Inca Trail Permits 2027: How They Work and When to Book

You can only hike the Inca Trail with a permit issued for a specific start date and in your name. Permits are limited, they can only be booked through an authorized tour operator, and the busiest months sell out first. This guide explains how the system works for the 2027 season and how we book your permit. Updated October 2026.

When do 2027 Inca Trail permits go on sale?#

As of late October 2026, Peru’s Ministry of Culture has not yet announced the sale date for 2027. In recent years permits have gone on sale in November of the previous year: permits for the 2026 season went on sale on 17 November 2025.

If you already know your dates, send them to us now. We will book your permit as soon as sales open.

How the permit system works#

• A permit is issued for one person, one start date and one route, in the traveler’s name and passport number.
• Only authorized tour operators can book permits. Travelers cannot buy them directly.
• Up to 500 people a day can start the trail, and that number includes guides, porters and cooks, so the places for travelers are far fewer.
• Once issued, a permit cannot be refunded, transferred to another person or moved to another date.
• The trail closes every February for maintenance, so there are no permits for that month.
• Since 2026, operators register travelers, guides and support staff on the Ministry of Culture’s TuBoleto system, and hikers arriving on the Inca Trail enter Machu Picchu on route 3-B.

Quick facts

Item	Details
Who issues it	Peru’s Ministry of Culture, through authorized operators
Daily limit	500 people, including guides, porters and cooks
Linked to	Your name, passport number and start date
Refundable or transferable	No
Closed	Every February
Machu Picchu entry	Included in our Inca Trail tours, on route 3-B

Which treks need an Inca Trail permit?#

Every route that walks the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu needs a permit. All our Inca Trail tours include the permit and the Machu Picchu entrance ticket:

• Classic Inca Trail 4D/3N, from Km 82: from USD 890
• Inca Trail 5D/4N, the same trail at a slower pace: from USD 990
• Short Inca Trail 2D/1N with hotel, from Km 104: from USD 550
• Short Inca Trail 2D/1N with camping: from USD 690
• Inca Trail & Salkantay 7D/6N: from USD 1,450
• Cusco Inca Trail Experience 7D/6N: from USD 1,250

When should you book for 2027?#

Travel dates	When to book
May to August	6 to 8 months ahead, or as soon as sales open. June to August usually sell out first.
September and October	4 to 6 months ahead
November to January, and March	2 to 4 months ahead (rainy season)
February	Trail closed

What we need from you to book#

Information	Notes
Full name	Exactly as it appears in your passport
Passport number	The permit is issued with it
Nationality	Required for the permit
Email or WhatsApp	Of the lead traveler
Number of travelers	Adults and children
Start date and route	For example, the Classic Inca Trail from Km 82

Check the name and passport number carefully: a permit cannot be corrected or transferred once it is issued. Bring the same passport on the trek, because it is checked at the start of the trail.

What if permits are sold out for your dates?#

First try a few days earlier or later: availability changes from one date to the next. If the Inca Trail is full, these treks also end at Machu Picchu and do not need an Inca Trail permit:

• Salkantay Trek: high mountain scenery and Humantay Lake.
• Lares Trek: Andean villages and hot springs.
• Inca Jungle Trek: biking, rafting and a zipline on the way.

Before you go#

• Plan two days in Cusco before the trek to get used to the altitude. Read about altitude sickness in Cusco.
• Get travel insurance that covers medical care and trip cancellation: permits are not refunded.
• See what our Inca Trail tours include and how the price is made up.
• For Machu Picchu entry rules, read our guide to Machu Picchu tickets.