Walk the Inca Trail 5 Days: The Classic Hike to Machu Picchu

Breakfast is early — today is the hardest day on the trail, and you'll want every hour of daylight.

The morning is all uphill. The path climbs through the cloud forests of Yunkachimpa and Corral Punku, the air thinning with every step, until you reach the moment the whole trail builds toward: Warmiwañusqa — Dead Woman's Pass — at 4,200 metres. The highest point of the Inca Trail. The wind hits you from every direction, the Andes stretch out below, and the only thing left to do is catch your breath and take it all in.

The descent into Pacaymayo Valley (3,300 m) is steep but beautiful, and lunch at the bottom tastes better than usual. In the afternoon, the trail leads past the circular ruins of Runkuracay — an Inca watchtower your guide will bring to life — before climbing again to Runkuracay Pass (3,860 m), following the ancient Royal Inca Trail along the shores of Yanacocha Lake.

The day ends at the dramatic clifftop complex of Sayacmarca, and then camp at Chaquicocha (3,670 m), where dinner is hot and the sky above the tent is full of stars. Day 2 is the one people talk about most when they get home.

Technical Details of the Day

• Estimated hiking time: 7 to 8 hours
• Hiking distance: 12 km
• Maximum altitude: 4,200 m (12,630 feet)
• Minimum altitude: 3,500 m (11,480 feet)
• Difficulty level: Challenging

After yesterday's climbs, Day 3 feels different — softer, greener, almost dreamlike. The trail enters a world of dense subtropical forest, where the vegetation closes in around you and the air smells of moss and rain.

The morning's goal is Phuyupatamarca Pass (3,650 m), and the reward for reaching it is immediate: one of the best-preserved Inca complexes on the entire trail, whose name in Quechua means exactly what it looks like — "Town Above the Clouds". Your guide's tour here is one of the highlights of the whole trek. Lunch with that view isn't bad either.

The descent that follows is steep and spectacular. The cloud forest swallows the path as you drop through it — orchids growing from tree trunks, Andean birds darting between the branches, the kind of scenery that makes you forget your knees are working hard.

At the bottom waits Winay Wayna (2,700 m) — your final camp on the trail, and one worth arriving to slowly. A guided tour of its terraced agricultural complex, religious sector and urban ruins closes out the day before your last mountain dinner together. Tomorrow, Machu Picchu.

Technical Details of the Day

• Estimated hiking time: 5 to 6 hours
• Hiking distance: 10 km
• Maximum altitude: 3,670 m (12,040 feet)
• Minimum altitude: 2,700 m (8,860 feet)
• Difficulty level: Moderate

The last mountain breakfast. The trail is dark and quiet as you set off, headlamps lighting the path through Winaywayna and Intipata, the final Inca sites of the trek. Nobody talks much. Everyone knows what's coming.

The climb to Inti Punku — the Sun Gate — is the last real effort the trail asks of you. And then you're there, and Machu Picchu is below, catching the first light of morning across its stone terraces and towers, framed by mountains on every side. After four days of walking toward this moment, it arrives quietly and completely. No crowd, no bus queue — just your group, the sunrise, and the Lost City of the Incas exactly where it's always been.

The descent to the main entrance gives you time to breathe it in before the guided tour begins inside the citadel. By midday, you'll know this place in a way that day-trippers simply don't.

In the afternoon, the bus drops you down to Aguas Calientes — and your hotel, a real bed, and a hot shower that may be the best of your life. The evening is yours: wander the town, soak in the hot springs (10 soles entry, not included), or simply sit with a cold drink and let the last four days sink in. Dinner together tonight is the farewell kind — the best sort.

In the evening, we will gather to share a delicious farewell dinner before our exploration of the Inca citadel the next day.

Technical Details of the Day

• Estimated walking time: 3 hours
• Hiking distance: 4 km
• Maximum altitude: 2,700 m (8,860 feet)
• Minimum altitude: 2,400 m (7,875 feet)
• Difficulty level: Easy to moderate

You slept well. Today there's no pack to carry, no pass to conquer — just Machu Picchu, and all the time you need to truly be there.

