Machu Picchu by bus, day 4/5Cusco: 4-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Panoramic Train
$564pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Machu Picchu by bus or train · 27 treks, no permit
Inca Trail Alternative
If the classic permits are gone or it is February, when the trail is closed, three routes still reach Machu Picchu on foot and need no permit. Salkantay is the closest in feel, with a pass above 4 600 m and camping; Inca Jungle is the cheapest and most active; Lares goes through Andean villages. The most-reviewed of all is Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation at $470, ★ 4.8 from 862 reviews — despite its name, an Inca Jungle trek, not the Inca Trail.
Check dates · $470
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
0 kmof Inca Trail, no permit
Three routes without a permit
Inca Trail Closed? Three Ways to Machu Picchu on Foot
The high pass
Four or five days over the Salkantay pass, glacier views, glamping domes or camps, Machu Picchu by bus on the last day. From $343, 15 listings.
Machu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
Machu Picchu by bus, day 4/5Cheapest with a guide
Machu Picchu by bus, day 4/5New listingBike, raft, walk
Four days: a downhill bike ride from Abra Málaga, optional rafting and ziplining, a walk through coffee country and hostel nights. From $401, 11 listings.
Machu Picchu by bus, day 4Most reviewedCusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation
$470pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Machu Picchu by bus, day 4From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Jungle Adventure to Machu Picchu
$560pp, fromBook this trek
one traveller pays $1,040 · free cancellation to 24 h
Machu Picchu by bus, day 4Villages and weavers
Four days through the Lares valley and its communities, two nights camping and one in Aguas Calientes, horses carry 7 kg. One listing.
Machu Picchu by train, day 4Every no-permit trek on GetYourGuide
All 27 Inca Trail Alternatives Compared
Deposit listings show the deposit and the total; one Salkantay listing with a 1.0 rating from four reviews is shown as it is.
We earn a commission when you book through our links; it does not change your price or our order.
From-prices as of 28 Sep 2026, per person, checked on GetYourGuide.
27 treks · Salkantay, then Inca Jungle, then Lares; most reviewed first
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepglamping
Rating
From, pp$150now · $320 total
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backVistadome or 360°
Groupup to 16
You sleepglamping
Rating
From, pp$564pp, from
From Cusco: Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days 4 Nights.
Cheapest with a guide
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 12
You sleepdomes
Rating
From, pp$343pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepdomes
Rating
From, pp$410pp, from
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: 5-Day Premium Trek
Deposit price
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 18
You sleepcamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$100now · $560 total
Salkantay 5D/4N - Llactapata - Sky Domes
New listing
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepdomes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$490pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleepglamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$493pp, from
Salkantay Trek 5D/4N-LLactapata – Domes
New listing
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepdomes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$519pp, from
Salkantay Route 4Days/3Nights Domes
New listing
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepdomes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$580pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepcamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$600pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupyour party only
You sleepcamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$720pp, from · private
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 14
You sleepdomes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$748pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 10
You sleepcamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$804pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 9
You sleepcamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$1,159pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4/5
0 kmno permit
Train backVistadome
Groupyour party only
You sleepcamping
RatingNew listing
From, pp$1,265pp, from · private
Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation
Most reviewedsells to one
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleephostels, Santa María
Rating
From, pp$470pp, from
From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Jungle Adventure to Machu Picchu
solo pays more
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleephostels
Rating
From, pp$560pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupyour party only
You sleeplodges
Rating
From, pp$550pp, from · private
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 9
You sleeplodges
Rating
From, pp$476pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepnot stated
Rating
From, pp$459pp, from
4 day route through the Inca jungle
New listing
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepnot stated
RatingNew listing
From, pp$401pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleephotels
RatingNew listing
From, pp$414pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleepnot stated
RatingNew listing
From, pp$429pp, from
Inca Jungle 4 Day Trek
New listing
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleephotels
RatingNew listing
From, pp$439pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleephotels
RatingNew listing
From, pp$500pp, from
Inca Jungle 4 Days/3 Nights
New listing
ArrivalMachu Picchu by bus, day 4
a sectorno permit
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleeplodges
RatingNew listing
From, pp$519pp, from
ArrivalMachu Picchu by train, day 4
0 kmno permit
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 16
You sleepcamping
Rating
From, pp$795pp, from
Salkantay with the panoramic train
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu — Check a Date
The format in one screen
What the Alternatives Are
- 0permits needed
- 4 600 m+Salkantay pass
- 4–5 daysSalkantay · 4 days Jungle and Lares
- Busthe last stretch to the citadel
- Openin February, when the Inca Trail is closed
- $343lowest from-price, no deposit
None of these treks walks the Inca Trail or passes the Sun Gate; they reach Aguas Calientes by other valleys and go up to the citadel by bus. What they share is that nobody rations them. You can book them weeks ahead, in any month, including February.
