The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is famous all over the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists to Peru each year. It’s so popular, in fact, that it can be almost impossible to secure a place. Ed Vanstone looks at some alternative routes to the Lost City of the Incas.
With the amount of people permitted to hike Peru’s world-famous Inca trail limited to 500 a day, and trek permits ever-more difficult to obtain for the small group of companies authorised to provide guides, even in low-season the Camino Inca is often booked up many months in advance. As such, alternative Inca trails are now more and more popular – especially among backpackers.
The days of being able to rock up in nearby Cusco and organise an Inca Trail jaunt for the next day are a thing of the past. The glut of security measures, necessity of pre-planning and hefty cost of a place on what is now often referred to as the ‘classic’ trail have rendered it more the preserve of the middle-aged and middle-class than the happy-go-lucky drifter.
But all is not lost for those without the patience, wallet, or foresight to bag one of the 500 daily spots. There are now myriad alternate treks across Peru’s majestic Sacred Valley, all of which deposit successful participants at the gateway to Machu Picchu – and all of which can be booked just a day or two in advance.
Much like the classic trail, these routes aren’t for the faint-hearted – give yourself a good few days in Cusco to get used to the 3,300m altitude, and ensure you have a sturdy pair of walking boots. Always remember, it might be difficult at times, but it’s worth it: trekking to Machu Picchu offers a sense of achievement and cultural understanding of the Incas’ journeys that taking the train or bus up to the site can never hope to match.
Nothing can beat the euphoric cocktail of triumph and awe felt as you stumble the last few yards of a long hike across the mountains and are rewarded with the sight of the Incas’ masterpiece, greenly gleaming in the early morning light.
Salkantay Trek
Time: 5 days
Difficulty: Hard
Overview
The Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu reaches icy heights of up to 5000m before plunging down into sweaty cloud forest. There is the chance to visit hot springs, ample opportunity to spot skittering chinchillas, and those worried by the tough task at hand can leave a stone at the mountain pass to Pachamama (Mother Earth) in order to ensure safe passage. The sheer number of different climates traipsed through is mind-blowing – from barren icy wastes and scrub-pocked desert to sweltering overgrown jungle.
Why choose this over the classic trail?
In short: less ruins, more natural beauty. The Salkantay trek boasts some of the most spectacular vistas you will see in your life – on the fourth day offering a view of Machu Picchu nestled in the Sacred Valley that must rank alongside the most inspiring sights on the planet.
One of the chief draws to doing an alternative trek to the classic trail is the lack of other trekkers – the Camino Inca is notorious for being cluttered with bodies all year round. Here, however, unless you’re trudging deep in high season you can expect to see almost nobody else all day. Bliss.
Best for… Rugged adventurers with strong legs and a taste for glorious scenery.
Lares Trek
Time: 4 Days
Difficulty: Easy
Overview
Several variations of this amble through the beautiful Lares Valley exist, but the most popular trek, known as The Weavers Way, begins with a dip in thermal springs before proceeding up through tiny Andean villages – where trekkers can watch the intricacies of local textile-making and have a go themselves. The Ipsayccasa Pass, the highest point on the trek at 4500m, is reached on day two, and from there it’s an easy drift downhill through yet more stunning scenery and indigenous villages.
Why choose this over the classic trail?
The steps of the Inca Trail are infamous for their ability to defeat even hardy trekkers, and the Lares route has become the option for those who fear their enjoyment of the journey may be compromised by sheer exhaustion. The trek is quieter, too – and the locals you meet markedly less determined to foist your cash than the savvy peddlers encountered on the classic trail. Those looking for a more authentically Peruvian and laid-back trip should find the Lares option perfectly encapsulates their needs.
Best for… Cultured artisans who prefer a stroll to a slog.
Uchuy Qosqo
Time: 3 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Overview
Though one of the shorter treks available, the Uchuy Qosqo trek nonetheless manages to take in four archaeological complexes – including the famous Inca fortress at Ollantaytambo – as well as a number of mountain passes over 4000m, a cacti-strewn ravine, spectacular views over Quellococha lake, and a visit to the Pumamarca community. Fewer companies offer this trek than the Salkantay and Lares options, so you may need to shop around, but good deals can be found.
Why choose this over the classic trail?
Easier, shorter, quieter, cheaper. The Uchuy Qosqo trek packs in an incredible mix of tours, activities and sights in just 48 hours – with the third day devoted to exploring Machu Picchu. This trek has it all, but in truncated form, allowing those in a rush to get the most out of the Sacred Valley in the shortest period possible.
Best for… Polymaths pressed for time.
Choquequirao
Go discover the Incas’ best kept secret
Often referred to as Machu Picchu’s sister, Choquequirao is a spectacular ruined Inca city which receives a tiny fraction of the visitors its more famous sibling enjoys. This is partly down to the fact that the sole way in and out is by hiking – making a visit only possible through a difficult journey over a minimum of five days, which includes steep ascents – and partly down to sheer lack of publicity: restoration here only began in 1993 and it is thought that just 30% of the site has been uncovered thus far.
The Peruvian government has only recently started seriously planning turning the site into a major tourism hub, and so it remains – for the moment, at least – a little-known treasure.
The difficulty of the terrain and lack of visitors make Choquequirao – which means ‘Cradle of Gold’ in Quechuan, the language of the Incas – an excellent alternative for the truly adventurous, who want to recapture the thrill of the first-time explorer. The site is spread out over a far greater area than Machu Picchu, allowing its few visitors to easily avoid each other and feel like they have the city to themselves.
Other features of the site include magnificent condors, which can usually be counted on to wheel up on thermals at around 10:30am and 3:30pm, and an intriguingly top-sliced mountain, crudely flattened and stripped of vegetation to allow the Inca priests to perform rituals at the summit.
Tours are run by many companies, but you may need to wait a few days until enough people have signed up – or else seek out like-minded adventurers yourself.
Practicalities
Prices range from £30 per day for Uchuy Qosqo to £100 per day for a luxury trip to Choquequirao. Here are some of our favourite tour operators.
www.waykitrek.net
www.chaskiventura.com
www.andinatravel.com
www.enigmaperu.com
www.unitedmice.com
