Walk the legendary path of the empire. Over 42 kilometers of original stone paving awaits travelers as high mountain passes are crossed, cloud forests are explored, and ancient Inca ruins hidden deep in the Andes are uncovered.
Starting at Km 82 in the Sacred Valley, the journey leads over the formidable Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 meters. Explorers will trace the most pristine sections of the ancient trail past Runkurakay, Phuyupatamarca, and the stunning terraces of Wiñay Wayna. On the final morning, early risers hike out of camp before dawn to step through the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), greeting Machu Picchu as the first morning light hits the citadel.
The Inca Trail is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a protected wonder where only 200 trekkers start each day. This is not just the most famous trek in South America. It is a once in a lifetime route that sells out 8 months ahead and is worth planning your whole trip to Peru around on date.
Looking for a slower pace? See our 5 Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – The Slow Route with exclusive sunset camp at Phuyupatamarca and lower camps for better sleep
Your 4 Day Inca Trail Tour to Machu Picchu includes entry to Machu Picchu on Circuit 1 and Circuit 3. This covers the classic postcard views, the upper terraces and the main citadel tour with your guide.
If you wish to visit the lower part of the citadel on Circuit 2, you will need an additional entrance ticket at US$55 per person. This is a new regulation from the Ministry of Culture and applies to all tour companies on the Inca Trail. No operator can include Circuit 2 within the standard Inca Trail permit.
Let us know at the time of booking if you want us to secure the extra Circuit 2 ticket for you, as availability is also limited.
This adventure unlocks the absolute best of both worlds, combining Circuit 1 (Panoramic) for jaw-dropping high-altitude vistas with Circuit 3 (Royalty Designed Route) for an immersive walk through the lower ruins.
Our team picks you up early from your hotel in Cusco around 4:00 am. Following a breakfast stop in Ollantaytambo and a quick introduction with our porters, arrival at Km 82 marks the official start of the Inca Trail at 2,720 meters.
The first two hours track gently along the Urubamba River, revealing your first Inca site, Patallacta, high on the hillside above as a gentle warm-up to find your rhythm.
Freshly prepared trail lunches crafted by our chef keep energy high before tackling a steady two-and-a-half-hour climb to our first camp at Wayllabamba at 3,000 meters, where hot drinks and dinner await.
This is the most challenging and most rewarding day of the trek. Your porters wake you with hot coca tea.
We hike for about four hours straight up to Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 meters, the highest point of the entire trail. The vegetation disappears, the air gets cold and thin, and then you are at the top. Take your time, take your photo, you earned it.
We then descend an hour and a half into the Pacaymayo Valley for a hot lunch. After lunch we climb again to the second pass at Runkurakay at 4,000 meters and visit the small Inca sites of Runcu Raccay and Sayacmarca. At sunset we arrive at our second camp.
This is the most beautiful day. You will thank Day 2 for this.
We start on what our guides call Inca flat, gentle ups and downs along original stone path. We enter the cloud forest. Orchids, hummingbirds and views of Salkantay and the Vilcabamba Range.
We climb to Phuyupatamarca, Town in the Clouds, at 3,680 meters. From here you get your first glimpse of Machu Picchu Mountain. Then it is three hours down a stunning flight of stone steps through Intipata terraces to our final camp near Wiñay Wayna at 2,680 meters.
At 4:30 pm your guide takes you for a private tour of Wiñay Wayna, Forever Young, the most impressive site after Machu Picchu itself. Back at camp we have our last dinner with our porter and chef team. This is a special Andean tradition to thank them.
The day you dreamed about. We wake at 3:30 am, breakfast at 4:00 am and walk to the checkpoint to wait for the gates to open at 5:30 am.
It is one hour to the Sun Gate, Inti Punku. Just before it you climb the Gringo Killer steps, twenty steep Inca steps. Then you see it. Your first panoramic view of Machu Picchu with the morning light. We take 30 minutes here.
We then walk one hour down to Machu Picchu and arrive at the classic viewpoint for Circuit 1. This is where the famous postcard photo is taken. Your guide will help you with photos.
