The Classic Inca Trail is the original Inca road to Machu Picchu: about 42 km in four days from Km 82, over the Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m / 13,829 ft), past the Inca sites of Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and Wiñay Wayna, and into the citadel through the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) on the fourth morning. On day 1 we walk along the…
The Classic Inca Trail is the original Inca road to Machu Picchu: about 42 km in four days from Km 82, over the Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m / 13,829 ft), past the Inca sites of Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and Wiñay Wayna, and into the citadel through the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) on the fourth morning.
On day 1 we walk along the Urubamba valley to our camp at Wayllabamba. Day 2 is the big climb to the Dead Woman's Pass and the descent to Paqaymayu Alto. Day 3 is the longest and most beautiful, over the Runkurakay pass and through the cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna. On day 4 we reach the Sun Gate early and have a guided tour of Machu Picchu before the train back towards Cusco.
Porters carry the tents, the kitchen and the food, and our cook prepares all meals on the trail. Your Inca Trail permit and Machu Picchu ticket, the guide, the camping equipment, the bus down from Machu Picchu and the Expedition train are included. Southern Peru Explorers is a local operator based in Cusco, running the Inca Trail since 2009.
This is the full route on the Inca road, the only way to arrive at Machu Picchu on foot through the Sun Gate after four days of walking. Want a slower pace? See the 5-Day Inca Trail ; short of…
This is the full route on the Inca road, the only way to arrive at Machu Picchu on foot through the Sun Gate after four days of walking.
Want a slower pace? See the 5-Day Inca Trail; short of time, the Short Inca Trail 2 Days; for your group alone, the Private Inca Trail.
Daily trail breakdown, key milestones, altitudes, and campsites.
We pick you up early at your hotel in Cusco and drive through the Sacred Valley to Km 82 (Piscacucho), at about 2,600 m, where your permit and passport are checked at the start of the trail and our porters prepare the loads.
The first day is a gentle introduction along the Urubamba river and the Cusichaca valley. We stop at the Inca site of Llactapata, a large farming settlement of terraces below the trail, and reach our camp at the village of Wayllabamba in the afternoon.
Facts and figures
This is the hardest day. After breakfast we climb steadily through the Llulluchapampa valley, past small woods of queuña trees, to the Dead Woman's Pass (Warmiwañusca), at 4,215 m (13,829 ft), the highest point of the Inca Trail. Take it slowly: at this altitude a steady pace works best, and the views back over the valley are worth every stop.
From the pass a long descent on Inca stone steps takes us down to the camp at Paqaymayu Alto, where we arrive in the afternoon for a rest and dinner.
Facts and figures
The longest day, and for many the most beautiful. We climb to the round Inca building of Runkurakay and over the Runkurakay pass (3,950 m), then descend to Sayacmarca, a citadel built on a rocky spur. The Inca road continues through the cloud forest, with orchids, mosses and tunnels cut in the rock, to Phuyupatamarca, the "town above the clouds", with its ritual baths.
In the afternoon a long stairway takes us down past the terraces of Intipata to our camp near Wiñay Wayna, one of the finest Inca sites on the trail, next to the campsite.
Facts and figures
We get up before dawn to walk the last stretch of the trail to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), at 2,732 m (8,963 ft), where Machu Picchu appears below you in the morning light. We then walk down to the citadel for a guided tour of its temples, plazas and terraces. If you booked Huayna Picchu, you climb it after the tour.
After the visit the bus takes us down to Aguas Calientes, where you have time for lunch (not included) before the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo, around 2:55 or 3:20 p.m., and our transport to your hotel in Cusco.
Facts and figures
Complete transparency for all equipment, meals, transport, and admissions.
Recommended gear and apparel checklist from our mountain guides.
16 photos from this tour.
Our cook prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner on the trail, with snacks and hot drinks: meals with carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and fruit for the effort at altitude. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other diets are possible if you tell us when you book.
The dry season, from May to September, has the most stable weather and is the busiest time, when permits sell out first. April and October are good shoulder months. From November to March it rains more, and the trail closes every February for maintenance.
Booking information for this tour.
