Top Cusco Hiking

"This was a truly memorable hike!! It actually was the cap of my entire trip. If you only have time to do hike this moutain, and not Machu Picchu, you won't be disappointed. I would recommend everyone to take their time getting to the top, and equally as much, take even more to make your way down and admire the beauty of the surroudning mountains, valleys, alpaca's, etc. Words, nor pictures can do this place justice. Don't allow the negative reviews about the mountain or guides deter you. Invidually, this is an amazing feat at such high altitude. For someone who traisn year-round at non-high altitudes, I found this challenging, but was the first in my group of 8 to reach the summit, given that our guide wanted to go back and help others (which is why I give them so much credit, asd they trek this moutain almost 3-4 times a week)."

"The pickup and transit was very easy, the guide was good, felt safe and went at good pace. The pick up was odd in that some random people were hopping into and out of the van, would have been nice to know who they were. Breakfast and lunch were authentic and yummy. Guide allowed for plenty of time and tooks pics at the mountain, really incredible, definitely recommend."

"This was one of the best trips my husband and I have taken. Despite the challenging terrain Francisco and Sergio made the whole experience fantastic. The food was also amazing! If we decide to go on another Peruvian trip we will definitely ask to have Francisco as a guide."

"This trip was amazing - would definitely recommend! The views were beautiful, everything was arranged smoothly, and the rooms were practical (if you want to stay at boutique hotels, don't sign up for a jungle adventure lol). The food was good and our guide Junior was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond."

"Alfresco our guide was incredibly attentive and informative. He went out of his way to make sure that we were doing ok and assisted in any way possible. We had an amazing time!"

"Our guide was Edgar and pickup was at 3:30am on the dot. Stopped for breakfast about 2 hrs away which was a buffet and delicious (they had coffee and eggs, among other things). Then drove appx 1 more hour to reach the entrance. Very glad we took a private tour because the elevation was rough and we needed to take our time. Edgar was very patient and helpful. We rode horses part of the way up which was 30 soles each. There are bathrooms along the way that are 1 sol each. The last part of the trail you cannot ride a horse and was very steep, but we slowly made it. Had some coca tea at the top, stamped the passport, took some pics and started heading back. Walking back was a breeze in comparison...first descent can be hard on the knees but otherwise ok. Lunch on the way back was a buffet at the same breakfast place and was very good. Definitely worth it and do not regret paying extra for a private guide."

"The tour operator met us the night before our day trip to Machu Picchu to give us the logistics of our day. It began at 3 AM with a 1.5 hr van ride to Ollantaytambe where we boarded a train for an additional 1.5 hr ride to Aguas Calientes aka Machu Picchu Village.We were met there by Javier, our tourguide, who led us to the end of the queue, which after 1 hour, twenty minutes, led us to the buses which would take us to the ruins of the citadel of Mach Picchu Javier left us at this point. It rained steadily the entire time we waited in line, and we all ended up buying cheap 5 Soles ponchos. Reaching the citadel, we climbed to the summit of Machu Picchu mountain, an arduous journey ending a bit over 10,000 ft above sea level, and 2000 feet above the citadel. It rained throughout the entire climb, an we were worried that there would be nothing to see from the top due to clouds obscuring the view. But about the time we reached the top about noon, the rain was tapering off, and the visibility improved. The trip down the mountain was much more enjoyable as we were no longer surrounded by fog and rain. Back at the citadel we met up with our guide again who gave a wonderful tour of the ruins. Javier is an experienced guide and is very well informed regarding the history of the citadel and of the Incan culture in general. I recommend asking for him by name if you take this trip. Afterwards we returned to Aguas Calientes, where we had a dinner before the train and van rides back to our hotel which we reached at about 9:30 PM. It was a very long tiring day, and unfortunately, the tour operator did not prepare us for the weather we encountered. It was colder and rainier than we expected oviously, the weather varies depending on the season, but our guide said our experience was not atypical for August,I suggest bringing a change of clothes for after the rain ends. Machu Picchu is something that should be on everyone's bucket list, and doesn't disappoint."

"The service was great! The driver and guide were very attentive to every detail and making sure we were breathing ok since this is such an intensive hike! It was all worth it!!!"

