Peru's Most Breathtaking Trails Beyond The Iconic Inca That Showcase Its Natural Beauty

Hiking the evocative Inca Trail to majestic Machu Picchu is one of the most famous and celebrated experiences in Peru, if not the entire world. But too often, famous translates to crowded. To manage overcrowding, the Peruvian government has limited the number of hikers to 500 a day, which means it's still pretty packed, with an added bureaucratic hurdle. But the Peruvian Andes are vast, and the country is packed with breathtaking trails full of just as much beauty and spiritual majesty, with a small fraction of the crowds. 

We've rounded up the best hikes in Peru outside the Inca Trail. On these treks, you will sleep inside a canyon, ascend into a mythical Cloud Forest, and marvel at a pyramidal mountain widely considered the most beautiful in the world. You will also explore an ancient mountaintop settlement three times the size of Machu Picchu. We detail the classic routes for each trek and recommend taking them with the help of an experienced guide. But before you head out, peruse our resolved FAQs about Machu Picchu.

You're surrounded by dense fog and can barely see what lies a few steps ahead. But your senses are sharper than they've ever been. You smell moss and orchids and can hear rain pittering-pattering against stone, monkeys screeching, and toucans croaking. Suddenly, upon a clearing, is a lost city. This magical, mystical, misty Indiana Jones experience is fairly common along the Gran Vilaya Trek. 

The trail is roughly 30 miles and winds through the Andean Cloud Forest. The cloud forest derives its name from the blanket of clouds covering the rainforest that teems with some of the richest biodiversity on the planet. The Gran Vilaya Trek takes hikers on an epic journey through more than 30 archaeological sites. It is not a strictly defined trail and can follow a number of different routes. Some tours can be completed in three to four days, while others can last for seven. Treks often begin in Chachapoyas, a charming colonial city perched high in the Andes. 

The first day includes visits to Gocta Falls and Kuélap. The former is the tallest cascade in Peru and one of the highest in the world, while the latter is a mind-blowing collection of roughly 400 stone buildings called "Machu Picchu of the North." Next, you'll greet the Karajia Sarcophagi, eight Chachapoyan mummies known as the "ancient wise men" who stand enigmatically along the sides of a cliff. The hike continues to Pirquilla, a pre-Incan archaeological site home to over 400 circular stone rooms. It then leads to similar archaeological compounds, like Lanche and La Congona, which offer evocative ancient ruins overlooking spectacular rainforest vistas.

It's easy to think that Machu Picchu is so famous because it's the only place where ancient ruins collide with dramatic mountain scenery in such spectacular fashion. But that's far from the truth. Peru teems with ancient stone cities perched on beautiful mountains. Many are just as awe-inspiring as Machu Picchu but with only a fraction of the tourists.

One of the best examples of these under-the-radar gems is Huchuy Qosqo, an ancient Inca village and citadel overlooking the Sacred Valley. This collection of excavated, well-preserved stone terraces and adobes reaches 11,975 feet high. It's inaccessible by public road, making it the centerpiece of another valiant Andes trek. Depending on what you want to see, the trek can vary from a 10-mile day hike to a 20-mile hike spread out over three days that includes Machu Picchu and sections of the main Inca Trail. The shortest route begins in the small mountain village of Tauca, continues to Huchuy Qosqo, and ends in Lamay, a quaint village in the Sacred Valley with restaurants and lodges for weary travelers.

If you'd like to sample everything this world-famous region offers, a three-day guided hike begins at Cusco, the famous Inca capital. It is the designated Historical Capital of Peru and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 20-mile trek takes hikers on a whirlwind journey through lush highlands and even more magical mountain ruins. These include Tambomachay, a series of old Inca aqueducts and canals, and Ollantaytambo, a dazzling array of stone Inca forts perched perilously atop the hillside. There's also Aguas Calientes, an evocative old village named for its natural hot tub, which is one of the best hot springs worldwide.

Many people may have already seen an important part of the Santa Cruz Trek without realizing it. At the beginning of any movie from Paramount Pictures, a collection of stars gracefully assemble around a stunning jagged mountain with a triangular top that is so perfect it almost looks like an ancient pyramid. This iconic logo is modeled after Artesonraju, a 19,767-foot mountain in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes. But Artesonraju and its good looks are just one of many cinematic attractions that await on the Santa Cruz Trek, a 31-mile trek through some of Peru's most jaw-dropping mountain scenery.

The Santa Cruz Trek typically begins with a five-hour drive from Huaraz to Vaquería, a small, rural mountain village. On the way, you'll marvel at the Llanganuco Lakes, a series of bright turquoise glacial lakes surrounded by the towering peaks of the Huascarán National Park. From Vaquería, you'll hike past quaint villages and grazing llamas to the Punta Unión Pass, which, at over 15,500 feet, is the highest point on the trek. The tough climb is rewarded with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks and the bright glacial lakes of the Quebrada Santa Cruz. 

