Inca Trail 4 Days

Inca Trail 4 Days Overview

The Classic Inca Trail 4 days to Machu Picchu, also known as the Classic Inca Trail, is a 43 km (27-mile) trek on original Inca stone paths from Km 82 in the Urubamba Valley to Machu Picchu. Instead of arriving by bus like most visitors, you walk into the citadel from above through Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, as Inca travelers once did. Over four days and three nights of camping, you cross Dead Woman’s Pass (Warmiwañusca) at 4,215 m (13,828 ft), descend from high Andean grassland into cloud forest, and explore Inca sites that can only be reached on foot, including Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, and Wiñay Wayna.

Ali Peru Treks is a locally owned Inca Trail operator based in Cusco, authorized by SERNANP to operate on the Inca Trail and in the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, and registered with DIRCETUR Cusco (see our official licenses and certifications). We run this trek in small groups of 2 to 12 hikers. The price includes your Inca Trail permit, your Machu Picchu entrance ticket, a 7 kg (15 lb) personal porter allowance, inflatable mattresses, private toilet tents, and a trekking chef. Group departures cost $775 USD per person.

The trek suits active travelers who are comfortable walking 5 to 10 hours a day on uneven stone steps during the first three days. You don’t need any climbing experience, but the altitude and the long climb on Day 2 are a real challenge, so it pays to train beforehand and spend at least two days acclimatizing in Cusco. Access is limited to 500 people per day (hikers, guides, and porters combined), and the trail closes every February, so dry-season dates sell out first.

Trip at a Glance

Tour Highlights

• Arrive through the Sun Gate. Walk into Machu Picchu from above in the early morning, then take the classic postcard photo from the upper terraces before your guided tour.
• Cross Dead Woman’s Pass. Day 2 takes you over the highest point of the trek, at 4,215 m (13,828 ft), with wide views over the surrounding Andean peaks.
• Visit Inca sites with no road access. Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Intipata, and Wiñay Wayna are part of the trek itself.
• Hike from Puna to Cloud Forest. The trail descends original Inca stairways and passes through a stone tunnel carved by the Incas.
• Carry only a daypack. Porters carry up to 7 kg (15 lb) of your personal gear plus all the camping equipment.
• Rest properly at camp. Two-person mountain tents with inflatable mattresses, a dining tent with table and chairs, and private toilet tents at campsites and lunch stops.
• Eat well on the trail. Hot, freshly cooked meals by our chef, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly menus at no extra cost.

Why Hike the Inca Trail with Ali Peru Treks?

• Local and licensed. We are a 100% locally owned Cusco company, founded in 2023 by Ali Huamán, a university-educated guide from the Huayllaccocha community who speaks Quechua, Spanish, and English. Your booking directly supports Cusco guides, cooks, porters, and drivers.
• No outsourcing. Departures are guaranteed from two hikers. We never pass your booking to another agency or merge you into another company’s group.
• Small groups. A maximum of 12 hikers lets your guide manage pace, answer questions, and give each person proper attention.
• Hotel to hotel. We pick you up at your hotel on the morning of Day 1 and drop you back at your hotel in Cusco on the evening of Day 4.
• Camp comfort included. Inflatable mattresses, a pillow, a backpack rain cover, and a rain poncho come with every booking. See our camping comfort standard.
• An earlier return. We book an afternoon train from Aguas Calientes (usually departing between 2:55 and 3:55 PM), so you’re back in Cusco around 7:00 PM.
• A fairly treated crew. Guides, porters, cooks, and drivers are paid on time as soon as the trek ends, and we respect the legal 20 kg (44 lb) load limit for porters.
• Reviews from real hikers. Read what past travelers say about us on Tripadvisor.

Inca Trail 4 Days Itinerary: Day by Day

Day 1 – Cusco to Km 82 and Ayapata Campsite

Your guide and our private transport pick you up from your hotel in Cusco, Urubamba, or Ollantaytambo at around 5:00 AM. We drive to Ollantaytambo for breakfast and final preparations, then continue to Km 82 (Piscacucho, 2,720 m / 8,923 ft), the official start of the Inca Trail. Here you meet the porters and the chef and pass the government checkpoint. Keep the original passport you used for your booking close at hand, as it is checked against your permit.

The first stretch follows the Urubamba River on a gently rolling path, which gives your body time to adjust to the altitude. Your guide stops at the small Inca site of Kanabamba and then at Llactapata, an agricultural center of terraces and buildings, where you’ll see how the Incas farmed these steep valleys. About two more hours of walking bring you to Hatunchaca (2,930 m / 9,612 ft) for lunch and a short rest.

