Inca Trail vs Salkantay Trek (From someone who’s done both)
Choosing between the Inca Trail and the Salkantay Trek was one of the biggest decisions Dave and I had to make for our Peru trip and honestly, we struggled.. BIG TIME.
We ended up choosing the Inca Trail because it was the easier choice, being the most famous trail in Peru. We had an absolute blast and didn’t regret our choice one bit.
Then, a few years later, I had the opportunity to do the Salkantay Trek so now that I’ve done both, I can help you choose which trek is best for you.
In this guide, I outline all of the key differences between the two trails. Please keep in mind that all opinions in this guide are my personal opinions and my experiences on each of the trails might end up being different to your own.
In saying that, there are also a lot of facts such as the type of accommodation on each trek and the food and itineraries which might also help you to choose your Peruvian trek to Machu Picchu.
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Inca Trail vs Salkantay Trek at a Glance
| Feature | Inca Trail | Salkantay Trek |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Moderate to challenging | Challenging |
| Distance | ~42 km (26 miles) | ~72 km (45 miles) (varies by operator) |
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights | 5 days / 4 nights (most common itinerary) |
| Highest Elevation | Dead Woman’s Pass: 4,215 m (13,828 ft) | Salkantay Pass: 4,650 m (15,255 ft) |
| Cost | $$$ (typically USD $700–1,000+) | $$ (typically USD $500–750) |
| Accommodation | Camping | Hobbit Houses, domes or camping (depends on tour) |
| Crowds | Busier due to permit limits and popularity | Fewer hikers overall, but becoming more popular |
| Scenery | Inca ruins, cloud forest, mountain passes | Snow-capped peaks, turquoise alpine lakes, cloud forest, jungle |
| Permits Required | Yes – permits sell out months in advance | No permits required |
| Finish at Machu Picchu | Enter through the Sun Gate on foot at sunrise | Usually arrive by bus from Aguas Calientes |
| Best For | History lovers and first-time visitors wanting the classic Machu Picchu experience | Adventure seekers wanting spectacular scenery and a bigger physical challenge |
My Verdict: Which Trek Would I Choose?
Now that I have done both the Inca Trail back in 2017 and the Salkantay Trek in 2025, I feel like I can make a sound decision on which trek I would if I were going to Peru again for the first time.
Both adventures are special in their own way. On the Salkantay, you get to see Humantay Lake which is this gorgeous turquoise lake sitting below a glacier. On other parts of the trail, you get to see Salkantay Mountain itself, which is a massive snow covered mountain.
The mountains and the scenery on the Salkantay Trek gave me the impression that I was much higher in the alpine than on the Inca Trail, however, the Inca Trail still had the most epic mountains I had ever seen at the time.
If I were to go back in time and choose which trek to do, I would choose the Inca Trail every time! The main reason for this is because I absolutely loved the grand entrance to Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate at sunrise. The Sun Gate is located high above Machu Picchu so that you are watching the sunrise over Machu Picchu.
Visiting Machu Picchu after the Salkantay Trek felt a lot more underwhelming, because you reach Aguas Calientes first after hiking along the railway for what feels like forever and then the next day, you’ll be taken up to Machu Picchu by bus.
For me, the entire point of the adventure was to reach Machu Picchu, which is why the Inca Trail suits me best.
Why I chose to do both
I never planned on doing both the Salkantay AND the Inca Trail.
When I first visited Peru with my now husband Dave and we were struggling to choose between the Salkantay and the Inca, we both knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. We ended up choosing the Inca Trail and had an absolute blast. Walking through ancient Inca ruins, crossing mountain passes and finally arriving at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate was an experience neither of us will ever forget.
and then 8 years later I was given the chance to host an all women’s trip to do the Salkantay Trek! It wasn’t something I had planned, but I couldn’t say no to the chance to experience another one of Peru’s legendary treks.
After completing both routes, I can confidently say that I’m glad I didn’t have to choose just one. While they both lead to the same incredible destination, the experiences couldn’t be more different.
The Inca Trail is a journey through history, with ancient ruins around every corner and the unforgettable feeling of following an ancient path to Machu Picchu. The Salkantay Trek is a true mountain adventure, with dramatic landscapes, higher elevations and some of the most breathtaking scenery I’ve ever seen.
Personally, I think doing both was absolutely worth it, but if you only have time for one, the right choice depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for.
Inca Trail vs Salkantay Trek: The Biggest Differences
Even though these two treks are completely different to one another, there are also a lot of similarities. For example, you hike through the cloud forest on each of them and have the chance to spot Toucans. You climb to a high elevation on each of the treks and will be surrounded by absolutely insane mountains at certain points along the trails.
