Every hiking video worth watching in Machu Picchu — in one place

Hiking at Machu Picchu splits into two distinct categories — the multi-day treks that approach the citadel on foot, and the short add-on peaks you climb from inside the site itself — and the two require very different planning windows. The classic Inca Trail is a 43-kilometre, four-day three-night route topping out at Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,200 metres; permits are capped and sell out roughly four to six months ahead, particularly for July and August [via Inca Trail Review, via Visit Peru The Don’ts]. The Salkantay trek is the standard alternative — typically five days, around 70 kilometres, costing roughly $300 versus the Inca Trail’s ~$600, and consistently described by creators as physically harder but cheaper and bookable closer to the date [via Your Ultimate Travel Guide Cusco]. A one-day Inca Trail variant exists: you board the train, disembark at kilometre 104, and hike about six hours into Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate [via Peru Amazon cruise]. Inside the site, Huayna Picchu is the sharp peak in every postcard — steep, capped at around 200 climbers a day, booked a couple of months out — while Machu Picchu Mountain is longer with wider panoramas [via MACHU PICCHU HOW TO, via HOW TO TRAVEL PERU]. February closes the Inca Trail entirely for maintenance [via Visit Peru The Don’ts].

The “Inca Trail Review” video is the most useful operational walkthrough — it breaks down the four-day elevation profile, campsite rhythm, and tipping etiquette for porters and cooks [via Inca Trail Review]. Pair it with “Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Cusco” for the Salkantay-versus-Inca cost-and-booking comparison; together they let you decide which trek your timeline and budget actually fit before you commit a deposit.