The 15 Best Inca Trail & Salkantay Treks

1.4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 432 reviews · 4 days · from $470Our pick

This four-day Inca Jungle route combines a 50-kilometer downhill bike ride, jungle hikes, coffee roasting, optional rafting and ziplining, Cocalmayo hot springs, and Machu Picchu. A bilingual guide such as Francis, Gerson, Luis, or Amaru leads the small group, with meals, lodging, tickets, and return transport included.

“I loved the activities and I think the only improvement was just more information the packing list.”

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2.7 Lakes Ausangate Trek with Breakfast and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 360 reviews · 1 day · from $29Best value

Leave Cusco before dawn for Pacchanta, then hike about 13 kilometers past Ausangate’s seven high-altitude lakes. English and Spanish guides such as Kevin, Eduardo, Carlos, and Diana lead the group, with horses available locally for an extra fee. Breakfast, lunch, transport, and hot springs complete this long but memorable day.

“Diana was a great guide! The meal included was good as well”

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3.Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Panoramic Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 260 reviews · 2 days · from $582

This two-day trip combines the 12 to 16 km short Inca Trail with Chachabamba, Wiñaywayna, the Sun Gate, and a full Machu Picchu tour. English or Spanish-speaking guides lead groups of up to 16, with chef-prepared trail meals, one hotel night, and a Vistadome train ride home. Guide names vary, with past groups praising Gilbert, Jason, Alejandro, and Abelardo.

“fantastic experience. the guides were brilliant. the company were efficient and well organised and were were lucky to be with a great group of people. the whole trek was hard, but to arrive at Machu Pichu this way, after having to make a really effort, made the whole experience so much more worthwhile.”

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4.2-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 244 reviews · 2 days · from $290

Travel from Cusco to Hydroelectric, walk 2.5 hours through the Santa Teresa Valley, and spend the night in Aguas Calientes. The next morning, reach Machu Picchu on foot or by bus for a guided Circuit 2 visit and free exploration. The $290 price includes transport, lodging, meals, admission, and an English or Spanish guide, but not the Machu Picchu bus.

“If you want a taste of the Inca Trail without committing to four days, go for this. Good hike, decent difficulty but rewarding, and Machu Picchu is priceless. Loved every second.”

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5.Inca Trail 2-Day Overnight Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 203 reviews · 2 days · from $585

Travel from Cusco by train, hike from KM 104 through Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, then sleep in Aguas Calientes before a guided Machu Picchu visit. English speaking guides such as Walter, Victor, and Alex are praised for patient pacing and vivid Inca stories. The small group is limited to 16 people.

“Walter and the food and the hotel were top notch. Beyond expectations!”

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6.Short Inca trail to MachuPicchu || 2days – 1nigth ||

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 103 reviews · from $670Top rated

You’ll hike from Km 104 through Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, then spend the night in Aguas Calientes before an early guided visit to Machu Picchu. The private two-day trip costs $670 per person and includes trains, buses, entrance fees, meals, and Cusco transfers. Guides may include Baleria, Britzi, or Darex.

“Great tour for Machu Picchu. Excellent tour guide Baleria. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful. Highly recommended”

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7.Salkantay Trek Challenge – 3 Days / 2 Nights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $680

Take the fast, demanding route from Cusco over the 4,630-meter Salkantay Pass to Machu Picchu. You will sleep at Mountain Sky View and in Aguas Calientes, with meals, a guide, horse-carried duffel, safety gear, train, and transfers included. Guides such as Marco, Guido, and Cesar Quispe have been praised for patient support and strong group spirit.

“Salkantay Trekking does a great job in ensuring all the conditions are set for this hard challenge to be doable for everyone.”

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8.Small Group 5 Days Salkantay and Machu Picchu by Llactapata Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $593

Trek from Cusco across the Salkantay Pass, past Humantay Lake, tropical farms, and Llactapata ruins before reaching Machu Picchu. Groups are limited to nine, with bilingual guides, meals, mules for up to 7 kilograms of gear, camping, a private room in Aguas Calientes, and train transport back to Ollantaytambo. Guides may include Jainor, Carlos, Dario, Henry, or Rolando.

“Jainor was a gem of a tour guide. He is clearly passionate about Incan history and culture, and he conveys this well to the group. He also transitioned extremely smoothly between Spanish and English when explaining things in amazing detail and depth. He was never rushed, always taking the time to answer everyone’s questions. Lastly, he dealt well with the varying physical conditions of the group, with age ranges from 21 to 67.”