You will be served the most incredible food from your tour team on both treks providing you choose a tour if you do the Salkantay. On the Inca Trail, you have to go with a tour.
Difficulty
Both treks are physically demanding but I found the Salkantay Trek harder, due to the longer climb in higher altitude up to Salkantay Pass and the overall longer days.
| Inca Trail | Salkantay Trek | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily distance | 8-18km (5-10 miles) | 12-22km (7.5-13.7 miles) |
| Total distance | 42 km (26 miles) | 72 km (45 miles) (varies slightly by tour operator) |
| Highest altitude | 4,215m (13,828 ft) | 4,650m (15,255 ft) |
| Total elevation gain | Moderate | High |
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights | 5 days / 4 nights |
| Fitness level | good fitness | Very good fitness |
Daily distances: The Inca Trail has one very long day (day 2) at 16km / 10 miles and I remember struggling towards the end of the day. Day 2 is also the day that you climb to the highest point of the trail, so you also have to deal with the high altitude.
On the Salkantay most days are pretty long, with the longest being 20-22km / 12.4-13.7 miles.
Elevation gain: Both treks have significant elevation gain but the Salkantay is definitely the winner as you climb for longer up to Salkantay Pass and then again on day 4 when you hike up to Llactapata Viewpoint.
On the Inca Trail, the highest elevation gain comes on day 2 but once you’ve crossed Dead Woman’s Pass, the rest of the hike is much more manageable.
Highest altitude: The Salkantay has the highest altitude of the two treks. You will get up to 4,650m (15,255 ft), vs the Inca Trail which goes up to 4,215m (13,828 ft). Those few extra hundred metres definitely make a difference in how easy it is to breathe as you hike up the trail.
I also did Rainbow Mountain when I was in Peru, and those few extra hundred metres on top of the Salkantay elevation made a HUGE difference! I had to stop a lot more than on the Salkantay to catch my breath.
Fitness required: For the Inca Trail, neither Dave nor I had really done much multi-day hiking, but we had been training a little back in Australia in the Blue Mountains which I think helped a lot.
When I did the Salkantay, I had been day hiking and overnight hiking in Canada for around 3 years. I would personally say that you should have more fitness for the Salkantay.
If you are a total beginner, I recommend doing the Inca Trail over the Salkantay but you should definitely have some level of fitness for either hike such as being used to long walks or running, biking etc.
🏆Which felt harder? My Verdict
Winner: Salkantay Trek
The Salkantay Trek definitely felt harder for me personally. I also completed each of these treks at different times in my life. When I did the Inca Trail, I had only ever done maybe 1 overnight backpacking trip before but I was 25 years old so I had a bit of natural fitness just from being young.
When I did the Salkantay, I was 33, but also had been living in Canada for 4 years and hiking and backpacking constantly over that time.
If you are looking for the easier hike out of the 2, I would personally choose the Inca Trail.
Scenery
Both treks had the most INCREDIBLE scenery. I remember being worried when we booked the Inca Trail because everyone said that the Salkantay was more beautiful. Honestly though, I think both treks are absolutely stunning and you can’t go wrong with either.
| Feature | Inca Trail | Salkantay Trek |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain views | Huge Andes Mountains | Snow-capped including Salkantay Mountain |
| Alpine lakes | None | Humantay Lake |
| Cloud Forest | Yes | Yes |
| Ancient Inca Ruins | Multiple archaeological sites along the trail | 1 archaeological site |
| Machu Picchu arrival | Enter through the Sun Gate | Arrive by bus from Aguas Calientes |
| Landscape variety | Mountains, cloud forest and Inca ruins | Glaciers, alpine lakes, mountain passes, cloud forest, jungle, small villages, coffee plantations |
| Photography | Historic ruins and mountain scenery, cloud forests, Sun Gate arrival at sunrise | Dramatic mountain landscapes and diverse scenery |
🏆Which trek is more beautiful? My Verdict
Winner: I can’t choose!
I know a lot of people say the Salkantay is more beautiful, but I honestly can’t choose between them. If you want to be in the high alpine surrounded by snow-capped mountains and see turquoise lakes and a glacier then the Salkantay Trek is for you.
If you are in Peru to see the Inca Ruins surrounded by the towering Peruvian Andes Mountains, then the Inca Trail would be for you.
If I were to describe the mountain vibes on both treks, I would say that the Inca Trail has more jungley mountains and the Salkantay has more high alpine mountains.
History & Ruins
On the Classic 4 Day Inca Trail, you’ll visit multiple Inca archaeological sites and on the Salkantay Trek, you might visit 1 Inca site, if any as the Salkantay focuses more on natural scenery.
