Peru-Machu Picchu Hiking Trip
Links to all photos and videos from the trip
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5RtxFgbRedR5kyoh8
I went on a hiking trip to Peru in August 2025. This was a group tour arranged by Gold Adventures from Michigan and Alpaca Tours in Peru. We were a group of 6 people together.
Day 0 & 1 - Detroit to Cusco
After days of excitement and planning I finally left Detroit on July 31st evening on a long journey to Cusco, hopping off to Houston, then Bogota, Columbia and finally Cusco. Thanks to reading an engaging new book 'Culpability' on my phone, the travel and transits were quite bearable.
Along with a friend Prashant who I have known for 27 years and his daughter Richa who I have known since birth, the other three Jitendra, Milind and Alpana were very new acquaintances. But already we were all gelling together great. We all traveled separately but by next day all of us were in Cusco. Our hotel was in the heart of the town, so the surroundings were buzzling with activity. We roamed around exchanging currency, visiting the very happening Plaza De Armas with a fountain and open garden space in the center, surrounded by couple of beautiful cathedrals, shops and restaurants. In the backdrop are hills, most of which have houses with colorful roofs making it a very picturesque place. We had dinner at Fusion Andina restaurant tasting the local favorite Pisco Sour drink and savoring few exotic looking and tasting dishes. On way back to hotel we went crazy shopping alpaca wool hats, sweaters, ponchos, throws and few trinkets. The traffic, the numerous small shops with stuff hanging outside and the crowd almost felt like मंडई/तुळशीबाग from Pune.
Day 2 - Cusco and Surrounding Sites
We had an easy morning today as our tour guide was going to pick us up at 1pm. Our hotel served a sumptuous breakfast which we thoroughly enjoyed. It was not the routine continental breakfast thing but instead had a variety of tropical fruits, juices, fresh baked bread, variety of cheeses, guacamole, jams in addition to the usual stuff.
Ruben, our tour guide, met us at 1 pm and we started our tour in a private van. First destination was outside town, higher up through winding roads to Saqsaywaman (it is tempting to say it as Sexy Woman but please don't:). It means the 'fortress of the royal falcon or hawk'. This site is ruins of the House of Sun, a sort of temple from Inca times used for Sun worship. Ruben was a great guide and told us about history of this place, such as Cusco was set in shape of the Puma and this place is considered the head. We also got to know about the Inca dynasty with fourteen rulers, the Spanish invasion, settlement at Machu Picchu etc.
The ruins are wonderful to stroll around with massive blocks of rock, in differing geometric shapes, lying at precision all over in winding wall like structures. You also get an excellent view of colorful Cusco town settled in the valley below from this vantage point. We encountered light thunder and hail but nothing to dampen our spirits. We then made a brief visit to a House of Mother Earth which is not as grand but has a few unique features. Next stop was 'Christo Blanco' or the tall statue of Jesus in white.
For a late lunch we stopped on the way at a not-so-touristy place (menu was all in Spanish so Ruben had to help us pick). Food was fine but considering our Indian taste palate we reminded ourselves to carry our chutney and masala packets everywhere henceforth!
Our final destination was the cathedral tour at Plaza de Armas. This is a huge cathedral with exquisite artistry, architecture, carvings, and paintings. Here too we got a lot of information on history and architecture. By the time we left the church it was dark and chilly, so we returned to the hotel. Next day there was an early start at 7 am with start of hiking so we had to finish packing our duffel bags and backpacks etc. and retire early.
Day 3 - Sacred Valley
Today we had an early start at 7 am so waking up early we got ready, ate breakfast, and put our flight bags in the hotel storage. Thereon we were carrying everything we needed in next few days in our own backpacks that we carried on hikes and in duffel bags that our muelters or porters carry. Hence, we had to ration everything we could take with us.
We got into our vans around 7.15 am and were on the way to Sacred Valley. But our first stop on the way was Manos De La Communidad. This is a community of 150 families raising lamas, alpacas, and making clothing or decorative items with the wool. First, we roamed around checking out the animals with a cute little sheep herding dog following us and showing off his skills. There were displays showing how natural dyes are made with plants and flowers. Then we got a tour of the shop with some exquisitely weaved (costly) items made from authentic alpaca wool. Some folks did shopping while I went around admiring the colorful, native art inspired wall decorations.
