Hi there,
I did the Inca trail around 6 years ago and if I remember rightly it was $150 and available everywhere in Cusco.
I also did a trek called the Salkantay a couple of months back. This trek also leads to Machu Picchu, it costs around $250 and it takes 5 days, not 4. It´s slightly harder and goes to a higher altitude so you have to be in reasonable shape but I would say it´s probably more spectacular and rewarding than the Inca trail itself.
There are advantages to both. If you do the Inca trail you´ll get the photo looking down on Machu Picchu at sun rise as you come round the side of the mountain however when I did it, it was cloudy and not a great shot. The down side to this is there are only 800 tickets for people to climb Wanapicchu (sp?) the mountain overlooking the site. It only takes about an hour but is tough and rewarding. If you do the trail itself I don´t think it will be possible for you to climb this as before sun rise there are loads of people queing to get in and you won´t be near the front. If you do another Trek you will have the option (if you decide to get up early) but you will also end up in a toursit town at the end of your trek, not Pachu Picchu itself, I don´t think it´s an anti-climax but it´s not the perfect end to the walk I guess. Only about the 1st 2 bus loads of people will get tickets and you have to be up VERY early to get them. I would say the pros and cons of the difference between the end of the treks offset against each other. I´d make my decision based on the walk itself (which for me, was the best part).
Of course if you do the Inca trail you can tick the box but in terms of value I would suggest that alternative treks are the way forward.
I was VERY impressed with the Salkantay trek. For less than half the price we did a longer trek, had 6 horses for our stuff and 1 in case someone couldn´t make the pass, and got there early enough to get the most out of the site itslef (i.e. climb wanapicchu). Of course we had the cooks n guide etc too.
There is a "jungle trek" that´s popular, where I believe you start with a long downhill bikride. It sounds pretty cool but it´s the easiest of the 3. For me I think the least appealing but I´m sure people who chose it will tell you differently. It´s also the cheapest!
So if you want more of a challenge and I would say a more spectacular trek, go with the Salkantay. If you want to say that you "bought the t-shirt" and have the shot at sunrise, go with the genuine trek.
I haven´t mentioned the amount of walkers on the trek itself, because it may well have changed since I did it 6 years ago, but parts of the walk were congested, which is certainly not the case for the Salkantay. I think now part of the reason the price is so much higher is because they are regulating the amount of people on the walk so it may be less congested, or it may be more, I honestly don´t know. Don´t take this too seriously, there are also quiet parts and I was actually surprised it wasn´t more busy but in the Salkantay, really there´s just you, your group and the scenery. You might see a few others but they´re few and far between.
I think that´s about all the help I can give 😊
Enjoy which ever you choose!!
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