Many people are not able to acquire permits for the Inca Trail but still want to hike in the area. Others want to do something different and are looking for a trail less frequented by tourists. There are a number of awesome alternative trails in the Cusco region so no need to worry.

The most popular alternative Inca Trail trek is the Salkantay trail. This five day, four night trail also leads hikers through the Andes to Machu Picchu but enters into the town of Aguas Calientes rather then entering the site through the Sun Gate. It is possible for hikers to spend their last evening in the town of Aguas Calientes before heading to the ruins at dawn on their fifth day- giving them the advantage of a better nights rest and a shower before exploring the mystical site of Machu Picchu.

For those looking for a lesser known but amazing trek to rarely visited ruins, you should consider the four day three night trek to the ruins of Choquequirau. The terrain is more tropical than that of the Inca Trail but the trek is much less crowded as there are only a few hundred people that visit each year.

The ruins located in a cloud forest are still being excavated to better understand their spiritual and agricultural significance. Also on the list of alternative treks but a bit pricier to organize are the Espiritu Pampa trail and Ausangate trek. Espiritu Pampa is one of the newer trails, similar to the Choquequirau trail in that you will visit a different set of ruins, said to be even more spiritually and historically significant than that of Machu Picchu. Very few tourist make it to Espiritu Pampa so if seclusion is what you are looking for, this is the spot. The Ausangate trail is one of the hardest trails in the region but well worth the hike to the glacier.

The Ausangate trek attracts the same adventure tourist that will likely visit the trails surrounding Huaraz.

For further details contact a luxury travel consultant, ideal for Peru honeymoon planning.