10-Day Andes Trek and Cultural Immersion in Peru
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TripsPeruSalkantay

10-Day Andes Trek and Cultural Immersion in Peru

Cusco
9 Nights·10 Days
PeruMulti-ActivityEco Lodges

Overview

This 10-day Andes trek offers a premium journey from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Instead of camping, travelers stay in comfortable mountain lodges and select partner hotels. This setup beautifully unites nature, authenticity, and daily comfort, allowing guests to explore Peru’s high altitudes and valleys while enjoying real beds and hot showers every single night.

The itinerary delivers a fully immersive experience by blending cultural discoveries with active hiking. For the first three days, the schedule is completely customizable to your preferences, which ensures a tailored adventure while helping travelers safely acclimatize to the elevation.

Later, the route descends into the lush cloud forest, following ancient Inca trails, passing coffee plantations, and culminating with a comprehensive guided tour of the Machu Picchu citadel. Supported by full board and expert bilingual guides, this trip manages all logistics seamlessly, providing a memorable, well-organized expedition through Peru’s most remarkable historical sites.

  • Full itinerary: Andean camelids at Wayllarcocha, the Pisac market, Ancasmarca, a Lares community visit, the Qori Maki center, a Pachamama ceremony, Pumamarka, Ollantaytambo, Quillarumiyoc, Humantay Lake, the Salkantay Pass, the Santa Teresa River valley, an organic coffee plantation, the Inca site of Llactapata, and a guided tour of Machu Picchu.
  • Hiking in the Andes up to 4,636 m: the Salkantay Pass on Day 6 comes after two nights at 3,869 m and the Humantay Lake hike (4.9 km round trip, 435 m of climbing) to help you acclimatize.
  • A section of the Qhapaq Ñan to Lucma Lodge, then original Inca steps over the Llactapata Pass (2,736 m) for a rare southeast view of Machu Picchu.
  • Andean villages on the route: visit the villages of Viacha and Huilloq, plus Huacahuasi Lodge, an accommodation built and run in partnership with the local community.
  • 7 nights in six mountain lodges (Lamay, Huacahuasi, Salkantay, Wayra, Colpa, and Lucma), each with an outdoor hot tub.
  • Activities guided by bilingual (English and Spanish) local guides with an average of at least 15 years’ experience in the mountains, all certified in Wilderness First Aid.
  • All-inclusive experience: all transport throughout, 9 nights of lodging, all meals, house drinks at the lodges, the trains to and from Aguas Calientes, entrance fees, the guided Machu Picchu visit, luggage carried on the trek, and staff gratuities at the lodges.

  • Please note: Schedules and route options remain flexible based on weather conditions, trail status, and local availability. The guide confirms each day’s plan on the ground. One day before official departure, meet with your guide and fellow travelers for a general briefing and Q&A.

Itinerary

Day 1

Wayllarcocha / Pisac Market or Amaru–Viacha Hike / Lamay Lodge

  • TransferCusco → Wayllarcocha → Pisac
  • Cultural optionPisac town, market, botanical garden, and artisan fair
  • Hike optionAmaru → Viacha · ~5 km · moderate · max 4,328 m
  • OvernightLamay Lodge · 2,958 m

The first day of this Andes mountains tour starts with a stop at Wayllarcocha to see the Andean camelids that live in the area. Then the group chooses how to explore Pisac.

The cultural option stays in town: a traditional oven, the local market, the botanical garden, and the artisan fair, a good place to browse Andean textiles. The active option is a moderate hike on old mountain paths from Amaru to Viacha, about 5 km over the Challwacasa Pass, with a high point of 4,328 m and wide views of the valley.

