Peru 8-Day Trekking Tours & Itineraries

Explore 8 trekking trips designed by local kimkim specialists to get ideas for your trip to Peru.

Whether you stick to the tourist trail or journey to more remote environs, eight days is enough to complete an unforgettable trekking adventure in Peru. If you can’t stop dreaming of Machu Picchu, consider the classic Inca Trail. Over four days it takes you from Cusco up to misty cloud forests and finally to that great Inca citadel in the sky. Or go on the equally rewarding Salkantay Trek, which ends at the same place yet visits lesser-known ruins like Llaqtapata. You could also rough it with this Ausangate Mountain camping trip. This more remote journey includes stops at hot springs, lakes, and traditional villages.

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Salkantay peak as seen during the Salkantay trek
Map of Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

The Salkantay trek is one of Peru’s best alternatives to the Inca Trail. Trek over a beautiful mountain pass at the foot of Mt. Salkantay before stopping at a local organic coffee plantation, followed by a visit to the Llactapata ruins. Finally, get up early the last day to catch sunrise at the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu
Map of Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

If you’re looking for the best way to hike the Inca Trail, this classic route offers a unique approach which avoids the main crowds, and follows the ideal schedule for timing your visit to Machu Picchu.

Ausangate Trek
Map of Ausangate Camping Trek
Ausangate Camping Trek

If you’re looking for a beautiful and more remote trek in Peru, the Ausangate trek may be perfect for you. On this 8-day itinerary, you’ll discover the beauty and rugged highlands of the Ausangate region, hike past glacial lakes, and wander amidst herds of alpacas.

View from Punta Union Pass on Santa Cruz trek.
Map of Santa Cruz Trek
Santa Cruz Trek

The Santa Cruz four-day trek takes you high into the Cordillera Blanca in northern Peru, providing spectacular views of glacier-wrapped peaks, turquoise lakes and fields of wildflowers. It's a demanding hike that will test your body and lungs, but well worth it for the epic scenery. This article will help you make the most of your Peruvian high altitude adventure, and provide information on extending the hike to five or more days.

Girl walking home in the Lares Valley
Map of Lares Valley Trek & Short Inca Trail - 8 Days
Lares Valley Trek & Short Inca Trail - 8 Days

Trek through the Lares Valley, where you'll pass between glacier-capped mountains where llamas and alpacas graze in the surrounding hills. You'll visit the town of Lares, a colourful traditional town in the heart of the valley. Combined with the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, this is a trek that combines two wonderful valleys & mountain ranges with very different ecologies & landscapes.

Mt. Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) at sunrise
Map of The Ausangate Lodge-to-Lodge Trek
The Ausangate Lodge-to-Lodge Trek

Avid hikers, this one's for you! Follow the Camino del Apu Ausangate through the Cordillera Vilcanota mountain range, accompanied by llamas and horses loaded up with gear. You'll overnight in traditional tambo lodges, enjoy authentic Peruvian cuisine, and gain a better understanding of life in Andes.

The Inca ruins of Winay Wayna along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Map of Sacred Valley & Inca Trail Excursion - 8 Days
Sacred Valley & Inca Trail Excursion - 8 Days

From bustling cities to remote Inca ruins, this 8-day tour of Peru's highlights is perfect for adventurous and fit travelers. Discover Peru's metropolitan culture in the capital city of Lima, then continue to the imperial Inca city of Cusco. Tour the Sacred Valley and explore Inca ruins and colorful textile markets before embarking on a 4-day trek on the Inca Trail. Walk on the same stone steps that Inca engineers built in the 15th century, cross Dead Woman Pass at 13,828 ft (4,215 m), and relax in camp at night with sweeping vistas of the Andes Mountains. Finish your trek at the famed Machu Picchu ruins.

A lone llama in front of Ausangate peak
Cusco & Ausangate Camping Trek - 8 Days

If you’re looking for a beautiful and more remote trek in Peru, the Ausangate trek may be perfect for you. This itinerary gives you some time to explore the ancient Incan capital of Cusco before embarking on this 5-day trek. During the trek, you’ll discover the beauty and rugged highlands of the Ausangate region, hike past glacial lakes, and wander amidst herds of alpacas.

Other durations: 5 days · 6 days · 7 days · 8 days · 9 days · 10 days · 11 days · 12 days · 13 days