Alternative Treks, A unique way to experience Peruvian nature while visiting the modern world’s wonder, Machu Picchu. A Peruvian Andes excursion that takes ancient roads not part of the classic “Inca Trail” to the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu. These alternative tours are not subject to government regulations or permits, making them easier to book. They are just as beautiful and rich in history as the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, but less crowded.
We offer a variety of Alternative tour options from which you can select the one that best suits your needs. Examine each one we provide by difficulty, length, and other factors we include to make your search more personalized.
The main distinction between the Alternative Treks and the Inca Trail Treks is that the hiking section of your journey will end in or near Aguas Calientes. The final night of the journey is spent in a rural hotel, and on the final day, you will take a bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide for a visit of the ruins.
You can choose an Alternative Trek and ALSO add on 2 additional days of hiking the classic Inca Trail. This means you’ll hike gorgeous and less crowded alternative trek trails while STILL getting to walk through the Sun Gate into Machu Picchu early on your final hiking day! These optional treks are denoted by “Trek Name + Inca Trail.”
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Alternative routes to Machu Picchu are excellent options for travelers looking for an authentic trekking experience in the Peruvian Andes. Unlike the Inca Trail, these hikes offer less crowded trails, spectacular landscapes, and a deeper connection with nature.
Among the most popular alternative routes are the Salkantay Trek, Lares Trek, Ausangate Trek, and Choquequirao Trek with an extension to Machu Picchu. Each route offers unique experiences, allowing travelers to explore impressive mountains, high-altitude lakes, traditional Andean communities, and a great diversity of flora and fauna.
One of the most special aspects of these treks is the opportunity to sleep under the stars in the middle of the Andes, surrounded by remote landscapes far from the crowds.
After completing your 3, 4, or 5-day trek, you will arrive at Machu Picchu through Aguas Calientes. In general, travelers who hike alternative routes arrive at the citadel earlier than those entering through the Inca Trail, allowing them to enjoy a more relaxed visit.
Entrance to Machu Picchu is included in most of our trekking packages. However, it is very important to book in advance to secure availability for the best visitor circuits. We recommend booking at least 3 to 6 months in advance. If you can plan your trip 8 months or even one year ahead, even better, as this significantly increases your chances of obtaining the best available circuit to visit Machu Picchu.
After the pandemic, the Peruvian Government implemented a circuit system to organize the flow of visitors inside Machu Picchu. There are currently three main circuits:
Circuit 2 is the most requested because it allows visitors to explore a large part of the citadel and access some of Machu Picchu’s most iconic areas. Due to its high demand, tickets often sell out quickly.
For this reason, we recommend booking your trip at least 4 to 6 months in advance. If you plan to travel during the high season, booking 8 to 12 months ahead is the best option to secure availability for your preferred circuit.
Currently, the number of tickets for Circuit 2 is limited, so availability may sell out long before your travel date.
At Alpaca Expeditions, we manage entrance tickets as soon as we receive your booking confirmation, with the goal of securing the best available circuit for your Machu Picchu experience.
Alternative routes include treks such as:
The assigned circuit will depend mainly on availability at the time of booking.
Our priority when booking Machu Picchu tickets is:
Our main recommendation is Circuit 2, either 2A or 2B.
This route offers the most complete experience inside Machu Picchu, allowing visitors to explore a large part of the citadel and discover its most important areas from an archaeological, historical, and scenic perspective.
For this reason, Circuit 2 is considered the best option for travelers arriving at Machu Picchu after completing a trekking route.
Circuits 2A and 2B allow visitors to explore almost the entire citadel of Machu Picchu.
They are ideal for travelers who complete alternative routes such as:
Most of these travelers arrive from Aguas Calientes and are looking for a complete visit that allows them to fully appreciate this Wonder of the World.
One of the greatest advantages of Circuit 2 is that it includes access to the famous viewpoint at the Guardhouse, also known as the Watch Tower, where travelers can take the most famous panoramic photos of Machu Picchu.
This is the place where the classic images seen in magazines, documentaries, social media, and postcards around the world are taken.
In addition, this circuit allows visitors to explore a large part of the citadel, making it the best option for those who want a complete Machu Picchu experience.
The differences between these two routes are minimal. One of the variants includes an additional terrace near the main viewpoint area. However, the overall experience, the areas visited, and the photo opportunities are practically the same.
For this reason, both Circuit 2A and Circuit 2B are excellent options for visiting Machu Picchu.
