TORONTO — Intrepid Travel has announced a new trek in Peru departing for the first time in June.

The 12-day ‘Peru Expedition: Trek the Great Inca Road,’ offers an alternative to the popular Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, giving adventurers the chance to explore an entirely new trekking region in the country. 

Starting in Huaraz, this new section of the 25,000-mile Inca Trail is located nearly 1,000 miles from Ollantaytambo, and will bring the benefits of tourism to new communities. Intrepid, which worked to scout and preserve the new path in partnership with fellow B Corp SA Expeditions, will become the first global tour operator to bring travellers along this section of the ancient highway.

“We are so excited to share this spectacular Great Inca Road trek with the world. The future of Peru tourism is truly in these trails and without sustainable development, they will be lost forever,” said Gary Cohen, Intrepid’s General Manager of Latin America.

Priced at $4,350 per person, the new itinerary includes guided hikes, accommodations, 11 breakfasts, five lunches and four dinners. Guests will join a local leader and traditional llama caravan to hike storied paths that few travellers have ever seen, as well as visit well-preserved Inca outposts and explore the Caral-Supe archaeological site, left behind by a civilization that pre-dates the Inca and built at the same time as the first Egyptian pyramids. They’ll also meet with a master weaver to learn about his work and life on the Great Inca Road.

Machu Picchu reopened to travellers in February 2023 following civil unrest that forced a month-long closure. Only 500 trekking permits for the traditional trail are offered per day, which includes porters and other tourism workers. According to Intrepid, the development of alternative trekking routes in the Andes, such as the Inca Trail Road, will help drive tourism to new communities while reducing the strain on the environment.

“Over the last few months, we have been eager to welcome travellers back to our country,” said Martiza Chacacanta, Intrepid’s Deputy Operations Manager in Peru. “Tourism plays such a  vital role for our economy and impacts so many people’s lives. Now, as travellers return, I am so excited to show the world the Great Inca Road and help preserve it for future generations.”

For more information about ‘Peru Expedition: Trek the Great Inca Road,’ click here.