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Four days on the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

The Inca Trail sells out months ahead. The Salkantay route is cheaper, emptier and climbs past a glacier on the way.

Permits for the classic Inca Trail go on sale in January and are gone within weeks. We only decided to go to Peru in March, so we took the Salkantay trail instead: five days (or four if you push) from Soraypampa to Aguas Calientes, with no permit needed.

Day two is the one people talk about. You climb to the Salkantay pass at 4,600 metres before lunch, with the glacier hanging above you, then drop almost three kilometres through cloud forest to camp among coffee plants. Spend at least two days in Cusco first. The altitude is not a joke.

What it cost

We booked with a small agency on Calle Plateros in Cusco for $230 each, including meals, a horse for our bags and the train back. Machu Picchu entry and the bus up were extra. Book the entry ticket online before you set off: the morning slots go first.