INCA TRAIL ALTERNATIVES
When the Inca trail 4-day permits run out, and there is no single ticket left, the backup for a new adventure is the Inca trail Alternatives, with an unlimited entry admission, or rather, no ticket reservation is needed.
Although these treks don´t lead straight to Machu Picchu, each hike has its charm and highlights. See what other travelers are reporting and pick the hike that you think suits you best. So here go with seven Inca trail alternatives. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
INCA TRAIL ALTENATIVES THAT ENDS IN MACHU PICCHU
Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu
Salkantay trek is the second as most demanded after or whenever the Inca trail permits run out. So there you go, if you want, do the hike on your own if it is something you are used to or choose wisely a tour company from Cusco, for an organized tour. Tours extend from 4 days up to 8 or more days depending on which type of service you want to take.
What is interesting about the Salkantay trek is the hike through a mountain valley between two massive snow peaks on day one; the Salkantay and the Humantay. And beyond the mountain pass at 16 000 feet, little by little, hikers head to the warm valley hamlets such as Chaullay. And on the following days, they pass through coffee farmhouses and fruits, until the Llactapata Inca site to have the first glimpses of Machu Picchu. Thereafter, the hike continues downhill from Hidroeltrica station to the final trail to Aguas Calientes by the side of the railroad.
Things to know
- Hiking Salkantay trek, you will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu following circuit 1 or 2.
- This trek is open the whole year. But it is not recommended to hike in January and February because of the rainy season. The heavy rain causes landslides on the trail.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can do it 1 or 2 months in advance.
- In Salkantay trek Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- You arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or hiking. Most people prefer the bus because you get to Machu Picchu fresh. Hiking from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu is steep uphill so it is difficult.
- Accommodations: Each company has different accommodations, some have Domes, some have Hotels, some have sky lodges,s and some use tents. The ones with tents spend the night close to the glacier and not in crowded área.
- Duration: You can hike in 4 days or 5 days or you can even combine with Inca Trail in 7 days.
- Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
- Highlights: Glcier, different scenic beauty, and local farms
- Starting elevation: 12,795 ft (3,900 m)
- Peak elevation: 13,615 ft (4,6150 m)
Inka jungle trek to Machu Picchu
Inca Jungle trekking, also known as the Inca jungle tour, is a mixture of biking, rafting, hiking, and ziplining before getting to Machu Picchu. It begins with a road trip through the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo onwards the Abra Malaga pass. Everyone gears up there for biking down the winding road to Santa Maria: a descent from the highlands to the jungles of Cusco. There are hostels in Santa Maria, but before dinner, you get the opportunity to jump in boats and experience river rafting. (Make sure your company includes rafting, It usually is extra).
On the second day, there is a 15 km hike; tough at the beginning, but it levels out soon. Some of the portions of this trek will be the original Inca trail, overlooking the lush green valleys of Santa Maria and Vilcannota River, across coca and coffee plantations until Santa Teresa Hotsprings. Overnight at Santa Teresa.
The third day is for airborne adventures, and as you might know, there in Santa Teresa are zip lines for ziplining and a zip line bridge to cross, so the morning hour is for adrenaline rush activities. Later in the afternoon, to get to Aguas Calientes town, you will have to walk from Hidroelctrica station following the railroad for 3 hours. And yes, the Inca jungle trail finishes on the fourth day with a visit to Machu Picchu Park and then back to Cusco City.
Things to know
- This trek is open the whole year. However, it is not recommended in the rainy season(January – March) Because there is a high chance to see landslides and the river increases to do rafting.
- Accommodations: There are no places to set up tents so some travel companies use hostels and other hotels.
- Duration: The popular itinerary is 4 days ending in Machu Picchu. There is also an option to do it in 3 days, but you will miss the hiking on the Original Inca trail.
- Hiking the Inca Jungle trek, you will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu following Circuit 1 or 2.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can do it 1 or 2 months in advance.
- In the Inca Jungle trek, there are no horses or porters. All the equipment is transported by vehicles.
- You arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or hiking. Most people prefer the bus because you get to Machu Picchu fresh. Hiking from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu is steep uphill so it is difficult.
- Itinerary: There is only one itinerary. Each company offers different ways, some include hiking Llactapata, and some do not. Ask the company what is included or what is not Included.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Highlights: amazing mountain views, Rafting, biking, zipline, and hot springs
- Starting elevation: 9,5896 ft (2,931 m)
- Peak elevation: 13,812 ft (4,209 m)
Lares Trek To Machu Picchu
For an adventure enthusiast, there is beauty everywhere in nature. Now we know you wanted the Inca trail option, and yes, it really is a great thing to experience, but there is not much that we can do to get permits after all has been betrayed. If the Inca trail follows the centuries-old path and ruins, the Lares trek follows through the mountains and valleys where Andean men inhabited for centuries, they still keep alive their lifestyle and cultural practices. See more about Lares trek to Machu Picchu.