Afterwards, the outdoor hot tub and the bar at Lamay Lodge fill the late afternoon before a traditional Pachamanca dinner, the Andean feast cooked underground with hot stones.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

A herder in a wide-brimmed hat stands among a large mixed herd of alpacas on high-altitude grassland during an Andes mountains tour, with snow-capped peaks rising sharply into a cloudy sky behind them
A woman in traditional Andean dress arranges folded wool textiles at an open-air market stall, with rows of patterned ponchos and embroidered scarves hanging overhead and stacks of colorful blankets piled high on the table — a common stop on an andes trek through the Sacred Valley
A herd of white and brown alpacas grazing on a rocky high-altitude plateau during an Andes mountains tour, with snow-capped Andean peaks rising sharply under a partly cloudy sky

Day 2

Lamay / Ancasmarca / Lares Community Visit or Valley Hike / Huacahuasi Lodge

  • Group visitLamay town + Ancasmarca Inca storehouses
  • Cultural optionLunch with a remote Lares community
  • Hike optionsQuelquena → Huacahuasi · 3.4 km · ~2.5h, or Cuncani → Huacahuasi · 5.4 km · ~4h · max 4,219 m
  • OvernightHuacahuasi Lodge · 3,835 m

After a short visit to the town of Lamay, the road climbs into the Lares Valley in the Andean highland. The first stop is Ancasmarca, a rarely visited site where Inca storehouses and farming terraces show how the empire managed its harvests.

Then you choose again. The cultural option visits a remote village to share lunch and learn about local traditions. Hikers take one of two valley trails: Quelquena to Huacahuasi (3.4 km in about 2.5 hours with 287 m of climbing) or Cuncani to Huacahuasi over the Cruzccasa Pass (5.4 km in about 4 hours, 438 m up and 378 m down, with a high point of 4,219 m).

The whole group meets again at Huacahuasi Lodge for dinner.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A woman in traditional red embroidered dress and red hat works a backstrap loom at a colorful Andean textile market, with another weaver and hanging yarn strands visible in the background during an Andes mountains tour
A mountain lodge glowing with warm interior lights against a deep blue dusk sky on an andes trek, with mist rolling in over the surrounding hills

Day 3

Qori Maki / Pachamama Ceremony or Hike to Pumamarka / Ollantaytambo

  • Cultural optionHuilloq shepherds + Pachamama ceremony
  • Hike optionMarcacocha → Pumamarka · Moderate
  • Group lunchPumamarka Inca site, then Ollantaytambo
  • OvernightPartner hotel in Ollantaytambo · 2,830 m

After breakfast, the group visits the Qori Maki Interpretation Center, part of the Yanapana Foundation, where local projects in sustainability and community development in the Andes are explained.

Next, visit the village of Huilloq and its sheep-herding community to take part in a traditional ceremony honoring Pachamama (Mother Earth), or take the moderate hike from Marcacocha to Pumamarka.

Everyone meets at Pumamarka for lunch, then drives to Ollantaytambo to walk its Inca stone streets before dinner at the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Roofless Inca stone storehouses stepping up a steep green hillside on an Andes mountains tour, with densely forested slopes filling the valley behind
A smiling Quechua woman in traditional red woven cloak and embroidered hat stands in a stone doorway during an Andes mountains tour, with wild flowers hanging on the wall beside her

Day 4

Quillarumiyoc / Farmhouse Lunch in Mollepata / Camino Real Hike to Soraypampa

  • Group visitQuillarumiyoc archaeological site + Mollepata village
  • LunchEl Pedregal farmhouse, Mollepata
  • HikeChallacancha → Salkantay Lodge · 5.9 km · ~3h · Easy to moderate · +328 m
  • OvernightSalkantay Lodge · 3,869 m

Leaving the Sacred Valley, the road stops at the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site and continues to the mountain village of Mollepata. Lunch is at El Pedregal, a farmhouse where you learn about local farming and livestock.

After lunch, a winding mountain road climbs to Challacancha, where the hike to Salkantay Lodge at Soraypampa begins on the Camino Real (5.9 km in about 3 hours, easy to moderate, with about 328 m of climbing).