Following photos, you will exit briefly before re-entering for a two-and-a-half-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu on Circuit 3, where you will explore ancient temples, royal palaces, water fountains, and sacred observatories. Afterward, there is free time for final pictures. Finally, catch the bus down to Aguas Calientes for lunch, followed by the return train to Ollantaytambo and your private transfer back to Cusco, arriving around 8:00 PM.
Important Note: Your Inca Trail ticket includes Circuit 1 for the panoramic views and Circuit 3 for the citadel tour. If you want to also visit Circuit 2, the lower citadel, an extra ticket of US$55 is required. This is a government regulation that applies to all companies. Let us know when you book if you want us to secure it.
After your guided tour of Machu Picchu you can add an extra hike if you have booked it in advance. Permits are very limited and must be booked when you reserve your Inca Trail.
Huayna Picchu Mountain – US$69 per person
The iconic mountain behind Machu Picchu in every photo. A steep 45 minute climb to 2,720m with incredible views straight down over the citadel. 30 minutes at the top and 45 minutes down. Not for anyone with fear of heights. Non-refundable, government ticket.
Machu Picchu Mountain – US$69 per person
A longer, less steep alternative. About 1.5 hours up to 3,082m for the highest panoramic view of Machu Picchu and the valleys. Great if Huayna Picchu is sold out.
Important: You do these hikes on your own after the guided tour. Your guide will show you where to start. You then exit, take the bus to Aguas Calientes and meet the group for lunch. Your train time does not change..
Day 2 takes you to 4,215m at Dead Woman’s Pass. That is higher than Cusco. You will be out of breath, your legs will burn. That is normal. What matters is you arrive in Cusco 2 full days before your trek. No partying, no heavy tours. Just water, coca tea and rest. Tell your guide how you feel, always.
You hike light. We carry the heavy stuff.
At your briefing we give you a duffel. You put max 6kg inside. Sleeping bag included in that 6kg. You can rent a warm one from us if you need. Our porters carry it. You carry only a small daypack on the trail.
Your big suitcase stays free and safe in our office in Cusco. Your duffel goes with porters to Aguas Calientes on Day 4 and waits for you at the lunch restaurant.
Small rule that catches people: Your daypack inside Machu Picchu cannot be bigger than 25L. About 40 x 35 x 20 cm. Leave the big pack.
You land in Lima. You must clear immigration, pick up your bag, and check it again for Cusco. Even if they said it goes straight through. It does not. Leave 3 hours minimum between flights or you will miss it.
Everything big is included. Permits, porters, food, tents, train.
You only need small cash in Peruvian soles for water on Day 1, a beer in Aguas Calientes, and tips.
ATMs in Aguas Calientes are terrible. Get soles in Cusco.
You do not have to tip. But most groups do because the porter and chef team is incredible.
We do it together on Night 3 at Wiñay Wayna camp. Your guide will organize it if you want to join. No pressure.
Look for insurance that covers up to 4,500m, emergency evacuation in the Andes, and trip cancellation. Inca Trail permits are 100 percent non refundable by Peruvian law. Also make sure it covers train strikes or landslides. It happens in rainy season.
Bring the original passport that matches your permit. Exact same number, exact same name.
You will show it 4 times. Km 82, Wiñay Wayna checkpoint, Machu Picchu entrance, and the train.
A photo, a copy, a different passport = no entry, no refund. Check it twice before you leave Cusco.
You need four climates in one bag.
Three nights in tents set up by our team. Dining tent, tables, chairs, and portable toilet. You get an air mattress. It is comfortable camping, but it is camping. It gets cold at night, especially Night 2.
It is challenging, not moderate. Day 2 is the hardest with a 4 hour climb to Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215m. You do not need technical climbing experience, but you need good fitness and you must be able to hike 6 to 8 hours uphill with steps. Train for 2 months before with stairs and hills. No one enjoys this trail without training
Permits for 2026 are already selling. For high season May to September you need to book 7 to 8 months ahead. For 2027 permits go on sale in October 2026 and the best dates sell in the first weeks. Only 500 permits per day exist for everyone including porters and guides. Once they are gone, they are gone.
