Walk the old roads where river valleys climb into the Andes
When to go
May-September
Trip length
11 days / 10 nights
Typical investmentPrice
from $7,590 pp
This 10-night Peru route is built for travelers who want to move through the Andes. After a short start in Lima, spend four active days in the Sacred Valley: a private mountain hike, a full day on the Urubamba River with a qualified outfitter, and a walk along an original Inca road into Ollantaytambo. Continue to Machu Picchu on foot and rail, then close in Cusco with enough recovery time between the bigger days.
Along the way
A full day rafting the Urubamba River
An original Inca road into Ollantaytambo, on foot
Mountain hikes & breathtaking views
Downtime & rest within the colonial walls of Cusco
Your route
Fuel up on Peru’s Pacific coast
Arrive in Lima and settle in. Keep the evening free to rest before the active portion of the trip.
Explore the Surquillo market and a Barranco neighborhood walk with a private guide, then enjoy an early night ahead of the flight into the Andes.
Trails, terraces & the Urubamba River
Fly to Cusco and transfer down into the Sacred Valley, stopping at a viewpoint over the Urubamba River for a short acclimatization walk before settling into your valley hotel, with trailheads running straight from the property.
Set out with a private guide on a mountain trail chosen for your fitness and how you’re handling the altitude, crossing agricultural terraces and highland communities well above the valley floor.
Spend the day with a qualified local outfitter running a stretch of the Urubamba River, with the route and rapids chosen around current water levels and your group’s experience.
Walk a section of original Inca road across hillside terraces with your guide, then continue into Ollantaytambo for the fortress and the old town, still laid out on its Inca street grid.
From stone paths above the cloud forest to a slower Cusco finish
Combine a guided walk with rail travel into the Machu Picchu area, arriving with time to settle into your hotel in Aguas Calientes before the next day’s main visit.
Explore the citadel on a timed circuit with your guide, tracing the agricultural and urban sectors before the crowds build. Return toward Cusco by train and private transfer in the afternoon.
Keep the morning light after several active days. Settle into your hotel and explore the historic center at your own pace once you’re ready.
Join a private guide for the Coricancha and the plazas of the historic center, then continue to Sacsayhuamán’s massive stonework above the city, adjusting the walking based on how everyone’s legs are holding up.
Transfer to the airport for onward travel.
Let's discover your next adventure
Our top picks
Hotel B places 20 art-filled rooms inside a restored 1914 Belle Époque mansion in Barranco. More than 300 works, a destination restaurant, rooftop terrace, and walkable access to galleries and the Pacific clifftops make art and neighborhood life central to the stay.
Palacio Nazarenas places 55 oxygen-enriched suites around seven courtyards in a former palace and convent near Cusco’s Plaza de Armas. Twenty-four-hour butler service, a botanical spa, restaurant by Pía León, and the city’s first heated outdoor pool define the stay.
Explora Valle Sagrado places 44 rooms and six suites on a former agricultural estate beside the Urubamba River. More than 40 guided explorations, meals, transfers, a restored colonial bath house, outdoor pool, saunas, and hot tubs are included in the expedition format.
Tambo del Inka places 128 rooms and suites beside the Urubamba River in a full-service Sacred Valley resort. A large indoor-outdoor pool, extensive spa, three restaurants, gardens, family facilities, and a private rail station for selected Machu Picchu trains distinguish it from smaller valley hotels.
Sol y Luna spreads 43 freestanding casitas through approximately 25 acres of gardens in the Sacred Valley. Horses, spa, pool, two restaurants, riding, mountain activities, and a foundation supporting local education give the hotel both resort depth and a clear social purpose.
Las Qolqas places 16 safari-style tents in an Andean botanical garden outside Ollantaytambo. Private terraces, wood stoves, electric heat, hot showers, a greenhouse restaurant, sauna, spa, and room for up to 58 guests create a low-impact base near the archaeological site and railway.
Sanctuary Lodge places 31 rooms and suites only 50 meters from the entrance to Machu Picchu. Two restaurants, a bar, subtropical gardens, Andean treatments, and immediate access to the site make location, not resort scale, the defining luxury.
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel spreads 83 adobe casitas through cloud forest, waterfalls, gardens, and stone paths at the edge of Machu Picchu Pueblo. Orchid walks, birding, tea, spa, dining, and several room formats create a nature-led alternative to staying beside the citadel.
Andenia feels more like a private Andean home than a conventional hotel, with extensive edible gardens, stone pools at different temperatures, and an on-site gallery showcasing local artists. The small scale keeps the focus on the garden, food, and surrounding Sacred Valley rather than resort-style facilities.
Set directly on the Vilcanota River at the foot of Machu Picchu mountain, with the shuttle buses to the citadel passing right outside, and a public art collection of over 300 Peruvian pieces displayed throughout. There's no swimming pool, in-room WiFi can be unreliable, and the setting feels more like a modern boutique hotel than the botanical-garden immersion of Inkaterra's nearby property.
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