🏆Best History & Ruins: My Verdict
Winner: Inca Trail
The Inca Trail wins for history. Walking on the original Inca paths and passing multiple archaeological sites before reaching Machu Picchu made the journey feel much more unique.
The Machu Picchu Experience
The Machu Picchu experience is completely different on each of these treks.
On the Inca Trail, you wake up and start hiking from your camp at about 3:30am to reach the Sun Gate for sunrise, before hiking down into Machu Picchu itself. You’ll be one of the first groups there which is pretty special, but it doesn’t last long before crowds appear.
On the Salkantay, you’ll hike into Aguas Calientes first, stay a night in a hotel and then head up to Machu Picchu by bus the next day with the crowds of tourists.
On one hand, if you’d prefer to have a good nights sleep in a hotel and a shower before heading up to Machu Picchu, the Salkantay is the obvious choice, but if you are in it for the adventure, the Inca Trail will not disappoint.
🏆Best Machu Picchu Experience: My Verdict
Winner: Inca Trail
My personal favourite Machu Picchu experience is by entering via the Sun Gate on the Inca Trail. I found it had a much larger sense of achievement, not to mention the entire experience felt so magical and adventurous!
Ready to hike the Inca Trail?
Accommodation & Food
On the Inca Trail you will sleep in tents each night along the trail. There are toilet facilities at each campground but after the first day they usually consist of squat toilets only for most of the way. There were no showers along the Inca Trail so I recommend bringing baby wipes to freshen up with.
The Salkantay on the other hand, is usually a mix of camping, staying in glass cabanas and hobbit houses, depending on which tour provider you go with. I was expecting more squat toilets on the Salkantay Trail, but I didn’t even see one squat toilet.
There were a lot more facilities available on the Salkantay and when there weren’t any, the porters would set up porta toilets at the lunch spots and campsites. At any other accommodation, there were full toilet blocks available.
We even had showers during our stay at the Hobbit Houses, along with an outdoor hot tub! Well, a warm tub. 😉
The food on both treks was incredible and our teams even baked a cake for us on our last night during both treks which I think is such an awesome touch considering we were in the middle of nowhere!
🏆Best Accommodation & Food: My Verdict
Winner: Salkantay Trek
As much as I loved the camping experience on the Inca trail, the accommodation on the Salkantay Trek was really cool, especially the Hobbit Houses! It was also really nice to have a shower after hiking for so long!
The food on both treks was amazing and I would say that it is a tie for food.
Crowds
The Inca Trail is one of the most popular multi-day backpacking trips in the world and even though there are a limited number of permits provided each year, I found that it was a very crowded trail. There are loads of other tour groups that you will pass or be hiking behind or in front of through the entire trek.
You will also be at the same campsite as other groups, whereas on the Salkantay, it was only our group and maybe sometimes one other group.
The morning you arrive at Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail, the trail is also extremely crowded because everyone is trying to get to the Sun Gate for sunrise. But then again, the bus and the entrance to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes is EVEN more crowded and honestly not the most relaxing experience either.
🏆Least Crowds: My Verdict
Winner: Salkantay Trek
The Salkantay Trek felt so much quieter on the trail and the only time we really saw other people was during the hike to Humantay Lake and then from Hidroelectrica Town to Aguas Caliestes, there were lots more people on the trail.
Cost
When it comes to cost, you have to remember that the Inca Trail is one of the most sought after multi-day treks in the world, and the price tag reflects that. Your tour includes your permits for the Inca Trail and also for your Machu Picchu entrance and tour.
The Salkantay Trek is cheaper because you don’t need to obtain permits for the trail but you do still need permits for entrance to Machu Picchu which will also be included in the tour price.
The Inca Trail tends to range from USD700-1,000 whereas the Salkantay Trek ranges from USD500-750 per person.
🏆Cheapest: My Verdict
Winner: Salkantay Trek
Even though you are staying in lodgings rather than camping on the Salkantay Trek, it still works out to be cheaper than the Inca Trail.
Ready to hike the Salkantay Trail?
How to Choose Between the Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek
Which trek is better for beginners?
In my opinion and the Inca Trek is the better trek for beginner multi-day hikers. It is shorter overall and doesn’t climb quite as high in altitude as the Salkantay Trek does.
You can also choose to have your overnight backpacks carried by the porters which helps a lot. This is an additional cost but I think it’s totally worth it! This is what I did on both the Inca Trail and the Salkantay Trek and it really takes a lot of the overwhelm out of the equation.
Which trek is better for experienced hikers?
The Salkantay Trek is more suited to experienced hikers and you can actually choose to do it without a guide if you really want to challenge yourself. You just need to arrange all of your own food, carry your own bags and arrange your own accommodation along the trail.
