Short Inca Trail Packing List: What to Bring (2 Days)

For the 2-day Short Inca Trail with a hotel night, you pack two bags: a 25–30 L daypack that you carry on the 12 km (7.5 mi) hike from Km 104, and a duffel of up to 5 kg (11 lb) that travels by train to your hotel in Aguas Calientes. The daypack holds everything you need on the trail; the duffel holds clean clothes and toiletries for the evening and for Machu Picchu on day two. Your main suitcase stays in Cusco.

The figures below are for Ali Peru Trek departures; other operators set their own bag limits and inclusions. This list assumes the hotel version of the trek, where you sleep in a 3-star hotel instead of a tent, so you do not need a sleeping bag or camping gear. It does not apply to the camping-based Classic Inca Trail; our Short Inca Trail vs Classic Inca Trail comparison explains how the two differ.

How the two-bag system works

You carry one bag on the trail and send one ahead. Anything you need before you reach the hotel has to be in the daypack, because you cannot reach the duffel until you check in.

Bag	Who carries it?	Limit	What goes in it
Daypack	You all day on the trail.	25–30 L is recommended.	Passport, water, rain gear, sun protection, snacks, medication, camera
Duffel (provided by the operator)	Moved by train to your Aguas Calientes hotel	5 kg / 11 lb	Clean clothes, evening shoes, toiletries, charger
Main suitcase	Stays in Cusco	Free storage at our Cusco office	Everything else

You receive the duffel at the mandatory pre-trek briefing the evening before departure, usually at 5:00 PM at our Cusco office. The limit is strict because the bag travels with the train service, so weigh it at home rather than at the briefing.

What goes in your daypack?

Day one is a 12 km (7.5 mi) hike of 6 to 7 hours, with about 620 m (2,034 ft) of elevation gain and a lunch stop at Wiñay Wayna. It is rated moderate, and most of the effort falls on that first day; our 2-day Inca Trail difficulty guide breaks down where the climbing is. Keep the pack light and use the 25–30 L range: it is enough for the items below and small enough not to throw off your balance on the stone steps.

Required items

• Original passport, the same one used for your booking. Your Inca Trail permit is tied to that passport number, and photocopies or phone photos are not accepted at the Km 104 checkpoint.
• Reusable water bottle or hydration bladder holding at least 2 liters. Single-use plastic bottles are prohibited on the trail.
• Rain jacket or poncho. We provide a lightweight poncho and a backpack rain cover as backup, but the cloud forest brings sudden rain and mist, and your own waterproof jacket will usually perform better.
• Sunscreen (SPF 50+), a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-protection sunglasses.
• Insect repellent with a high DEET content, mainly for the Wiñay Wayna area.
• Personal medication, including altitude tablets if you use them.
• Snacks. Lunch on the trail is provided, but breakfast on day one is not, so eat or pack something before the 6:10 AM train.
• Camera or phone. Binoculars are optional; the cloud forest has good birdwatching.
• Small bills in Peruvian soles for snacks and tips.

What to wear

The trail runs through cloud forest, which means warm, humid conditions with sudden changes. Dress in layers you can remove and stash in the daypack.

• Moisture-wicking T-shirt (synthetic or merino wool). Avoid cotton, which stays wet and chills you when you stop.
• Quick-drying trekking pants.
• Cushioned hiking socks.
• Broken-in hiking boots with ankle support. Do not wear new shoes on original Inca stone steps.

Trekking poles

Poles are optional but useful on the steep descents. Rubber tips are required to protect the ancient stonework, and a pair can be rented from us for $10 USD.

What goes in the 5 kg duffel?

The duffel is waiting in your Aguas Calientes hotel when you arrive. It holds what you need for the evening and for day two.

• A clean set of clothes for the Machu Picchu tour.
• Casual clothes and lightweight shoes or sandals for dinner.
• A warm layer for the evening; nights in town are cool in the dry season.
• Toiletries.
• Charging cables and a power bank. Hotel outlets are the standard Peruvian 220 V type, so check that your chargers accept that voltage.
• Optional: swimwear, if you want to use the hot springs in town.

On day two the hotel stores the duffel while you tour, so you carry only your daypack to Machu Picchu.

Where the limit bites. Five kilograms is enough for one change of clothes and basic toiletries, but not for spare boots, a second camera body, or a full set of evening wear. If you are over the limit, the usual fixes are travel-size toiletries and leaving a second pair of shoes in Cusco. Keep your passport, money, and expensive electronics in the daypack, never in the duffel.

What to leave behind

Some items are prohibited and some are simply not worth the weight.

• Single-use plastic water bottles. Prohibited on the trail; bring a reusable bottle or bladder.
• Trekking poles without rubber tips. The tips are required to protect the stonework.
• A large backpack. Packs over 40 L are not allowed inside Machu Picchu, and a daypack of 25–30 L is easier on the steps anyway.
• Brand-new boots. New boots cause blisters on long stone descents.
• Your main suitcase and spare gear. We store it free of charge at our Cusco office.
• Valuables you do not need. Leave them in your Cusco hotel.

Packing by day

The times below are the usual schedule for our departures; your guide confirms the exact times at the briefing.

When	What happens	Keep within reach.
Evening before, about 5:00 PM	Mandatory briefing at the Cusco office; you receive the duffel and confirm dietary preferences.	Pack both bags tonight; weigh the duffel.
Day 1, 4:00 AM	Hotel pickup, then about 2 hours by road to Ollantaytambo	Passport, a snack for breakfast
Day 1, 6:10 AM	Expedition train to Km 104 (about 90 minutes); passport check at the checkpoint	Original passport, water bottle
Day 1, morning to midday	Chachabamba, then the climb through the cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna; lunch on site	Rain jacket, sunscreen, repellent, snacks
Day 1, about 3:00 to 4:30 PM	Sun Gate (Inti Punku), descent to Machu Picchu, bus to Aguas Calientes, hotel, and dinner	Camera: the duffel is at the hotel.
Day 2, early morning	Bus up to Machu Picchu and a guided tour of about 2 hours	Daypack with passport, water, and rain layer
Day 2, 2:55 or 3:20 PM	Return train to Ollantaytambo, then a private van to Cusco; arrival is usually between 7:00 and 8:00 PM.	Snacks: lunch on day two is not included.

Season and altitude adjustments

Dry season (April to October). Skies are clear and rain is rare, and nights in town are cool. This is also the busiest window, and permits for these months sell out first, so check Inca Trail permit availability before you plan around a date. Put the warm layer in the duffel.

Rainy season (November to March). Afternoon showers are likely, the forest is greener, and stone steps get slippery. Bring a proper waterproof jacket, keep documents and electronics in zip-top bags, and use the pack cover we provide.

February. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance, so no departures run that month.

Altitude. The highest point of the trail, the Sun Gate, is at 2,730 m (8,956 ft), lower than Cusco at 3,400 m (11,152 ft). Altitude matters less here than on the Classic Inca Trail, but we still recommend spending at least two full days in Cusco beforehand; our guide to acclimatizing in Cusco explains how. If you are sensitive to altitude, ask your doctor about medication such as acetazolamide before you travel, and carry blister plasters and a few basic first-aid items.

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