The Inca Trail is the only trek that needs a permit and the only one that ends on foot at the Sun Gate. Salkantay goes highest, Lares passes villages, Inca Jungle mixes bike and hike.
The short answer
Book the Inca Trail if you want to walk into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate and can still get a permit; the classic route takes four days, the short one one or two. Without a permit, Salkantay is the hardest alternative with a pass at 4,630 m, Lares the quieter one past villages, and Inca Jungle the one with a bike descent and the least time up high.
Choquequirao leads to a different Inca site and does not include Machu Picchu.
All the treks start with a pickup in Cusco before dawn. They differ in how high they go, where you sleep and how you reach Machu Picchu: on foot, by train or not at all. The table below takes the first tour from each of our trek pages.
The first tour on each trek page, with the train back and what the listing says about the Machu Picchu ticket.
| Photo | Tour | Trek | Days and nights | Way back | Machu Picchu entry (listing) | Cancellation (listing) | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Classic Inca Trail from Km 82 Alpaca Expeditions | Inca Trail | 4 days, 3 nights in tents | Expedition train; Vistadome only on tours through January 2027 | Included | All sales final | ★ 5.0 (11,646) | $835 per person | Book now |
|
Classic Salkantay trek with Humantay Lake Salkantay Trekking | Salkantay | 5 days, 3 camps with domes, 1 hotel night | Expedition or Voyager train, then road to Cusco | Included, Circuit 2, else 3 or 1 | All sales final | ★ 5.0 (5,403) | $760 per person | Book now |
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Short Inca Trail from Km 104 Alpaca Expeditions | Short Inca Trail | 2 days, 1 night in a 4-star hotel in Aguas Calientes | Vistadome through January 2027, Expedition from March 2027 | Included, with the Inca Trail entry | All sales final | ★ 5.0 (4,075) | $585 per person | Book now |
|
Inca Jungle trail with mountain biking Inkas Destination Tour Operator | Inca Jungle | 4 days, lodges in Santa María and Santa Teresa, hostel in Aguas Calientes | Train to Ollantaytambo, then road to Cusco | Included | All sales final | ★ 4.9 (912) | $430 per person | Book now |
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Lares Valley trek with hot springs Alpaca Expeditions | Lares | 4 days, 2 nights camping, 1 hotel night | Expedition train | Included, Circuit 2, 3 or 1 as available | All sales final | ★ 5.0 (711) | $650 per person | Book now |
|
Choquequirao trek TreXperience | Choquequirao | 4 days, camps at Santa Rosa and Chiquisca | Road via Saywite to Cusco | No Machu Picchu on this trek | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 5.0 (91) | $698 per person | Book now |
Prices and ratings are loaded from GetYourGuide and Viator once a day; on treks the price shown is the cheapest option, which may leave out the sleeping bag, the hiking poles or the return train class you want.
Pick the day you want to go, or the first and last day you are in Cusco. We read the booking calendar of each tour and show the ones that still take bookings. For Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, book early: entry tickets, trains and trail permits are limited.
In the next 7 days, all 7 tours on this page still have places.
Days: 4 days
Days: 2 days
Days: 5 days or more
Days: 4 days
Days: 4 days
Days: 4 days
Days: 4 days
Open a card for the itinerary, the pickup, what is included and what is not, as the operator gives them.
From Km 82 over Dead Woman's Pass to the Sun Gate, three nights in tents, porter for 7 kg, Machu Picchu entry included.
Pickup at 4:20 am, breakfast in Ollantaytambo and the start at Km 82, past Llactapata to the first camp at Ayapata. Day two climbs about 4 hours to Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m), the highest point, then crosses Runkurakay Pass to the Chaquicocha camp. Day three passes Phuyupatamarca and Intipata to Wiñay Wayna. On day four you reach the Sun Gate after about 2 hours and have a guided tour of about 2 hours, then take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and the drive to Cusco.
The title promises a Vistadome return. The included list says Vistadome for tours through January 2027 and the Expedition train from March 2027 (Vistadome then as a paid upgrade), and also lists an Expedition return. Machu Picchu entry is included. You sleep in 4-person Eureka tents used by 2, and a personal porter carries up to 7 kg. Sleeping bag, poles and air mattress are for rent, and bookings need at least 2 people.
Hotel pickup in Cusco at 4:20 am.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Train to Km 104, walk to the Sun Gate, night in a 4-star hotel in Aguas Calientes and a guided visit the next morning.
