Is it too late to go on the 4 day Inca Trail in mid August??!!

[jdc505]

Hi, my friend and I are travelling to Bolivia and Peru this August and will get into Peru on approximately the 16th/17th of August. We'd really like to do the standard 4 day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu but have heard that we have to book this 3 months in advance, is there any way around this? Thanks, Joe

[Mark]

Hi Joe,

Only 500 permits per day are issued for the Inca Trail and with 3 weeks to go it is very unlikely you'll be able to get a permit. Do contact some travel agencies in Cuzco as soon as possible. You never know, maybe, just maybe, it's your lucky day.

There is an alternative hike to Machu Picchu, equally breathtaking, the Lares trek. You do not need pemits for the Lares trek. Read details here about the Lares trek.

Have fun! Keep us posted about your trip.


Best wishes,
Mark

[zabeth]

Hi joe,

Like mark said it's very unlikely that you find a place on the inca trail you should do this with months in advance and your peru travelagency should do it for you, but you can always do the Salkantay trek (this is the no.1 alternative to the Inca Trail) most people do this route because they cannot get on the Trail or they want to avoid the crowds. It is more of a nature trail, and actually has much better landscapes than the Inca Trail, but you do miss out all the archeological sites that are on the Inca Trail! There are no ruins on the Salkantay route.

Salkantay is a lot cheaper than the Inca Trail as well. You should not pay more than $180 to do this trail.

With Salkantay Trek you also do get to experience the sunrise over MP, because you arrive in Aguas Calientes on the 4th day and then on the 5th day you get up early to walk up to Machupicchu for the sunrise.

hope this helps