FREETREKKING IN PERU: 50 BEST WALKS AND HIKES EBOOK Hilary Bradt,Kathy Jarvis | 384 pages | 15 Apr 2014 | BRADT TRAVEL GUIDES | 9781841624921 | English | Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom The 20 Best Trekking Routes in Peru - Stingy Nomads Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular doses of beauty and delight. Our partners Responsible Travel. Great walking, and much else See their site for inspiring ideas. Its greatest glory is its intoxicating mixture of scenery and history, as experienced from its famous Inca Trails. Water and ice have added their say, carving the mountains and creating great gorges. Peru can be divided in three regions: a narrow coastal strip in the west, a vast area of Amazon tropical rainforest in the east and northeast, and in between the highlands of the Andes with endless snowy peaks up to m highaltiplano, glaciers, gorges and remote valleys. The Inca civilization emerged from mysterious origins as a small city-state in the s, in the mids dramatically conquering and absorbing lands stretching some 5,km north to south. All the more extraordinary that they are thought to have been illiterate knotted string was used to record numbers. And yes, they did perform human sacrifices, although not on Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes Mayan scale. Spanish rule left a legacy of lovely towns and buildings, but exploited indigenes. Independence from Spain came inafter a decade of conflict. Border areas with Ecuador and Colombia are drug country and should be avoided. See the list below for a currently incomplete — please give us your recommendations! Long distance hiking in Peru usually means camping, and is often high, requiring acclimatization. The lazy and youngsters alike will be enthralled by what it offers. Around the Cusco Area and the Inca Heartlands: Cuzco, jumping-off point for most Inca trailing and base of most local expedition organizers, is a great place to acclimatize to high altitude for a day or two, with huge amounts to see and some excellent local treks — Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes our Cuzco Ruins Trek. Cuzco lies on the edge of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a magnificent area bordered by snow-clad cordillera and cut by the Urubamba River. Peru's best known trail is of course the Classic Inca Trailalthough it is so popular that numbers are restricted, so you need to book months ahead. Despite the crowds, it remains a glorious journey throughout, in magnificent scenery, past Inca monuments and ruins, ending at Machu Picchu. There are however, endless Inca ruins and numerous paths which escape the crowding on the main routes to Machu Picchu. Another superb hiking area is the Cordillera Blancafurther north, including the 5-day Santa Cruz Trekand the more strenuous day Alpamayo Trek. In the same area you will find the outstanding Huayhuash Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes. The Colca Canyon is claimed to be twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and is surrounded by a fine array of peaks. Outside these months becomes progressively warmer and wetter. We intend that our walk pages contain detail and photos on walking, hiking or trekking routes, including books, best times and weather, how to get there, possible Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes, walking, trekking and hiking firms, organisers and guides in Peru, accommodation in Peru and useful links. But this takes a lot of research, so if they are not "there" yet, please give us any suggestions you may have. This vast ex-volcano has to be one of the world's most interesting and beautiful walks, albeit high and quite demanding. Responsible travel matters, a lot. How you travel will make a real difference - for better or worse. Read more. Toggle navigation Home Top All Walks. Peru Best walks, hikes and treks in Peru [View list of walks]. Famous walking regions include: Around the Cusco Area and the Inca Heartlands: Cuzco, jumping-off point for most Inca trailing and base of most local expedition organizers, is a great place to acclimatize to high altitude for a day or two, with huge amounts to see and some excellent local treks — like our Cuzco Ruins Trek. Best walks, hikes and treks in Peru You can sort the walks by category by clicking on the category titles. Accommodation Booking. Day Walk Possible? Quilcayhuanca Ravine. Choquequirao to Machu Picchu. Classic Inca Trail. Inca Path to Choquequirao. Santa Teresa Trek. Cordillera Blanca. Laguna Wilcacocha. Huayhuash Circuit. Cotahuasi and Colca Canyons. Ah, the Great Outdoors! The Top 5 Hikes for Trekking Peru | FluentU Travel Blog The Andean peaks and lagoons of Huaraz, the vast Amazonian jungle, the Inca intrigue of the Sacred Valley and the dizzying canyons of Colca and Cotahuasi — there is so much to explore. But with many trails located at high altitude, some only accessible with guided tours, varying levels of difficulty and a temperamental climate, research and preparation is vital. This Peru trekking guide covers everything you need to know before you hit the trails, and compiles 35 of the best hikes in Peru for your bucket list. This article contains links to travel products and services we love, from which we may make commission at no extra cost to you. This period is generally the best time for trekking in Peru. June and July, the height of the dry season, are the busiest months. This is also when it gets coldest at night, so you need to factor this into your preparations. The Inca Trail tops out at 4, metres above sea level, for example, and the Huayhuash Circuit even higher at 5, metres. Hiking at high altitudes brings difficulties, and affects everybody differently. It is extremely important to be well prepared, to understand the effects of altitude and to know what to do if things take a turn for the worse. For each of the 35 hiking trails we have compiled below, we have included details of the highest points above sea level. In general, if you are planning to hike above 3, metres, you should make the necessary preparations for high altitude. The first rule is acclimatisation. At altitude it is vital to stay hydrated. Drink plenty Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes water and refill whenever you can. Your body also needs more calories at altitude, so pack plenty of snacks, especially carbohydrates. Take frequent breaks, and stop for a breather whenever you feel you need to. In Peru you can buy coca leaves, which are known to alleviate the effects of altitude. You can Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes them or drink them in tea. Taking acetazolamide can help to soothe the symptoms. For more information, this article provides useful guidance on treatment. For some treks, insurance is actually a compulsory requirement. When we did the Inca Trail, for example, we had to show proof of insurance upon arrival. The number one reason why insurance is so important for hiking in Peru is medical cover. Most trails are in remote, rural locations, and if something goes wrong, you may need emergency recovery. If this happens and you are not covered, the costs can be ruinous. We recommend World Nomads for travel and hiking insurance. World Nomads is also a highly reliable choice, underwritten by secure, specialist travel insurers. You can get started with a quote using the tool below. If your trip to Peru is Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes of a longer-term travel experience, take a look at our guide to career break travel insurance. Hiking in Peru often involves difficult terrain, Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes weather conditions that can change quickly and unexpectedly. Setting off well prepared can make the difference between a great experience and a disastrous one. Our Inca Trail packing list gives an exhaustive itinerary of everything you need to take for Peru trekking adventures. These are the basic essentials we recommend:. Before we get into the details of the best hikes in Peru, here are a few more things to bear in mind:. The iconic Inca citadel of Machu Picchu draws a million visitors every year, and the Inca Trail is a bucket-lister for many travel lovers. As the historic capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is surrounded by an array of different ruin sites that can be reached by hiking. For accommodation in the city before and after trekking, read our guide to the best hostels in Cusco. Also see our recommendations on things to do in Cusco. The classic route winds through breathtaking jungle and mountain scenery, passing various Inca settlement ruins on the way, culminating in a dawn descent to the world wonder of Machu Picchu in the clouds. Check out our review of hiking the Inca Trail with G Adventures. You can also book directly with G Adventures here. The trail Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes in the village of Lares, around 56 kilometres east of Machu Picchu. From here, the scenic path leads onwards into the Andes, stopping at village settlements to meet local farmers and weavers, and learn about their way of life. Like the Inca Trail, the second day of the Lares Trek is the toughest, involving a sharp ascent to the highest point. The reward for conquering it is an incredible view at the top, and it gets easier Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes that. You can hike the Lares Trek independently, but going with a guide will give a lot more insight into the culture and history, as well as invaluable support.