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A moderately difficult hike, when planning to trek these alternative treks, it is best to plan your excursion by staying in Cusco to acclimate before beginning the hike. Regardless of fitness level, altitude is a serious issue that must be considered. A multi-day hike with varying walking hours per day.
Consider the following Alpaca Expeditions recommendations to make your trip memorable.
Find helpful answers about Peru’s alternative treks, including route options, difficulty levels, permits, packing tips, and the best time to travel. This FAQ section is designed to guide you through lesser-known trails with clear, practical information, so you can choose the experience that best matches your travel style.
The Salkantay route presents a severe level of difficulty. You will require a good degree of fitness to finish this climb due to the high altitude of the Salkantay pass, which is the highest peak.
The most popular route is the Classic Inca Trail, this trail is part of the system of roads that connected the Inca Empire. The Salkantay trek is a more strenuous tour for its high mountains and is famous for its mountain and snowy landscapes.
The temperature on this tour is above 20°C (70/80°F) during the day, but it is cold at night and early in the morning, dropping to 0°C and below.
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is one of the most popular trekking routes in Cusco, but you can do it on your own without hiring a guide and carrying your tent and food.
To do this tour on your own, pack the following items in your backpack. It is recommended that you bring first aid supplies and acclimate for a few days in Cusco before embarking on the tour.
The Salkantay trek is around 30 miles (48 km) long. It rises to a height of 4,635 meters (15,200 ft) from the ground. To prepare for the high altitude, those who are considering this walk should spend at least two days in Cusco before beginning the hike. This gives you adequate time to adjust to the altitude without experiencing any problems with altitude sickness.
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NEW and UNIQUE , 2022 add on will be the cooking class in all our camping treks , learn to cook under the stars and next to the mountains.
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Lucio Alpaca Expeditiobs
Lucio was a magnificent guide, so supportive, encouraging & knowledgeable. Easy to communicate with - English, Spanish no worries. Made you feel comfortable. Julio & crews food was exceptional. Very highly recommended 👌
An unforgettable Inca Trail experience, worth every single step!
We completed the 4-day, 3-night Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions, and it was one of the best experiences of our lives. From start to finish, everything was incredibly well organized, and we always felt like we were in the best hands.
Our guides, Javier and Emerson, were absolutely amazing. They were knowledgeable, funny, passionate, and always made sure everyone in the group was doing well. They shared so much interesting information about the history, culture, and nature along the trail, while also keeping the atmosphere fun and motivating. They took perfect care of us throughout the entire trek, and we couldn’t have asked for better guides.
A huge thank you also goes to our chef, Sebastian. Every single day he prepared multiple delicious meals that completely exceeded our expectations. We were truly spoiled with incredible food, and it’s hard to believe what he was able to cook in the middle of the mountains!
The equipment carried and set up by the porters was excellent. Everything was clean, well organized, and always ready when we arrived at camp. The entire team worked incredibly hard and made the experience comfortable from beginning to end.
The hike itself was fantastic. Day 1 was a great warm-up, Day 2 was definitely challenging, but reaching the two mountain passes and enjoying the breathtaking views made every step worthwhile. Day 3 was much easier and gave us time to fully appreciate the beautiful surroundings. Then on Day 4, walking through the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu appear in front of us was simply magical. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable journey.
We would choose Alpaca Expeditions again without hesitation. It was absolutely worth it and far more rewarding than simply taking the train.
Highly recommended!
Best Regards Luca & Lea :)
The best experience ever
This was one of the best and challenging hiking trails I’ve done . We had the best guide Rodrigo and motivated us throughout the trail
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It was beyond my expectations. Our guide Nilton was so knowledgeable in all things Inca and the health and wellbeing of his hikers. The food the was set up and offered during our hike was superior along with hotels and restaurants that were included. I would recommend this company to anyone one ask.
Great experience
We are so happy we booked our Salkantay trek with Alpaca Expeditions. The logistics were so well organised and the staff - our guide Wilbert and our cooks Avelino and Eusebia - were absolutely amazing! Wilbert had so much knowledge of the local area and taught us a lot about the geography and history of the places we visited. He allowed us to go at our own pace and supported us the whole way through.
The hike is not an easy hike due to the altitude and the elevation, so you need to be in good physical condition and acclimatised to the altitude. Some sections are also narrow with steep drop offs and the trail was affected by land slides in some areas. It made me feel safer knowing our guide knew the trail very well and had oxygen in case of an emergency.