You'll camp at Taullipampa, a meadow high in the mountains where you can sleep while gazing at Artesonraju. If you thought Artesonraju was special, brace yourself for the following day, when you can see Alpamayo, often known as "the most beautiful mountain in the world." It is even more pyramidal than Artesonraju, forming an almost perfect isosceles triangle covered in snow. You'll continue through more glacial lakes, waterfalls, and awe-inspiring mountain views until you reach Cashapampa, the charming village that marks the trek's traditional endpoint.

If you enjoyed the turquoise glacial lakes along the Santa Cruz Trek more than hiking for four straight days, then you might prefer the Laguna 69 Trek. It is a 9.8-mile out-and-back trail centered around over 400 lakes. The sparkling lakes are formed by the more than 650 glaciers of Huascarán National Park. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the highest tropical mountain range in the world.

The journey begins in Huaraz, a city encircled by mountains known as the "Switzerland of Peru" due to its stunning mountain scenery and plush accommodations. From Huaraz, you'll take the iconic colectivo, the shared white shuttle bus that has become an unofficial mascot of Peruvian travel. The trail is steep and full of switchbacks, but you'll be so enthralled with the many lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and mountain peaks that you may not even notice. You'll marvel at the Caribbean-blue waters of Chinancocha and Orconcocha lakes and the thunderous mist of the Ranrahirca Waterfalls. Toward the end of the journey, when your legs are begging for mercy, you'll feel replenished by the deep azure of Laguna Esperanza, or Hope Lake.

After refilling on hope, you'll take the final steep ascent to Laguna 69, the namesake of the trek where it ends. When Huascarán National Park was created, some of the lakes did not have traditional names, so authorities simply numbered them, and this name stuck. However, one could assign several potential names to this remote lake encircled by mountains and glaciers: Otherworldly, Majestic, Sparkling Cyan. One name you can't give it is "campground." Camping is not allowed along this particular trek, so once you've gotten your fix, it's time to turn around and begin the roughly two-hour hike back to the trailhead.

The Cordillera Huayhuash Trek is an epic journey of roughly 75 miles. It runs through glacier-capped peaks, turquoise lakes, burbling hot springs, and sweeping meadows and might take a bit longer to conquer. Hiking the full trek can take up to two weeks, but as long as you're well-prepared, you're in for a life-changing expedition on a trek widely considered one of the best in the world.

There are a few different itineraries for such a long journey. A 12-day itinerary known as the Classic Circuit begins at the trailhead at Llámac, where you'll hike about five hours to the Cuartelwain Camp, located on a grassy meadow with excellent views of the Cordillera Huayhuash peaks. The following day, you'll ascend to Mitucocha Lake, where you'll see grazing alpacas and crystal clear reflections of the Hirishanca and Rondoy mountains in its turquoise waters. Around the fourth day, you'll reach Siula Pass, a challenging high point nearly 16,000 feet above sea level. Here, you'll enjoy sweeping views of Siula Grande, a roughly 21,000-foot mountain made famous by "Touching the Void," a book, film, and play that tells the story of mountaineer Joe Simpson's harrowing 1985 ascent.

For the next few days, you'll hike through more incredible mountain passes offering sweeping Andean vistas. You'll also get a rare chance to rest your weary bones in the Viconga hot springs, where you can soak in thermal baths while gazing at some of the highest mountains in the world before retreating to the adjacent campsite. Newly rejuvenated, you'll spend about six more days winding your way through remote ridgelines and valleys before finally looping back to Llámac — sore, exhausted, and completely elated.

Machu Picchu is not the only ancient city in Peru that is perched on mountains. The Inca and other pre-Columbian cultures built all varieties of forts, farms, cities, and religious temples atop mountains because they were easier to defend. They also offered a cooler climate, allowed for terraced farming, and were considered closer to the gods. If you'd like to experience two of the crown jewels of these mountaintop marvels, consider the Choquequirao Trek.

The trek has two standard versions. The first is a four-day journey to the Choquequirao Archeological Park, while the second continues five more days to Machu Picchu. The shorter trek begins in Cusco and takes hikers through the epic and steep scenery of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range. After two challenging days of descending deep into canyons and then high into lush cloud forests, you'll end up at the Choquequirao Archeological Park. This massive Inca city is three times the size of Machu Picchu but with just a tiny fraction of its crowds. Choquequirao is the Quechua word for "Cradle of Gold," and this captures its essence well. 

Perched nearly 10,000 feet, this lost city overlooks snow-capped mountain peaks and deep river valleys below. Visitors can roam freely around this large settlement full of ancient stone temples, houses, offices, terraces, baths, and rock art. Unlike the more polished Machu Picchu, the site's ruggedness and isolation will make you feel like you stumbled upon it independently, and much is still covered in jungle. If this otherworldly experience inspires you, brave it out for five more days. You will experience steep, rugged trekking through even more Inca ruins, high mountain passes, and misty cloud forests before you arrive at Machu Picchu.

Many of these treks are centered around mountaineering. You may see a few villages from up high, but you don't stop there. The real focus is getting to the top of the steep pass, usually on your way to an Inca ruins. On many of the more remote, rugged treks, you may barely encounter another soul. For some, that's a large part of the appeal. But less experienced hikers who value cultural immersion and living, breathing villages over ancient ruins should consider the Lares Trek. It is a three to four-day journey through the scenic Lares Valley that loops back and continues to Machu Picchu. Different tours offer different routes, but almost all focus on meaningful, up-close interactions with indigenous Quechua communities.

