Author: Blaire Hamilton

If you’ve ever read anything about hiking in Peru, it’s likely you’ve heard about the high altitude being “no joke.” While the altitude does make the majority of all big hikes around here challenging, the views will offer the biggest reward you can imagine. Here are 5 of our most challenging but rewarding treks you won’t want to miss:

No matter which of the hikes above interests you the most, there are a few things all of them have in common:

• Weather in the Peruvian Andes is typically grouped into two seasons, rainy season (wet/ November to mid April with the peak in late January to early March) and dry season (cold at night/ May to September). There really isn’t much fluctuation in terms of temperature throughout the year (nighttime lows -10 to 0 C, daytime highs of 18 to 22 C)
• The best time to do these trails is between May and October because there are clearer days and sunnier weather to take in the beautiful scenery. The rainy season may sound less ideal, but the clouds and rain make everything green and lush while adding some mysticism to the landscapes that could be perfect for some photographers or trekkers who want to avoid the crowds.
• The Inca Trail is closed during the month of February due to the rainy weather and risk of landslides.
• Most of the visiting trekkers live at lower altitudes in their home countries and they are not used to breathing thin oxygen. It’s highly recommended to give yourself time to acclimate to the altitude by spending 2-3 days in Cusco (or Huaraz for the Huayhuash trek) before you hit the trail. This will help you to reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
• Most of these treks can be completed by trekkers of any fitness level. The terrain is not difficult to navigate. It is just a matter of taking your time, preparing for the altitude, and having good humor. From there, we will take care of the rest.

While Peru is probably most well-known for Machu Picchu, this country is actually full of traditions, customs, breathtaking landscapes, and friendly people worth seeing.  The best way to experience it is to get out and hike off-the-beaten path, but we know most people don’t have a ton of time to spend here.

If having an experience hiking in Peru has been on your bucket list for a while but you just don’t have too much time to do a multi-day trek, you might want to consider one of these shorter options.

• Huchuy Qosqo trek– this is a 3-day experience but only one night camping.  You will spend a day and a half hiking through the mountains before taking a trail to Aguas Calientes and visiting Machu Picchu on day 3.

• Waqrapukara & Rainbow Mountain – this is a 2-day experience starting from Cusco with 6-7 hours of hiking on day one.  The terrain is very easy – anyone in moderate shape can make easy work of this hike.  Barely any tourists visit Waqrapukara so you will have the trail to yourself and really experience what it was like for the ancient Incas.  Day 2 at rainbow mountain is also amazing because you will get there before the crowds.

• Machu Picchu day trip by train – If you don’t have the endurance or time to reach Machu Picchu by foot, don’t fear. You can take a scenic and relaxing train ride instead.

Short treks are a great opportunity to get off the grid and experience what Peru is all about! Consider these when thinking about getting off the beaten path and planning your trip of a lifetime. 

If you have the time and interest in history, Cusco is one place where you should absolutely hire an experienced guide to give you a full tour and explain all the city’s hidden secrets. We also understand that sometimes you just have a free day or half day to kill while you acclimate to it’s 11,000+ feet of altitude. If you’re looking for the best places to see around the city at your own pace, here are some of our favorite spots you should definitely not miss:

• Plaza de Armas – This bustling square is the heart of Cusco for good reason.  Not only is it surrounded by incredible architecture, restaurants, and shops, but it’s the hub for your introduction to Inca/Quechua culture.  Each street off the main plaza still has its original Quechua name and the locals can tell you what was once sold on that street through its translation.

• San Blas – Known for its artisan shops and markets, the San Blas neighborhood is THE place to find your unique Peruvian souvenir.  Just a short walk (up a steep hill!) from the main plaza, you’ll find a small church and tons of shops and restaurants to peruse at your leisure. 

• Qorikancha – This is a historic landmark and one of the most important temples in Inca culture.  It was mostly destroyed by the Spanish, but the foundation remains, and the building and catacombs are a museum today.  If you don’t want to pay to go into the museum, take a 5-minute walk from the main plaza down the Avenida El Sol.  You can see the building of Qorikancha and the impressive Jardin Sagrado (Sacred Garden) on your left from the street.

