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Alternative Inca Trails
Inca Trail 'sold out' for the summer
Limits on numbers of visitors hiking the Inca trail have succeeded in protecting the route’s stunning natural environment, but trekkers are now having to look at alternative options for their adventures in Peru this summer.
Hiking to Machu Picchu “via the back door”, this is now a very popular alternative to the Inca Trail. So much so, there are rumours that a permit system may also soon need to be introduced here. The contrasting scenery is breathtaking - descend from jagged high Andean peaks to sub-tropical valleys.
Also known as the Lares Trek, it rivals the Inca Trail for scenery, but passes through remote “living” Andean communities rather than deserted Inca ruins - a glimpse of ancient rural traditions, which have changed little since Inca times. There are also hot springs to soothe your limbs.
A challenging, mule-supported trek to what is arguably the most spectacularly located of all Inca sites - Choquequirao – perched high on a mountain side, surrounded by dense foliage. Still only partly excavated, arriving at the site gives you a real feeling of discovery.
The setting for “Touching the Void”, this tough high-Andean trek takes you into some of Peru’s most beautiful mountains, skirting massive snow-draped peaks and aquamarine glacial lakes. The remote wilderness setting is stunning.
Trek with llamas through the Cordillera Blanca’s fertile glacial valleys; passing icy crags, forests, glacial lakes and isolated communities. End at the pre-Inca site (800 BC) Chavín de Huántar.