As part of their commitment to empowering women through exploration and cultural immersion, Alpaca Expeditions, a Peru-based travel organization, offers the Women-Only Salkantay & Sacred Valley, a 7-Day Tour to Machu Picchu. This multi-day hiking experience, led by only female guides and porters, is limited to women travelers as it follows the Salkantay.
It’s an off the beaten trek through an ever-changing landscape of stunning panoramic vistas of valleys, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and streams, stopping at places such as Pisac, a town on the Urubamba River known for having one of the best archaeological complexes in Peru and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu. This unique mix of culture, scenery, glamping, and experiences centered on Perusivan traditions also includes Peruvian wine tasting, a cooking class, the weaving women’s collective, and a coffee tour.
It’s an alternative trek, and participants won’t see many other hikers or groups on the trail, adding to the intimacy of the experience in the vastness of the Andes mountains.
The trip is a mix of glamping and tent camping. Guests will enjoy two nights in glass cabañas with stunning views of the snow-capped Salkantay mountain range. For a unique experience, one night is spent in the Lord of the Rings-inspired Hobbit Houses exclusive to Alpaca Expeditions. Hot tubs, showers, and a nearby glacial-fed river complement the mystical Hobbit House experience.
Two nights are tent camping, one within the Salkantay Mountains and the second at an exclusive campsite overlooking the ruins of Machu Picchu at Llactapata. The final night is at a hotel in the mountain village of Aguas Calientes (Spanish for hot springs), at the foot of Machu Picchu.
Sacred Vally and Salkantay Ultimate Hiking Tour to Machu Picchu–7 days is $995 per person. Group size is 8-12. Custom tours with groups of 6 or more are available. Dates are available May – October 2025.
For more information and a day-by-day itinerary, visit Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu Only Women.
All photos courtesy of Alpaca Expeditions.