The hike is recommended for acclimatization, but you can ride to the lodge by vehicle instead. From here on, this is trekking in the Peruvian Andes, with Salkantay Peak (6,271 m) in full view from the lodge.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

A snow-covered glaciated peak glows pink and amber with alpenglow during an andes mountains tour, framed by dark silhouetted valley ridges under a deep blue twilight sky
A solo hiker in a red jacket and yellow beanie stands on a boulder during an Andes mountains tour, facing a massive snow-capped peak above a wide high-altitude valley with a small stream and distant shelter
A stone-and-thatch mountain lodge glowing with warm amber light at dusk during an Andes trek, set in a high alpine valley with dark peaks rising under a deep blue twilight sky

Day 5

Humantay Lake Hike / Pachamama Offering / Afternoon at Salkantay Lodge

  • HikeSalkantay Lodge ⇌ Humantay Lake · 4.9 km round trip · ~4h · Moderate · +435 m
  • Ceremonytraditional offering to Pachamama at the lake
  • Optional2-hour horseback ride in Soraypampa · Extra cost
  • OvernightSalkantay Lodge · 3,869 m

After breakfast, the trail climbs the slopes behind Salkantay Lodge. About 1.5 hours later, reach the turquoise water of Humantay Lake below the Humantay glacier, with time for a snack, some quiet, and a traditional ceremony honoring Pachamama.

Back at the lodge, enjoy lunch and a free afternoon. The outdoor hot tub faces Salkantay Peak at sunset, and a massage or a 2-hour horseback ride in Soraypampa can be booked at extra cost.

The Humantay hike is optional, but it is the best preparation for the next day’s pass, so it is strongly recommended.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A group of travelers and a local guide in traditional Andean poncho and hat sit in a circle on rocky ground beside a turquoise glacial lake during an Andes mountains tour, with snow-dusted peaks and low clouds filling the valley behind them
A vivid turquoise glacial lake sits in a high Andean valley on an andes mountains tour, framed by rugged snow-capped peaks and partly veiled by low clouds in the foreground
A traveler's hand reaches toward alpine scrub in the foreground while a snow-streaked glacier feeds into a calm glacial lake below towering Andean peaks on an Andes mountains tour in Peru
A turquoise glacial lake reflecting clouds at high altitude on an Andes mountains tour, surrounded by rocky puna grassland and snow-capped peaks
Two people wearing colorful hand-embroidered Andean chullos embrace warmly during an andes trek, with snow-dusted peaks rising in the background and a smiling traveler looking on

Day 6

Salkantay Pass Crossing (4,636 m) / Wayra Lodge

  • HikeSalkantay Lodge → Salkantay Pass → Wayra Lodge · 11.6 km · ~6h · Challenging
  • Elevation+801 m / −754 m · high point 4,636 m
  • OptionalHorseback ride halfway up the pass · ~3h · Extra cost
  • OvernightWayra Lodge · 3,906 m

The sixth day of your Andes trek takes you up the Río Blanco valley around Humantay Peak, across wide highland plateaus scattered with boulders left by old glacial waters. The last stretch is the hardest: a series of steep switchbacks to the Salkantay Pass at 4,636 m, the high point of the trip.

From the pass, the trail drops through fields of boulders, often in mist, to Wayra Lodge at Wayraccmachay. The rest of the afternoon is free.

If you want help on the steepest part, an optional horse ride up halfway to the pass (approx. 3 hours) is available at an additional charge when booked the prior evening.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Snow-covered rocky peak emerging through thick white clouds on an andes mountains tour, set against a deep blue sky
A cheerful group of trekkers celebrating at the Abra Salkantay sign, 4600 m above sea level, on an Andes mountains tour, with rocky high-altitude terrain and blue sky behind them
A warmly lit stone-and-thatch mountain lodge at night during an andes trek, with a snow-capped Andean peak rising under a star-filled deep blue sky

Day 7

Descent into the Cloud Forest / Pachamanca Lunch at Colpa Lodge

  • HikeWayra Lodge → Colpa Lodge · 8.4 km · ~3–4h · Easy to moderate · −1,063 m
  • LunchPachamanca at Colpa Lodge
  • OvernightColpa Lodge · 2,870 m

After a slow breakfast at Wayra Lodge, the trail follows the Salkantay River down toward the high cloud forest. The landscape turns green fast, with butterflies and orchids along the way, passing by the homes of local Andean families.

