Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

There's only one trek that ends with you walking on foot through the Sun Gate — Inti Punku — and looking down on Machu Picchu as the sun comes up over the mountains behind it. That's the classic Inca Trail, and it's the reason it remains the most sought-after trek in South America despite Peru capping the number of permits issued every single day.

Unlike Salkantay or Lares, the Inca Trail follows an actual stretch of the original 15th-century Inca road system, passing several genuine archaeological sites along the way — not replicas, not restorations for tourists, but the real stonework Inca travelers walked on five centuries ago.

Who This Trek Is For — and Who It Isn't

The Route, Day by Day

The classic Inca Trail runs four days and three nights, starting at KM 82 (Piscacucho), a couple of hours from Cusco by road.

• 1
  KM 82 to Wayllabamba

  A relatively gentle day following the Urubamba River valley, passing the ruins of Llactapata and getting your first real views of the surrounding peaks.

• 2
  Dead Woman's Pass (4,215m)

  The hardest day by far — a long, steady climb to the trail's highest point, named for the silhouette of the ridge above. What goes up must come down, and the descent is its own challenge.

• 3
  The Ruins Day

  The most archaeologically rich day, passing Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca ("town above the clouds") before descending to the stunning terraces of Wiñay Wayna.

• 4
  Sun Gate Sunrise

  A pre-dawn start to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) for sunrise, followed by the descent into Machu Picchu itself for a full guided tour of the citadel.

Difficulty & Conditions

The Inca Trail is moderately difficult — Dead Woman's Pass is a serious climb, but the trail is well-maintained (if uneven, with a lot of stone steps) and shorter overall than Salkantay. Weather can turn even in the dry season, so a rain layer is worth packing regardless of when you go. As with any high-altitude trek in Peru, spending a couple of days acclimatizing in Cusco beforehand will noticeably change how the trek feels, particularly on day two.

A Road Built for Pilgrimage

The trail was originally built in the 15th century as part of a much larger Inca road network connecting Cusco to Machu Picchu — not primarily as transportation, but as a ceremonial pilgrimage route to what's believed to have been a royal estate and religious site. Walking it today, passing through the same stone gateways and along the same terraces, is about as close as most travelers will get to experiencing that original journey.

Peru closes the trail entirely every February for maintenance and environmental recovery — a deliberate policy to protect the trail from the wear of hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors, and one of the clearest signs of how seriously the route is now managed and preserved.

What's Included on Our Inka Trail Trek

Because permits are limited and book out early, we'd genuinely rather hear from you too early than too late — reach out with your travel dates and we'll tell you honestly what's still available.