4 Day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu

In the morning, we will drink coca tea to further acclimate to the high altitude. Soon after, we will enjoy a hearty breakfast prepared by our trail chef. Fueled by this meal, we will begin our second day of adventures! We will hike the Inca Trail for about four hours to Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point of the trek at 13,829 feet (4,215 meters). Once we reach the pass, we will stop for a short break to enjoy the views before continuing on to descend to the next valley, Pacaymayu Valley, also known as Hidden River. It's another hour and a half down the side of the valley to our lunch spot. After lunch, we will begin ascending again to the second pass of the trek. The pass is two hours away, and along the way, we’ll stop at a small Inca site called Runcu Raccay and see two huge waterfalls cascading down the opposite side of the valley. After reaching the second pass, we'll hike downhill for another hour to reach the magnificent Inca site of Sayacmarca, an otherwise inaccessible village.

We'll stop here for a rest, take a quick tour of the site, and then watch the sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range. Then, it's just another 20 minutes until we reach our second campsite, Chaquicocha, at 3,600 meters (11,811 feet). After dinner, if you’re not too tired, we can stargaze and point out fascinating Inca constellations. The magnificent Southern Hemisphere sky, free from artificial lighting, is something to behold!

Inca Trail Info:

Walking Distance: 16km / 9.94 miles (7-8 hours)

Campsite Elevation: 3,600 meters / 11,811 feet

Difficulty Inca Trail Hike: Moderate to Challenging

Max. elevation: Dead Woman’s Pass 4,215 meters / 13,829 feet

Min. elevation: Pacaymayu Valley 3,300 meters / 10,826 feet

Meals: 1x Breakfast, 1x Snack, 1x Lunch, 1x Afternoon tea, 1x Dinner

Water: Our trekking cook will provide water at every campsite for you to refill your water bottle.

Accommodation: Camping

Weather: Cold and rainy

Completing Day 2 and beginning Day 3 certainly deserves a pat on the back! We start hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu early again, waking up at 6:30 a.m. to begin what is widely considered the most beautiful day of the entire tour. We hike for two hours and enter the jungle, also known as the Cloud Forest. At the end of the Inca flats, we make our way up to Phuyupatamarka, the last peak at 3,600 meters, where we’ll have great views of the Urubamba River. From there, it's a three-hour walk down a flight of steps to our last campsite, close to Wiñay Wayna ("Forever Young"). Wiñay Wayna is the most spectacular Inca site on the Inca Trail after Machu Picchu, and it is the most popular campsite because of its proximity to Machu Picchu.

Inca Trail Info

Walking Distance: 10km / 6.2 miles (5 hours)

Campsite Elevation: 2,600 meters / 8,530 feet

Difficulty Inca Trail Hike Day 3: Moderate

Max. elevation: Phuyupatamarka 3,600 meters / 11,811 feet

Min. elevation: Wiñay Wayna 2,600 meters / 8,530 feet

Meals: 1x Breakfast, 1x Snack, 1x Lunch, 1x Afternoon tea & 1x Dinner

Water: Our trekking cook will provide water at every campsite for you to refill your water bottle.

Accommodation: Camping

Weather: Warm and very humid

Wake-up time is 3:00 a.m. We'll have breakfast at 3:30 a.m. and wait at the checkpoint to be among the first to start trekking when the gates open at 5:30 a.m. Then, we’ll wave goodbye to our team of porters and chef, and it’ll be time to move forward to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku). After a refreshing night, today we will enjoy the serenity in the soft morning light as we hike two hours from Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, also known as "Inti Punku." There, the four-day Inca Trail trek officially ends. From there, we will have spectacular views of the mountains and of Machu Picchu in all its glory.

Then, we'll walk downhill for an hour and enter the hidden Royal Citadel of the Incas! Take the best panoramic picture from the Guardian House. We will stay there for an hour to take in the amazing landscapes and the Inca citadel. Then, continue walking down to the control point and reenter Machu Picchu via Circuit 3. This circuit allows you to visit the lower part of the Inca citadel. There, we will take a two-hour guided tour of this incredible ancient city, visiting terraces, the Temple of the Sun, and other important sites. After the tour, you must exit; reentry is not allowed according to the new 2025 Machu Picchu rules.

If you want a more extensive experience, purchase an additional ticket to Huayna Picchu. You can climb the mountain to see Machu Picchu from a different viewpoint.

After the tour or visiting Huayna Picchu, take the bus down to Aguas Calientes. If you have time before your train leaves, you can have lunch and walk around the town and the artisan market. Then, we will take the train to Ollantaytambo. A private bus will pick up our group and drop us off at our hotels in Cusco. Rest your feet now, but know that your heart will still be soaring for weeks and years to come!