Reach Colpa Lodge around midday to enjoy a Pachamanca cooked underground with hot stones. The afternoon is free for relaxing and contemplating the beautiful mountain view.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Snow-capped Andean peaks glowing under a deep blue night sky scattered with stars and drifting clouds, framed by dark silhouetted ridgelines on this andes mountains tour route in Peru
A two-storey Andean lodge with thatched roof, wooden balconies, and a stone base sits on an open grass plateau during an andes trek, with a steep rocky peak rising directly behind it under a wide blue sky
Close-up of vivid purple orchid flowers with yellow and white centres on a stem with budding blooms, seen on an Andes mountains tour in Peru

Day 8

Santa Teresa River Valley / Qhapaq Ñan to Lucma Lodge / Coffee Plantation

  • HikeSanta Teresa River valley · ~4h · Moderate to challenging
  • Inca roadQhapaq Ñan steps · Playa → Lucma Lodge · 1.6 km · +105 m
  • VisitOrganic coffee plantation in Lucmabamba
  • OvernightLucma Lodge · 2,135 m

The trail follows the Santa Teresa River valley, across streams fed by glacier waterfalls and through fruit orchards. After a break by the river and one more hour of walking, a vehicle drives you a short way to the foot of the old Inca steps that climb to Lucma Lodge.

Those steps are a section of the Qhapaq Ñan, the road network of the Inca Empire: about 1.6 km with 105 m of climbing to the lodge. After lunch, visit an organic coffee plantation.

In Lucmabamba the air turns warm and humid, a sign that the Amazon is close. The day ends in the hot tub with a house cocktail.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A lone hiker in a blue shirt stands at the base of a tall two-tiered waterfall cascading through a narrow rocky canyon on an Andes mountains tour, with lush green vegetation covering the steep cliffs and a rustic wooden bridge visible in the foreground
A group of hikers with backpacks and wide-brimmed hats trekking single file through a dense, moss-covered cloud forest on an andes mountains tour, with sunlight filtering through the high canopy above a large lichen-covered boulder
Yellow-walled mountain lodge with thatched roofs and wooden deck chairs on a green lawn, set between two steep forested peaks during an Andes trek in Peru

Day 9

Llactapata Pass / First Views of Machu Picchu / Train to Aguas Calientes

  • HikeLucma Lodge → Llactapata → Hidroeléctrica · 10 km · ~4–6h · Moderate to challenging
  • Elevation+719 m / −1,053 m · Llactapata Pass 2,736 m
  • TrainHidroeléctrica → Aguas Calientes · ~1h
  • Overnightpartner hotel in Aguas Calientes · 2,040 m

The last full hiking day starts with a 2- to 3-hour climb through the cloud forest on original Inca steps. At the Llactapata Pass (2,736 m), get a rare southeast view of Machu Picchu before stopping at a mountain lookout.

The descent crosses bamboo forest, fruit orchards, and coffee plantations to the Aobamba River and Hidroeléctrica, where you have lunch before a 1-hour train ride to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A massive snow-capped mountain peak rises above a green glacial valley on an Andes mountains tour in Peru, with rocky scree at its base and wispy clouds around the summit under a vivid blue sky
A calm green river winds through a narrow Andean valley flanked by eucalyptus trees and steep rocky hillsides on an andes trek in Peru, with cumulus clouds building above mountain peaks in the distance

Day 10

Machu Picchu Guided Tour / Optional Huayna Picchu Hike / Return to Cusco

  • Shuttle busAguas Calientes → Machu Picchu citadel
  • Guided tour~2h · citadel at 2,400 m
  • OptionalHuayna Picchu · 4.1 km round trip · ~3h · Challenging · +255 m · Extra cost
  • ReturnTrain to Ollantaytambo + Road to Cusco · ~1h30 each

An early bus climbs through the cloud forest to the citadel. Your guide leads a 2-hour tour of Machu Picchu in the Andes, the most iconic Inca citadel in Peru, and explains its history as you walk.

