This is the Classic Inca Trail from Km 82, about 42 km on the original Inca road, walked in four days instead of three and a half, with shorter stages, quieter campsites and a night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes before your visit to Machu Picchu on day 5. Day 1 follows the Urubamba valley to the Inca site of Llactapata, where we camp.…
This is the Classic Inca Trail from Km 82, about 42 km on the original Inca road, walked in four days instead of three and a half, with shorter stages, quieter campsites and a night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes before your visit to Machu Picchu on day 5.
Day 1 follows the Urubamba valley to the Inca site of Llactapata, where we camp. Day 2 climbs past Wayllabamba and the Inca fort of Paucarcancha to Llulluchapampa (3,800 m). Day 3 crosses the Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m) and the Runkurakay pass to Phuyupatamarca. Day 4 descends through the cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, and down to Aguas Calientes. Day 5 is the guided tour of Machu Picchu.
Porters carry the tents, the kitchen and the food, and our cook prepares the meals on the trail. Your Inca Trail permit and Machu Picchu ticket, the guide, the camping equipment, a hotel night in Aguas Calientes and the Expedition train are included. Groups have up to 8 travellers.
The 5-day version suits travellers who want the full Inca Trail with more time on the trail and less strain each day. Short of days? See the Classic Inca Trail 4 Days or compare all routes in our guide to…
The 5-day version suits travellers who want the full Inca Trail with more time on the trail and less strain each day.
Short of days? See the Classic Inca Trail 4 Days or compare all routes in our guide to the 5-day Inca Trail.
Daily trail breakdown, key milestones, altitudes, and campsites.
We pick you up at your hotel in Cusco and drive through the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo to Km 82, where our porters are waiting and your permit is checked at the start of the trail.
We walk along the Urubamba river to Llactapata (Patallacta), a large Inca farming settlement of terraces and buildings. Lunch is served on the way, and we camp near the site.
Facts and figures
After breakfast we leave the Urubamba valley and walk up the Cusichaca river, past the villages of Tarayoc and Wayllabamba, where we stop for lunch.
In the afternoon we visit Paucarcancha, an Inca fort with a temple and terraces, and climb to the camp at Llulluchapampa, at 3,800 m, below the Dead Woman's Pass, where we arrive in the evening.
Facts and figures
The hardest day, with two passes. We climb to the Dead Woman's Pass (Warmiwañusca), at 4,215 m (13,829 ft), the highest point of the Inca Trail, descend to the Pacaymayo river and climb again to the Runkurakay pass (3,950 m / 12,959 ft).
On the way down we visit Sayacmarca (about 3,600 m) and enter the cloud forest. After lunch at Chaquicocha the trail runs along the ridge, with views of the Salkantay and Pumasillo peaks, to our camp at Phuyupatamarca, the "town above the clouds".
Facts and figures
We walk down a long stone stairway through the cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna, an Inca site of steep terraces, temples and water channels, where your guide explains its history.
From Wiñay Wayna the trail leads to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), at 2,732 m, and your first view of the whole citadel. We then make our way down to Aguas Calientes, where you spend the night in a hotel.
Facts and figures
After breakfast at the hotel we go up to Machu Picchu (2,430 m / 7,972 ft) for a guided tour of the citadel: its temples, terraces and plazas, and how the Incas built and used them. If you booked Huayna Picchu, you climb it after the tour.
You then return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and take the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo, around 3:20 or 4:20 p.m., and our private transport to your hotel in Cusco. The bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu is not included; you can also walk.
Facts and figures
Complete transparency for all equipment, meals, transport, and admissions.
Recommended gear and apparel checklist from our mountain guides.
Luggage limits on the Inca Trail are strictly regulated to protect the historical path and ensure the well-being of the porters. A "layering system" is essential to manage the drastic temperature changes, from the heat of the Urubamba Valley to the freezing winds of Warmiwañusqa (Dead Woman’s Pass) at 4,215 m.
A note from Southern Peru Explorers: Your porter has a strict weight limit of 7 kg (or 15 lbs) for your gear. This weight limit notably includes your sleeping bag and mat. Just remember to keep everything you might need during the day packed safely within your personal daypack.
13 photos from this tour.
Our cook prepares the meals on the trail, with carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, fruit and hot drinks for the effort at altitude. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other diets are possible if you tell us when you book.
Private transport from your hotel in Cusco to Km 82 on day 1. On day 5, the Expedition train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (around 3:20 or 4:20 p.m.) and private transport to your hotel in Cusco. The bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu is not included.
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 5-Day 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 hotel and the train. 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 same Classic route, about 42 km from Km 82 to the Sun Gate, walked over four days instead of three and a half. You camp near Patallacta, at Llulluchapampa and at Phuyupatamarca, sleep the fourth night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes and visit Machu Picchu on day 5.
Yes. Permits are limited to 500 people a day on the main routes, including guides and porters, and they are issued in your name for a fixed date. For June to August they usually sell out first, so book 6 to 8 months ahead for the dry season.
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, and the trail closes every February for maintenance.
Moderate to challenging. Day 3 is the hardest, about 10 hours over Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m) and the Runkurakay pass (3,950 m). No technical skills are needed, but spend at least two days in Cusco first to acclimatize.
Yes, many first-time hikers do it. Prepare with regular walks, stairs and some cardio in the weeks before, walk at your own pace and take the breaks your guide suggests.
Our cook prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner on the trail, with carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, fruit and hot drinks. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other diets are possible if you tell us when you book.
Yes. On day 5 your guide leads the visit of the citadel. Huayna Picchu is an optional extra (USD 75), subject to availability, and should be booked with the trek.
Before the permits are bought, yes. Once they are issued they cannot be transferred, refunded or moved to another date, so a new date needs a new permit, subject to availability.
We have no fixed age limit. Tell us the ages of your group when you book, and if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor first, because the trail crosses a pass at 4,215 m.
Yes. On a private trek your group has its own guide and team and sets its own pace. Tell us your dates and group size, or see our Private Inca Trail 4 Days.
Choose your start date
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 Picchu | 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 PicchuThis tour | 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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