Cant find Inca Trail permits? Or looking for a deeper connection with the Andes? While the Classic Inca Trail is iconic, Peru’s Vilcabamba and Vilcanota mountain ranges offer spectacular alternatives that often provide more solitude, higher altitudes, and authentic cultural encounters. Below is our expert guide to the best alternative hikes to Machu Picchu and the sacred Ausangate circuit.

The Ausangate Trek is not just a hike; it is a pilgrimage. Circling the highest peak in the Cusco region—the sacred Apu Ausangate (6,384m / 20,945ft)—this trek offers some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the world. Unlike the Inca Trail, Ausangate is about raw nature, towering glaciers, turquoise lakes, and the authentic high-Andean shepherd culture.

If you seek an adventure that few travelers ever experience, the Choquequirao Trek is your calling. Nestled deep in the Vilcabamba mountain range, perched 1,500 meters above the roaring Apurimac River, lies the "Cradle of Gold." With no roads and no trains leading to its gates, Choquequirao remains one of the most mysterious and pristine archaeological sites in the world. Currently, only about 1% of the site is fully excavated, and it receives fewer visitors in a year than Machu Picchu does in a single morning.

The Inca Jungle Tour is the ultimate multi-sport adventure to Machu Picchu, designed for travelers who want more than just hiking. This 4-day (or 3-day) expedition combines adrenaline-pumping activities with stunning transitions from high-altitude mountains to lush tropical cloud forests.

The Lares Trek is widely known as the "Weaver’s Way" and is the premier choice for travelers seeking a deep cultural connection to the Andes. While other treks focus purely on landscapes or ruins, the Lares Trek takes you through remote mountain villages where the local Quechua speaking communities still live as their ancestors did herding alpacas and weaving world renowned textiles.