Whether you follow the famous Inca Trail or opt for one of the alternative routes up through the mountains, Machu Picchu treks are an amazing opportunity for adventure. You are not just passing through landscapes straight out of storybooks, but also stepping through time. When you choose providers of Machu Picchu treks that also incorporate cultural and historic components to the tours, you are going to savor something truly remarkable.
As an example, one of the most commonly chosen Machu Picchu treks is the famed Inca Trail. This is an actual, remaining road first created by the ancient Incans in order to take them to their networks of cities and sites. Joining a modern trek along the Inca Trail can involve days of hiking and evening spent camping beneath the stars, or even the comfort of lodges and hotels.
The trek, however, is going to take you past other Incan ruins and sites, steps carved into steep mountains by the ancient Incans themselves, and through scenery impossible to describe. You will pass through an array of microclimates unique to the Andes and along rivers and lakes still pristine after centuries. Arriving at sunrise to the Machu Picchu site is a common goal of these treks, and often the culminating activity of a four-day adventure.
Yet, many of the best treks also include alternative routes such as the famous Salkantay Treks, the Lares Treks, and the Choquequirao treks that are each utterly unique and unforgettable in their own right. Regardless of the trek or path you choose in order to reach Machu Picchu, you must be sure to choose a guide or provider that lets you experience, first hand, the most authentic, modern world of the peoples of the region. Visiting Cusco and Huchuy Qosqo are essential, seeing the stepped farms and the Andean communities are just as important as arriving at Machu Picchu itself.
As you consider the different Machu Picchu treks available, remember that the journey is truly as important as the destination. Machu Picchu is one of the most famous sites in the world, and the mountain top destination sees millions of visitors each year. Take some time during a trek to really experience the other parts of the region. Whether it is the trails, the people, the historic sites or the natural beauty, it will all be as unforgettable as the famed Lost City of the Incas, itself.