One topic that is coming up regularly on the SA travel forums is about the Inca Trail being sold out already for June and July. Some potential travelers express heartbreak over this situation since the Inca Trail was going to be the highlight of their trip. While the Inca Trail is the most well-known hiking trail around Cuzco, there are several alternatives and one should never postpone or cancel a trip to Peru just because one cannot do the Inca Trail.

Indeed, some are becoming to feel that the Inca Trail has become too popular and are looking for alternative trails. Remember that the popularity of the Inca Trail (thousands of hikers) is that it ends up in Machu Picchu. While it’s certainly a scenic hike, there are many other hikes that some consider even more scenic than the Inca Trail; they just don’t end up at Machu Picchu.

Of course, Machu Picchu is definitely worth the trip even if you take the train. If you opt for this instead of the Inca Trail, please do stay the night in Aguas Calientes so that you can see Machu Picchu in the morning or the late afternoon. Daytrippers arrive around 11am and leave again for the train mid-afternoon. Machu Picchu is much more interesting without the crowds.

Just about any Cuzco travel agency should be able to set you up with an alternative hike.

I’ll go into more detail about different hiking options around Cuzco in separate postings.

Also, as I recommend to every traveler to Cuzco, read Hugh Thomson’s absorbing book The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland. It will give you a great perspective on the Incas and the people who have explored that area. A more detailed review of this book will be forthcoming.