After breakfast in Aguas Calientes, the bus winds its way up the mountain road to the citadel entrance. Going in early matters — the light is softer, the crowds are thinner, and the place feels closer to what it must have been.

Your guide leads a two-and-a-half hour tour through the Lost City of the Incas, connecting everything you've seen on the trail to what stands in front of you now. The temples, the terraces, the astronomical alignments — it all makes sense in a way it simply doesn't from a guidebook.

The route through the citadel follows Circuit 2 where possible — the classic path that covers the site completely and in detail. If Circuit 2 is at capacity when you book, your visit will be routed through Circuit 1 or Circuit 3, both of which offer exceptional views of the complex and a full experience of the site.

After the tour, the afternoon is yours. Some people climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for one last panoramic view (optional, booked separately). Others just sit, look, and let it settle.

Then the train back to Ollantaytambo, the transfer to Cusco, and the city at night — familiar now, but somehow different after everything you've just done.

Five days. Forty-three kilometres. One of the greatest walks on earth. Welcome back.

Climbs to the Machu Picchu mountains (Optional)

To complement your visit to Machu Picchu, you can add the climb to the surrounding mountains of the Inca citadel, which you can climb on your own to get the best panoramic views of the tourist complex. For this, it is important to know that these activities have an extra cost and require an advance reservation:

• Huayna Picchu: Requires the Circuit 3A ticket. It consists of a steep 45-minute climb up and the same time down.
• Machu Picchu Mountain: Requires access to Circuit 1A. It is a longer hike of approximately an hour and a half up.

In the afternoon, you go down to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you will have free time to have lunch or walk around the town before boarding the return train to the Ollantaytambo (or Poroy) station. Finally, our expedition service concludes with the ground transfer to the city of Cusco, arriving in the evening. We hope you have fully enjoyed this unforgettable experience on the Inca Trail!

• Pre-trek briefing with your Tour Guide (Our guide will visit your hotel a day before the trek);
• Transfer by private vehicle to the initial point of the trail at Km 82;
• Accommodation: camping (3 nights), Hotel (1 night);
• Inca Trail Permit
• 2 entrance fees to Machu Picchu circuit 5 and circuit 1 or 2;
• Meals: 4x breakfast, 4x lunch, 4x dinner, 3x afternoon´s hot beverages (If you are a vegetarian, please advise us in advance. A vegetarian meal option is for NO extra cost!);
• Experienced bilingual Tour Guide (a group up to 10 participants has 1 Tour Guide, a groups over 10 participants receives 2 Tour Guides);
• A professional trekking chef;
• Super Porters to carry food, camping, cooking equipment and and 5 kg of each passenger's stuff
• Camping equipment: Eureka Mountain Personal double tents (3 person tent which allows for greater comfort, and also storage of backpacks);
• Inflatable mattress (Term-a-Rest Mattress);
• A sleeping bag (for up to -5°C);
• A blanket per person;
• A pillow;
• A pair Hiking Poles
• Duffel bag (for your personal belogings);
• A T-shirt of the Hiking to Machu Picchu;
• Tables and chairs, cooking tent with cooking equipment, dining and toilet tents and bottled gas
• A shuttle bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes Town;
• Tourist train from Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) to Ollantaytambo;
• Tourist bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.
• First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle

• Breakfast on the first day and last lunch in Aguas Calientes Town
• A shuttle bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes Town ($12 one way, $24 - a round trip)
• Peru Travel insurance
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu ($80)
• Tour guide on the day fifth
• Tips to local staff (please note: it is a custom to give tips in Peru, however, it is not obligatory)
• Other extras not mentioned.

Solo Traveler: Please note that if you have booked the "Solo traveler" option for this trek, you also receive your own single tent.
Local flights: No local flights are included in any of our Inca Trail packages!