In the afternoon you pass Wayllabamba, the last village on the trail and your final chance to buy snacks or extra drinks, before the steady climb to camp at Ayapata (3,300 m / 10,827 ft). Your tent and inflatable mattress are already set up when you arrive. The day ends with tea time and dinner under the Andean sky.

• Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles)
• Hiking time: about 6 hours
• Altitude: 2,720 m (8,923 ft) at Km 82 to 3,300 m (10,827 ft) at Ayapata; elevation gain 580 m (1,904 ft)
• Difficulty: moderate (acclimatization day)
• Inca sites: Kanabamba and Llactapata
• Typical conditions: warm and sunny in the valley
• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Overnight: camping at Ayapata

Guide tip: Walk more slowly than feels necessary and drink often. Day 1 is your first real test at altitude, and an easy pace today makes the climb on Day 2 noticeably easier.

Day 2 – Dead Woman’s Pass to Chaquicocha

This is the hardest day of the trek and, for many hikers, the most satisfying. It starts with coca tea brought to your tent and a hearty breakfast, followed by an early departure for the long, steady climb through Llulluchapampa to Warmiwañusca, Dead Woman’s Pass (4,215 m / 13,828 ft). From camp to the pass you gain 915 m (3,001 ft), mostly on stone steps, and the air feels noticeably thinner near the top. Your guide sets a steady pace and plans regular rest stops.

After a break and photos at the pass, a steep stone staircase leads down to the Pacaymayo valley (3,590 m / 11,778 ft) for lunch. The afternoon brings a second, shorter climb to the Runkurakay Pass (4,000 m / 13,123 ft), with a stop at the circular ruins of Runkurakay along the way. On the far side, the trail descends to Sayacmarca, a compact Inca settlement built on the edge of a cliff and reached by a narrow stairway. For a closer look at this stage, read our Dead Woman’s Pass guide.

You arrive at camp in Chaquicocha (3,600 m / 11,811 ft) in time to watch the sunset over the Vilcabamba range. After tea time and dinner, if the sky is clear, your guide points out the Andean constellations and explains the role they played in Inca cosmology.

• Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)
• Hiking time: 9–10 hours
• Highest point: Dead Woman’s Pass, 4,215 m (13,828 ft); second pass at Runkurakay, 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
• Altitude: 3,300 m (10,827 ft) at Ayapata to 3,600 m (11,811 ft) at Chaquicocha
• Difficulty: challenging; the most demanding day of the trek
• Inca sites: Runkurakay and Sayacmarca
• Typical conditions: cold at the pass, milder at camp
• Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Overnight: camping at Chaquicocha

Guide tip: Start the climb in light layers and add your warm jacket and rain gear at the pass, where wind and cold arrive quickly. Trekking poles help most on the steep staircase down to Pacaymayo.

Day 3 – Phuyupatamarca and Wiñay Wayna Through the Cloud Forest

After the effort of Day 2, the third day is shorter, mostly downhill and, for many hikers, the most beautiful section of the Inca Trail. From Chaquicocha the path contours the mountainside into cloud forest, passing through an original Inca stone tunnel and plant life that changes noticeably as you lose altitude.

The first major stop is Phuyupatamarca (3,680 m / 12,073 ft), often translated as “town above the clouds.” On clear days it offers views of Mount Salkantay and the Urubamba Valley, and its ritual fountains still channel water today. From here, well-preserved Inca stairways descend 1,030 m (3,379 ft) to Wiñay Wayna, passing Intipata, a hillside of agricultural terraces overlooking the river and surrounding mountains.

You reach the Wiñay Wayna campsite (2,650 m / 8,694 ft) with time for a shower and a rest. Later in the afternoon your guide leads a visit to the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna, a complex of terraces, fountains and buildings stepping down the slope, and the most impressive site on the trail before Machu Picchu. The final dinner is also a farewell, when the group thanks the porters and chef who have supported the trek. Plan on an early night, as the wake-up call on Day 4 comes before dawn.

• Distance: 10 km (6.2 miles)
• Hiking time: 5–6 hours
• Altitude: 3,600 m (11,811 ft) at Chaquicocha, up to 3,680 m (12,073 ft) at Phuyupatamarca, then down to 2,650 m (8,694 ft) at Wiñay Wayna; descent 1,030 m (3,379 ft)
• Difficulty: moderate; a long descent on stone steps that is hard on the knees
• Inca sites: Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and Wiñay Wayna, plus an Inca tunnel
• Typical conditions: humid cloud forest
• Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Overnight: camping at Wiñay Wayna

Guide tip: On the steepest steps, shorten your stride and let your poles take some of the weight. Put on insect repellent before you reach the cloud forest.

