Classic Inca Trail, 4 Days
Four days and about 26 miles on the Inca road from KM 82 over Dead Woman's Pass (13,830 ft) to the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu. Permit, guide, cook, porters and camping included.
From, per personUS$797
Inca Trail
The Inca stone road into Machu Picchu: 43 km (26 mi) in 4 days from km 82, over Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m (13,829 ft), on a permit limited to 500 people a day.
13,830 ft4,215 m above sea level
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The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (Camino Inca) is the 43 km (26 mi) stretch of Inca stone road that starts at km 82 of the railway near Ollantaytambo and ends at the Sun Gate (Intipunku) above the citadel, walked in four days with three nights in tents. It is part of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road network on UNESCO's World Heritage list, inside the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. It is the only route that enters Machu Picchu on foot, and the only one that needs a permit.
The route
Day one is gentle, about 12 km (7.5 mi) from km 82 at 2,600 m (8,530 ft) along the Urubamba and up the Cusichaca valley to Wayllabamba. Day two is the one people remember: a climb of about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to Warmiwañusca, Dead Woman's Pass, at 4,215 m (13,829 ft), then a knee-punishing descent to Pacaymayo. Day three is the longest and the most beautiful, past the ruins of Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca and down thousands of steps to the terraces of Wiñay Wayna. Day four starts before dawn for the last 5 km (3 mi) to the Sun Gate and the first view of the citadel from above. Our Inca Trail route guide with the map has the campsite altitudes and the profile.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | about 43 km (26 mi), km 82 to the Sun Gate | |
| Highest point | Dead Woman's Pass (Warmiwañusca), 4,215 m (13,829 ft) | |
| Days and nights | 4 days, 3 nights in tents | |
| Permits | 500 per day including staff, by name, sold through licensed operators | |
| Closure | every February | |
| Starting altitude | km 82, about 2,600 m (8,530 ft) | |
| Heritage | Qhapaq Ñan, Andean road system, UNESCO World Heritage since 2014 | whc.unesco.org |
| Price with permit | US$797 per person, shared service |
Facts at a glance
The table lists the distance, the passes, the permit limit, the closure and the price. Two facts shape everything else. Permits: the Ministerio de Cultura issues 500 a day including guides, cooks and porters, by name and passport number, sold only through licensed operators, and the high season dates sell out months ahead. Closure: the trail shuts every February for maintenance. How Inca Trail permits work explains the sale calendar and what to send us to hold one.
How hard the Inca Trail feels
Demanding, not technical. You walk 6 to 8 hours a day on stone steps, carry a day pack of about 5 kg (11 lb), and sleep in a tent at 3,000 m (9,840 ft) and 3,600 m (11,800 ft), with porters carrying the rest. The pass day is the test: 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of climbing in thin air, slow, with the guide at the back. People who hike at home once a week and spend two nights in Cusco first finish it. People who arrive from sea level the day before suffer. If you want to compare it with the permit-free alternative, Salkantay versus Inca Trail goes day by day.
When to walk it, and the mistake
May to September is dry and busy. April and October are our pick, with green valleys and permits easier to find. December, January and March are wet, with slippery steps. February is closed. The mistake is deciding in April to walk in June. Permits for the high season go on sale in October of the previous year and are gone within weeks for the popular dates. Decide early, send your passport details, and let us hold the permit before you buy flights.
Packages that include the Inca Trail
The Classic Inca Trail, 4 days, at US$797 per person with the permit, the crew and the Machu Picchu entrance included, is listed below. There is no short 2-day version in the catalog yet.
Inca Trail in photos
Photos: Mx._Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Steve FUNG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Chuck Moravec, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Dmitry Brant, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Mx._Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Christoph Strässler, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Christoph Strässler, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Christoph Strässler, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)
Where it is
Interactive map loads from OpenStreetMap when the page is online.
Packages that include Inca Trail
Grouped by type of trip. Prices per person in a double room.
Treks from Cusco
Questions about Inca Trail
How long is the Inca Trail?
About 43 km (26 mi) from km 82 to the Sun Gate, walked in four days. Day one is about 12 km (7.5 mi), day two about 11 km (7 mi) over the pass, day three about 15 km (9.3 mi) with the most ruins and the most steps, and day four about 5 km (3 mi) before dawn to the citadel. Distances vary by a kilometer or two between published sources.
Where does the Inca Trail start?
At km 82 of the Cusco to Machu Picchu railway, a checkpoint at Piscacucho on the Urubamba River about 45 minutes by road from Ollantaytambo and three hours from Cusco. Your permit is checked there against your passport. The trail ends at the Sun Gate (Intipunku), about an hour's walk above Machu Picchu, on the morning of day four.
Do you need a guide for the Inca Trail?
Yes, by regulation. The Classic Inca Trail can only be walked with a licensed operator and a licensed guide, and the permit is issued to the operator in your name. There is no independent hiking on the trail. Our 4-day trek is run by a partner operator authorized by SERNANP, which holds the trail licenses, with Sacred Lake Titikaka organizing the trip, and it includes the guide, the cook, the porters, the tents, the meals on the trail and the Machu Picchu entrance.
How far ahead do I need to book?
For May to September, five to seven months, because permits for those dates go on sale around October of the previous year and sell out within weeks. For the shoulder months, two to three months is usually enough. Send us your full name, passport number, nationality and date of birth as on the passport, and we hold the permit the day the payment clears.
Is there a shorter Inca Trail?
A 2-day version exists on the official route list, starting at km 104 and reaching the Sun Gate on the same afternoon, with a night in Aguas Calientes. We do not sell it yet. If you want it, ask through the quote form and we will tell you whether we can run it on your dates.