The most traditional route begins in Lares, a small village famous for its hot springs. After a refreshing morning dip, you'll hike to Huacahuasi, a traditional village where you can watch villagers weave intricate ponchos and shawls using llama and alpaca wools. Some tours offer homestays, where you can sleep under a blanket you may have watched being woven a few hours earlier. The second day includes a challenging hike through the Pachacutec Pass, the highest point of the trek that offers incredible views of surrounding mountains, lakes, and alpacas. 

On the way down, you'll pass by the Seven Waterfalls of Quiswarani, a spectacular series of seven waterfalls cascading down the mountain side by side. You'll spend the night in the weaving village of Quiswarani. The following day, hike through the scenic Willqaqasa Pass and meet the children in Cuncani Village. By the end of the day, you'll return to Lares, then take a scenic drive and train ride to Aguas Calientes, the base to Machu Picchu.

Salkantay means "Savage Mountain" in Quechua, and anyone who's hiked the Salkantay Trek will understand this moniker: it's not easy. It's a five-day excursion through some of the most challenging mountains in the Andes. Anyone who endures it will be rewarded with far fewer crowds than the Inca Trail, incredible mountain views, cultural immersion, and even a day hiking through the Amazon rainforest.

The most common itinerary begins at Challakancha, a small village about a three-hour drive from Cusco. The first day comprises an 8-mile hike to Soraypampa, an overnight base camp high in the mountains featuring a variety of accommodations, including luxury glass domes. Rest well because the next day is a challenging hike up to the stunning Salkantay Pass, the highest point of the journey, where you'll marvel at panoramic views of the majestic Salkantay Mountain. 

The following day, you'll enjoy an ecosystem not offered by many other Peruvian treks: the Amazon rainforest. Instead of snowy mountains and glacial lakes, you'll hike 9 miles through a lush, steamy jungle and can tour coffee plantations and fruit farms and relax in the Santa Teresa hot springs. You'll head back to the mountains along an ancient Inca trail to Llactapata, a lesser-known series of spectacular Inca ruins that offer unique views of Machu Picchu in the distance. The following day, you'll see Machu Picchu up close.

As beautiful as these treks are, they can sometimes feature a similar color palette. The mountains are gray and white, the meadows are a mix of yellow, green, and brown, and the many glacial lakes are a spellbinding turquoise. But if you want a real splash of color, you should hike Peru's Rainbow Mountain.

Also known as Vinicunca, Rainbow Mountain is one of the country's newest and most popular tourist attractions. Over millions of years, layers of brightly-colored clays and minerals were deposited into the mountain. In the past 15 years, climate change caused the glaciers to retreat, revealing a psychedelic tapestry of red, yellow, green, white, purple, and turquoise draped over the mountain in stripes. Rainbow Mountain is just one of the enchanting attractions on the Ausangate Trek, a six-day expedition named after another incredible mountain: Ausangate, the 21,000-foot behemoth the Incans venerate as a deity.

The journey begins at Upis, a small mountain village near Cusco. You'll trek through the Arapa and Ausangate passes, admiring stunning turquoise lakes and the mighty Ausangate. The following day, you'll embark on a steep climb to the Palomani Pass, an alpaca-strewn meadow overlooking Ausangate, the highest point on the trek, at 17,060 feet. The next morning, you'll wake up early to avoid the Rainbow Mountain crowds, then hike past even more alpacas to this stunning natural tapestry. After you've soaked in the rainbow, you'll hike back to enjoy the soothing hot springs at Pacchanta and finish by driving back to Cusco.

We've spent much of this journey venturing ever upwards. Now it's time to go down. The Colca Canyon is a roughly 14,000-foot-deep canyon in southern Peru and is nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. A leisurely three-day trek takes hikers to the bottom of the canyon and back up again, engaging with various natural and cultural attractions.

The trek begins in the small village of Cabanaconde at the top of the canyon. Before you start going down, grab your binoculars and spend some time looking up. At the Mirador Cruz del Condor lookout, you'll be in a prime spot to view the Andean Condor soar majestically above the canyon. Condors are some of the largest birds in the world, weighing up to 24 pounds with a wingspan of nearly 11 feet. As soon as you see them in motion, you'll understand why Indigenous cultures believed they were a conduit between the Earth and the gods.

Now, it's time for your trek to begin. After about four hours of steep downhill hiking, you'll reach San Juan de Chuccho, one of the many villages inside the canyon. For centuries, Indigenous communities have lived along river valleys and terraced slopes of the canyon, where they've been able to farm using water from the Colca River. After an overnight stay at a family-run guesthouse, you'll descend through more villages until you reach Sangalle. This is a tropical oasis at the bottom of the canyon. After so much dust and dirt, you'll be richly rewarded with palm trees, fruit trees, and lodges offering swimming pools fed by natural springs.