Next, we headed into the Sacred Valley area. The real Inca name for it is Intibamba meaning Valley of the Sun. Our guide described this as the Inca Bank, a key area economically important for the Incas. They experimented using great farming techniques on developing massive varieties of crops like quinoa, potatoes, corn, beans, vegetables, and fruits. Winding through mountainous roads we came to Pisaq. Here they have what could be described as Inca farming lab in form of terrace farming methods on mountain slopes. It is something to visually see the forty-five level semicircle terraces but even more interesting is to understand what's beneath - elaborate drainage system, layers of stone, gravel, sand and topsoil, each layer acting as its own microclimate system allowing different farming experiments.
It was now close to lunch time, so we headed to a restaurant (Don Angel Inka Casono) which serves buffet. The size of this place was massive, and buffet too was quite elaborate with a variety of items we could enjoy (there were few spicy options too!). From thereon we had couple of quick stops at the Maras salt mine where salt has been extracted since Inca times and the Moray ruins which are like what we saw at Pisaq, except many lower levels of terraces are circular. There was a local festival and traditional dance competitions ongoing there which we were lucky to catch glimpse of.
Further on it was long drive to our lodge which would be our base camp for Humantay lagoon the next day. Our luxury hotel days were behind for next 5-6 days and we were looking forward to rough it out a bit.
Day 4 - Humantay Lagoon
Last night we arrived at dinner time at our lodge. We had a new guide for rest of the trip named Adolfo or Alfie. Even at night we could see snow covered Humantay mountain glistening in the moonlight in the background. We had delicious dinner prepared for us by our tour chefs and retired to our rooms which were partially glass covered so we can observe the night sky from our beds (तारों को देखते रहे, सोये पडे हुए, दिल ढुंढता है फिर वही).
In the morning after a freshly prepared, hot breakfast we were on our way to Humantay Lagoon (13780 ft elevation). Humantay means human mountain (Salkantay, which is not too far, on the other hand means Savage Mountain). After a bit of flat terrain, it was all steep slope. There were many people on the trail, some on foot and others on horses. We chose to hike on foot. Soon we were huffing and puffing, taking frequent stops, stripping our fleeces as the day got hotter and hiking intense.
We reached the lagoon around 11 am. The view was spectacular reminding me of Sky Pond and Lake of Glass I had hiked in the Rocky Mountain National Park. We strolled around, took lot of photos, got information the importance of snowcapped mountains to Incas as source of water and life. There is huge reverence for the natural elements, Sun, Moon, Earth, Wind, Water. Mother Earth is revered as Pachamama and we all paid our adherence with the guidance of Alfie.
Then it was time to hike down which was much faster but still had to be careful of stepping on loose gravel and dirt. After reaching the lodge it was another feast time for lunch and then bit of siesta time before dinner (yeah this was a luxury foodwise, not roughing it out). Considering today’s experience, we discussed options for next day trek to Salkantay pass which is longer with twice as much elevation gain. Anyway, that is for tomorrow.
Day 5 - Salkantay
We decided to take horses for the Salkantay pass trek. Few reasons for this - It is a hard, tricky ascent and horses only go up to a certain point at the pass which is at 15157 ft elevation. Thereafter we must hike up a bit and hike down same distance downhill so why exert ourselves when we have multiple days of hiking still left.
Salkantay mountain at 20551 ft is one of the tallest mountains in the Peruvian Andes mountain range. After breakfast we hiked about a quarter mile to get our horses. Most of the staff (chefs, servers etc.) were hiking all the way with only the baggage on horse or mules. This was my first experience riding a horse and it took some effort getting used to it. My horse tended to ride along the edges on the path with steep rocky drops below, so I had my heart gripped in my hands, in case both of us take a tumble down. Especially at times when there were other horses and mules coming other way and it was a traffic jam on the narrow path. Richa was right behind me all the way on her horse. Prashant was left somewhat behind but he had his own interesting story to tell of his horse ride experience later.
I should say the decision seemed sound as we had an ascent of 3000 ft. Breathing at low oxygen levels at that altitude is not easy. if you are not used to it. Plus, the terrain with steep grade, loose gravel and mud is tricky and exhausting. Even coming down you need to be careful as a single loose rock or wrong step could lead to a twisted or fractured leg or sometime more serious.
After about 3 hrs. we reached the pass with excellent close view of the towering snow-covered Salkantay mountain in front of us. We paused at the summit for photos and snacks, just as we witnessed an avalanche firsthand. Quite a thrilling experience to see from safe distance!
Then we started our descent on foot. I had one slight fall but luckily nothing broke. We came to our lunch stop where the crew had set up a tent with a dining table on one side while on other side they cooked. I should say I really admire these folks who do it daily for livelihood. It is extremely challenging work even though they are much more used to it than us urban folks and I cannot help but feel guilty of having my "thrill experience" at the cost of someone else's hard labor, even if partially.