Salkantay is the mountain alternative: a long climb to a pass above 4 600 m, glacier views and nights in camps, domes or huts, then the cloud forest down to the valley. Inca Jungle trades altitude for activity. Lares is the quiet one, through weaving villages.
HonestIf walking into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate is the point, the short Inca Trail is often still open when the classic permits are gone.
The mountain route
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Salkantay is what people choose when they wanted the classic trail and could not get a permit. It is higher, longer and emptier: four or five days, a pass above 4 600 m under the Salkantay glacier, Humantay Lake on many itineraries, then a long descent into cloud forest and coffee country. The last night is in Aguas Calientes, and the citadel is on the final morning, reached by bus.
The 15 Salkantay listings range from $343 to $1,159 per person, without the two that show only a deposit. The most-reviewed with a full price is Cusco: 4-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Panoramic Train with glamping, Andean huts, a 3-star hotel and the panoramic train back.
DepositTwo Salkantay listings show $100 and $150; those are down payments, with the balance paid in Cusco.
Check dates · $470sells to one traveller · non-refundable
The active route
Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu in 4 Days
The Inca Jungle trek starts with a downhill mountain-bike ride from the Abra Málaga pass, then adds rafting and ziplining on some listings, a day of walking through coffee farms and a section of old Inca path, the hot springs of Cocalmayo and simple nights in Santa Teresa and Aguas Calientes.
It is the cheapest way to reach Machu Picchu on foot and the most reviewed product in the whole category: Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation has 862 reviews at ★ 4.8. Its name says "Inca Trail"; the route is the jungle one, and it needs no permit.
Check dates · $470sells to one traveller · non-refundable
The village route
Lares Trail to Machu Picchu, 4 Days
One listing crosses the Lares valley through Andean communities, with the salt ponds of Maras, a pachamanca and horses that carry 7 kg of your things. Two nights camping, one in Aguas Calientes, and the panoramic train back. From $795.
4-Day Inca Trail or Quarry Trail to Machu Picchu
One classic listing sells the Inca Trail and the Quarry Trail as two routes of the same four-day product; the Quarry Trail needs no Inca Trail permit and ends with a hotel night. It sits in the classic 4-day table; check which route your date runs.
Check dates · $470sells to one traveller · non-refundable
In order of preference
Inca Trail Sold Out: Plan B, in Order
- Try the short trail. Its 250 permits a day from Km 104 often outlast the classic quota; you still enter through the Sun Gate.
- Salkantay. No permit, a pass above 4 600 m and glacier views, Machu Picchu by bus on day four or five.
- Inca Jungle. No permit, biking and optional rafting, simple nights in the valley; the most-reviewed product in the category.
- Lares. No permit, villages and weavers, two nights camping.
- The train. No trek at all: Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the bus up and a guided citadel.
Each of the four walking routes ends in Aguas Calientes the night before the citadel, and each includes the Machu Picchu entrance in the listing. The difference is how you get there and how high you climb on the way.
What to Pack for a No-Permit Trek
- Salkantay
- Real warm layers and gloves for the pass above 4 600 m; horses carry 5–6 kg of your things on the listings that say so.
