Cusco · HIKING & TREKKING
29 reviewed
Everything above the valley floor, from a half-day walk behind Sacsayhuamán to a week over Ausangate. Here are the best treks around Cusco: altitude gained, nights under canvas, how much your porter carries, and which ones need acclimatising days before you start.
One-day Ausangate 7 Lakes trek from Cusco with breakfast, lunch, optional horses, and Pacchanta hot springs.
“amazing day the lakes were absolutely stunning, the guide was really helpful and a lovely bunch of people too”
Guided 12-hour tour from Cusco to Vinicunca, Rainbow Mountain (5,020 m), with breakfast, lunch, and optional Red Valley.
“It was a very nice tour, beautiful mountain, good value for the money, great guide.”
Cusco full-day hike to Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley with buffet meals, oxygen support, and stunning Andes views at 5,000m.
“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.”
3-day Salkantay trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu with camp and hotel nights, guided pass crossing, meals, train, and entry.
“Absolutely memorable experience across the Andes, admiring stunning nature, pushing physical limits, and just having so much fun. The three days are very intense and not appropriate for those who conduct a very sedentary life but it's something you'll remember forever. The trekking part was exceptional, maybe the cultural and informational one could be slightly improved. Also you will not sleep much!”
A 16-hour Cusco day trip to Rainbow Mountain, with early pickup, guided acclimatization help, warm meals, poles, and big Andes views.
“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.”
Small-group Palccoyo rainbow hike from Cusco with early pickup, breakfast and lunch, alpaca walk, plus poles and oxygen.
“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…”
A small-group four-day Choquequirao trek from Cusco with chefs, porters, Apurimac Canyon views, and Saywite on day four.
“Trip of a lifetime! We did the 4-day, 3-night TreXperience Trek with Gary (lead guide) and Sergio (support guide) and “Chef Ratatouille” Balbino starting Sept 8th, 2025. Length of trip was just about right - long enough to get good hikes bu”
5-day Salkantay trek with glamping, Humantay Lake, Pachamanca, Machu Picchu sunrise, and Vistadome/360° train back to Cusco.
“Booked this last minute because I am a very “book things as you go” traveler, and I honestly think I got so lucky because I genuinely do not think there is a better experience you can get. My guides were absolutely incredible. Eddie was very knowledgeable and put together and made sure everything went smoothly. Elias was just the kindest and most fun person to be around, and truly cared about all of the people. Very amazing environment and the food was just phenomenal. Seriously cannot recommend this company more, and it is also 100% local!!!”
Ancascocha Trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu, 4-day small-group camping hike with meals, Inca ruins and a guided ruins tour.
“Loved this trek. I did two other treks with another company and really feel Action Peru delivered a better experience. And the other tour group is a major operator while Action Peru is smaller. So pros and cons.”
Full-day guided trek to Humantay Lake from Cusco, with private transfers, breakfast and lunch, and small-group support.
“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.”
5 days hiking Apu Ausangate from Cusco with small-group guides, hot springs, turquoise lagoons, and all meals included. Max 10.
“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 :)”
4-day Inca Trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Small group camping, chef meals, Sun Gate views, and guided ruins. $930 per person.
“I joined the Inca Trail tour with Tierras Vivas, and our tour guide Nico Raul made the whole experience truly unforgettable!”
4 days of Salkantay to Machu Picchu with Sky Lodge Domes, meals, and train back to Cusco, led by guides who keep you safe.
“I had such a great time on the Salkantay trek, and a big part of that was thanks to our guide, Fernando. He was so nice and incredibly helpful throughout the whole journey, always making sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. He also had a great sense of humour it was fun to have a joke and a laugh with him along the way. One of the highlights was when he even played football with us during the trek, which made the experience feel extra special. Overall, it was unforgettable, and I’m really glad Fernando was our guide.”
Short Inca Trail in two days to Machu Picchu via Sun Gate, with Wiñay Wayna ruins, waterfall scenery, and guided time at the site.
“We had an incredible time on the Short Inca Trail. Our guide, José, was incredibly knowledgable and made the experience wonderful. José took good care of us and I would go on another guided tour with him in a heartbeat. Thanks, José!”
A long Cusco day to Humantay Lagoon, with early pickup, guide, breakfast and lunch, and Inca stories, plus tough-but-worth-it views.
“Tough but AMAZING hike and experience! I struggled as I was not quite adjusted to the altitude yet but the tour guide was patient and helpful during the climb. It’s a long ride up and down and the hike is a little intense but the views and the lagoon were totally worth it!! Would recommend for a day trip in Cusco!!”