Send us your preferred start date and the number of travellers, and we check permit availability for that day. For each traveller we need the details exactly as they appear in the passport: full name, passport number, nationality and date of birth. Since September 2026 permits are issued only with full payment and are valid only for their date, route and holder, so check the details carefully: a permit cannot be corrected, refunded or moved to another date once it is issued, except in documented cases of force majeure.
Tell us the name of your hotel in Cusco for the pick-up, and any diet or allergy. Spend at least two days in Cusco before the trek to acclimatize.
To confirm your Classic Inca Trail, pay through our secure link: Contact us to confirm availability and request a payment link. As soon as we receive the payment we buy your permit and book the Machu Picchu ticket, the train and the bus. You then receive an email with the schedule, the packing list and the final instructions. Read how permits work in our Inca Trail permits guide.
Answers to the most common questions regarding trail preparation and logistics.
The 4-day route on the original Inca road from Km 82 to Machu Picchu: about 42 km over the Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m), past six Inca sites, arriving through the Sun Gate on the fourth morning.
Permits are limited to 500 people a day, including guides, porters and cooks. For May to August book 6 to 8 months ahead, for September and October 4 to 6 months, and for the rest of the year 2 to 4 months. The trail is closed in February.
The dry season, from May to September, has the most stable weather. April and October are good shoulder months; from November to March it rains more. See our month-by-month guide.
Moderate to challenging. Day 2 is the hardest, about 9 hours over the Dead Woman's Pass, and day 3 the longest, about 16 km. You do not need trekking experience, but train for a few weeks and spend at least two days in Cusco first. Read our guide to preparing for the Inca Trail.
In tents, at the campsites of Wayllabamba, Paqaymayu Alto and Wiñay Wayna. We provide the tents and sleeping mats; bring or rent a sleeping bag (USD 25).
The tents, the kitchen and the food, so you walk with a daypack. A personal porter for your own gear is an optional extra (USD 180).
Before the permit is bought, yes, subject to availability. Once it is issued it cannot be refunded, transferred or moved to another date, except in documented cases of force majeure; a new date needs a new permit.
There is no official minimum age, but children must be listed on the permit. Tell us the ages of your group when you book; if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor first, because the trail crosses a pass at 4,215 m.
Yes: the entrance ticket and a guided tour of the citadel on day 4. Huayna Picchu is an optional extra (USD 75), subject to availability.
Yes. Our Private Inca Trail 4 Days follows the same route with your own guide, cook and porters, from USD 1,250 per person.
Choose your start date
Numbers = Inca Trail permit spaces left that day.
No payment now: we confirm availability and price first.
Compare this tour with similar ones: duration, altitude, difficulty and price.
| Tour | Duration | Distance | Max altitude | Difficulty | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu | 1 Day | 10 km | 2,732 m | Easy to Moderate | Max 8 travelers (minimum 2 per departure) | $530 |
| Short Inca Trail 2 Days with Hotel | 2 Days / 1 Night | 10 km | 2,732 m | Easy to Moderate | Max 12 travelers | $580 |
| Short Inca Trail with Camping: 2 Days | 2 Days / 1 Night | 10 km | 2,732 m | Easy to Moderate | Max 8 travelers | $690 |
| Classic Inca Trail 4 Days to Machu PicchuThis tour | 4 Days / 3 Nights | 42 km | 4,215 m | Moderate to Challenging | Max 12 travelers | $890 |
| Private Inca Trail 4 Days to Machu Picchu | 4 Days / 3 Nights | 42 km | 4,215 m | Moderate to Challenging | Private: minimum 2, maximum 12 travelers | $1,250 |
| 5-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu | 5 Days / 4 Nights | 42 km | 4,215 m | Moderate to Challenging | Max 8 travelers | $1,230 |
| Cusco Inca Trail Experience: 7 Days | 7 Days / 6 Nights | 42 km | 4,215 m | Moderate to Challenging | Max 8 travelers | $1,250 |
| Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek: 7 Days | 7 Days / 6 Nights | 90 km | 4,850 m | Moderate to Challenging | Max 8 travelers | $1,450 |
Travel guides from our team in Cusco to help you prepare.
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