Enjoying a warm meal in these harsh conditions truly feels like a special privilege. By this time Prashant had arrived and told us about his horse-riding experience at which we had a good laugh. We thoroughly enjoyed lunch and were on our way down with our guide for about 3 hrs. of walking downhill to our night stop at Wayramachay. It was tent camping tonight for us and the crew. I have done tent camping before but not at 12500 ft elevation in alpine surroundings. Even with the tent, your hot clothing, sleeping bags and hot water bottle provided by the staff, we could still feel the cold through the night. However, the experience of sleeping like this, listening to a mountain stream flowing nearby is quite something.
Day 6 - Cloud Forest
While coming down from the Salkantay pass yesterday there were lot of clouds and fog so we could not clearly see the surroundings of the campsite. Getting up at 5.30 am the next day the view was breathtaking with snow covered mountains in background lighting up slowly with the rising sun.
There was lot of buzz and activity in the camp packing up and preparing breakfast. We were served hot water to wash up and then hot breakfast with pancakes, fruit salad, and scrambled eggs. We took photos with the crew (main chef, assistants, porters) and then started our hike towards next camp at Loretta. This was hike all the way down to Loretta at 7217 ft (4800 ft descent). As we started the descend, we could see the changing topography entering into the 'cloud forest' with more greenery, trees and shrubs with colorful floral displays. Our guide pointed things out to us as we went - a dancing lady flower with petal shaped like gown, a lady’s sandal flower, forever young flower and many others. At one point our guide demonstrated to us making Inca style straw rope which became a hat accessory for Richa. We had lunch at a place called Colcapampa and then took a ride in a van to Loretta. Here our lodges were named and built as Hobbit house. It was a beautiful setting with green topped rooms, round doors, avacado and other trees plus flower shrubs all around, facing the mountains and the sound of a river flowing down at the bottom.
It had been 3 days since we had a proper bath, so we made use of not just the bathrooms, but Prashant and I also used a hot jacuzzi to relax while enjoying a local beer. Later, part of our team who had taken a detour for couple of days joined back with us and we enjoyed dinner together before retiring for the day.
Day 7 - Coffee Farm & Santa Teresa Valley
Today morning we were visiting a coffee farm and after lunch we were hiking up the Santa Teresa valley to our campsite.
After breakfast at the Hobbit House (fantastic spread as usual) we started hiking a moderate trail on a dirt road towards the coffee farm. It was a lazy hike through the mountain road, passing couple of hamlets and small villages. We saw avocado trees with avocados hanging from branches like mango trees back home. Alfie, our guide, showed a small berry plant whose berry when crushed, gives dark red juice used for making dyes. We indulged in face painting and hand painting using the berry juice. At one place we stopped at a roadside shop and were delighted with a visit by Mateo, a macaw like monkey. He took food scraps from us but took a liking with Richa who petted him and it took some encouragement from his caretaker (a young girl) to get him away from Richa. After playing a local game of throwing coins to get into the mouth of brass frog (and most of us failing at it) we proceeded ahead arriving at Lucmabamba coffee farm.
We were introduced to Rosario who owns the coffee farm. He took us to the plantation where he told us (in Spanish with Alfie as the interpreter) about variety of coffee they grow (Arabica, Catimor, Geisha) along with cocoa and many fruit trees. We saw coffee trees of different ages, learned what type of climate, soil conditions they thrive in and then followed Rosario in picking some coffee berries from the trees, which is a delicate process. We were then shown how the berries are washed and peeled, fermented for 24 hrs. with lemon, pineapple etc. for flavors, then the beans are slowly dried for 25 days. After that we tagged along in the process of peeling the shells, roasting the beans over wood fire, grinding them and finally Rosario's wife Lucy used those same grind in making fresh coffee for us, served with farm made honey (never tasted better honey elsewhere) along with some coffee liqueur. The coffee was delicious, aromatic, exhilarating but being part of the process of making it added an extra element of flavor for us. We thanked and cheered the couple and heartily brought some coffee, honey and other products.
Now it was time for a delightful lunch spread by our chefs (which we regretted savoring too much later). Post lunch we started our hike through the Santa Teresa valley to our next campsite at Llactapata. This was a very strenuous uphill hike of 3-4 mi (it is harder to exactly track distance when walking on slopes and switchbacks). While the views were impressive the hike was more challenging because of its steep grade, the hot afternoon sun and the fact that we had eaten a full hearty lunch. Midway through we arrived at a wood structure rest stop where there were two swings on the edge of a valley below. It was fun swinging on it where half the rotation was over the valley below. I tried to sing all familiar swing songs (आयेगा आनेवाला, सुनो सजना, दिवाना मस्ताना, एक झोका एक झोका, उंच उंच माझा झोका) fully enjoying it with others. It was a welcome break on this hike.