Pickup at 4 am in Cusco and the train from Ollantaytambo to Km 104, where the hike starts. After about three hours you reach Wiñay Wayna for lunch, then continue to the Sun Gate and down to Machu Picchu, before the bus to Aguas Calientes and a night in a 4-star hotel. On day two an early bus goes up for a 2-hour guided tour; after lunch in town you take the train to Ollantaytambo and the driver returns you to your hotel in Cusco.
The title promises Vistadome. For tours through January 2027 you go out on Expedition and return on Vistadome; from March 2027 it is Expedition both ways. Inca Trail and Machu Picchu entry are included. Not included: breakfast on day one, lunch on day two, and a single room supplement for solo travelers. Pickup is also possible in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo.
Hotel pickup in Cusco at 4 am, or in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo; send the hotel name after booking.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Humantay Lake and the Salkantay Pass, nights in domes, last night in Aguas Calientes, back by Expedition or Voyager train. From age 12.
Pickup around 5 am, breakfast in Mollepata and the start at Challacancha (3,800 m), then about 7 km to the Sky Camp at Soraypampa (3,900 m) and a round trip to Humantay Lake (4,200 m). Day two crosses Salkantay Pass (4,630 m), the highest point, and descends to Collpapampa (2,850 m). Day three runs through the Santa Teresa valley, with a vehicle to La Playa and a coffee farm, to the domes at Lucmabamba (2,000 m). Day four climbs an Inca path to Llactapata (2,700 m), drops to Hidroeléctrica and continues on foot along the tracks, or by paid train, to a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes. Day five is a 2-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu, then the train to Ollantaytambo and transport to Cusco.
Machu Picchu entry is included (Circuit 2 if you book 5 months ahead, otherwise 3, then 1), as is the bus up, but not the bus down. The return is on the Expedition or Voyager train. Options add a Machu Picchu Mountain, Huayna Picchu or Huchuy Picchu ticket. Horse rides on days one and two cost extra. The listing admits children from 12 with an adult, while the booking data only has an adult band from 18.
Hotel pickup in Cusco between 4:30 and 5 am; the operator recommends a hotel in the center.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Two nights camping in the Lares valley, then the Expedition train to Aguas Calientes and a hotel before Machu Picchu.
After hotel pickup in Cusco the hike begins with 2 hours uphill to the village of Kiswarani, where the horsemen hold a llama ceremony, and camp is next to a small lagoon. Day two starts around 5 a.m. with a 3 to 4 hour climb to Pachacutec (Condor) Pass and about 3 hours down to Cancha Cancha for a second camp. Day three is 4 hours downhill past farms into the Sacred Valley; the day's heading also names Huaran, the Maras salt mines and Ollantaytambo, before the train to Aguas Calientes and a hotel night. On day four a 25-minute bus takes you up for a guided tour of about 2 hours, followed by the train to Ollantaytambo and a drive to your hotel in Cusco.
The inclusions name all entrance fees for the Lares Valley and Machu Picchu, with Circuit 2, 3 or 1 depending on availability, and the Expedition train in both directions. The title mentions a hot spring and the day-one heading says thermal baths, but the itinerary text does not describe a stop there. A personal porter carries up to 7 kg. Sleeping bag, trekking poles and air mattress are not included but can be rented.
Pickup from your hotel in Cusco; tell the operator where you stay after booking. Briefing at the operator's office at 6:00 p.m. the evening before.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Bike down from Abra Málaga, walk via Santa Teresa and Hidroeléctrica, Machu Picchu entry and train back included. From age 8.
Pickup at 6 a.m. and a drive via Ollantaytambo to Abra Malaga (4,316 m), where you get a full-suspension bike and protective gear for a descent of about 3 hours and 55 km to Huamanmarka. A van continues to Santa Maria, and you walk to an eco house in Pispitayoc. Day two follows an Inca path through orange, coffee and coca plantations to the Huacarcasa viewpoint, lunch in Quellomayo, the Cocalmayo hot springs and Santa Teresa. Day three is about 3 hours on foot to Hidroeléctrica and 3 more hours to Aguas Calientes. Day four covers Machu Picchu and the return via Ollantaytambo to Cusco; the listing gives no further detail for that day.
Rafting and zipline are optional activities at extra cost, and the Cocalmayo hot springs entrance is not included. Machu Picchu entry is listed as included, as is the train from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo; the train class is not named. The inclusions list nights in Santa Maria, Santa Teresa and a hostel in Aguas Calientes, while the day-one itinerary names a homestay in Pispitayoc. Minimum age is 8.