"FlashpackerConnnect were fantastic throughout. I had a few questions prior to departing which were answered quickly and accurately. We were very lucky that there was only 2 of us booked on to the trip, to their credit, flashpacker ran it with no issues. The day before we were invited to their office in Cusco where Ricardo (Ricky!) gave us both a detailed briefing of our trek. We were also given a duffle bag each to put extra items in we didn’t need to carry during the days hike. Ricky arrived with driver Julio on time (an early start!) for the 3 hour drive to the start point. Breakfast was prepared by chef Eusebio before we set off. Excellent food throughout, really tasty and enough to keep you going throughout the day! Day 1 was fantastic, the views stunning wherever you looked and the view from the top was stunning, the classic snow covered glacier behind bright blue lakes. Worth the cost alone and something those on the 1 day trek will never know exists! Plenario our trusty horseman was already at camp when we arrived with our dufflebags and after a late lunch we had time to relax in our tent which had been set up for us before a lovely dinner and bed. The stars were the best I’ve seen and the Milky Way was so clear you could see it in all its glory. Beware, it’s a cold night camping so high, expect to sleep in some layers! An early wake up at 3am was made bearable by a lovely hot drink in the tent followed by a hot breakfast before setting off at 4am. Coldest time hiking in hat, gloves, puffer jacket and thick trousers. Head torch is a must!!! It wasn’t light for at least 2 hours after we started trekking. We arrived at Rainbow Mountain at roughly 7am. There were 2 people on the summit before us, our photos were amazing. No one in the background!! By 8am there were bus loads of day visitors arriving... None of whom will have got the undisturbed photos we were fortunate to get. A quick visit to Red Valley was well worth it. The views were different to Rainbow Mountain but just as stunning! Walking back to our waiting vehicle past the crowds on their way up to Rainbow Mountain, a sense of achievement and knowledge that we’d had this amazing place almost to ourselves! I can’t recommend the trip enough, so much better than the one day trips that leave at 2am and arrive with bus loads of other people. Special thanks to: Cook - Eusebio Horseman - Plenerio Driver - Julio Tour guide - Ricardo (Excelle guide, really knowledgable and great English)"

"We were given great care and customer service from the time we arrived in Cusco! Our tour guide, Wilfredo, was very knowledgeable and an excellent tour guide. We would love to enjoy other tours led by him! Thank you for a great experience!"

"Everybody at SAM made our adventure easy and enjoyable. Our guide Henry was exceptional: informative, interesting, helpful and a nice guy. We highly recommend traveling with SAM."

"This was a very beautiful hike to get to rainbow mountain. I highly recommend to go just for the hike scenery. I would even say it was more gorgeous than rainbow mountain. I wouldn’t worry about the driving as others put. Yes, there are a few scary parts but that’s what you get for going to hike up in the mountains you have to get there somehow. They should put in additional info to bring snacks and Advil. A lot of us had headaches due to the altitude and luckily another traveler had some and shared!"

"This tour was so so awesome. We did red valley and rainbow mountain. You have to get up early, but it’s totally worth it"

"Our tour guide and driver were excellent. They picked us up from our hotel right on time and hiked the entire way to the lake while we rode horses. It is a long drive from Cusco (about 3 hours), but well worth it. The view is spectacular. Definitely take the horses up but you don't need them on the way down. Breakfast and lunch was included. They were both at the same restaurant. Food was very good."

"I would recommend this trek to anyone. This tour company was absolutely astounding from friendly chefs cooking gourmet food, to the gorgeous views every step of the way, to the perfect-sized group, to the challenging but enjoyable hiking difficulty level, this trek surpassed y expectations in every way possible!"

"Truly amazing. Worth the hike and effort. Carlos was excellent, food was great and the drive was comfortable. Highly recommended for all. These guys know what they are doing"

"Great experience! Very well organized. The food is buffet style, eat at the same place for breakfast and lunch. Walking sticks are provided. Great tour guide that spoke great english!"

"This package is cheap in comparison to other travel packages BUT the accommodation, food, transportation and activities were excellent. Everything is arranged for you, you just have to purchase the tour and show up. My only advice to people who will purchase this package is to be somewhat "physically fit". This tour requires a lot of hiking/trekking on mountains. Other than that, I am so happy I purchased this package. I will definitely return to Peru."

"This was such a wonderful experience. The Chullou travel made me feel safe, explained the traditions of the Inca life and opinions throughly. The passion the tour guides have toward the culture, their people were genuine. The professionalism of the tour was excellent. The excursions were well organized, I had the time of my life. Extraordinary experience 🤙🇵🇪Love it."

"We went with exploor to lake humantay, with Carlos as our guide. The company was organised and provided updates before the trip. On the day itself, everything happened like clock work and the food provided at breakfast and lunch was excellent. Carlos was a great guide and provided some recommendations for restaurants in cusco. We were one of the first groups to arrive at the lake so had many photos without other people in them - was a great day! As we were leaving we saw lots of other groups arriving at once. I highly recommend paying a bit extra and going with exploor. You really do get a better experience."