This is one of the best-known hiking routes in all South America, and the most important of Perú; walking around the Inca Trail will be the most unforgettable experience in your life.
Walking by the same way that the ingenious Incas walked 5 centuries ago is something indescribable, find huge buildings in the high of the mountains, someone in the valleys and at the edge of cliffs will make you imagine the big effort they did to build the well-preserved stoned Trails.
Until now, these are the witnesses of the astonishment of the people who arrive from different places around the world to live this great experience, this trail will let you arrive in the citadel of Machu Picchu, as it made them with the Incas.
IMPORTANT
You have two options to go in this hike, the Classic 4 days Inca trail that due to the restrictions of the Peruvian Government with the desire to preserve the trail only provides 500 spaces per day.
Into this quantity is included, tourists, porters (carriers), tour guides and cookers, for this reason, we recommend making your reservation 4 months in advance or 6 months in advance of your trip if this will be between May to September.
Also, you have this version, a short Inca Trail 2 days, this for those people who don’t have enough time, this option is easier, you have availability every day, but you must book weeks in advance.
The Trail can be done by any person and any age but for physical conditions, we suggest from 12 years old, you don’t have to be an athlete but in a good shape to walk (we make this trail with 65 and 70-year-old people).
The difficulty is more for the altitude, the hike is in a tourist rhythm (this is not a rush), we go slow and have breaks.
We recommend for all the travelers and groups who want to go on the Inca Trail, arrive in Cusco at least 1 or 2 days before the trek departure to acclimatize very well, where you can do other activities in our nice city.
DAY 1: Cusco – Piscacucho (Km. 82) – Wayllabamba.
DAY 2: Wayllabamba – Warmiwañusca – Pacaymayu.
DAY 3: Pacaymayu – Puyupatamarca – Wñaywayna.
DAY 4: Wiñaywayna – Machu Picchu – Cusco

👇 Take a look at all the information down here 👇
We’ll pick you up from your accommodation at 6:00 am. Then we’ll leave from Cusco by bus, in this route we’ll see a beautiful landscape because we’ll pass for a high part of Cusco,
it will be 1 and 1/2 hours to arrive at the first stop Ollantaytambo, this place is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in this place, you’ll have free time as 10 or 15 minutes to buy something maybe you forgot or simply some snacks,
after we’ll continue our route to the km. 82 Piscacuchu where we will start our adventure, after showing all our permissions and passports entrance tickets on the first control of the Inca trail we will cross the bridge, and we’ll start walking by the riverbank,
One hour later we’ll start to ascend to a nice viewpoint where we’ll find the first Inca site, this will be Llaqtapata, after the information of our guide we’ll continue walking to Wayllabamba our first camping site where we’ll rest this first day.
Walking Distance: 12 km (6.83 Miles) – 5 Hours.
Height at the start of the hiking: 2720 MSNM. (90945 PSNM)
Max. Altitude: 3000 MNSM (9843 PSNM)
Meals provided: Lunch and Dinner.
Accommodation: Tents (4-season tent).
After breakfast, we’ll continue our route, this second day of our adventure, for many the most difficult day, because it will be as seven or eight hours walking where the first four hours will be all uphill,
in this part, we’ll find hundreds of steps mixed with typical flora, small trees, and bushes, before arriving at the highest point “the Warmiwañusca pass”, (4200 m.a.s.l), from this place we’ll find a beautiful landscape.
Here, you will have a tremendous feeling of achievement mixed with relief on reaching the top. After lunch, you will continue from this place you’ll see more marked the Inca Trail (the stoned route) to arrive in Pacaymayo where you will have dinner and rest this second night.
Walking Distance: 13 km (8.07 Miles) – 7 and 1/2 Hours.
Height at the start of the hiking: 3000 MSNM. (9843 PSNM)
Max. Altitude: 4200 MNSM (13779 PSNM)
Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Accommodation: Tents (4-season tent).