Things to know
- Hiking Lares Trek, you will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu following Circuit 1 or 2.
- This trek is open the whole year. So you can hike Lares any time because there is no risk of landslides on the way. During the rainy season, the only risk is the pass that might be covered in snow and it might be difficult to cross.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can do it 1 or 2 months in advance.
- In Lares trek Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- You arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or hiking. Most people prefer the bus because you get to Machu Picchu fresh. Hiking from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu is steep uphill so it is difficult.
- Accommodations: There are only 2 options. Only one company has hotels in the area and the rest of the companies use tents.
- Duration: You can hike in 3 days or 4 days or you can even combine with a short Inca Trail in 5 days.
- Itinerary: There are more than 7 itineraries. Each company offers a different one. The classic itinerary starts from Kiswarany and ends in Huaran or vice-versa.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Highlights: amazing mountain views, Visit remote villages and hot springs
- Starting elevation: 9,5896 ft (2,931 m)
- Peak elevation: 14,612 ft (4,449 m)
Inca Quarry Trail to Machu Picchu
The Inca Quarry trail is one of the less-trodden routes in Cusco; therefore, not very popular among the other treks. The trailhead is at a small hamlet of Socma, where few locals make their living by plowing the soil and planting seeds, and farming animals. During the three-day hike, you will be experiencing waterfalls, Inca ruins, and magical Andean sceneries; there is also a second Inti Punku at the summit of a mountain before reaching the Inca quarry on the third-day hike. Most of the trek is over the tree-line terrain but worth the experience. See more about the Inca Quarry trail vs Inca trail.
Things to know
- Accommodations: There are no hotels in the área. All the companies offer this route with tents.
- Itinerary: There are 2 itineraries. The classic one is 4 days starting to form the town of Socma and ending in Ollantaytambo combined with Machu Picchu.
- Duration: 4 days.
- Highlights: Waterfall, Sungate, amazing mountain views, Visit remote villages, and Inca ruins.
- Choosing Quarry Trail, you will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu following Circuit 1 or 2.
- This trek is open the whole year. However, it is not recommended to hike in the Rainy season because on the second day, you hike most of the day on top of the mountain so you might get stricken by lightning.
- Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can do it 1 or 2 months in advance.
- In Quarry Trail Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- You arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or hiking. Most people prefer the bus because you get to Machu Picchu fresh. Hiking from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu is steep uphill so it is difficult.
- Starting elevation: 12,5896 ft (3,831 m)
- Peak elevation: 14,512 ft (4,549 m)
Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu
There are three ways to get to Huchuy Qosqo, and considering the one that relates most to the Inca trail experience, and which we want to suggest, is the 3-day Huchuy Qosqo Hike for there is an ancient and less crowded Inca trail from Cusco to a mountain above the Sacred Valley where Huchuy Qosqo sits.
It essentially consists of hiking paths where solitude still exists, over the mountains between Cusco and Sacred Valley. First, you will see beautiful Andean lagoons; Piuray lagoon and the golden lagoon. The vistas are an amazing display, with the jagged mountains on one side and the Chinhchero plains on the other. As for the second day, before visiting Huchuy Qosqo, you gotta pass through a very narrow canyon and enter Huchuy Qosqo by the gate of gates, a sort of portal that dates back to a long time ago. See more about the Huchuy Qosqo trek.
Things to know
- This hike is perfect for families with kids and if you have pets, you can hike with them without any problem.
- Accommodations: There are no hotels in the área. But there are families who offer homestay where you will learn about daily life. If you book with a travel company, they will offer camping in tents or homestays.
- Itinerary: There are 3 itineraries. Each company offers a different one. The classic itinerary starts from Patabamba and ends in Lamay or vice-versa.
- Duration: You can hike Huchuy Qosqo in 1 day until 3 days combing with Machu Picchu or you can even combine with a short Inca Trail in 4 days. The classic itinerary is the Huchuy Qosqo trek 3 days.
- Highlights: amazing mountain views, Visit remote villages and Inca ruins.
- Choosing Huchuy Qosqo, you will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu following Circuit 1 or 2.
- This trek is open the whole year. So you can hike Huchuy Qosqo any time because there is not
- Difficulty: Depends on the itinerary. The route from Patambamba to Lamay is considered easy to a Moderate
- risk of landslides on the way.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can do it 1 or 2 months in advance.
- In Huchuy Qosqo Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- You arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or hiking. Most people prefer the bus because you get to Machu Picchu fresh. Hiking from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu is steep uphill so it is difficult.