Hotel pickup at 6 a.m. A representative visits your hotel between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. the evening before.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Down into the Apurímac canyon and up to Choquequirao, back to Cusco via Saywite. No Machu Picchu.
Departure from Cusco between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. to Capuliyoc (2,911 m), reached around 8:30 a.m. for breakfast. Day one is 4 hours downhill to lunch at Chiquiska and 2 more hours to camp at Santa Rosa (1,478 m), about 6 hours of walking in total. Day two is headed La Playa, Marampata and Choquequirao. Day three starts at sunrise at Choquequirao, goes downhill to Santa Rosa for lunch and on to camp at Chiquiska. Day four is a 4-hour climb back to Capuliyoc for lunch, then a private transfer with a stop at the Saywite stone and drop-off at your hotel around 5 p.m.
The day-two text in the listing repeats day one word for word, so the actual program for the arrival day at Choquequirao is not described. Entry to the Choquequirao site is not named under the inclusions. A personal porter carries up to 7 kg; mattress, sleeping bag and trekking poles are optional extras. The listing's own elevation and distance figures differ between days.
Pickup from hotels, Airbnbs and other places in Cusco between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m.; drop-off at your hotel around 5 p.m. on day 4.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Over Charkahuaylla at 4,450 m to the Cachiccata quarry, train to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu on day four.
Pickup around 7:00 a.m. and a drive into the Sacred Valley to Racca. Day one is about 3 hours past the Pachar petroglyphs and the Ñaupa Iglesia shrine to lunch in Soccma, then 3 hours uphill to the Perolniyoc waterfall and camp near the Q'orimarca site. Day two climbs 4 hours to Charkahuaylla (4,450 m), the highest point, with an offering ceremony, lunch by a lake, a second pass at Buena Negra (4,370 m) and the descent to the Intipunku sun gate and camp at Choquetacarpo (3,600 m). Day three is all downhill to the Cachiccata quarry and community, then a bus to Ollantaytambo for dinner and the train to a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes. Day four is a 2 to 3 hour guided tour of Machu Picchu, the bus down and the train and bus to Cusco.
Machu Picchu entry is not included: buy the ticket yourself well in advance, or add it as an option when you book, also well ahead. The same goes for Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain. The train is round trip with one way on the Vistadome; the listing does not say which leg. The Machu Picchu bus up and down and airport transfers are included. The first breakfast and the last lunch are not included, and mattress, sleeping bag and poles are optional extras.
Hotel pickup in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, including Airbnbs, around 7:00 a.m. Ends with train and bus back to Cusco.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
| Trek | Days | Highest point | Inca Trail permit | Into Machu Picchu | Nights (listing) | Fitness (listing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inca Trail, classic | 4 | Dead Woman's Pass, 4,215 m | Yes, limited per day | On foot through the Sun Gate | Tents, shared by two | Moderate (Alpaca), high (TreXperience) |
| Short Inca Trail | 1 or 2 | Sun Gate, about 2,700 m | Yes, limited per day | On foot through the Sun Gate | Hotel in Aguas Calientes on the 2-day version | Moderate |
| Salkantay | 4 or 5 | Salkantay Pass, 4,630 m | No | Walk or train to Aguas Calientes, bus up | Domes, glass cabins or tents, last night in a hotel | High |
| Lares | 4 | Up to 4,758 m, depending on the route | No | Train to Aguas Calientes, bus up | Tents, last night in a hotel | Moderate and strong on the same listing |
| Inca Jungle | 4 | Abra Málaga, 4,316 m, reached by vehicle | None named in the listing | Walk from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes | Lodges and a hostel | Moderate |
| Choquequirao | 4 or 5 | About 3,100 m on the trail | None named in the listing | Does not go there | Camps in the Apurímac canyon | Moderate |
Heights and nights as given in the tour listings (Alpaca Expeditions, Salkantay Trekking, SAM Travel Peru, Inkas Destination, TreXperience). Permit status from the Inca Trail rules and the trekking literature; for the Inca Jungle and Choquequirao routes no permit is named in the listings.
The classic Inca Trail starts at Km 82 near Ollantaytambo and crosses Dead Woman's Pass on the second day. On the fourth morning you walk through the Sun Gate and see Machu Picchu from above before you reach it. That arrival on foot is what no other trek here can offer. The one- and two-day Inca Trail keeps it: from Km 104 you walk past Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate in a day, and on the two-day version you sleep in Aguas Calientes and get a guided visit the next morning.