Your official Inca Trail permit, Machu Picchu entry for Circuit 1 and Circuit 3, 3 nights camping with tents, air mattress, dining tent and toilet, all meals on the trail cooked by our chef from lunch Day 1 to lunch Day 4, porters to carry 6kg of your gear, professional guide, bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, and train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo plus transfer to Cusco.
Not included is sleeping bag, trekking poles, travel insurance and tips. In 2026 and 2027 your Inca Trail ticket includes Circuit 1 for the classic photo and Circuit 3 for the citadel tour. If you want Circuit 2 lower citadel, you need an extra ticket for US$55 per person. This is a government rule for all companies. Ask us to add it when you book.
Yes, but you must book it when you book your trail. Huayna Picchu is US$75 and is a steep 45 minute climb. Machu Picchu Mountain is US$75 and is a longer 1.5 hour hike. Both are done on your own after your guided tour on Day 4. They sell out months ahead.
May to September is dry season and best for clear views and stars. It is also the busiest. October to April is green, fewer people, but more chance of rain especially in January and February when the trail is closed for maintenance. April and October are the sweet spot for many travelers.
Arrive in Cusco at least 2 full days before Day 1. Walk around Cusco and the Sacred Valley, drink 3 liters of water a day, avoid alcohol the first 48 hours. For training do stairs with a 5kg daypack 3 times a week. If you can do 1,000 steps without stopping, you are ready for Dead Woman’s Pass.
Peace of mind: If you are generally in good health and used to weekend walking, you can do this trail. You do not need to be an athlete. Our guides set a slow and steady pace with plenty of breaks, and there is no rush to be first. Hundreds of people aged 8 to 70 complete this trek every week. If you can walk 6 hours with breaks and climb stairs, you will make it to Machu Picchu.
You start at 2,720m, sleep at 3,000m, climb to 4,215m on Day 2, and finish at 2,430m at Machu Picchu. Most people feel short of breath and a headache on Day 2. It is normal. Our guides carry oxygen and know what to do. Coca tea, slow pace and water help a lot.
Our chef cooks hot meals every day, even fresh bread at camp. We can do vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Boiled water is provided from lunch Day 1 to refill your bottle. For bathrooms we bring a portable toilet tent for our group and there are basic public toilets at campsites. Bring small toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Our groups are max 8 people. Most groups are 6 to 8. Smaller groups mean faster checkpoints and better guide time. You can also book a private 4 Day Inca Trail for any date if you are 2 or more people. Private gives you your own guide, chef and porters.
Yes. We are a fully licensed Inca Trail operator with permits from the Peruvian government. We are part of Sam Travel Peru. Your permit is issued in your name and passport number. You can check us on the official Ministry of Culture list. No license means no permit.
If you are sick on the trail, your guide will assess you and arrange evacuation to Ollantaytambo if needed. Porters can assist. Permits are 100 percent non refundable and non transferable by Peruvian law. That is why travel insurance with trip cancellation is mandatory for this trek.
The 4 Day is the full 42km classic trek camping 3 nights and crossing Dead Woman’s Pass. The 2 Day is a hotel trek starting at Km 104 with 12km hiking and no high pass. The 4 Day arrives at the Sun Gate on foot at sunrise. The 2 Day arrives by bus from Aguas Calientes. Different experience, different permits.
YOUR ADVENTURE. OUR EXPERTISE.
Guest Reviews
Real experiences from travelers who slept under the Andean sky
I never thought I could sleep in a luxury bed while staring at the Milky Way through a transparent dome. The Salkantay glacier right in front of you at sunrise — absolutely unreal. Worth every penny.
SkyDomeCamps - Sky DomeWe did the full Salkantay Trek and stayed at the dome on night two. After a hard day of hiking, coming back to a real bed, hot shower and that view of the mountain? Nothing compares to that.
SkyDomeCamps - Salkantay TrekI have camped across Patagonia and Nepal but nothing matched this. The dome is warm, beautifully designed and the silence at 4,600m is something else entirely. I woke up at 3am just to stare at the stars.
SkyDomeCamps - Sky Dome
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