This day we’ll find many Inca sites, we’ll remember the second day because the first part will be uphill (max. 2 hours), to arrive in the second pass of the trail at 3,850 m.a.s.l.
Going up we’ll find the archaeological site of Runkurakay from this place you’ll have a nice view of the Pacaymayu Valley,
crossing the second pass, we’ll continue walking down to the Inca site of Sayacmarka one of the biggest places of the route,
after hearing the guide’s information we’ll continue our trek always finding other small Inca sites on the way, we’ll pass by one tunnel, a natural formation that the Incas used because that is the only way to continue in the trail,
At half way, we’ll have lunch, and we’ll have time to rest, our final destination this day will be the camping site of Wiñaywayna where we’ll rest this third night, in the afternoon you can visit the Inca Site.
Walking Distance: 15 km (9.32 Miles) – 8 and 1/2 Hours.
Height at the start of the hiking: 3580 MSNM. (11745 PSNM)
Max. Altitude: 4000 MNSM (13123 PSNM)
Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Accommodation: Tents (4-season tent)
After breakfast, we’ll have to start to walk very early to arrive in time for sunrise at Machu Picchu. After a one-hour walk through the forest towards the Inti Punku or the Sun Gate,
also known as the Entrance Gate to Machu Picchu, where you will have the most impressive panoramic view of the citadel.
Upon arrival at Machu Picchu, you will have a short free time to take the first pictures, then we will go down to the gate to leave all our stuff and use the restroom,
then we will have two hours guided tour around the citadel, visiting the main sites and temples, after this guiding tour you will have free time to walk around and explore Machu Picchu by your own,
then we’ll go down to Aguas Calientes town, this will be 50 minutes walking (you have the option to take a bus 25 minutes for US$ 12.00),
In Aguas Calientes you will have free time to have lunch, then In the afternoon we’ll take a train for one and a half hours to Ollantaytambo and there we will pick you up to bring you back by bus to Cusco.
Walking Distance: 5 km (3.11 Miles) – 2 Hours.
Height at the start of the hiking: 2680 MSNM. (8793 PSNM)
Max. Altitude: 2730 MNSM (8957 PSNM)
Meals provided: Breakfast.
This service in a GROUP TOUR means that you will do the tour with other people, This standard service has 10 to 15 participants, but that doesn’t mean you have to get that quantity of people to do the tour, we have confirmed departures every day, so, If you are only one or two people do not worry, you can join some of our groups.
“BEST PRICE PER PERSON: US$ 829.00”
This service is an exclusive way to make this trip, where the service is very much where the service is much more personalized, prices vary according to the number of people in your group:
2 PEOPLE: US$ 1420 PER PERSON
3 PEOPLE: US$ 1290 PER PERSON
4 PEOPLE: US$ 1250 PER PERSON
5 PEOPLE: US$ 1190 PER PERSON
6 PEOPLE: US$ 1150 PER PERSON
7 PEOPLE and +: US$ 1099 PER PERSON
STEP 1: SEND YOUR INFORMATION
Complete the booking form down here or send data of all the travelers to info@inkatimetours.com like full name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, or a copy of passports, indicating the exact date of travel; Our privacy policies are strict, INKA TIME will use this information exclusively to nominate the reservation tickets, we never share this information with third parties.
STEP 2: MAKE A DEPOSIT
You can book and pay for the tour from our website if you are booking via email, you must choose the best way to pay and make a deposit, for this hike the payment at least is 50%; There are 03 ways to pay: payments via “PayPal“, with debit or credit card Visa or Mastercard (these last two options have an 8% fee), or wire money by Western Union any extra commissions or fees charged must be assumed by the customer; when you send your information you have to specify the payment method you would like to use, then when we mail you back We will send you a request for payment through the platform you chose.
