Discover Peru with World’s Best Guide Award-Winner, Efrain Valles

Awarded “World’s Best Guide” by Wanderlust and counting the likes of Princess Beatrice and Ed Sheeran among his A-list clientele, Cusco-born Efrain Valles knows a thing or two about walking in Peru. We find out why there’s nobody better than him when it comes to guiding groups on our On the Trail of the Incas tour in this South American gem.

In Peru, we have a little bit of everything, including Lima, the Pacific Coast, and the best museums, seafood, and restaurants in the world. Also Cusco, the Sacred Valley with its Inca history and culture, and Lake Titicaca with its amazing floating reed islands. We also have the Amazon rainforest, the huge snowy mountain range called the Andes, volcanoes, hot springs, amazing surfing, biking, rafting, and trekking. And then there’s the birdlife and exotic wildlife – yes, the famous Paddington Bear is based on a real Peruvian spectacled bear! 

The list goes on. We have the best food, over 4,000+ types of potato, 80+ indigenous languages, and 4 types of traditional weaving. And then there’s the crown – Machu Picchu. This is a modern wonder of the world everyone must see before they die.  

In Peru, we’ve been walking throughout the Andes mountains for centuries so have literally thousands of kilometres of trails to follow. The Incas never invented the wheel, so instead they created a trail network called the Qapaqñan that stretched from Colombia to Argentina. Their royal Inca trails are the perfect hiking paths for us to enjoy. 

One of my favourite walks is to hike from the circular Inca ruins of Moray to the saltpans of Maras. This relatively straightforward walk combines magnificent Andean vistas with incredible mysterious Inca ruins, following an ancient donkey trail to the otherworldly “Saltpans of Maras” where salt has been mined since Inca times.

The KM104 Royal Inca Trail into Machu Picchu is also an iconic trek for those wanting to hike into Machu Picchu through the famous Inti Punku “Sun gate”. It’s a tough climb to start off with, but the cloud forest scenery is mind-blowing! You also get to visit Wiñay Wayna ruins (meaning “the place of swallows”) and then hike the final few kilometres (my favourite) of the Inca trail into Machu Picchu. And you don’t have to camp! The next day hiking round Machu Picchu is pretty special, too.

Finally, a new favourite walk of mine, is to the alternative Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain. Whilst the altitude is quite challenging, the views of the surrounding mountains are so good that it’s worth the huffing and puffing to make it. And then you can update your Instagram profile, just like everyone one else, too!

We take altitude very seriously, so walks are largely flat or downhill. We make sure everyone is correctly equipped before starting out. I’m also in constant contact with the drivers, in case we need to call them in. We make sure everyone has water and snacks, and I always carry a first aid kit, cell phone, and radio when needed. The routes are well explained, always optional, and graduated to make sure you can enjoy them without worrying at all.

I love the word “Serendipity” and it is the serendipitous moments that only walking in Peru can create that make me love my job so much. We might get stuck in an Alpaca and Llama traffic jam, meet a group of weavers, or even stop and help some farmers tilling their land or using bulls to plough. You never know quite what is around the next corner! Expect the unexpected and it will probably happen.

Wherever possible, I try to stop my groups and meet the local communities on route. Sometimes, we’ll visit local weavers to buy amazing woollen products directly from the knitters. Or maybe just an ice cream from the local shop. It all helps.

Also, it is worth mentioning that for every day you are in Peru, we’ll plant two native queuña trees along with the local communities of the Lares valley. Just last year, we planted 15,000 trees by doing this. And since 2007, we’ve helped plant over one million trees and employ multiple local communities to do this.

Sadly, parts of Peru are starting to suffer from over-tourism. Getting off the bus, away from the main “gringo trail” and doing up your boots and hitting the amazing walking trails we have really makes a difference to your overall experience and well-being. This makes a tick box tour into a memorable holiday. It spreads the wealth, encourages local communities to look after their trails, keep them clean, and keep local traditions alive.

I may be biased, but I have to say it’s my hometown of Cusco. It is just such a fun place to explore and look around. We have great sites to visit, amazing restaurants, and you’ll never get bored. Something is always happening here. 

The Incas created 1000’s of kilometres of “Inca trails” stretching from Colombia to Argentina. But the “Famous Inca Trail” is the one that goes from the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the lost city of Machu Picchu. This is usually done over four days, camping on route. It’s tough with passes over 4200m and thousands of steps, but so rewarding.

Luckily, they also build a shorter version that we enjoy on the HF Holidays trip. We jump off the train at KM104 and then we get to join the last part of the official “Inca Trail” and hike into Machu Picchu through the iconic “sun gate” for that amazing overview of Machu Picchu. That’s what only us hikers get to experience.

Take it easy on your first days at altitude, walk slowly, drink insane amounts of water – yes 3-4 litres of a day. Eat light and sleep well. And if all else fails, try our local remedy by sipping a tea made from the sacred “coca” leaf - it definitely works!

Make sure you have worn-in boots before arriving and try and find some steps to practice on. The Incas have a lot of steps.

A while ago I had a group of Kiwis on a Sacred Valley tour. When I took them to Pisac ruins, none were that “wowed”. So I asked them what they did for a living and it turned out they were all farmers and had seen plenty of “stone walls” in their time.  

Opportunity struck, and I stopped the bus beside a field where a group of locals were tilling the land with their bulls and drinking local chicha beer. A few minutes later, I’d organised an impromptu bull ploughing competition, pitting my tourists versus the locals. Several hours later after hundreds of photos, much hilarity and camaraderie, and quite a bit of chicha beer, we stumbled back on the bus and drove to the hotel.  

We never did finish their Sacred Valley tour but, boy did we have fun, and all agreed it was the best day of their tour - yes even above Machu Picchu! 

I can’t guarantee this type of serendipitous moment on every trip but I’m still smiling about it, after all those years and it is moments like this, that make me realise I will never get bored of my job ever.