Porters Working Conditions

Every year, thousands of people do the Inca Trail. They usually complete the 43-km trail in 4 days. For most of them, the trip is their lifetime experience and fulfillment of their personal ambitions. The satisfaction of having completed the trek and visiting the spectacular Incan city of Machu Picchu is hard to beat. Although, this feeling is even better if you know that all porters helping you along the way have been treated well and with the respect they deserve.

Machu Picchu T DOES NOT permit this exploitation!! We guarantee that our porters carry only an amount given by the Peruvian law!! 

Inca Trail Alernative treks

In case the Hiking the Inca Trail is fully booked, you can still enjoy one of our amazing Alternative Treks!!

During the Hiking the Inca Trail we spend three nights full-service camping, meaning that our camp staff will erect and dismantle the tents, cook, and do all camp chores for you: you need only carry your day pack. There will also be dining and toilet tents and bowls of warm water are provided both morning and evening for washing with. and last night you spend a small hotel in Machu Picchu. All of the hotels we use in Aguas Calientes are located within walking distance of the train stations.

MOUNTAIN PASS 3XTE - Personal Tents:

Design simplicity meets expedition standards. The best features of Eureka's backcountry and expedition tents combine for an extremely durable tent that sets up fast. Designed with a focus on the weather tightness and durable coatings ideal for frequent use in cool, wet environments and during the shoulder seasons of late fall and early spring.

Our tents are of the brand MOUNTAIN PASS 3XTE or DOITE EXPEDITION designated for 4 seasons. We provide with 3 person capacity tents; however, just 2 trek participants use it! In this way, we provide you more space and comfort. In case of a single traveler, we provide with a 2 person capacity tent. After each trek, we carefully check our tents and fix them if necessary!

You will spend a night in the best campsite of the Hiking Inca Trail:

• First Night: Ayapata or Llulluchapampa; 
• Second Night: Chaquicocha;
• Third Night: Phuyupatamarca or Wiñaywayna;
• Fourth Night: Aguas Calientes town, please check the information in the "Accommodation in Machu Picchu" 

Accommodation during the 5 day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
These following hotels are used to accommodate you during your tour:

Hotel Casa de Luz Machu Picchu

Please Note: Hotel in Aguas Calientes town is not a 3 star hotel but it is clean, safe and comfortable with a friendly and very helpfully staff. They have private Twin, Double and Triple rooms, with small private bathrooms and hot gas water system. Hotel has one of the best locations in town, only few blocks from Train and Bus Station and you don't have to do anymore long uphill hikes to get to your room! It is about 10 minutes from the hot spring pools. We try to include an economical accommodation option for this trek to make it accessible for everyone but recommend that if you are wanting better accommodation in Aguas Calientes to celebrate your accomplishment of the trek.

We recommend the early booking of single supplements and of pre/post-tour accommodation. Single accommodation can be arranged for a supplement, subject to availability. Please request this at the time of booking.

HIKING THE INCA TRAIL UPGRADE HOTEL:

If you would like to upgrade your accommodation, the discount is U$ 20 per person (Double or Single room). We can recommend the following hotel in Machu Picchu or you can choose and book the hotel by yourself and you will have a discount for your accommodation:

Santuary Lodge Machu Picchu: The accommdation is Standard Patio

Casa Andina Machu Picchu: The accommdation is Standard Traditional

Tierra Viva Hotel Machu Picchu: The accommodation is Standard

Ferre Machu Picchu Hotel: The accommodation is Standard

Solo Traveller: If you are traveling on your own, and would prefer to share a tent, we'll pair you with another trekker of the same gender and there will not be an extra cost. If you prefer to have a tent to yourself a surcharge of USD 50 will have to be paid. If you want an upgrade any service to the train or accommodation or do you want to stay extra night in Machu Picchu, contact us directly to info@machupicchut.com for this to be done and confirmed to you.

