Machu Picchu Treks

There are five main treks that end at Machu Picchu: the Inca Trail (4 days, or a short 1–2 day version), the Salkantay Trek (5 days), the Inca Jungle (3 or 4 days, with biking and rafting), the Lares Trek (4 days) and the Choquequirao Trek (7 days). Only the Inca Trail walks into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate, and only the Inca Trail needs a permit, which sells out months ahead. The table below compares the five so you can choose.

Machu Picchu treks compared#

Prices are per person in a group. All these tours include the guided visit of Machu Picchu and the train back towards Cusco; check each tour for the full list of what is included.

Which trek we recommend#

We run the Inca Trail, Salkantay, Choquequirao, Lares and Inca Jungle treks to Machu Picchu. For a first trip we recommend the Inca Trail; if there are no Inca Trail permits left, the Salkantay; for more adventure, the Inca Jungle; and for families, the Lares Trek.

Classic Inca Trail (4 days)#

The Classic Inca Trail is the original Inca path to Machu Picchu: 42 km from Km 82 (Piscacucho) past the Inca sites of Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca and Wiñay Wayna. The hardest day is day 2, when you climb to Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 m. On the last morning you walk through the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) and see Machu Picchu from above, the only trek that arrives this way.

The trail is regulated: you need a permit with your name and passport number, you must go with a licensed operator, and permits for the busy months sell out months in advance. The trail closes every February for maintenance. Read how permits work in our Inca Trail permits guide, and see the route day by day on the Inca Trail map and altitude profile.

• Classic Inca Trail 4 Days: from USD 890, 3 nights camping.
• Inca Trail 5 Days: from USD 1,230, the same route at a slower pace, with 3 nights camping and a hotel night in Aguas Calientes.
• Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek 7 Days: from USD 1,450, starts below Salkantay mountain and joins the Inca Trail.

Short Inca Trail (1 or 2 days)#

If you do not have four days, or do not want to camp at altitude, the Short Inca Trail starts at Km 104 and walks about 10 km past Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate. It still needs an Inca Trail permit. On the 2-day tours you spend the night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes or in a tent, and visit Machu Picchu the next morning.

• Short Inca Trail 2 Days with Hotel: from USD 580.
• Short Inca Trail with Camping 2 Days: from USD 690.
• 1-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: there and back from Cusco in a day.

Salkantay Trek (5 days)#

The Salkantay is the best-known alternative to the Inca Trail and needs no Inca Trail permit. You walk about 74 km below Salkantay mountain (6,271 m), cross the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 m on day 2 and then descend through cloud forest and coffee farms to Llactapata, an Inca site with a view of Machu Picchu across the valley. You camp three nights, at Soyrococha, Qollpapampa and Lucmabamba, and sleep the fourth night in a lodge in Aguas Calientes.

It is a harder walk than the Inca Trail in distance and altitude, but there are no Inca ruins along most of the route. Compare them in Salkantay Trek vs Inca Trail, or see the Salkantay Trek map and Salkantay Trek prices.

Inca Jungle Trek (3 or 4 days)#

The Inca Jungle is a multi-activity route rather than a pure trek. On day 1 you drive to Abra Málaga (4,300 m) and ride a bike downhill for about 45 km to Santa María, then go rafting. The 4-day tour adds a day on an old Inca path through coffee and fruit farms to Santa Teresa, where you can visit the Cocalmayo hot springs. The last walking day crosses a zipline in Santa Teresa and follows the railway for about 10 km from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes.

You sleep in hotels in Santa Teresa and Aguas Calientes; on the 4-day tour the first night is with a local family in Pispitayoc. It needs no permit, so it is a good choice when you book late. Read our Inca Jungle Trek guide and the Inca Jungle map and altitude.

• Inca Jungle Trail 3 Days: from USD 390.
• Inca Jungle Trek 4 Days: from USD 420.

Lares Trek (4 days)#

The Lares Trek is the cultural route. It crosses high passes between Quechua-speaking farming villages, such as Cuncani, where families still herd alpacas and weave their own textiles, and ends at the Lares hot springs. From Lares you drive to Ollantaytambo and take the train to Aguas Calientes, so you do not walk into Machu Picchu. You camp two nights and sleep the third in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. See our Lares Trek FAQ.

• Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days: from USD 650.

Choquequirao to Machu Picchu (7 days)#

This is the longest and quietest route: about 97 km, starting at Capuliyoc above the Apurímac canyon, with a full visit of Choquequirao, a large Inca site that you can only reach on foot. From there the route continues over high passes and through cloud forest to Llactapata and Aguas Calientes. It suits experienced hikers who want few people on the trail. If you only want to see Choquequirao, read our Choquequirao trek guide; for the route to Machu Picchu, see Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek.

• Choquequirao to Machu Picchu Trek 7 Days: from USD 1,350.

How to choose your trek#

• You want to arrive through the Sun Gate: the Classic Inca Trail, or the Short Inca Trail if you have 1 or 2 days.
• The Inca Trail is sold out: the Salkantay for a real mountain trek, or the Inca Jungle for an easier trip.
• You prefer hotels to tents: the Inca Jungle, or the Short Inca Trail with hotel.
• You want adventure activities: the Inca Jungle, with biking, rafting and a zipline.
• You want to meet Andean communities: the Lares Trek.
• You have a week and want to avoid crowds: Choquequirao to Machu Picchu.
• You travel in February: the Inca Trail is closed; the Salkantay, Inca Jungle and Lares are the options. See the best time to hike the Inca Trail.

Whichever trek you choose, spend at least two days in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before you start; see our guide to altitude sickness in Cusco. If you would rather not hike at all, the train is the easiest way: see how to get to Machu Picchu.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the best trek to Machu Picchu?

For a first visit, the Classic Inca Trail, because it follows the original Inca path, passes several Inca sites and enters Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. If there are no permits left, the Salkantay Trek is the best alternative for mountain scenery.

Which Machu Picchu trek is the easiest?

The Short Inca Trail (about 10 km, highest point around 2,732 m) and the Inca Jungle (10 to 28 km on foot, with hotels every night) are the easiest. The Inca Jungle reaches its highest point, 4,300 m, by vehicle.

Which trek to Machu Picchu does not need a permit?

The Salkantay, Inca Jungle, Lares and Choquequirao treks need no Inca Trail permit. You still need a Machu Picchu entrance ticket, which our tours include.

How long is the hike to Machu Picchu?

It depends on the route: about 10 km on the Short Inca Trail, 42 km on the Classic Inca Trail in 4 days, about 74 km on the Salkantay in 5 days and about 97 km from Choquequirao in 7 days. See how long the Inca Trail is.

Can I hike to Machu Picchu without a guide?

Not on the Inca Trail: every hiker must go with a licensed operator and guide. Routes such as the Salkantay can be hiked on your own, but then you organize the Machu Picchu ticket, the camping, the food and the transport yourself.