Salkantay Trek vs Inca Trail: Which Hike to Machu Picchu Is Right for You?
Choose the Inca Trail if you want to walk on original Inca stone paths past a chain of ruins and enter Machu Picchu on foot through the Sun Gate at dawn, and you can book 4 to 6 months ahead for a permit. Choose the Salkantay Trek if you want bigger mountain scenery (a 4,600 m pass under a glacier, Humantay Lake, cloud forest and coffee farms), more comfortable nights, a lower price and the freedom to book a few weeks before. Both are rated challenging, both need two days of acclimatisation in Cusco, and both are run by our own guides.
Salkantay vs Inca Trail at a glance
| Classic Inca Trail | Salkantay Trek | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 4 days, 3 nights | 4 days, 3 nights or 5 days, 4 nights |
| Walking distance | About 42 km (26 miles) | About 45 km on the three main days (7, 22 and 16 km) plus the Llactapata walk |
| Highest point | Dead Woman's Pass, 4,215 m (13,828 ft) | Salkantay Pass, 4,600 m (15,090 ft) |
| Permit | Yes: 500 per day, sells out months ahead | No permit; only the Machu Picchu ticket |
| Book ahead | 4 to 6 months for May to September | 1 to 2 months |
| Closed | Every February | Runs all year |
| Scenery | Cloud forest, high passes, Inca stonework | Glaciers, turquoise lake, high jungle, coffee farms |
| Inca ruins on the way | Patallacta, Runkuracay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Wiñay Wayna | Llactapata (first distant view of Machu Picchu) |
| Where you sleep | Tents at Ayapata, Pacaymayo and Wiñay Wayna | Sky Camp domes, Andean Huts, jungle dome (5-day) and a hotel in Aguas Calientes |
| Arrival at Machu Picchu | On foot through the Sun Gate at sunrise | By bus from Aguas Calientes, rested and showered |
| Difficulty | Challenging: steep stone steps, long day 2 | Challenging: higher pass, very long day 2, heat in the jungle |
| Price per person | From US$699 (Inca Trail 4D) and US$810 (Classic) | From US$570 (5 days) and US$620 (4 days) |
Permits and planning: the first thing that decides it
Only 500 people a day can start the Inca Trail, including guides, cooks and porters, so about about 200 trekkers get a permit for each date. Permits for the whole year go on sale in November of the previous year and the dry-season dates sell out quickly. If you are travelling between May to September and have not booked 4 to 6 months ahead, the choice may already be made for you. Our guide to Inca Trail permits 2027 explains the dates and the new rules.
The Salkantay Trek needs no trekking permit. We only need to buy your Machu Picchu entrance and train tickets, which is why you can book it 1 to 2 months ahead, and sometimes later. It also runs in February, when the Inca Trail is closed.
Difficulty and altitude: which one is harder?
Both treks are rated challenging and the honest answer is that they are hard in different ways.
The Inca Trail is a trail of stone steps. Day 2 climbs about 1,200 m from the Wayllabamba area to Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m (13,828 ft), then drops steeply to the Pacaymayo camp. Day 3 crosses a second pass at 3,950 m (12,960 ft) and includes long descents on original Inca stairways, which are tough on the knees. Distances per day are moderate, but the terrain is relentless.
The Salkantay Trek goes higher: the pass sits at 4,600 m, almost 400 m above Dead Woman's Pass, and day 2 is a long one (about 22 km) that starts in the cold below the glacier and ends in the humid high jungle. The path is mostly a wide mountain trail rather than steps, so it is easier on the joints, but the altitude and the length of that second day are what people remember.
In both cases spend at least two nights in Cusco (3,400 m (11,150 ft)) before you start, drink plenty of water, and tell your guide about any symptoms. Our guides carry oxygen and a first aid kit on both routes.
Scenery and ruins: what you actually see
The Inca Trail is a walk through history. You follow the original Inca road through the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu and pass a chain of archaeological sites that you can only reach on foot: Patallacta, the circular watchtower of Runkuracay, the cliff fortress of Sayacmarca, the terraces of Phuyupatamarca "above the clouds" and Wiñay Wayna, where you camp on the last night. The vegetation changes from dry valley to cloud forest full of orchids and bromeliads.