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9.Choquequirao Trek 4 days and 3 nights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 81 reviews · 4 days (approx.) · from $698

This four-day Choquequirao trek takes you from Cusco into the Apurimac Canyon and to one of Peru’s least-visited Inca sites. You hike with an English-speaking guide, chef, and porter, enjoy four breakfasts, four lunches, and three dinners, and carry only a small personal bag. Guide Elias and chef Leandro have earned especially warm praise on past departures.

“Trip of a lifetime! We did the 4-day, 3-night TreXperience Trek with Gary (lead guide) and Sergio (support guide) and “Chef Ratatouille” Balbino starting Sept 8th, 2025. Length of trip was just about right - long enough to get good hikes bu”

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10.5-Day Salkantay Trek with Panoramic Train

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 5 days · from $655

Trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu via Humantay Lake and Salkantay Pass, with glamping at 4,150 meters, cloud-forest huts, a Pachamanca feast, coffee tasting, and a night overlooking the citadel at Llactapata. Small groups of up to 16 travel with English or Spanish guides, cooks, muleteers, and a panoramic train back to Cusco.

“Fantastic trip! All of the staff were incredible. The food was delicious and better than the restaurant food we had in aquas calientes. Cesar was a brilliant guide and looked after us really well. Some highlights. Salkantay mountain standing over our campsite first night. The night sky first night. The very distant view of macchu picchu on the fourth night. Some tips - you need cash in Peru. Be prepared. Altitude was a problem on the first day of the trip and medication (acetazolamide) helped those who had it.”

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11.2-Day Inca Trail To Machu Picchu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · from $550

You’ll hike 16 km from Km-104 through cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, then visit Machu Picchu with a private English-speaking guide. Guides such as Ruben, Wilbur, Mauro, and Marko have led past departures. The $550 price includes permits, train and bus transport, breakfast, lunch, and Cusco transfers.

“Overall, the 2-day tour was an excellent experience. To put it briefly, I had a truly transformative experience hiking up to Machu Picchu. The beauty and majesty of the mountains make it readily clear why the Incas came to the site to connect Read more”

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12.Ausangate Trek 5 Days

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $660

Spend five days circling Ausangate, Peru’s sacred 6,384-meter mountain, with a small group of up to 10. Guides such as Guillermo, Urbano, and Chino lead you across high passes, glacial lakes, and remote villages, while cooks prepare full meals and horse drivers carry camp gear. Expect thin air, cold nights, and some of the Andes’ finest scenery.

“Where to begin? A fabulous trek with an incredible team. There were two of us, and we were pampered by the Vidal Expedition team. Ansangate is a captivating mountain, and it must be experienced with people who reveal its spirituality to you. Every day we went from glacier to glacier, from color to color, from discovery to experience. The expedition was very comfortable with top-notch equipment transported by our horse driver Angel. We ate more than enough thanks to our cook Beni and our assistant cook Euden, and we were expertly guided by our guide Chino. Thank you all for your good humor and smiles, thank you for all these…”

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13.4 Day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu Multi day tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · from $930

Trek 42 kilometers from Km 82 to Machu Picchu in four days with guides such as Nico, César, or Plinio. Sleep in tents, cross Dead Woman’s Pass, explore Inca ruins, and enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. Porters carry up to 7 kilograms of your gear, while a chef prepares meals along the trail.

“Amazing trip. We had the best guide Nico. The food along the trip was fantastic despite the fact we were camping. The porters, chef, guide and company that ran this tour were second to none. No question went unanswered.”

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14.Classic Inca Trail 4 Days to Machu Picchu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 4 days (approx.) · from $820

Hike 42 kilometers from Km 82 to Machu Picchu with Vidal Expeditions over four days. A bilingual guide leads a group of up to eight past Llactapata, high mountain passes, cloud forest ruins, and the Sun Gate. Camping, meals, porters, cooking, and the Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo train are included.

“If the Inca Trail is on your bucket list then don't hesitate to book with Vidal Expeditions. Great communication and planning before we arrived in Peru and throughout the entire trek.”

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15.2 Days Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with hotel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $750

Start from Cusco with hotel pickup, ride to Km 104, and hike through Wiñaywayna to Machu Picchu’s Sun Gate. A private English-speaking guide, hotel, meals, entry tickets, buses, and trains are included. You’ll sleep in Aguas Calientes, then visit the citadel early the next morning with time to explore on your own.

“I had an amazing experience with this Cusco and Machu Picchu tour! The company took care of everything from start to finish. The arrangements were smooth, the hotel was great, and our guide Dominic was excellent, very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about the history. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Peru!”

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