- Inca Jungle
- Clothes that can get wet and muddy, insect repellent and swimwear for the hot springs.
- Lares
- Warm layers for two nights camping; horses carry 7 kg.
Read before you book
Inca Trail Alternatives, Reviewed
Three alternatives reviewed in full with the checkout of 29 September. None needs an Inca Trail permit, and none enters Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate.
- Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation
- Read the review — the Inca Jungle, not the Inca Trail: 862 reviews, bike and hot springs, from $470.
- From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Jungle Adventure to Machu Picchu
- Read the review — bike, raft and zipline in groups of ten; $560 each for two, $1,040 alone.
- Cusco: 4-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Panoramic Train
- Read the review — the Salkantay Pass, glamping, a hut and a hotel, Vistadome back, $564.
Salkantay or Inca Jungle
Salkantay or Inca Jungle: How to Choose
Both take four days and end at Machu Picchu without a permit. The difference is what the days are made of.
| Salkantay | Inca Jungle | |
|---|---|---|
| Days are mostly | walking, over a 4 600 m pass | biking, rafting, walking |
| Nights | camps, domes or huts, then a hotel | hostels, then a hotel |
| Highest point | about 4 600 m, on foot | Abra Málaga, by road |
| Listings | 15 | 11 |
| From | $343 | $401 |
From-prices without deposit listings, 28 Sep 2026.
- Pick Salkantay
- For mountains, a lake and a real trek; see the Salkantay trek we reviewed.
- Pick Inca Jungle
- For activities and the lowest price; see the most-reviewed jungle trek.
Check dates · $470sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Know before you pay
Inca Trail Alternative Gotchas
"Inca Trail" in the name
The most-reviewed listing is called an Inca Trail trek; it is the Inca Jungle route.
The real trail needs a permit.
Classic trailNo Sun Gate
None of these routes passes Inti Punku; the last stretch is by bus.
The short trail still does.
Short trailDeposits on Salkantay
$100 and $150 in two listings are down payments.
The table shows the total.
See the tableHigher than the Inca Trail
The Salkantay pass is above 4 600 m, higher than Warmiwañusca.
Inca Jungle stays low.
Inca JungleA 1.0 rating
One Salkantay listing has four reviews at 1.0.
It is last in its group in the table.
See the tableHostels, not hotels
Inca Jungle nights are in basic hostels on most listings.
Salkantay glamping is more comfortable.
SalkantayAlternative routes
Inca Trail Alternatives FAQ
Salkantay, if you wanted the mountains and the camping: it is higher and longer than the classic trail. Inca Jungle, if you want the cheapest active trip. Lares, if you want villages and quiet. If the Sun Gate is the point, try the short Inca Trail first; its permits often outlast the classic ones.
Yes, the whole trail — classic and short — closes every February for maintenance, and nothing is sold for that month. Salkantay, Inca Jungle and Lares stay open.
No Inca Trail permit. You still need a Machu Picchu entrance ticket, which the listings include, and your passport details for it.
Salkantay for the high pass, the glacier and the camping; Inca Jungle for biking, rafting and ziplining at lower altitude with hostel nights. Inca Jungle is cheaper; Salkantay is harder.
By Aguas Calientes: you sleep there on the last night and take the bus up to the citadel in the morning. The trains back to Ollantaytambo leave from the same town.
Weeks rather than months. There is no permit quota, so availability depends only on the operator. The Machu Picchu entrance itself can sell out in peak season, so a month ahead is sensible for June to August.
It is an adventure tour: downhill biking, optional rafting and ziplining. Listings include helmets, pads and guides; read each one for the activities included and the age limits.
Those are deposits. GetYourGuide charges the down payment and the operator collects the rest in Cusco. The table shows the full amount next to the deposit.
The most-reviewed trek without a permit
Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Accommodation
Check dates
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · listing prices as of 28 Sep 2026, checkout prices checked on GetYourGuide 26–29 Sep 2026.