Salkantay vs Lares and Inca Trail: Fear of Falling

My wife and I are going to Peru this summer and would like to try one of the hikes to Machu Picchu. However, my wife has a fear of heights, primarily of falling, off sheer edges/cliff faces. We both are comfortable with mountain hiking, even in very high places, when the trail is wide or when there is a narrow trail with a steep slope instead of a drop-off. It’s the sheer drop-offs that cause the issue of freezing up, etc. I’ve tried to look up some pictures of the different trails and it appears the Inca Trail has a lot of precipitous drops. However, Salkantay and Lares appear wider (usually) and with fewer cliff-like edges. Can anyone who has been to these places confirm if this is the case and/or recommend which trail would be best for us?

Hi Bob!
My boyfriend did the Salkantay and he's slightly afraid of heights too, he did good. He did have a bit of mental preparation before hand, some parts of the hiking can be a bit challenging regarding this issue, but in general, I would definitely choose this one! Best of luck! :D

Thanks for your response! Do you recall, in those challenging parts, is it more of a very steep incline or an actual cliff/drop-off?

Hi Bob

Definitely avoid the Inka trail, it is full of edges and cliffs, maybe you have to try the Inka Jungle Trek, a soft treking, it mixs byking, walking and almost all the way is flat, also you can relax in the Santa Teresa hot springs before going to Machupicchu.
Salkantay also is a good option but the first and second day you will cross through some cliffs but not too dangerous.

regards.

Thanks!

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