IMPORTANT TO ACCOMMODATION: You must present your passport with the TAM immigration slip (copy) to all hotel accommodations. The national sales tax (18%) is charged to all Peruvian citizens and foreigners staying 60 consecutive days or more. In case the room is shared by both a taxable and non-taxable guest at the same time, the sales tax will be applied to the whole room. So please take every caution to not lose this piece of paper. You need to bring it to the Cusco office for your checking.

Backpacker for you trekking

If very important your take best cover backpacker, because the weather in 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.

Appropriate clothing along this hike

Hiking pants and T-shirts are recommended during the day, complemented by sweaters, fleeces and waterproof jackets. It is very convenient to have light raingear available in the daypack (rain poncho or jacket and/or rain pants) as the weather changes easily and rains can suddenly occur. At night, warm clothing is required, down jackets can be useful, otherwise a fleece and a jacket. During the third day (if sunny) and in Machu Picchu, convertible hiking pants are useful, as can be switched into shorts if necessary. Machupicchu has a warm climate, getting only cold at night. The rest of necessary implements are included in the “What we recommend that you bring” list.

What to bring to Inca Trail and Machu Picchu?

• Passport original
• Original International Student Identity Card (in case you have applied for a student discount)
• Cash in soles
• A backpack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek
• Rain gear (jacket and pants if available) or rain poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco)
• Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots recommended
• Sandals or jogging shoes for a higher comfort while at camp
• Warm clothes, including jacket, fleeces. Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for Sleeping
• Flashlight/headlamp and batteries
• Camera and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions)
• Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold
• Sun block
• After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body
• Insect repellent – minimum recommended 20% DEET – no malaria risk has been reported
• Handkerchiefs
• Toilet paper
• Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc. Please note that we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. This recommendation applies for all clients being used to a specific snack, as it may happen that it is not included in our selection
• Water container and water for the first morning. Important notice: plastic water bottles are no longer allowed into Machu Picchu. Plastic water containers (ie. Nalgene) or metal ones are recommended
• Optionally: water- sterilizing tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route. Otherwise, we provide filtered boiled water, which is safe to drink and has not reported any health problem so far
• Small towel
• Swimsuit (if you wish to go to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes)
• Optional: walking sticks or poles (rubber covers required in order not to damage the Inca Trail)

Optional services to be hired

• Walking sticks or trekking poles USD 20 for both
• Personal shared porter.- Very recommended to hire a personal half porter for 7 Kg US$75.00 for the entire trek. Machu PicchuT provides a porter duffle bag for your belongings/equipment at the briefing time the night before of your tour. Foam pad roll mattress is provided to each trekker and need to be carried by your porter or you in case you don`t hire an extra porter. If you have an inflatable Therma-rest mattress, bring it, it is more comfortable or you can hire for extra US$25.00 for entire trek. *Equipment as sleeping bags, trekking poles, backpacks, rain ponchos,water bottles must be organised in advance at the time of your booking or send us an e-mail.

Important note: Personal shared porter must be reserved in advance at the time of booking your trek.

Extra information

The camping equipment to Inca Trail will be returned to Cusco on day 4th, you need to give to chef the sleeping bag, mattress.

Camping (double tent) provided in 1st, 2nd, 3rd nights and hotel provided in 4 night

The Inca Trail hike is included the extra porter. Only you will need to carry your a daypack with Camera, water bottle, snacks, and a poncho in case of rain (unlikely in Dry season May to October)- but for your camping equipment, our porter will carry all the trail.

Important note: Personal shared porter must be reserved in advance at the time of booking your trek.

Tipping & extra money

It’s very important to take EXTRA MONEY. You need to take at least 200-300 soles emergency money:

• The local people built the small markets in the route and you can find the water, snack, chocolate, cola etc. Your first breakfast, last lunch no included
• Tipping to Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: If at the end of your trek you felt your trekking guide(s), and staff did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference: however as a guideline we suggest each hiker contributes USD 50 per person to a collective tipping pool, more is always appreciated.