Inca Trail 4-Day Trek to Machu Picchu from Cusco

Four Days on the Original Inca Trail: Reach Machu Picchu at Sunrise

You hike 43 kilometers over four days on the original Inca Trail, camping each night with meals and a guide included. The second day is the most demanding, climbing to 4,215 meters, but the final morning rewards you with a sunrise arrival at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. Permits are included and limited to 500 people per day, so book as far in advance as possible.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Cusco to Wayllabamba Camp Trek

• Pick up from accommodation early morning
• Bus to Ollantaytambo
• Breakfast and buy snacks in Ollantaytambo
• Bus to Piscacucho (KM 82)
• Present passport and tickets at checkpoint
• Begin hiking along Inca Trail
• Lunch halfway on trail
• Continue hiking to Wayllabamba Camp
• Overnight camping at Wayllabamba

Day 2: Hike Dead Woman's Pass to Pacaymayo

• Early breakfast at camp
• Hike 6 km to Dead Woman's Pass
• Enjoy views at the pass
• Descend 3 km to Pacaymayo Camp
• Lunch and rest at camp
• Afternoon relaxation at camp
• Dinner and overnight at Pacaymayo

Day 3: Trek to Wiñayhuayna via Archaeological Sites

• Breakfast at Pacaymayo Camp
• Hike to Pacaymayo archaeological site
• Continue to Runquracay Pass
• Summit for mountain views
• Visit Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca sites
• Lunch along the trail
• Reach Wiñayhuayna High Jungle Camp
• Dinner and thank porters and guides
• Overnight camping at Wiñayhuayna

Day 4: Sun Gate and Machu Picchu Visit

• Wake early and have breakfast
• Hike to Wiñaywayna checkpoint
• Wait for gate to open at 5:30 am
• Hike to Sun Gate for sunrise views
• Descend to Machu Picchu site
• 2-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Free time to explore Machu Picchu
• Optional Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain trek
• Return to Aguas Calientes
• Train to Ollantaytambo
• Bus back to Cusco
• Drop off at Plaza San Francisco

The experience

You start before dawn on day one. Pickup from your Cusco accommodation happens between 5:45 and 6:00 am, and then it's a bus ride to Ollantaytambo for breakfast on your own, then another hour south to Piscacucho (KM 82), where the actual trail begins. Your guide has your Inca Trail permit already. It's included in the booking, which matters because only 500 people per day are allowed to start, and that limit includes porters and cooks. The first day is moderate: 10 kilometers through the Vilcanota River Valley, rolling terrain, a few small archaeological sites along the way, lunch prepared halfway. You reach Wayllabamba camp at 2,980 meters by afternoon and sleep in a tent.

Day two is the hard one. You leave around 6:00 am and spend the next five hours climbing 6 kilometers straight uphill to Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 meters. That's a vertical gain of 1,200 meters, and you feel it. The reward is immediate: snow-capped peaks and waterfalls appear as soon as you crest the pass. Then you descend 3 kilometers down ancient stone steps to Pacaymayo camp at 3,600 meters, which takes about two hours. Lunch and a nap happen here, and most people are asleep by 8 pm. Day three is longer but less steep: 15 kilometers with moderate ups and downs, passing through Runquracay Pass at 3,950 meters and stopping at two more archaeological sites (Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca) before reaching Wiñayhuayna High Jungle camp at 2,650 meters. The landscape shifts from high altitude to high jungle, and the air gets warmer.

On the final morning, you wake between 3:30 and 4:30 am and eat breakfast in the dark. The walk to the Sun Gate takes about an hour on a narrow, flat path. The gate opens at 5:30 am, and if the weather cooperates, you see the first light hit Machu Picchu from above. That's the moment people talk about afterward. Then it's 40 minutes down to the archaeological complex itself, where your guide leads a two-hour tour before you have free time to wander and photograph. After that, you take a tourist bus down to Aguas Calientes, catch a train to Ollantaytambo (two hours), then a bus back to Cusco, arriving around 8:30 pm at Plaza San Francisco.

The trek includes a professional bilingual guide, all camping gear (tent and sleeping pad), meals with vegetarian options available, and a thermal sleeping bag if you book the Complete option. The Basic option means you bring your own sleeping bag and carry your own backpack. Porters carry shared equipment and, on the Complete package, up to 7 kilograms of your personal gear. Groups stay small, averaging six people with a maximum of fifteen. There's a mandatory pre-departure briefing at the Cusco headquarters the evening before you leave, where you confirm details and get a packing list. Bring your original passport. The permit is tied to your exact passport information and cannot be changed once booked.

What’s included

• Your trek includes Inca Trail permits (required and limited to 500 people per day), pickup from your Cusco accommodation on day one, bus transport to the trailhead at KM 82, four nights of camping with tent and sleeping pad, all meals and three daily snacks with vegetarian options available, a professional bilingual guide for the trek and the two-hour Machu Picchu tour, porters to carry shared equipment, tourist bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, the two-hour train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, and the bus back to Cusco. The Complete option adds a thermal sleeping bag, foam sleeping mat, duffel bag, and a porter to carry up to 7 kilograms of your personal gear.
• the Basic option excludes these and you carry your own backpack and sleeping bag.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English or SpanishAvailable from 2 Nov · 05:30

Guide in English or SpanishAvailable from 2 Nov · 05:30

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday, Thursday and SaturdayDeparts at 05:30

AgesAdult (7 to 77 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for back problems

Operated by Bamba Travel

Is this one for you?This trek is built for people who want to reach Machu Picchu on the original Inca Trail without arranging permits, guides, camping gear, or logistics themselves: the fixed itinerary and included guide handle all of that, which is what makes a four-day high-altitude trek manageable from a planning standpoint.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

What's included in the trek?

Inca Trail permits, professional bilingual guide, camping accommodation with tent and sleeping pad, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, three snacks), bus and train transfers back to Cusco, two-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu, and emergency oxygen. The Complete option adds a thermal sleeping bag, foam mat, duffel bag, and a porter to carry up to 7kg of your gear.

How difficult is the Inca Trail?

Day two is the hardest: a 1,200-meter vertical climb to Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 meters over five hours. You need moderate to good physical fitness. The other days involve ups and downs but are less intense. Altitude affects people differently, so acclimatization before the trek helps.

What if Inca Trail permits are sold out?

If permits are unavailable when you book, the operator will suggest an alternative hike to Machu Picchu or offer a full refund. This is why booking in advance is important.

How many people are in a group?

Groups average six people and max out at fifteen. Single travelers share a tent with another traveler of the same sex. Couples get their own tent.

What do I need to bring?

Original passport (required for the permit), hiking boots, rain gear, warm layers, hat, gloves, sun protection, flashlight, camera, water bottle, and personal medications. Trekking poles and a sleeping bag can be rented in Cusco if you book the Basic option.

When do departures happen?

Daily departures with groups of four or more. No departures in February due to weather. You must attend a mandatory pre-departure briefing at Cusco headquarters the evening before your trek.

What's the elevation gain and loss?

Total uphill is 1,950 meters and total downhill is 2,250 meters across the four days. Day two has the steepest climb. Day four is mostly downhill.

Are vegetarian meals available?

Yes, vegetarian options are available. Request this at least two days before your trek starts.

Do I need travel insurance?

Travel insurance is not mentioned as required, but it's strongly recommended for any trek at high altitude. Check your policy covers mountain activities.

What happens on the train and bus back?

You travel without a guide on the return journey. The tourist train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes two hours, then a bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco takes 1.5 hours, arriving around 8:30 pm.