STEP 3: TOUR CONFIRMATION
If you make the reservation on our website the confirmation will be automatic, if you do via email, upon receipt of all passenger(S) data and once we received information of your payment, we will send you your receipt (VOUCHER OF RESERVATION), at this moment your reservation will be guaranteed 100%. (this will be sent at most in the next 8 hours, considering our business hours GMT – 5).
1.- Who manages the Inca Trail?
The Inca Trail is part of the National Patrimony of Peru and its access and the conditions of the excursions are managed and regulated by the Ministry of Culture of Cusco. Only they can give access authorizations (see also the Regulation page). The Ministry of Culture Cusco also manages the campsites. They are in charge of the maintenance of the trail, the campsites and the restroom facilities that are in the middle of nowhere.
2.- What are the characteristics of the trail and the campsites?
The Inca Trail is a stone route built by the Incas 500 years ago to link their villages scattered throughout the Tawantisuyo empire. This section, a protected archaeological site open to tourism, runs from km 82 to Machu Picchu. It is located in the middle of the Andes and is not accessible by car or any means of transportation. There is no electricity or water infrastructure and no convenient toilet facilities along the road and/or in the campsites; there is also no cell phone network. The sanitary facilities in the campsites are not in good condition, so most trekkers prefer the wilderness. Unfortunately, this is not the responsibility of the agencies and there is nothing we can do about it.
3.- What departure dates do you offer?
We offer departures every day. In the availability calendar, we indicate the available spaces for each day. This calendar also allows you to choose the departure date of your trek.
4.- What is the duration of the excursion?
The Inca Trail links the city of Cuzco to the citadel of Machu Picchu. The start of the excursion can be from the outskirts of the city (4-day trek) or, for those in a hurry or less athletic, from an intermediate point (2-day trek). It is worth mentioning that the Inca Trail can only be done in one direction: from Cuzco to Machu Picchu; the return is always done by motorized means (by train and bus).
5.- Who will participate in the Trek with me?
Logically, the excursion is done in a group (see distribution), that is why you will be part of a group with other hikers. As it is impossible to know in advance (also for confidentiality reasons) who will be part of your group, it is impossible for us to give you a precise answer. Generally, it is a group of hikers of different nationalities and ages. The Ministry imposes strict rules on the agencies, such as a limit of 40 people per group, of which a maximum of 16 hikers and a minimum of 2 guides; the rest are support staff (porters, cooks). We can summarize by saying that it is a small group of a maximum of 16 people. It should be noted that as far as possible (tourists without a fixed travel date, etc.) we try to group in the same trek a maximum of people of the same nationality and age range.
6.- What is the best time of the year to make the excursion?
Peru is a very big country with many different climates, for that reason it would be very difficult to define a good time to visit different places. However, we consider that the best season is from June to September. For the Inca Trail, the hottest season is from November to March but it is also the rainy season. Therefore, we think it is more pleasant to do a sunny but cold hike than a warm but rainy hike. For this reason, we advise to do it preferably between May and October. It should be noted that the Inca Trail is open every day of the year except in February, the month of maintenance. For more details, we advise you to visit the weather page.
7.- Is the Inca Trail open all year round?
It is open 7 days a week, every day of the month, including Sundays and holidays; but it is closed in February because the Ministry takes advantage of this month, the rainiest (and therefore the least frequented), to do maintenance on the Inca Trail.
8.- I have heard about a “local” train, can I take it?
Yes, there is a train called “local” for the Cuzco-Aguas Calientes route, but by government decree it is reserved for Peruvians and residents, upon presentation of an identity document. No tourist can take it.
9.- Can I do the excursion by myself?
No. Only hikers accompanied by guides authorized by the Ministry are allowed to access the Inca Trail. Only a few agencies (about 150 US out of the 35,000 travel agencies in Peru), including ours, have authorization for access.
10.- What to do with my luggage during the Trek?
Most of the places where you will be staying (hotel, hostel or in lodging houses) propose to keep your luggage free of charge during the Trek. But we are also happy to store it for you; all you have to do is bring it to our agency the day before the Trek.