- Starting elevation: 12,5896 ft (3,831 m)
- Peak elevation: 14,612 ft (4,449 m)
Ancascocha Trek To Machu Picchu
Ancascocha to Machu Picchu is also one of the few treks, but there it is. The trailhead is again at Socma hamlet outside of Ollantaytambo, and yes, this is either to begin the Inca quarry trek or the Ancascocha trek to Machu Picchu. The minimum day of the trek is four days; plus the Machu Picchu day, it is a five-day trek in total. A journey that involves walks through some of the remote Andean mountains, below some glaciers, by one side of the glacial lakes, and down the template valley lands as the trek comes to an end before hopping the train to Machu Picchu.
Things to know
- Accommodations: There are no hotels in the área. All the companies offer this route with tents.
- Itinerary: There are 2 itineraries. The first start in Killarumic area and the second from Socma town. The popular itinerary is the second route in 5 days.
- Duration: A faster 4-day and3 night version is available for intense hikers with experience at high elevations. However, we recommend the 5-day one to go at a slower pace.
- Highlights: Waterfall, amazing mountain views, Visit remote villages, and Inca ruins.
- By choosing the Ancascohca trek, you will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu following Circuit 1 or 2.
- This trek is open the whole year. However, it is not recommended to hike in the Rainy season because on the second day, you hike most of the day on top of the mountain so you might get stricken by lightning.
- Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can do it 1 or 2 months in advance.
- In Ancascocha Trail Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- You arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or hiking. Most people prefer the bus because you get to Machu Picchu fresh. Hiking from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu is steep uphill so it is difficult.
- Starting elevation: 12,5896 ft (3,831 m)
- Peak elevation: 14,512 ft (4,549 m)
ALTERNATIVE TREKS THAT NOT END IN MACHU PICCHU
Choquequirao Trek
No ever train or shuttle buses get nearby Choquequirao Park because it is way high above the Apurimac River. Choquequirao trek extends from 4 to 5 days during which you sleep in tents and walk a challenging trail on both sides of the Apurimac canyon. The scenery is quite a great thing to appreciate, the wild mountain slopes, the snow peaks, the Apurimac, and the vast extent of bushes and trees, of course. The only thing keeping massive visitors away from Choquequirao is the difficulty and toughness of getting it. It can´t be for everyone, and it will be so, until the inauguration of the Choquequirao cable car project, which didn’t even start. See more about the Choquequirao trek.
Things to know
- This trek is open the whole year. However, We highly recommend NOT going to Choquequirao in the rainy season(January – March) because there are landslides in many places.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can book even a week in advance.
- In Choquequirao trek Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- There is not any transportation to get to Choquequirao. So you have to hike to get there and come back hiking too.
- Accommodations: There are 2 options. Local people offer lodging in their houses or you can set up your tents in the campsites.
- Duration: A faster 4-day/3 night version is available for intense hikers with experience at high elevations. However, the most recommended one is the 5-day to Choquequirao. Also, you can combine Choquequirao with Machu Picchu in 7 days.
- Itinerary: There were 3 itineraries to Access Choquequirao. Unfortunately, the Access via Huañipaca town was destroyed by huge landslides. Nowadays, you can Access by Cachora or Yanama town.
- Difficulty: Challenging.
- Highlights: amazing mountain views, Visit remote villages, Choquequirao ruins, and Apurimac River.
- Starting elevation: 8,858 ft (2,731 m)
- Peak elevation: 9,973 ft (3,049 m)
Ausangate Trek
If you’re looking for a truly unforgettable adventure, the Ausangate Trek in Peru should be on your list. This trek is known for its high-altitude passes, turquoise lakes, and breathtaking mountain views. It typically takes 5-6 days to complete and covers a distance of approximately 70 kilometers. Along the way, you’ll encounter traditional Andean communities, learn about their way of life, and experience the rich culture of the region.
Things to know
- This trek is open the whole year. However, it is not recommended to hike in the Rainy season. Because the passes are covered with snow especially hiking the Ausangate trek 6 days. You can still do the short versions.
- Accommodations: There is only one Company that has a hotel called Andean Lodges. However, there is another Company who have cabins and shelters. It is AB Expeditions. The rest of the Companies offer camping with tents.
- Itinerary: There are more than 10 itineraries. Each Company organizes differently way, some start Upis, some start in Rainbow Mountain, and some in Chillca. Some offers include Rainbow Mountain or without it. Ask your operator what you will see in the itinerary.
- You don’t need to book 8 months in advance like Inca Trail. You can book even a week in advance.
- In Ausagate trek Horses are allowed so if you get tired, you can ride a horse. We recommend riding only uphills, not downhills.
- Duration: You can hike Ausangate since 1 day until 7 days combining Rainbow Mountain and Sibinacocha Lake. The Most popular are Ausangate trek 4 days and 6 days ending the Rainbow Mountain.
- Difficulty: Difficult because of the altitude.
- Highlights: amazing mountain views, Lakes, Colorful Mountains, Waterfalls, Llamas, Alpacas, and Remote villages.
- Starting elevation: 14,435 ft (4,431 m)
- Peak elevation: 5,200 ft (17,060 m)