The price for that is the permit. The trail allows 500 people a day, and guides, porters and cooks count towards that number, so permits for the dry season can be gone months ahead. The whole network also closes every February for maintenance; in 2026 it was shut from 31 January and reopened on 1 March. If you have no permit yet, see Inca Trail sold out.
The Salkantay trek reaches the highest point of any trek on this page, the pass below Salkantay at 4,630 m on the second day. Salkantay Trekking adds Humantay Lake on the first afternoon and asks for a high level of fitness and an age of at least 12. From the pass the route drops into cloud forest and coffee farms, so you pack for frost and for heat. You end in Aguas Calientes on foot along the railway from Hidroeléctrica, or by train from there if you pay for it on the spot. The bus up to Machu Picchu is included on that tour, the bus down is not.
The camps are what sets Salkantay tours apart from each other: domes with a view of the glacier on one, glass cabins and a hobbit house on another, plain tents on cheaper versions. Read the nights listed before you book.
The Lares trek crosses the Lares valley through weaving and farming communities, with hot springs on the first day of the Alpaca Expeditions tour. It has no permit and fewer trekkers than the Inca Trail, but it does not reach Machu Picchu on foot: on the third afternoon you take the train to Aguas Calientes and the bus up the next morning. The pass height depends on the operator's route; SAM Travel Peru gives 4,758 m for the Pachacútec pass, Alpaca Expeditions names its pass without a height. The same Alpaca listing asks for moderate fitness in one line and strong fitness in the next.
The Inca Jungle trek starts with a drive to Abra Málaga at 4,316 m and a long downhill on a mountain bike. The rest is lower and warmer: a walk on an old Inca path above Santa Teresa, the Cocalmayo hot springs (entry not included), and about six hours on foot via Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes. Rafting and zipline cost extra on the tour compared here. The minimum age is 8. Of the treks that end at Machu Picchu, this one has the least time at altitude, but the listing for the fourth day has no description, so check how you get up to the site.
The Choquequirao trek goes to a different Inca site, in the Apurímac canyon. You walk down from Capuliyoc at about 2,900 m to the river at around 1,500 m, climb to Choquequirao, then go back the same way, with long descents and climbs on every day. The TreXperience tour returns to Cusco by road via the carved rock of Saywite and does not include Machu Picchu. Its listing repeats the first day's text under day two, and tents are not named among the inclusions, only mattress and sleeping bag as optional rentals. It is the one trek here with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, according to the listing.
One more route without a permit runs from Racca in the Sacred Valley over Charkahuaylla at 4,450 m to the Inca quarry of Cachiccata and its own Sun Gate, Inti Punku, which looks across the valley rather than at Machu Picchu. On the TreXperience tour you sleep two nights in tents, take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes on day three and visit Machu Picchu on day four. The Machu Picchu ticket is not included; buy it well in advance or add it as an option when you book. Details and the other options are on the page Inca Trail sold out.
Almost all the tours here are sold as final, with no refund. Check the cancellation terms on each tour before you book, and plan two or more days in Cusco first (altitude and acclimatization). For the rain and the February closure see best time to go; for the time slots at the site, Machu Picchu circuits.
Of the treks compared here, Salkantay goes highest, with a pass at 4,630 m, and Salkantay Trekking asks for a high level of fitness. Choquequirao is lower but has long descents and climbs on every day.
Only the Inca Trail, in its classic and short versions. Salkantay, Lares and the Quarry Trail need no permit. The Inca Jungle and Choquequirao listings name no permit either.
No. The Choquequirao tour goes to a different Inca site and returns to Cusco by road. Lares and the Quarry Trail reach Aguas Calientes by train, Salkantay and Inca Jungle on foot or by train from Hidroeléctrica.
The Inca Trail network closes every February for maintenance. The other treks are sold in February, but it is the middle of the rainy season, and in January 2026 the authorities discussed closing the route via Hidroeléctrica after landslides.
On most of the treks here, no: the listings say all sales are final. The Choquequirao tour allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Check the terms on each tour.
On the classic Inca Trail and Lares, yes, with a hotel on the last night on Lares. Salkantay tours use domes, glass cabins or tents depending on the operator. Inca Jungle uses lodges and a hostel.
The treks and train tours left when the permits are gone.
The classic route from Km 82 with three nights in tents.
Over the 4,630-metre pass to Aguas Calientes, with domes or tents.
One or two days from Km 104 to the Sun Gate.
How high each trek goes and how many days to allow in Cusco first.
Which circuit each tour books and what that means on the day.
Two questions, and the finder suggests a tour from Cusco with two alternatives.
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