Pros and cons of the Inca Trail
✅ Pros
- The incredible arrival at Machu Picchu: You enter through the Sun Gate, giving you your first unforgettable view of Machu Picchu. This was my favourite part of the Machu Picchu part of the hike.
- The history: You’ll learn so much along the way and see multiple Inca Ruins along the trail, including Wiñay Wayna.
- You’ll get the classic, famous Machu Picchu experience: This is one of the big reasons that we chose to do the Inca trail the first time. If the original Inca route has always been on your bucket list, this is the trek is for you.
- Amazing scenery: You get a combination of mountain landscapes, cloud forest and ancient ruins.
- Everything is well organised: Guides, porters, campsites and meals are all well organized.
❌ Cons
- It’s expensive: Due to permits, government taxes and limit availability, it is more expensive than the Salkantay Trek.
- A lot of the toilets on the trail are squat toilets: I found these especially hard to use after hiking all day. 😅
- You need to book well in advance: Permits are limited and can sell out months ahead.
- It can be crowded: It’s the most famous trekking route to Machu Picchu, so you won’t have the trail entirely to yourself.
- Camping is basic: Expect tents and basic facilities rather than the more comfortable accommodation available on some Salkantay tours.
- It’s physically demanding: Dead Woman’s Pass reaches 4,215 m (13,828 ft), and Day 2 is a serious workout.
Think the Inca Trail is for you?
Check availability dates here!
Pros and cons of the Salkantay Trek
✅ Pros
- Incredible mountain scenery: You’ll hike amongst towering snow-capped peaks, past Humantay lake and through changing landscapes.
- More affordable: The Salkantay Trek is generally much cheaper than the Inca Trail.
- No trekking permit required: You have much more flexibility when choosing your dates, meaning you can book later.
- A more adventurous experience: The higher altitude, longer hiking days and remote landscapes make it feel like a true mountain adventure.
- Fewer crowds: While the Salkantay is becoming increasingly popular, it definitely felt a lot less crowded than the Inca Trail.
- More (and unique) accommodation options: Depending on your tour, you can stay in camps, mountain lodges or unique accommodations like glass domes or Hobbit Houses.
❌ Cons
- It’s physically demanding: The longer hiking days and high altitude make this a challenging trek.
- You don’t hike directly into Machu Picchu: Unlike the Inca Trail, you’ll typically finish the trek in Aguas Calientes and take a bus to Machu Picchu. This is a big negative for me because as I’ve said already I really LOVED arriving at the Sun Gate.
- Less history along the trail: There aren’t the same ancient Inca ruins scattered along the route as you’ll find on the Inca Trail.
- The highest altitude is higher: Salkantay Pass reaches 4,650 m (15,255 ft), which can be challenging even for experienced hikers.
- The route varies between operators: Different tour companies offer slightly different itineraries, accommodation and inclusions, so it’s important to research what’s actually included before booking.
Think the Salkantay Trek is for you?
Check availability dates here!
Which trek is right for you?
Choose the Inca Trail if you:
- Want to enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate
- Love history and archaeological sites
- Want the classic Machu Picchu experience
Choose Salkantay if you:
- Want dramatic mountain scenery
- Prefer more flexible booking
- Want more accommodation options
- Don’t mind a tougher trek
frequently asked questions
Final thoughts: Inca Trail or Salkantay Trek?
I think it’s definitely all down to personal preference and what you are wanting your adventure to look like. Although, I loved both treks, the Inca Trail really stood out to be as a unique experience that I’ll never forget.
The arrival at the Sun Gate makes my recommendation to do the Inca Trail over the Salkantay Trek a no brainer for me, but if you don’t mind arriving at Machu Picchu by bus then you really can’t go wrong with either of incredible treks!
If you’d like more information of each of these treks, I have written about my experience on each of the hikes which I have linked below:
👉 My Salkantay Trek Experience
Don’t plan your trip to Peru without reading these:
- The Best Sacred Valley Tour from Cusco & Why I Think it is Worth it
- How to Get to Huacachina from Lima
- How to Spend a Magical 3 Days in Cusco
- Unique Places to Stay in Cusco
- Best Day Trips From Cusco, Peru
- Is Rainbow Mountain Worth It? What I’d Do Differently After Visiting
- Best Things to do in Paracas, Peru
- An Incredible Lima 1 Day Itinerary
- Best Things to do in Lima Peru
- Bucket List Things to Do in Peru
- Is Huacachina Worth Visiting: My Honest Option
- Is Lima Worth Visiting: My Honest Review
- Are the Nazca Lines Worth Visiting?
- Where to Stay in Lima (I found the best place ever)!
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