Afterwards, you can take the Huayna Picchu hike to 2,720 m (4.1 km round trip in about 3 hours), with views from the Urubamba River valley to the edge of the Amazon Basin. The permit costs extra; if it is sold out, Machu Picchu Mountain (3,082 m) is the alternative.

After lunch in Aguas Calientes, the train returns to Ollantaytambo (about 1.5 hours), and a vehicle drives you to your Cusco hotel (about 1.5 hours). You should arrive by 7 PM, marking the end of your Andes trek.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch

Aerial view of the Machu Picchu citadel on an Andes mountains tour, with Inca stone terraces and ruins spread across a ridge and Huayna Picchu peak rising sharply behind, surrounded by deep forested valleys under a blue sky
A lone hiker in a blue jacket stands on grass-covered Inca agricultural terraces during an Andes trek, with misty mountain slopes fading into the background
Aerial view of ancient Inca stone ruins cascading down a steep Andean mountain ridge, surrounded by green cloud-forest slopes and deep valleys on an andes trek route in Peru
Roofless Inca stone structure perched on a high ridge during an andes trek, with cloud-draped Andean peaks and deep green valleys stretching into the distance

What is Included

  • Round-trip transfer (Cusco ⇌ Sacred Valley, Lares, Mollepata, and Machu Picchu), with all transport of the standard itinerary from Day 1 to Day 10
  • 9-night stay: 7 nights in mountain lodges (Lamay, Huacahuasi, 2 nights at Salkantay, Wayra, Colpa, and Lucma), 1 night at a partner hotel in Ollantaytambo, and 1 night at a partner hotel in Aguas Calientes
  • Meals (full board, from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 10)
  • Drinks at the mountain lodges: soft drinks and a house selection of beer, wine, and spirits
  • Trains Hidroeléctrica → Aguas Calientes (Day 9) and Aguas Calientes → Ollantaytambo (Day 10)
  • Guided visit of Machu Picchu, with entrance and the shuttle bus to and from the citadel
  • Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and points of interest on the itinerary
  • Pre-trip briefing in Cusco the evening before Day 1
  • Luggage carried on the trek by pack horses or mules and/or porters
  • Gratuities for staff at the mountain lodges and in the field
  • Wi-Fi at all lodges and hotels + a reusable water bottle
  • Guided tours (Pisac, the Viacha hike, Ancasmarca, a Lares community visit or valley hikes, Qori Maki, the Pachamama ceremony or the Pumamarka hike, Ollantaytambo, Quillarumiyoc and Mollepata, Humantay Lake, the Salkantay Pass, the Santa Teresa valley and the coffee plantation, Llactapata, and Machu Picchu)
  • Bilingual guide (English and Spanish) for the whole standard itinerary, with an assistant guide depending on group size

Not included

  • Flight tickets (international and to or from Cusco)
  • Cusco airport transfers (can be arranged at extra cost)
  • Hotel nights in Cusco before and after the trip
  • Travel insurance with adventure-activity cover (mandatory)
  • Drinks at the partner hotels in Ollantaytambo/Aguas Calientes, and premium wines and spirits at the lodges
  • Massages and laundry
  • Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain permits
  • Horseback rides and the Chakana Inca Cross horseback excursion
  • Gratuities for guides and for partner hotel staff
  • Peru’s 18% IGV tax on meals and lodging, which applies only to Peruvians, foreign residents, and travelers staying in Peru for 60 days or more

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$ 5,199/ per person