Inca Trail Info

Considered: The most exciting and magical day (early wake up 3.30 AM)

Area: High Cloud and Subtropical Forest

Meals: 1x Breakfast & 1x Snack

Exploration & Guided tour: Circuit 1 and 3 Machu Picchu

Weather: Hot and very humid (bring lots of water)

Pre-Departure Briefing

You meet your guide in your hotel for an orientation talk prior to the trek. You are provided there a duffle bag too.

Transport

• You are picked up from your hotel in the morning and transferred by private vehicle to the so-called Km 82 (the starting point of the trek).
• On the last day of the Inca Trail trek, you take a train to Ollantaytambo. There, our driver picks you up taking you to your hotel
• A shuttle bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes Town.

Experienced Tour Guides

Every group gets a Tour Guide, who is English speaking, with a university background, and officially licensed.

• 2 - 8 Trekkers: 1 Tour guide
• 8 - 16 Trekkers: 2 Tour guides

Super Porters

A personal Porter is included in the tour who is responsible for carrying a duffel bag filled with your personal belongings (up to 7 kg/11 lbs). There is no additional fee for this. There are also other Porters to carry all the camping equipment and tents.

Inca Trail Permits and Machu Picchu Tickets

Inca Trail Permits and The Machu Picchu circuits according the itinerary.

Double Personal Tents

2 people occupy each 4-person tent which allows higher comfort and luggage security. Our tents are of 4 seasons and are always disinfected and highly maintained to ensure excellent performance during the treks. They are of the brand Eureka Mountain.

Personal camping equipment

• Feather sleeping bag (-5°C), including an inner sheet.
• Pillow with pillowcase
• Air sleeping roll mattress: We use top-quality Therm-a-Rest air mattresses with covers.
• A pair of hiking poles.

A Duffel Bag for 2 Persons (7 kg per person)

You receive a duffel bag at your briefing (1-2 days prior to the trek) to fill your things in. These bags are carried by our porters during the trek. But you receive them at each campsite. Every duffel has a maximum weight of 7kg! 5kg of it should be for your personal belongings and the other 2kg are meant for your sleeping bag and pad.

Please note: You do not have access to your duffel bag until you arrive at the evening campsite!

Trekking cook during the hike to Inca Trail

A Cook specialized in cooking on the trail along with his/her Assistant prepare all of your delicious meals along the track to replenish your energy. You never go hungry!

Meals

3x breakfasts, 3x lunches, 3x dinners, snacks, and 3x afternoon tea. A vegetarian, vegan, or special diet is available at NO extra cost! Every afternoon before dinner, the Cook provides popcorn, biscuits, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, hot water, etc. After a long day of hiking, you do not have to wait until dinner to relax, warm-up, and enjoy a bite!

Wake-Up Coca Leaf Herbal Tea

Every morning at the campsite, you are wakened up with a cup of coca leaf herbal tea! Our staff brings the tea to your tent so that you can warm up from inside before you start the day. The herbal tea helps to breathe in this high mountain altitude of the Andes.

Water During the Hike

Beginning from your first lunch until your last breakfast, MachuPicchuT will supply all the water needed. This water will be boiled, and then cooled, before distributing. You must supply your own water bottles or camel back. We recommend carrying about 3L worth. We will refill our waters at each meal.

Camping Equipment for the Hike

All camping equipment during the Inca Trail. Dining and kitchen tents, tables, chairs, a toilet tent, and all cooking equipment (carried by porters) are included.

Train Ticket

From Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, there are two railway companies (IncaRail and PeruRail).

Rain Ponchos

Usually, it is raining on the Inca Trail. Our porters provide a rain-poncho in case you need it.

A MACHU PICCHU T-shirt of the

It is a special t-shirt to remember your experience and survival of the hike.

Medical Kit & Oxygen Bottle

Our crew brings a first-aid kit and an oxygen bottle to be ready in case of an emergency. 

During the Inca Trail Tours, our staff will provided the following:

• Our staff will provided the Biodegradable soap;
• Every morning our cook will provide the hot water for personal cleaning;
• Small towels for your clean your hands

• First breakfast and last lunch.
• Travel insurance is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended in case of last-minute cancellations or emergencies during your trip to Peru.
• Tips for our staff: Please note that our agency staff is well paid, so it depends on you if you give them an extra reward for their effort.
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu Mountain. It is a climb to this mountain to see the citadel of Machu Picchu from above (US$ 80). 

Solo Traveller

Please note that if you have booked the "Solo Traveller" option for this Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Tour, you receive your own single tent for all nights.

