This 4 day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is truly a journey to one of the world’s most ancient civilizations. Discover and immerse yourself in the history, the mountains, the vegetation and wildlife, and, most of all, the people. Explore these archaeological sites that rest along the last know Inca Trail. This is a popular trail in South America.
Machu Picchu is a wonder to hat shouldn’t be missed, and half the adventure is getting there by the Inca Trail. Learn how these ancient people lived and worked on this authentic and memorable trek and experience 4 days of adventure, and most of all, a cultural experience.
Though Machu Picchu is the final destination for everyone, the trip there is half the adventure. With this trek, you can get a feel for the architectural skill and prowess of this legendary civilization.
Though the Inca citadel is a wonder to behold, its location and the trek there only adds to its mystery and magic. As it sits like royalty upon the top of a mountain, you’ll be able to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds it as equally as you’ll love the site itself.
This 4 day Inca trail trekking experience is an opportunity of a lifetime. If you have time to spare and want to immerse yourself in the journey to Machu Picchu fully, then this hike is made for you.
With cloud-covered peaks offering an abundance of mystery to the site, you’ll feel the ever-present call of Machu Picchu with every step you take.
Wondering why Inca Trail is so popular? Our local experts have compiled an article on this.. Check out our insider’s tips on hiking Inca Trail. We have also outlined the difference between Salkantay Trek and Inca Trail.
We are a fully locally owned tour operator and a licensed Inca Trail operator based in Cusco. Our guides are passionate about the history and culture of Peru. They have years of experience on hiking to Machu Picchu.
We offer Inca Trail both in private and as a small group tour.
Do take a moment to check our reviews on Trip Advisor.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a high altitude experience. We highly recommend you to spend 3-4 days in Cusco before the trail to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0430 AM
Our adventure starts with a bright and early pick up at 4:30 am from your hotel in Cusco. We will then make our first stop at the town of Ollantaytambo where we’ll have an early breakfast. After breakfast, we travel to KM 82 (45 mins trip) and start our adventure! This will be our starting point of the Inca Trail trek which is considered one of the easiest days.
After trekking for 4 hours we will make our way to an exquisite buffet lunch setting organised and prepared by our Machu Picchu Tours team. After lunch, we will continue our journey of 3 hours ascending through the valleys of the Inca Trail.
Ayapata (1,0826 ft/3,300 m) is the first campsite and today is basically a training day for the following days to come. Today we meet our friendly team who will be in charge of the equipment and the entire trek! A time to socialise and make new friends too!
Ready for dinner? Dinner is normally ready by 7pm served by one of our top chefs! Camping under the stars is a moment to remember whilst at the same time you appreciate the natural beauty and tranquility this place offers.
Today is the longest day and by far the most challenging! We begin the day with an uphill climb of 4 hours (approx.) Warmi Wañusk’a (the dead woman’s pass) is known to have furthest altitude in the Inca trail (13,829 ft/4,215).
So be prepared to have your cameras ready for some beautiful scenery. We continue on the trek descending to Pacaymayu (2 hrs approx) and take a break to enjoy a variety of meals offered for lunch.
After enjoying a wholesome lunch, we continue on trekking for another 3 hours through the cloud forest. Then we will hike down the hill for 2 hours to our final campsite of the day at Chaquicocha (11811 ft/3600m).
Treat yourself to a traditional Peruvian hot ‘mate’ tea whilst glancing at the sunset and ending the day with a great hearty dinner!
Today we’re on our own in the morning! This will be more of a relaxed climb with 2 hours of beautiful landscape and gain more insight into Peru’s history and culture.
We make a stop to Phuyupatamarca (11811 ft/3600m) and take a minute to enjoy the panoramic view. From there, we descend a further 3 hours to reach our final campsite, Wiñay Wayna (8530 ft/2600m).
We will have the rest of the afternoon to recover all of our energy and visit one of the great archaeological sites along the Inca Trail known as Wiñay Wayna (forever young).
This will be our last dinner with our team where we say our goodbyes and thank the porters who have gone above and beyond to make this trek amazing!
Last day of the trek and we start super early, 4am! After breakfast, we pack our gear, get ready and make our way to Intipunku.
We will be one of the first groups to enter the sungate of Intipunku and be ready for a glorious sunrise surrounded by superb views.
Today will be a grand and rewarding day as we make our way to Machu Picchu trekking for 2 hours to the Sungate and a further 30 minutes to the entrance of Machu Picchu.
Capturing first-hand views of this magnificent citadel. After visiting Machu Picchu with a 2 hour guided tour, you will have free time to explore a little more of Machu Picchu.
Once we finish exploring, we will take the bus to Agua Calientes. We do recommend you have lunch in the town before you leave to Cusco.
The return to Cusco will take us 4 hours approximately, 2 hours by train and 2 hours by bus arriving at Cusco at 7pm.
I travelled to Peru in October and had an amazing time. John is a great tour guide, he is very informative, helpful and a lovely guy. He did all he could to make sure we all had everything we needed. During the 4 days trekking the Inca Trail he kept us motivated and made the experience fun. Also excellent at taking photos for you to remember the experience long after you have left and your muscles no longer ache. Me and my friend were at the back as our group was faster than us and he never made us feel like we were slow. If anyone is thinking of doing a tour I highly recommend John as he is somebody who looks after his guests well!
I decided to take my first solo trip, not knowing what to expect. So, I decided to travel with John from the company to Peru, a country and continent I hadn’t been to before. From the get-go, John was friendly and welcoming and made me, and the rest of the group, feel right at home.
Throughout the entire busy schedule, John kept us motivated and excited as we weaved our way through the magical sights of Peru, Cusco, the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. He is incredibly informative, knowledgeable and kind. He definitely made the Peru experience worthwhile, and I’d highly recommend travelling with him!
This was a dream come true. The booking process was very easy. We just gave our passport number and sent a copy of our passports and did a 50% payment and John took care of everything. He was quick to reply to my mails. The experience in itself was second to none.
This was a dream come true. The booking process was very easy. We just gave our passport number and sent a copy of our passports and did a 50% payment and John took care of everything. He was quick to reply to my mails. The experience in itself was second to none.