11.- Can I bring my mountain bike?
The ministerial regulations are very clear and unavoidable: no mechanical means is authorized.
12.- I want the tour, but including the ascent to Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, is it possible?
Yes you can, choosing an early schedule and returning late you can do the visit of Machu Picchu in addition to the ascent to one of the mountains, you only have to specify the date to see the availability, this has an extra cost of US$ 25.00 per person.
13.- I am traveling with my family, we have an 8 year old child and a 65 year old adult, will there be much difficulty for them?
This tour is one of the most comfortable, yes, in Machu Picchu you walk, it is the only way to visit the park, if someone has a lot of difficulty walking I recommend taking a tour in private service, so you can do the tour at your own pace without following a group.
14.- I don’t like to give my personal information from my passport, is there any way to book the tour with names only?
We understand your concern, but the data requested are exclusively to fill the data in your tickets, these tickets are electronic tickets, it is like to take a plane, you have to show the ticket and your original passport; our privacy policies are very strict, your information will be in safe hands, we also hate SPAM.
15.- What is the maximum altitude that will be reached on the Inca Trail?
The maximum altitude reached on the Short Inca Trail is approximately 4200 meters above sea level at the point known as Warmiwañusca.
16. Can I hire an extra porter for the Inca Trail?
Yes, it is possible to hire an extra porter for the Inca Trail if you need it, just let us know your decision to check availability. Hiring an extra porter can be especially useful if you carry a lot of personal equipment or if you prefer to walk light and enjoy the scenery more without worrying about carrying a heavy backpack.
17.- What is the maximum weight a porter can carry?
The maximum weight that a porter can carry during the Inca Trail is regulated in a weight limit usually around 20 to 25 kilograms, including camping equipment, supplies and part of the hikers’ personal gear.
18.- Should I prepare myself physically for the Inca Trail?
Yes, it is important to prepare yourself physically before embarking on the Inca Trail due to the demanding nature of the trek. You can practice with cardiovascular exercises, endurance training, strength training and long walks.
19.- Are there bathrooms and showers on the Inca Trail?
Along the Inca Trail, you will find basic restrooms at some campsites and rest areas. These bathrooms are usually latrine or simple toilets. However, there are no shower facilities available along the route.
20.- What is the weight of luggage allowed for the Inca Trail?
The maximum weight allowed for hikers’ luggage on the Inca Trail is approximately 7 kilograms, including clothing, sleeping bag and other personal items. It is important to pack light and carry only the essentials for the trek.
21.- How far in advance should I book the Inca Trail?
It is recommended to book the Inca Trail at least 4 months in advance, especially during the high season from May to September. During these months, demand is high and spaces fill up quickly, so it is important to secure your spot well in advance. However, if you plan to travel during the low season, it is still advisable to book at least 3 months in advance to guarantee availability.
*Every year on February the Inca Trail is closed for maintenance
*Every passenger have to carry their own equipment, these are your backpack and sleeping bag and sleeping pad (mattress) (this for the passenger that book this tour in a group service (Groups from 8 to 14 people)
Here you can obtain a report on the availability of spaces for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, for every month and every day of 2023 and 2024, just click on the month you want to travel.
Note that in the month of February the Inca trail is closed for route maintenance.
Seeing enough availability does not ensure that there is more time to make a reservation, remember that the quotas are for all operators, it is not unusual to see that as a day and often hours pass, the spaces are sold out, we recommend making your reservations in advance .
Book now and travel whenever you want.
CONSÍGUELO AHORA POR SÓLO
OR

We booked the Machu Picchu tour with them and on the first day we arrived in Cusco, we went to their office we asked them what to do and they gave us this option, the truth is highly recommended, the guide Rafael was excellent, very professional and knows a lot about its history, we stayed very satisfied, same with the Machu Picchu tour which was excellent from start to finish.


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