Treks

Inca Trail & Treks to Machu Picchu

Walking in instead of riding the rails — the classic Inca Trail and its permit, the Salkantay, the Lares, and how to choose between them.

By Marisol Quispe·Updated Jun 20262 min read·1 sections

Hikers descending an Inca Trail pass through golden ichu grass toward the Andean peaks

Photo: Juan Carlos / Unsplash

The short version

✓The classic four-day Inca Trail needs a permit booked months ahead and closes every February for maintenance.
✓The Salkantay trek needs no permit and is the most popular alternative; the Lares is quieter and more cultural.
✓Treks arrive at the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) for the first view — a different entrance to the bus-and-ticket crowd.

Permit, or no permit

The decision splits cleanly. The classic Inca Trail is capped and permitted, sells out months in advance, and shuts for all of February. The Salkantay and Lares routes need no permit and can be arranged closer to your dates. Either way you end up at the citadel, but the trail you choose shapes the whole trip — and how early you have to commit.

Getting there

Treks set against the train and bus options.

When to go

Dry-season trekking and the February trail closure.