Side by side
| Inca Trail (classic) | Salkantay | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 4 days, 3 nights (2-day short version from Km 104) | 4 or 5 days, 3 or 4 nights |
| Distance and high point | About 43 km; Dead Woman's Pass 4,215 m | About 70 km; Salkantay Pass 4,650 m |
| Permit | Yes: 500 a day including staff, sold only to licensed operators, released each October/November for the next year, May to September gone within weeks | None. Only the Machu Picchu entry and the train or Hidroeléctrica transfer |
| Closed | Every February (routes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the network) | Never officially; operators pause in the worst of the rains, January to February |
| What you walk through | Inca paving, tunnels and stairways; Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Wiñay Wayna, none reachable by road | Glaciers and Humantay lake, the 4,650 m pass, then cloud forest, coffee farms and the Santa Teresa valley |
| The arrival | On foot through the Sun Gate at dawn on the last day, straight into the citadel | Along the tracks to Aguas Calientes the day before, bus up the next morning like every other visitor |
| At the citadel | Circuit 3B, lower sector, with a quota reserved by the operator (RM 000306-2025-MC). Other circuits are a separate ticket | Any circuit you buy yourself, including Huayna Picchu or the Mountain, if booked early |
| Camps | Tents at fixed Ministry campsites, basic toilets, porters carry the camp | Tents or operator lodges and domes with showers; mules carry the gear; a hot shower in Santa Teresa on day four |
| Price (group, operators' 2027 quotes) | Roughly $700 to $1,000 per person | Roughly $450 to $700 per person |
| How far ahead | 6 to 9 months for May to September; dates are fixed by the permit | A few weeks; dates can move |
What each one is actually like
- The Inca Trail is about the path: You walk on stone the Incas laid, through a tunnel they cut, past five ruins that only trekkers ever see, and the last morning you come through Intipunku and the city is below you in the first light. It is crowded, by design, five hundred people spread along the same campsites, and the second day is a hard one over the pass. The rules are the Ministry's: fixed campsites, fixed daily limit, a passport check at Km 82, no changes once the permit is issued. Everything about permits, the February closure and the citadel entry is in our Inca Trail explainer.
- Salkantay is about the mountains: Day one is Humantay lake, turquoise under a glacier at 4,200 m; day two is the pass at 4,650 m with Salkantay's 6,271 m face above you, and the hardest hour of either trek; then three days descending into heat, orchids and coffee, a hot spring at Santa Teresa, and the walk along the railway from Hidroeléctrica into Aguas Calientes. Fewer people, more comfort if you pay for the lodges, and a last day that looks like everyone else's: bus up at 05:30, ticket in hand.
- Altitude is harder on Salkantay: The Salkantay pass is 435 m higher than Dead Woman's Pass and you sleep higher the first night. Both need two or three nights in Cusco or the Sacred Valley first; our altitude guide covers what helps.
The part that matters to us: the citadel
Since 2026 the two treks arrive at Machu Picchu under different rules. Inca Trail groups enter through the Sun Gate and the lower city on Circuit 3B, with a daily quota set aside for the trail and booked by the operator together with the permit; it is the gentlest route, but it does not climb to the classic platforms and it does not include Huayna Picchu. If you want those, it is a second ticket on another entry hour, bought on your own. Salkantay groups arrive like any visitor: a normal entry ticket for the next morning, which you or the operator buys on the public calendar, so you can choose Circuit 2A for the whole city, or Huayna Picchu if you booked it early enough, which in high season means months ahead. In both cases, the Machu Picchu entry is the scarce piece: in June to August it sells out before the trek does. Check it first on the live calendar, and if the week you want is gone, our sold-out guide lists what still works, including the 2-Day Tour with its own allocation.
Frequent questions
Which is harder, Salkantay or the Inca Trail?
Salkantay, on altitude and distance: a 4,650 m pass against 4,215 m, about 70 km against 43, and a higher first night. The Inca Trail is harder on the knees, with thousands of stone steps, and its second day over the pass is the single hardest day of either.
Does Salkantay need a permit?
No. There is no quota and no Ministry permit; you need only the Machu Picchu entry for the last morning and the transfer or train. That is why it can be booked weeks ahead when the Inca Trail is gone.
Does the Salkantay trek end at the Sun Gate?
No. It ends at Hidroeléctrica and the walk along the tracks into Aguas Calientes; you enter the citadel the next morning by bus with a normal ticket. The Sun Gate from below is Circuit 1C, which you can add as a second ticket.
How much does each trek cost?
Licensed operators' 2027 group quotes: roughly $700 to $1,000 per person for the 4-day Inca Trail with permit, entry, porters and meals; roughly $450 to $700 for Salkantay with entry, mules and meals. Lodges, private groups and extra porters add to both.
Can I do Huayna Picchu after the Inca Trail?
Not on the trail's own entry, which is Circuit 3B. Huayna Picchu is a separate ticket on another entry hour, usually the next day, bought on your own months ahead. After Salkantay you can choose it as your main ticket if it is still available.
Which should I choose if the Inca Trail is sold out?
Salkantay for the mountains and the trek itself, with a Machu Picchu entry bought first; or the train with a night in Aguas Calientes and Circuit 1C at 06:00 for the Sun Gate without the permit.
Circuit 2A Classic
The iconic postcard photo of Machu Picchu
Whichever trek, secure the entry first
In high season the Machu Picchu entry sells out before either trek. Check your dates on the live calendar, then book the trek with a licensed operator around them.