Our guide will visit your a day before the trek and He/ She will give you a briefing and more information about your Inca Trail. It very important, let us know, where you will be staying in Cusco, our guide will visit your hotel 2 or 1 day before the trek for your briefing.

All Machu PicchuT trekkers are accompanied by a Tour Guide. The aim of our Machu PicchuT Tour Guides is to take a hassle out of our customers’ trips and to help them to have the best trip possible. The Tour Guides provide information on places visited, offer suggestions of what to see and to do, recommend a good place to eat and introduce to his/her colleagues. The Guides have a broad general knowledge of each country visited during a tour, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local Tour Guides where we think that more specific knowledge could add more enjoyment to visited places.

On the last day of the Inca Trail tour, it's time to bid farewell to your trek to Machu Picchu. Afterwards, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cusco. Our staff will take care of everything to ensure a smooth return without complications. However, if there are any changes, such as delays due to weather or other unforeseen situations, we will inform you as soon as possible. Please note that, in some cases, arrival in Cusco may be delayed or occur at night.

Consettur Bus:
From Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, you will take the Consettur bus down to the village. Buses depart every 10 minutes on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the day.

Train to Ollantaytambo:
In the afternoon, you will take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. The journey takes approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. Your guide will provide your train ticket and confirm your departure time. It is very important to arrive at the train station at least 30 minutes before departure.

Drive to Cusco

Once you arrive at the Ollantaytambo train station, look for a driver holding a sign with your name. The driver will take you to Cusco. The van ride from Ollantaytambo to Cusco takes around two hours.

The driver will drop you off at your designated hotel once you arrive in Cusco.

Machu Picchu to Cusco Transfer Schedules

Machu PicchuT is one of the only companies to pick you up directly from your hotel. Pick up times may vary 30 - 45 minutes based on traffic conditions and previous pickups.

If your hotel is outside the center of Cusco city, we can coordinate this pickup based on the place where your hotel is located. Your guide will give the time for pick-up time during the information session.

Please check the table about the Starting Point & Pick up:

Of course weather on Inca Trail is unpredictable. No matter what month you are doing the Inca Trail Tours 4 day, please make sure that you have rain gear that includes a waterproof jacket, pants, poncho and waterproof gloves. Many people forget about gloves, but being cold and wet makes hiking very unpleasant.

As soon as people book their Machu Picchu Inca Trail Tour, they start wondering about Inca Trail Altitude Sickness. The air at high Inca Trail altitudes contains less oxygen than at sea level and forces your body to work harder to get the oxygen it needs. This is why we always recommend spending at least two days in Cusco before beginning any trek. 

With Inca Trail Altitude Sickness, you may first feel like you have the flu or a hangover. You may have a headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, trouble sleeping, trouble breathing during exercise. If any of these effects become severe, please contact our office and we will help you get to a doctor.

Most of the time, these symptoms will be mild. We always recommend easing into activity slowly, allowing your body to adjust. Drink plenty of fluids such as water or coca tea.

Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol and coffee. They will cause you to urinate more often and become dehydrated. Avoid smoking. Smoking makes it more difficult for your body to get oxygen. Avoid sleeping pills. They may cause shallow breathing at night, making it more difficult for your body to absorb oxygen while you sleep.

Remember the trek to Machu Picchu is not a race. Go slowly, it will give your body time to adjust to the mountain and Inca Trail Altitude.

ESSENTIALS:

• Original Passport
• Valid, STUDENT CARD (if you booked as a student)
• Immigration Card (given on the plane as you enter Peru)
• Good daypack (the smaller, the better)
• Water storage: Water reservoir like Camelbaks are encouraged - but enough for at least 2-3 liters.
• Comfortable hiking boots (lightweight with good soles)

FOR YOUR DUFFEL:

Porters will carry up to 7 kg of your personal items. This must include your sleeping bag and air matt (if you bring/rent one). From us these two items weigh 3.5 kg.

• 2-3 wicking t-shirts
• 2-3 hiking pants
• 4 sets of undergarments.
• 4 sets of hiking socks
• 1 Fleece
• 1 Warm, down jacket: gets very cold at night
• 1 Rain jacket and pants
• 1 sun hat
• 1 wool hat
• Headlamp: essential
• Waterproof gloves (even if they are ski gloves, take them)
• Comfortable shoes for camp
• Walking boots
• Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
• Quickdry towel. We provide small ones, you might enjoy something a little larger.
• Small bottle of soap: we provide warm water each day to clean - might make you feel fresh if you had a little soap.
• Battery Charger: There is no place to plug in while trekking!
• Large plastic bags: to help organize and keep clean from dirty.
• Sleeping bag: Recommend down bags for -10C at least

TOILETRIES:

• Sunscreen
• Face moisturizer
• Bug spray
• Handsanitizer
• Wet wipes
• Toothbrush and paste
• Toiletpaper
• Personal medication
• First aid kit: band aids, moleskin, etc.