Finally, around dusk we arrived at our campsite where the crew set up tents facing towards Machu Pichhu and surrounding mountains. We could see Machu Picchu at a distance, but the visibility was not great. We settled in, ate dinner prepared by the chefs and retired in our tents listening to forest sounds and hoping to catch the sunrise and a better view of the famed site we were all eager to see.
Day 8 - Aguas Calientes
This was an easy day, light on any activity. So, we woke later than usual, did our morning chores including packing up, had breakfast and then started on the descent down. Even though it was a bright morning the clouds and fog still covered most of the surrounding mountains and we could not see Machu Picchu. The descent down was steep through thick vegetation and took us a good couple of hours. Once reaching the bottom we took a break along a river and had fun strolling/ swimming into the water and chilling out.
After lunch (last one cooked by our chefs) we took a short train ride to Aguas Calientes, a small tourist town which forms the base for Machu Picchu. After checking into our hotel, we went for an Inca style massage which was worth it after all the hiking we did in past few days. We then had dinner at a restaurant and went back to our hotel to turn in form the night.
Day 9 - Machu Picchu
All night it was raining and when we got on the line for bus for our 6 am slot which would take us up there, it was still raining. The bus drive is about 25 min, winding through towering mountain road. By the time we reached up the rain had stopped but it was still cloudy.
There are three different circuit tours offering views of different sections. We were on #2. As we went up the stairs, we got our first glimpse of the familiar iconic view of Machu Picchu (Old Mountain or Peak) down below. The stone structures and remains sitting amidst surrounding tall mountains with lush greenery and mist, fog and clouds hanging all over this place gives a magical, mystical touch that mesmerizes you. We had hardly taken any photos when the view was covered in thick fog.
Alfie, who has been our tour guide for past few days, was also the guide here. He gave us information about Caral civilization which is the oldest South American civilization preceding the Incas, the beginning and spread of Inca empire from their base in Cuzco, the shift to Machu Picchu and later its abandonment due to Spanish invasion, it's loss to wilderness and later rediscovery by American explorer Hiram Bingham with help from locals who knew about it, then preservation by Peru govt and UNESCO.
There is really lot of history to the place but it's also an architectural marvel in the building style, the geometric shapes used to minimize or take advantage of natural elements, the hierarchical division of living quarters, the agriculture and farming techniques used to support the 1000 or so people living there at that time, the multiple roads and trails going in different directions as trade routes or escape routes etc.
The clouds cleared and sun was out as we discussed and strolled around looking at different prominent structures - Temple of the Sun, Temple of the three windows, Condor Temple, Royal Quarters, mausoleum where Pachacuti is believed to be entombed, the military quarters, Wayna/ Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain), 16 layered water filtration tanks, the terraces for farming.
By the time we wrapped up the tour we had spent 4.5 hrs. total at the site, taken tons of photos and still felt it was too soon to leave. We should thank Alfie for being a great guide and being patient with tons of our questions. Back at Aguas Calientes we had lunch at a restaurant with live native music, then took the train to Olaytantamba and from there a van ride to Cuzco. We were tired and had an early start next day at 4 am to Rainbow Mountain so we turned in early.
(For the Incas the Condor, Puma and Snake are important, representing messenger between Godly and human world, the present and the past knowledge. They also have chakra system like the Hindus called chakaana)
Day 10 - Rainbow Mountain
Rainbow mountain was a good 2 to 3 hrs. drive and by the time we arrived there it was about 7ish. Here again we decided to take horses. This time the ascent wasn’t too steep, and I was comfortable on the horse. After we arrived at the base, we had a steep ascent to walk to the top of the Rainbow mountain. The place is named due to different layers of colors you can see on the mountain. You can see the colors distinctly but a lot of photos that you may see online are probably enhanced to bring out the colors or make them more vivid. I have seen similar places in Badlands and Death Valley national park. It was a crowded place with people scrambling to take photos of the rainbow color backdrops or photos with llamas looking cool with sunglasses which were hilarious. There is huge, outstretched hand made of cement which is a good photo location.
We then descended and again ascended to a place called Red Mountain. To be frank the whole Rainbow Mountain location was a bit underwhelming for me. Going back, we walked instead of taking horses, had lunch and took the bus back to our hotel. That evening we had a celebration dinner arranged by our tour operator and did some more shopping at a local market. Next day we flew back home.
Overall experience of the entire tour was great. Peru is a wonderful country, with friendly people, great food and rich cultural experience. I would definitely recommend putting it on your destination list.