Day 4 – Sun Gate to Machu Picchu and Return to Cusco

We wake up very early and have breakfast so the group can be among the first in line at the final checkpoint, which opens at 5:30 AM. From there it’s about an hour on a mostly level path along the mountainside to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate (2,730 m / 8,956 ft), which we usually reach around 6:30 AM. This is where you get your first view of Machu Picchu, laid out on the ridge below. When the sky is clear, the early light reaches the citadel while you’re on this last stretch of trail.

From the Sun Gate we walk down for about an hour to the upper terraces of Circuit 1, the viewpoint for the classic photo of the citadel. Because there are no restrooms inside the archaeological site, we then exit briefly to use the facilities at the entrance. We re-enter on Circuit 3 (the Royal Route) for a guided tour of about two hours, during which your Ali Peru Treks guide explains the history and purpose of the main sectors along the route.

Optional: Huayna Picchu. If you have booked a Huayna Picchu ticket in advance (extra cost, subject to availability), you can climb the peak behind the citadel after your tour: about one hour up and one hour down, with an aerial view of the whole site. Tickets are limited and need to be booked months ahead.

After your visit, take the shuttle bus down to Aguas Calientes, where you have time for lunch (not included). Your guide accompanies you to the train station for the afternoon train to Ollantaytambo, where our team meets you for the private transfer to your hotel in Cusco, arriving around 7:00 PM.

• Distance: 6 km (3.7 miles)
• Hiking time: about 1 hour to the Sun Gate, then about 1 hour down to the Circuit 1 viewpoint
• Altitude: 2,650 m (8,694 ft) at Wiñay Wayna, 2,730 m (8,956 ft) at the Sun Gate and 2,430 m (7,972 ft) at Machu Picchu
• Difficulty: easy, followed by a guided visit of the citadel
• Highlights: the Sun Gate, the classic view from Circuit 1, the guided tour on Circuit 3 and the optional Huayna Picchu climb
• Typical conditions: warm and humid, often misty early in the morning
• Meals: breakfast
• Return: shuttle bus to Aguas Calientes, train to Ollantaytambo and private transfer to your hotel in Cusco

Guide tip: Keep your passport in an easy-to-reach pocket, because it is checked again at the final checkpoint, and carry a light rain jacket for the morning mist at the Sun Gate.

What’s Included

Before the trek

• Pre-trek briefing at our office in Cusco at 6:00 PM the evening before departure, where you meet your guide, review the itinerary and receive your duffel bag.

Permits and entrance tickets

• Inca Trail permit.
• Machu Picchu entrance ticket, including the Circuit 1 viewpoint and the Circuit 3 guided tour described in the itinerary.

Guide and trekking crew

• Professional, university-accredited trekking guide who speaks fluent English.
• Professional chef and cooks.
• Porters who carry all group equipment for the entire trek.
• Personal porter allowance of 7 kg (15 lb) per hiker. This includes your sleeping bag and mattress (see the Packing List).

Camping equipment

• Two-person high-mountain tents (double-wall, four-season).
• Inflatable sleeping mattresses for all three nights.
• Sleeping pillow.
• Dining tent with table and chairs.
• All cooking equipment.
• Private toilet tents with water-pump toilets at every campsite and lunch stop.

Meals and drinking water

• 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners (from breakfast on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 4), plus afternoon tea time at camp.
• Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy-friendly menus at no additional cost when requested at the time of booking.
• Boiled and filtered drinking water from the first lunch to the last breakfast.

Transport

• Private transport from your hotel to Ollantaytambo and the trailhead at Km 82 (Piscacucho).
• Bus from Machu Picchu down to Aguas Calientes.
• Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (PeruRail Expedition or Inca Rail The Voyager).
• Private transport from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco.

Safety

• Emergency oxygen carried by every group.
• Complete first aid kit with over-the-counter medicines and emergency supplies.

Extras

• Backpack rain cover and rain poncho for each hiker.
• Free luggage storage for your main bags at our Cusco office during the trek.

What’s Not Included

• Sleeping bag (rental available for $20 USD).
• Trekking poles (rental available for $15 USD per pair).
• Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain ticket ($80 USD per person, subject to availability).
• Lunch in Aguas Calientes on Day 4.
• Drinking water for the first morning of Day 1 (bring your own until lunch).
• Tips for guides, cooks and porters.
• Travel insurance.
• Flights and hotels in Cusco before or after the trek.
• Personal expenses, such as snacks and drinks bought on the trail.