INSIDE YOUR DAYPACKS:

Daypacks can be any size for hiking, but we always recommend the smaller, the better. Inside Machu Picchu, no bag larger than 25L will be allowed in. If larger, you will need to store outside citadel gates.

• Water: we supply clean water at each meal. You are responsible for your first morning of water only as we won't have time to filter water until your first lunch.
• Sunhat
• Rain gear
• Fleece
• Camera
• Music (IPhone)
• Handsanitizer
• Toilet paper and small plastic bag for waste
• Extra Money for Souvenirs, Drinks & Tips
• Earplugs

If very important your take best cover backpacker, because the weather on Inca Trail is change every date, we can’t predict it raining or no. If you don’t have, we recommended to putting your clothes, sleeping bag and other personal equipment inside the plastic bag.

Travel insurance for Inca Trail Tours 4 day is inexpensive and strongly recommended. These Machu Picchu Inca Trail Tours are planned months ahead of time and you can never predict what will happen. Adventure travelling includes more risk than your normal trip. Insurance is a way to protect the investment you have made on this amazing journey. 

We higly recommend this Travel Insurance, to offer you a calm trip and avoid any percanse during the whole Machu Picchu Inca Trail Hike, so you can have an incredible trip without any worry. Hiring an insurance does not mean that there are risks when traveling to Peru, since the rate of tourist accidents is very low. We simply want to offer you an unforgettable experience, without any worries.

Tipping is part of the tradition of any trek to Machu Picchu and while we pay good wages to our entire team, anything extra is always appreciated. Please know that this is not obligatory and that you should never feel pressured into this. Porters and Chef prefer soles if possible. Guide is happy with US, soles or even your credit card. The amount is entirely a personal preference: however as a guideline we suggest each hiker contributes 60 - 80 soles for the porters, and 150 soles for the chef. More is always appreciated.

Also, it’s very important to take EXTRA MONEY. You need to take at least 200-300 soles emergency money.

May I change the departure date after the tickets have been bought?

Unfortunately the answer is “No”. Once the tickets have been bought the government does not allow any changes, so we can’t change any departure date after the ticket has been bought. Tickets are also not transferable nor refundable.

*** If you cancel your Peru Machu Picchu Inca Trail, the deposit is not refundable at all! 

What about the balance?

It would be greatly appreciated if you pay in cash at our office (US dollars or Peruvian soles) here in Cusco. We have many cash machines in the historical center to withdraw money. You can also pay by VISA online but you will have to pay a 6% service charge, charged by VISA.

Can I hike to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain after visit the ruins?

Machu Picchu is most beautiful when seen from above, which is why hiking one of the mountains next to the ruins is very popular to do after your tour.

Huaynapicchu is the most popular and must be booked in advance... sells out very quickly. This hike takes approximately 45 minutes to the top and another 45 minutes back down. Tickets are sold in time sessions dictating when you can start this hike. The 1st session is from 7-8 AM and the 2nd session is from 10-11AM. Again, this refers to when you can begin your hike and we normally book the second session so you can enjoy your tour with your guide first. This hike is done on your own, but your guide will show you where to begin.

Machu Picchu Mountain is a bit longer and a bit less popular. It takes 1.5 hours to the top and another 1.5 hours to the bottom. Again there are two time windows - from 7-8 AM and 9-10 AM and we normally purchase the second time window. Those who book the Inca Trail 4 day trek or 7 day Inca Trail CAN NOT do this hike. Time will not allow for this. Hiking either mountain will allow you to have some extra time at the ruins once you complete, as listed above.

Can I store my luggage at your office?

Of course! During the Machu Picchu 4 day hike, your main luggage can be stored at our office or at your hotel, both free of charge.

It is strongly recommended to book your Inca Trail tours at least 4 to 6 months in advance as permits usually run out quickly because of the  limits in the numbers, especially for the months of April to August.

BOOK YOUR INCA TRAIL TOUR IN 3 EASY STEPS!

FIRST, to make your Inca Trail booking, check availability by contacting us via WhatsApp or Telegram at +51 984 004472. Once confirmed, we will send you a link, or you can click the "Book Now" button.

SECOND, complete the booking form so we can secure your reservation.

THIRD, a deposit of 50% of the total amount is required. This payment covers your Inca Trail permits and Machu Picchu ticket. You can make your deposit by clicking the "Registration & Payment" button.

BOOK THE INCA TRAIL TOURS 2026!