support, though the Red Valley visit may be limited by current access issues.
“I really enjoyed this tour. food was a little basic, but overall it was a good trip 😊”
Leave Cusco early for Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley, with breakfast, lunch, transport, and a bilingual guide included. You’ll hike to 5,036 meters, see Ausangate, and cross stark red slopes. The Red Valley walk is optional in practice, so confirm you have enough time and bring warm layers, water, and sturdy shoes.
“Escursione? Sostanzialmente è stato un servizio di transfer. Nessuna spiegazione dalla guida che non ci ha seguiti durante il tragitto. Inoltre, si è persa un turista causando un ora di ritardo a tutto il gruppo. Infine, non è stato dato il tempo per visitare la red valley.”
Take a fast, challenging route from Cusco to Machu Picchu via the 4,630-meter Salkantay Pass. You will sleep in an Andean hut and an Aguas Calientes hotel, hike through mountain and jungle country, and travel home by panoramic train. Guides may include Marco, Guido, or Cesar Quispe, depending on the departure.
“Salkantay Trekking does a great job in ensuring all the conditions are set for this hard challenge to be doable for everyone.”
Leave Cusco around 4:00 AM for a small-group trek to Rainbow Mountain. Walk among alpacas, llamas, red peaks, local homes, and views of Ausangate before reaching 5,020 meters. Breakfast, lunch, poles, transport, and a guide are included, while the 30-sol entry fee and horses cost extra.
“Es war ein guter Ausflug, allerdings habe ich die Beschreibung missverstanden, ich dachten wandert ca.3 h hin un 2 h zurück, es waren aber nur 3h insgesamt zum Wandern. Außerdem hat mir die Information gefehlt, dass man zum red valley auch noch gehen kann für 30 Soles zusätzlich. Hätte gerne mehr Zeit gehabt am Vinicunca und Red Valley. Ansonsten hat aber alles gepasst.”
Leave Cusco at 3:30 am for Palccoyo, a quieter alternative to Vinicunca. You’ll ride in modified transport, eat breakfast and lunch, walk among three colorful mountains, and may accompany an alpaca or llama. The stone forest is optional. Groups have up to eight people, with a private guide for bookings after 3.11.2025.
“We had a fantastic time exploring Palcoyo, thanks to our experienced guide, Jesús Carrion. The tour started promptly, and Jesús took great care of us throughout the day. Although the walk to Palcoyo, also known as the alternative Rainbow Mountain, was relatively easy and moderate, the high altitude of 4900m caused my husband to feel short of breath. Jesús made a concerted effort to ensure his well-being while also keeping an eye on the rest of the group. Compared to Vinicunca, Palcoyo was noticeably less crowded, and it offered breathtaking views of three rainbow mountains, the red valley, and the stone forest. Unfortunately, we had to skip the stone forest…”
Trek from Cusco into the Apurimac Canyon and up to Choquequirao, an Inca citadel with far fewer visitors than Machu Picchu. A guide, chef, porter, meals, camping support, and transport are included. Guides such as Elias and Sebastian have been praised for patience and care, while chefs Leandro and Oscar are known for varied trail meals.
“With all of the positive reviews that I read for TreXperience, our expectations were very high. We were incredibly happy to have those expectations exceeded treXperience was efficient, friendly, competent, and everything went very smoothly. We had a fantastic four days. Our guide Elias could not have been a better guide. He was patient and kind, inspired us to keep going on the steep hills, and shared lots of historical and archaeological knowledge. Our chef Leandro prepared meals that you cannot believe were possible while trekking for four days. His assistant Elias was incredibly helpful and friendly. Our mule master Boris was cheerful and efficient. The whole team could not…”
Leave Cusco before dawn for Humantay Lake with CrossoverPeru Tours. You’ll ride to Mollepata for breakfast, continue to Soraypampa at 3,900 meters, then hike about 1 hour and 45 minutes to the turquoise lake. A professional guide, meals, entrance, transport, first aid, and oxygen are included.
“Tour was awesome. Pick up perfectly on time. Our tour guide Luz was above and beyond , she was perfect. She answered all questions we were asking and most important she helped us to get all the way to the top because at the beginning of the climb I was struggling. Thank you Luz and I hope we meet again on some other tour.”
