What hiking trails are available in Machu Picchu?
A few trail choices are available that lead to Machu Picchu, the main difference being where you start, since most of them are actually the same trail. This location difference allows you to custom-design how long you want to spend hiking. The full trail encounters ten different climate zones and subzones and thousands of varieties of fauna. Made by the Incas as the Royal Highway, the Inca Trail is paved by stone blocks with stone stairways and tunnels though wooden bridges. Two of the main start options are the full Inca Trail and the Inca Sacred Trail. Inca Trail Hike the 24 miles (39 km) from Cuzco to Machu Picchu with this trail, encountering over half a dozen archeological sites on the way. It starts at kilometer 88 of the railway. (This trip takes about four days.) Inca Sacred Trail Beginning about 6 miles (10 km) from Machu Picchu at kilometer 104 of the railway, this trail features many of the archeological sites of the Inca Trail as well as a crystalline waterfall. (This optio
