How to Pick Which Machu Picchu Hike To Do

Planning a trip to hike Machu Picchu probably seemed like an easy thing to plan when you first decided that you wanted to go, but what you probably didn't expect was just how many choices there are.

Here's a breakdown of some of the things you'll want to think about as you decide what kind of hike you want to do.

Knowing your fitness level

Your fitness level from one perspective will dictate how challenging a hike you want to do. At a minimum, you need to be in decent physical shape to embark on this journey.

If you're eyeing the Inca Trail, you need to make sure that you're at least 6-9 months away from that date.

What is your target date

Types of Machu Picchu hikes

There are 7+ hikes/treks that you can choose from, and from within those, there are many options that you can choose from, so let's break it all down to make this as simple and transparent as possible.

Quick trek rankings

Inca Trail Salkantay Trek Lares Trek Huchuy Qosqo Trek Quarry Trail Choquekiraw Trek Combination Salkantay Trek + Inca Trail Ausangate Trek with Rainbow Mountain

The difference in the hikes really comes down to the Inca Trail vs. the rest. It's actually the only one where you can hike through the Sun Gate and approach Machu Picchu as the Incas did close to 600 years ago.

Next steps

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