You’ll circle Ausangate from Cusco with a small group of up to 10, crossing passes as high as 5,200 meters and camping beside glacial lakes. Vidal Expeditions provides meals, camping gear, horses for equipment, and guides such as Guillermo or Urbano, known for local stories and strong trail support. Expect cold nights and demanding high-altitude hiking.
“An epic 5 days completing the Ausengate + Raimbow Mountain Trek with the Vidal Expedition crew (Chino, Begnino, Jośe, Angel). The scenery was amazing, super friendly and knowledgable team, yummy good, and lots of fun! Would highly highly recommend!! Thanks so much for such a cool experience :)”
You leave Cusco around 4:00am for Humantay Lake, traveling through the Andes to Mollepata and Soraypampa before a steep 90-minute hike. An English- and Spanish-speaking guide explains the lagoon’s Inca importance. Breakfast, lunch, transport, entrance-related costs, oxygen, and first aid are part of the day, with drop-off near Plaza San Francisco.
“Les escribí 2 veces x msil para cancelar, ya q estaba varada en Bolivia y no llegaba a cuzco. No me respondieron. Me llamaron a las 05 am osra decirme q estaban en el hotel esperándome. Les mande captura de pantalla de mus mails enviados y nada de respuesta”
Leave Cusco at 5:00 a.m. for a two-day trek to Humantay Lake and Salkantay Pass, sleeping in a Sky Camp dome at 3,900 meters. A guide such as John leads the route, with meals, gear, transport, water, snacks, and a small advertised group included. Expect steep walking and very high altitude.
“The Humantay Lagoon tour is really worth doing and the lagoon is spectacular when you arrive. The whole hike is about 12km round trip (3hrs total) and it is up quite a sustained gradient. If you’re not used to hiking at altitude, this could be quite a difficult trek. The day is quite long with stops for breakfast and lunch, so do bear that in mind. You will be gone for the whole day and the majority of time will be spent in the van. The tour is quite self led - you hike up and back independently and don’t have a lot of contact with the guide during the…”
Trek from Cusco through the Apurímac Valley to Choquequirao, an Inca citadel larger than Machu Picchu but visited by far fewer people. You’ll hike steep canyon trails, camp near Marampata, explore the ruins with a bilingual guide, and finish with Saywite and the Cconoc hot springs. Guides may include Guido, George, Carlos, or Franz.
“WOW! Guido was/is a fantastic, knowledgeable, friendly, and humorous guide that cannot be outdone. His passion and knowledge for the culture is obvious throughout our trip. He connected with each one of our “Team Dave” and was there to help, each of us, when we needed it.”
You’ll trek for five days from Soraypampa to Machu Picchu, crossing the 4,600-meter Salkantay Pass, camping three nights, staying one night in Aguas Calientes, and traveling back to Cusco by train and bus. A bilingual guide, cook, meals, camping gear support, transport, and Machu Picchu entry are included. The group is limited to 15 people.
“Senhores nao tempo p trabalhar p os senhores. Pais em situacao atipica. Greves de transportes com alguns eventos violencia. Como eu poderia ficar preso em Machu Pichu, fiz minha desistencia. A quadrilha empresarial negou-se a me reembolsar. Opiniao: o contrato é invalidado quando o pais nao oferece as condicoes de seguranca...... Fui roubado em 3.200 R.”
Spend two demanding days in Peru’s high Andes, hiking from Quesiuno past Ausangate and Pukaqocha to a mountain camp, then reaching Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley before lunch and a 4 pm return to Cusco. Guide Marco and a chef lead a small group of up to 12, with meals, gear, transfers, oxygen, and 7 kg of luggage transport included.
“Ausangate mountain and the rainbow mountain were both very impressive. Our tour guide, Marco, was great and the food was amazing”
Leave Cusco before sunrise for Soraypampa, then hike to turquoise Humantay Lake at 4,200 meters. A bilingual guide, breakfast, lunch, transport, first-aid gear, and oxygen are included. The climb takes about 1.5 hours, and horses can be rented if the altitude or steep trail proves too much.
“Wouldn't give me an itinerary until it was too late to refund. Then told me I could get a refund if I contacted viator. Then they told viator they round refund. So I changed my flight to later to make the tour. Then they didn't show up. Horrible communication with the company. Ruined a whole day of my trip.”
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