• San Pedro Market – While it’s still one of our favorite places to get breakfast, San Pedro market has so much more to offer than just food.  You can find any handicraft, food, fabric, or article of clothing Peru has to offer inside this impressive space.  Don’t be afraid to bargain with the locals – they love to chat and make a good deal.

• San Cristobal – Plan to start or end your day at San Cristobal Church for sunrise or sunset.  It’s a steep climb up the street or stairs to get here (depending on what direction you’re coming from), but the view over all of Cusco is incredible and worth the effort.  You have to pay to visit the church or continue up the mountain to Sacsayhuaman, but the view from the little plaza here will only cost you a few deep breaths.

• San Francisco Plaza – There is a lot to see in San Francisco Plaza – a smaller plaza 2 blocks west of the Plaza de Armas.  Lined with native Peruvian plants, it’s the perfect square to find a bench to rest and people watch.  Grab a coffee and pastry at one of the bakeries along the square to enhance the experience.

In 1908, Hiram Bingham had been serving as a delegate at a Pan American Scientific Congress in Santiago, Chile.  As part of his journey home through Peru, Bingham was convinced to visit the archeological site of Choquequirao.  After that trip, he became fascinated with the idea that there could be “lost” cities through the Andes and wanted to explore more.

Hiram Bingham was a professor, not an archeologist, but his curiosity led him back to Peru for an expedition in 1911 where the biggest goal was to find Vitcos – the place most historians called the “lost city of the Incas.”  In order to discover this city, he had to ask the locals to take him through the Sacred Valley so he could continue his search along the Urubamba River.  They found several archeological sites, but Bingham was not convinced they had found Vitcos. 

They eventually reached the small village of Mandorpampa, about 30 minutes from modern-day Aguas Calientes, where they met a local farmer named Melchor Arteaga.  Arteaga was the first to tell him that there were some Inca ruins on the other side of the river and took Bingham there the next day.  Those ruins turned out to be what we now know as Huayna Picchu mountain.

On the skirt of this stunning mountain, he met another family that had been farming crops on some of Machu Picchu’s terraces for a long time.  That day, Bingham was led by Machu Picchu’s first tour guide, the farmer’s son Pablo, who knew Machu Picchu like the back of his hand. 

Most of the city was under dense vegetation so its significance wasn’t quite realized on first discovery.  Hiram Bingham took some pictures and decided to keep exploring other archeological sites with the locals who finally led him to Vitcos.  The locals called Vitcos “Rosaspata” so Hiram Bingham could not identify for certain that they were in the right place.  He believed Rosaspata was Vitcos and Machu Picchu was another place called Vilcabamba.  Later he realized that Vilcabamba was a bit more rustic while Machu Picchu had impressive, finer stone walls. 

A year later, in 1912, Hiram Bingham was sponsored by the National Geographic Society and Yale University to return to Peru to clean up the vegetation at Machu Picchu with the help of the locals.  What started as a 4 month excavation became a multi-year project with much of Machu Picchu still under vegetation today.

In 1915, Bingham began exploring the Inca Trail as well.  He was genuinely surprised to find such fine stone walls preserved at Machu Picchu and the other sites after so many years left by Inca civilization.  Bingham tried to find out the history of Machu Picchu, but his investigation never revealed the true story.

We know now that Machu Picchu was built during the reign of Inca Pachucutec in the 1400s and that it was abandoned after a century around the time the Inca kingdom was invaded by the Spanish in the 1530s.  It’s believed the Spanish never found Machu Picchu because it was abandoned prior to their arrival. 

It’s hard to say that Machu Picchu was “discovered” by one person because this incredible city was never forgotten or lost by locals.  The communities around the area knew it was there for centuries, but it’s thanks to Hiram Bingham’s exploration that Machu Picchu has finally found its rightful place at the world’s eye.