Inca Trail 4 Days Packing List

On the Inca Trail you’ll walk through a warm valley floor, a freezing high pass and humid cloud forest, sometimes in a single day. You’ll also only see your duffel bag at camp each evening, so plan carefully what goes in your daypack and what goes with the porters.

How Your Luggage Works

• Daypack (you carry it): a 25–30 L backpack is ideal. Large backpacks are not allowed inside Machu Picchu, where the limit is 40 × 35 × 20 cm (16 × 14 × 8 in).
• Duffel bag (the porters carry it): we give it to you at the briefing. It can weigh up to 7 kg (15 lb), including your sleeping bag and mattress, and you can only access it at the campsites.
• The rest of your luggage: leave it at our Cusco office, free of charge, until you return.
• Why 7 kg: the limit protects our porters, whose total load is capped at 20 kg (44 lb) under Peruvian regulations.

Essentials to Carry in Your Daypack

• Original passport (essential): the same document you used to book. It’s checked at the trail checkpoints.
• Valid physical university ID (essential if you booked with a student discount).
• Water (essential): 2–3 liters of capacity in reusable bottles or a hydration bladder. Bring your own water for the first morning; we provide boiled and filtered water from the first lunch onward.
• Rain gear (essential): a rain jacket or poncho (a poncho and backpack cover are included).
• Headlamp (essential): for moving around camp at night and for the pre-dawn start on Day 4.
• Warm layer (essential): a fleece or light jacket for rest stops and the high passes.
• Sun protection (essential): high-SPF sunscreen, a sun hat and sunglasses.
• Snacks (recommended): energy bars, chocolate or dried fruit.
• Camera and power bank (recommended): there is no electricity on the trail.
• Insect repellent (recommended): you’ll need it in the cloud forest on Days 3 and 4.
• Small trash bag (recommended): we follow Leave No Trace principles.
• Cash in small soles notes (recommended): for tips and snacks along the trail.

Clothing and Footwear in Your Duffel

• Hiking boots (essential): comfortable, broken-in and with good ankle support. Wear them on Day 1.
• Hiking clothes (essential): 2 t-shirts, 2 pairs of hiking pants, 4 sets of underwear and 3 pairs of hiking socks.
• Warm layers (essential): thermal base layers, a fleece and a warm down jacket. Night temperatures at Chaquicocha, the second campsite, can drop to 3°C (37°F).
• Waterproof gloves (essential): for cold mornings and the passes.
• Camp shoes (recommended): sneakers or sandals to rest your feet in the evening.

Sleeping

• Sleeping bag (essential): rated to at least -15°C (5°F). Bring your own or rent one of our down sleeping bags.
• Mattress and pillow: included.

Toiletries and Health

• Medication (essential): your personal prescriptions and a small first aid kit with plasters, moleskin for blisters and pain relief.
• Hygiene (essential): toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer and wet wipes.
• Quick-dry towel (recommended): for washing and the shower at Wiñay Wayna.
• Skin care (recommended): lip balm and moisturizer; the Andean air is very dry.

Optional

• Trekking poles: helpful on the long descents of Days 2 and 3. Ours come with rubber tips to protect the Inca stonework.

For brands, fabrics and what to rent versus buy, see our Peru trekking gear list.

Important Information Before Hiking the Inca Trail

Inca Trail 4 Days Map

Below are two maps of the 4-day Inca Trail. The first shows the entire route, from start to finish, including the railroad tracks, Inca trails, and archaeological sites. The second is an elevation profile that includes the distance walked, the daily walking time, the elevation gain, and the daily elevation.

If you’re wondering how to reach the trailhead, see where the Inca Trail begins and ends.

Inca Trail 4 Days Price 2027

We guarantee that we will obtain your legal permits for the classic 4-day hike along the Inca Trail 2027 from the relevant authorities immediately after you make your reservation. With us, your spot is guaranteed from the very beginning.

Student and Youth Discount

Eligible students and travelers aged 17 or younger receive a $30 USD discount per person, subject to eligibility requirements.

Email a copy of your university ID or passport to info@aliperutreks.com when booking. Bring the original document on the trek, as it may be checked.

Optional Extras and Additional Costs

Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain tickets are subject to availability.

Booking and Permit Conditions

A $200 USD deposit is required to proceed with your booking. Inca Trail permits are non-transferable and non-refundable once issued. Review the applicable booking and permit-change conditions before confirming your departure.

Ready to plan your trek? Check Inca Trail availability or contact our team in Cusco.