Peru Trekking Tours and The Inca Trail

Trekking in Peru is a rewarding life experience for hikers and lovers of history and culture. Immerse yourself in legendary tales of the ancient Incan Empire as you step foot on trails once roamed by the Inca themselves!

The Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the most reknowned trek in Peru. It is a challenging journey that culminates in reaching the Sun Gate to see the sunrise over the ruins. This is the experience most visitors consider for their first trek through the Andes, but it is by no means the only trail. The popular Lares Trek to Machu Picchu offers stunning mountain scenery and great opportunities for interacting with the locals. Don't feel like camping? Then the Salkantay lodge-to-lodge trek is as good as it gets - cozy beds combined with Andean culture.

Perhaps you've already been to Machu Picchu and are looking for something different in Peru? Gap Adventures offers several trekking options in Peru that are off the beaten path. The Choquequirao, Santa Cruz and Chachapoyas Treks offer natural wonders and ruins rarely seen by tourists. Learn more about these adventures in our route guide below

Discover each of these treks in more detail by using our maps and descriptive pages below.

Classic Inca Trail

Step back in time and journey through a land known by many, but seen by only the lucky few. The Inca Trail is one of the world’s most renowned treks, and words cannot fully describe the feeling of walking in the footsteps of the Inca.

The stretch referred to as "the" Inca Trail today is in fact merely the final, dramatic and most popular stretch of the Incan road leading to Machu Picchu. A rite of passage for many visitors to Peru, the Inca Trail is a strenuous, 4-day trek from the Sacred Valley floor through cloud forest and subtropical jungle, traversing high mountain passes that test both mind and body. The end of the trail is the aptly-named Sun Gate, where a first misty glimpse of the lost city of Machu Picchu is made all the more meaningful when the journey was fueled by your own sweat and determination.

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Lares Trek

A superb 3-day trek through the Sacred Valley with views of the snow-capped Cordillera, ending with a spectacular train ride and guided tour of Machu Picchu.

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Choquequirao

A challenging, yet extremely rewarding 5-day pilgrimage to this fascinating ancient site, similar in scale only to Machu Picchu itself.

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Chachapoyas

Discover the ancient civilizations of the cloud people, the mysterious and well-preserved sarcophogi, and the immense and little-visited fortress of Kuelap. A 770 m waterfall was recently discovered in this area, the 3rd highest in the world.

Check back for updates. The Chachapoyas interactive map is coming soon!


Santa Cruz

This 4-day trek takes you through the Cordillera Blanca, so named for the permanently snow-capped mountains that form it. This area is considered by many to be some of the prettiest hiking in the country.

Check back for updates. The Santa Cruz interactive map is coming soon!


Salkantay

Salkantay trek can be a very rewarding option for those who enjoy a bit more comfort along the way. We offer the Salkantay trek as a comfortable trekking option by staying in lodges along the way. You visit river valleys and quaint villages along the way and take a train to Machu Picchu at the end of the trekking portion. While you enjoy more comfort in the evenings, please note this tour is still classified as a physical rating of 4, meaning a moderately high level of fitness is recommended.

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The Gap Adventures Difference on the Inca Trail & Trekking in Peru

With years of experience under our belt and an established base of operations in Cuzco, Gap Adventures has become the single largest operator of the Inca Trail, sending over 10,000 lucky travellers out on the trek every year.

Our support staff are all recruited, trained and employed from local communities that we are intimately involved with, and we meet the highest working condition standards in the business for our local staff that will help you along the way.

While many other companies pool together travellers to maximize trekking groups, all Gap Adventures group departures are exclusive, meaning you travel with Gap Adventures group members only.

Our porters, cooks, and guides are top-notch and will amaze you with their local knowledge of the fascinating history and of their traditional cultures. Nights will be spent camping under the stars along the Trail in our own high-quality tents and camping equipment, set up and maintained by our trusty support staff, meaning you don’t have anything other than the trek itself to focus on. Come experience this once-in-a-lifetime experience with us!

Peru Trekking Tours and The Inca Trail Reviews

  • It was a tiring but an amazing trip. It really touched my heart and soul - the people, the food, the culture and the beautiful ...

    Jacqueline H (July 02, 2009)
  • This trip was amazing. The best part of the adventure was the hike and seeing all the ruins along the way to Machu Picchu.

    Niall D (July 02, 2009)
  • The trip was very well organized. Most important was our tourleader Jessica Gil who did an exellent job - always ahead of our wishes, always ...

    Ellinor H (July 02, 2009)
  • The trip was amazing. It had a perfect mixture of activities and cultural experiences. The GAP guides were really good. The itinerary was perfectly chosen. ...

    Brian W (July 02, 2009)
  • We liked the tour so much that we will book another one with Gap adventure

    Jason P (July 02, 2009)
  • I enjoyed the trip very much. The places we wisited were great.

    Ana P (July 02, 2009)
  • The tour was very well organized and we were able to participate and experience a lot. We thought it was great.

    Jennifer M (July 02, 2009)
  • Amazing trip! It really gives you a panorama of Peru. In every part of the trip we experienced something new, different and exciting. All the ...

    Gudbjort G (July 02, 2009)
  • The highlight was hiking the Inca Trail and arriving at Machu Pichu. Am ambition fulfilled! Being led by Roberto, our local guide for the Trail, ...

    Derek Gerald B (July 02, 2009)
  • This was the best vacation I ever had.Everything was fantastic, from Lima to Machu Picchu, Andres really sorted us out and helped to guide us ...

    Clifford G (July 02, 2009)