Inca Trail Information: Peru’s best-known hike is visited by thousands of tourists every year; the classic 43-km trek leads through mountain passes and cloud forests, culminating at the Sacred Inca City of Machu Picchu. It combines visits to mysterious archaeological sites, fantastic mountain scenery, and lush cloud forest.
What is the Classic Inca Trail Trek?
The Classic Inca trail is a 4-day, 43-kilometer trek that follows ancient stone paths built by the Incas, leading you through . Considered one of the most beautiful treks in the world, it is an opportunity to emerge yourself into the preserved Andean nature and get to know more about the richness of Inca culture.
Indeed the trail was traveled by this ancient civilisation who used to leave from Cusco and reached out to important sites such as the sacred city of Machu Picchu. The heavy stoned pathways and iconic Incan steps make up this historic route. You will literally be hiking in the footsteps of an ancient civilization. This gives purpose and pride to the trek; however, this kind of route is demanding and at least a moderate level of fitness will be needed to undertake it.
The classic Inca trail starts at Ollantaytambo at 82km above sea level and passes several important ruins and settlements, climbing mountains and disappearing into amazon rainforest before leading through the original entrance (Sun Gate) to the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
The sites around the trail, the path itself andthe cloud forest region is protected by the state of Peru to ensure responsible tourism and conservation of heritage and nature. Due to this you will need a permit which is booked in advance to be able to undertake this trek. Please see Inca Trail Availability to discover more about availability, bookings and requirements.
Trek Options
The Inca Trail allows you to witness the sunrise over Machu Picchu which is a magical experience, and with no doubt one of the best feelings in the world ! Once in Machu Picchu you will also have the possibility to climb up to the top of Huayna Picchu.
Southern Peru Explorers provides variations of The Classic Inca trail, so we can suit everyone. We have options to either shorten the trek to accommodate for time restrictions or fitness level; lengthen it to include other historical or natural sites; or to swap from camping to hotels to provide a more comfortable and luxurious experience. Just have a look below at the different options Southern Peru Explorers has to offer.
Inca Trail 4 Days Option
The Classic Inca Trail is the perfect option for those looking for an intense outdoor adventure. Each day you will be rewarded with stunning views, great stories told by the local guide and always friendly break recoveries.
Some information in short:
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- A 43 km trekking with an highest altitude of 4 215 m ;
- 3 nights in tent, equipped with the best camping gear ;
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 diners prepared by Peruvian chefs to enjoy the most refilling and tasty cuisine ;
- 5 archeological sites to visit on the way including the ruins of Wayna Q’ente, Llactapata, Sayacmarca, Wiñayhuayna and Inti Punku (the Sun Gate).
Are you ready to challenge yourself and get the most genuine experience to discover Machu Picchu ? We are waiting for you to make this adventure unforgettable !
Find more details about the 4-days trek here.
Inca Trail 2 Days Option
The short version of the Inca Trail provides you with the opportunity to enjoy some of the trail’s unmissable spots while having a less demanding experience on fitness level.
Some information in short :
Wish to join us on this memorable journey ? Do not hesitate to contact us and let’s plan the most beautiful trip to Machu Picchu !
Find more details about the 2-days trek here.
Tailored-made Trek Option
The two options above don’t suit with what you are looking for ? Don’t worry we can also design some tailored-made circuits according to your preferences.
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- Inca Trail + Salkantay Trek (7D / 6N) : for a complete sporty and intense outdoor experience
- Inca Trail + Sacred Valley Tour (5D / 4N) : for a full immersive journey into the Inca culture.
To have more information and plan your best way to visit Machu Picchu, please contact us directly through
Whatsapp: +51 984496050 or Email: info@southernperuexplorers.com.
A little history of the Inca Trail Road
The Incan civilization was an ancient civilization who rained over the 15th century. Considered as great engineers and formidable leaders, they built wide and elaborate pathways to connect their empire like veins to a heart. The 30 000 kilometers of trails were used as transportation routes, pilgrimages roads to sacred sites but also to enable the expansion and conquest of the Incan Empire. The latter touched almost every country as we know it today within South America; colonizing the entire west coast to reach Ecuador, also to the Southern Andes until what is now northern Chile and Argentina and finally spreading into the Brazilian Rainforest.
The world-famous 4-day classic Inca Trek is a part of this Incan empire extensive network of roads. The footpaths towards the mysterious ancient city of Machu Picchu was named Qhapaq Ñan, meaning “Royal Road”. The Inca roads are famous for their large blocks of granite and serpentine stone with sharp and wide inclines. The Inca Trail starts from a point in the Sacred Valley, called “Kilometer 82”.
This trail was discovered more than 100 years ago by an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, in 1911. Although the site was known by locals, Bingham’s exploration helped raise awareness and brought global interest to the ruins. Hiking the Inca Trail will, for sure, make you feel the historical significance of the area —both the ancient Inca presence and Bingham’s legacy. It’s a fascinating blend of ancient history and early 20th-century exploration.
In 2014, the Qhapac Ñan, Andean Road System has been recognized as part of the Cultural World Heritage by the UNESCO. Promoting the 273 component sites spread over more than 6 000 km as great highlights of the social, political, architectural and engineering achievements of the Incan culture, along with its associated infrastructure for trade, accommodation and storage, as well as sites of religious significance.
A unique site to preserve
All of this impressive architecture work and the magic surrounding Machu Picchu make it one of the archeological site most visited in the world. That is why there is a restriction access to a certain amount of visitors per day. The current maximum amount of visitors per day accessing to Machu Picchu is 5 000 persons. For the Inca Trail, only 500 persons are authorized to access it, amongst them around 300 are visitors (the 200 others are guides, porters, chefs etc.).
Trekking companies that are allowed to work on the Inca Trail must have an operating license specific to the Inca Trail (operating licenses are issued annually) and those trekking companies also need to have an office in Peru. Due to the limited number of entries per day, permits are often very difficult to obtain and sell out easily especially during the high season (from May to September). We recommend you to make your reservation well in advance.
At Southern Peru Explorers we do care a lot about nature preservation, support to local economy and respect of traditional culture. That is why we only form small trekking groups (no more than 8 persons), it is the best way to fully enjoy the experience of such a magical place and avoid any kind of nuisance towards people and places. It is also easier to pay attention to the environment (animal observation or trashes collection).
We thank you in advance for always being respectful to the places you visit, the paths you hike on, so that altogether we can preserve the 5th Wonder of the recent world !
