Inca Trail permits are limited to 500 people a day, guides, porters and cooks included, and the dry months sell out first. If none are left for your dates, the Salkantay Trek is the usual alternative: it needs no trail permit, runs all year and still ends at Machu Picchu.
Why Inca Trail permits run out
The daily limit dates from the early 2000s, when Peru regulated the trail after years of overcrowding, and has been part of its official regulation since 2005. Only licensed operators can book permits, each one is issued in the hiker’s name and cannot be transferred, and the trail closes every February for maintenance. For May to September, book about six months ahead.
Inca Trail vs Salkantay Trek
| Classic Inca Trail | Salkantay Trek | |
|---|---|---|
| Trail permit | Required | Not required |
| Length | 4 days | 5 days |
| Highest pass | 4,215 m | Over 4,600 m |
| Group size | 16 hikers | 12 hikers |
| February | Closed | Open |
| Last stretch | Sun Gate | Bus from Aguas Calientes |
The Inca Trail’s high point is Dead Woman’s Pass; the Salkantay Pass is higher, so allow time to acclimatize in Cusco. Both of our tours include the Machu Picchu entrance ticket: on the Inca Trail you walk in through the Sun Gate, and on the Salkantay Trek you spend the last night in Aguas Calientes and ride the bus up.
How to book the Salkantay Trek
With no permit quota, you can book the Salkantay Trek much closer to your dates than the Inca Trail; in the low season, bookings within two weeks of departure are usually possible. Our 5-day Salkantay Trek tour includes camping gear, meals, a night in Aguas Calientes, the Machu Picchu entrance ticket and a 2-hour guided tour of the citadel.
For the full route, difficulty and packing list, read our Salkantay Trek guide. The Salkantay trail page has the distance and elevation profile.