The Salkantay Trek is a walk through landscapes. On day 1 you visit Humantay Lake, a turquoise glacial lake at the foot of the Humantay glacier. On day 2 you stand under the ice walls of Salkantay (6,271 m) at the pass and descend in a single afternoon from alpine tundra to cloud forest. The 5-day version adds a morning on an organic coffee farm in Lucmabamba. On the last trekking day you climb to Llactapata, an Inca site with a surprising distant view of Machu Picchu from across the valley.
If ruins and the sense of walking the pilgrims' road matter most, the Inca Trail wins. If glaciers, lakes and the contrast between mountain and jungle matter most, Salkantay wins.
Where you sleep and how you arrive at Machu Picchu
On the Inca Trail you sleep three nights in tents at designated campsites (Ayapata, Pacaymayo and Wiñay Wayna). Our porters carry the tents, the dining tent, the kitchen and the toilet tent, and our chefs cook hot meals at every camp. It is comfortable camping, but it is camping: no showers, and a 3:00 am start on the last day.
On the Salkantay Trek operated by ViajaXmundo you sleep in the Sky Camp geodesic domes at Soraypampa, in Andean Huts at Chaullay, in a jungle dome at Lucmabamba (5-day option) and the final night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes, with a hot shower before your visit.
The arrival is the other big difference. Inca Trail trekkers walk into Machu Picchu through Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, as the first light hits the citadel, and enter the site directly through Circuit 3-B. Salkantay trekkers take the bus up from Aguas Calientes in the morning, like most visitors, and can use the extra energy to add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain.
Best time of year for each trek
The dry season, May to September, is the best time for both: clear skies, cold nights and the lowest chance of rain. June, July and August are the busiest months and the ones where the Inca Trail permits disappear first.
From November to March expect afternoon rain on both routes. The Inca Trail is closed in February. Salkantay runs all year, although in the wettest weeks the pass can see snow and the jungle section gets muddy; a good rain jacket and gaiters make the difference.
April and October are a good compromise: fewer people, mostly dry days and, for the Inca Trail, permits that are easier to find.
So, which one should you choose?
- Choose the Inca Trail if you booked early, you want the ruins and the Sun Gate arrival, and you are happy with three nights in a tent. See the Classic Inca Trail 4 days or the Inca Trail 4 days 3 nights.
- Choose Salkantay if the permits are gone, you are travelling in February, you prefer glaciers and lakes, you want real beds and a hot shower, or you want to spend less. See the Salkantay Trek 5 days (with the coffee farm) or the Salkantay Trek 4 days.
- Want both? Some of our clients do Salkantay first and come back for the Inca Trail. If you have ten days, the Choquequirao Trek is the third great option, and you will almost certainly have the citadel to yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Salkantay Trek harder than the Inca Trail?
The Salkantay Trek reaches a higher point (4,600 m against 4,215 m (13,828 ft)) and has a longer second day, so the altitude is tougher. The Inca Trail has steeper stone steps and more descents, which many people find harder on the knees. Both are rated challenging and both need two days of acclimatisation in Cusco.
Do I need a permit for the Salkantay Trek?
No. There is no daily trekking permit for Salkantay. You only need the Machu Picchu entrance ticket and the train, which we include and buy for you. That is why it can be booked 1 to 2 months ahead instead of 4 to 6 months.
Does the Salkantay Trek go through the Sun Gate?
No. The Sun Gate (Inti Punku) is the end of the Inca Trail. Salkantay trekkers reach Aguas Calientes on the afternoon of the last trekking day and go up to Machu Picchu by bus the next morning.
Which trek is cheaper?
Salkantay. Our Salkantay Trek 5 days starts at US$570 and the 4-day version at US$620 per person, against US$699 for the Inca Trail 4 days and US$810 for the Classic Inca Trail. The difference is mainly the government permit and the porter team.
Can I do the Inca Trail in February?
No. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance. The Salkantay Trek runs all year and is the usual alternative for February travellers.
Which trek has better views of Machu Picchu?
Each has one unforgettable view. The Inca Trail gives you the sunrise panorama from the Sun Gate. The Salkantay Trek gives you the rare distant view from the Llactapata ruins across the valley, which very few visitors ever see.
Official sources: Ministry of Culture of Peru: official Machu Picchu and Inca Trail tickets · SERNANP, Peru’s protected natural areas service · UNESCO World Heritage: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
