81 guided treks compared, and three ways onto the Inca Trail: four days on the whole trail, two days from Km 104, or one day with no overnight, from $498 per person. The state issues 500 permits a day (about 200 for trekkers); next year's go on sale in October, July sells out within days, and the trail closes for all of February.
The whole trail: Km 82 to the Sun Gate at sunrise on day 4. Three nights in tents, porters carry 7 kg for you, and it sells to one traveler.
The same Sun Gate at dusk on day 1, about 12 km of walking, a 3★ hotel in Aguas Calientes, the citadel next morning.
The short trail and the citadel in one fourteen-hour day; back in Cusco tonight. A new listing with no reviews yet.
The recommendation above is the answer for most people. These three are the answers for everyone else, one per format.
One road, three ways to walk it. The classic trek covers all of it in four days; the short trail joins at Km 104 and walks the last sector; the one-day version does the same and takes the train home. Switch the format to see what each one walks.
We had the most amazing experience on the Inca Trail. The sights and landscape are breathtaking. Our guide, Abelardo, ably helped by Miguel, made the experience. He was knowledge about every aspect of our surroundings, man made or natural. He prepared us so well for everything from the number of layers we'd need to how to approach parts of the walk. We travelled with our 3 children aged 9 to 15…
Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic TrainA once in a lifetime experience indeed. I recommend starting in Ollantaytambo to get a little bit more sleep. I would like to highlight our great guide Rosmel who did a fantastic job, was very knowledged and generally fun to be…
Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome TrainWe had a great experience overall and were really happy with the tour. Frank and Rosa took very good care of is, were approachable, and guided us through the two days with knowledge and humor. The food on the tour was amazing - and they also catered for our vegan diet. So delicious! We liked the food on the tour much better than in the restaurant in Aguas Calientes. The 12km part of the Inca…
Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome TrainI loved all of it, such a fantastic experience and amazing value for money. Thank you so much to our mighty fun guides Marco &…
Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with AccommodationEvery permit is tied to your passport number. Operators need it at checkout, and the same passport comes with you on the trail.
Because the permit is. A few short-trail tours cancel free up to 24 hours before; the card says which.
Not included on any of the 81 treks. Where offered, it is an add-on of about $75 with its own permit.
Your sleeping bag, mat and clothes. The cheapest listings include no porter, so check the card fact "porter".
Solo travelers cannot book them. Our recommendation sells to one traveler; the card shows "needs 2 travelers" where it applies.
Total is around $680, the rest paid in Cusco. Deposit prices never appear in our "cheapest" ranking.
Compare formats, kilometers, permits and prices on this site. Every trek card leads to its listing on GetYourGuide.
GetYourGuide shows live availability and the exact price for your group. Pay there; we never see your card.
The operator buys your permit against your passport number. Bring the same passport to the trailhead.
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One card per trek, same facts in the same order. Our pick stays first whatever you sort by; the full table with every column is in the catalog.
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From-prices as of 28 Sep 2026, per person, checked on GetYourGuide.
The whole trail and sunrise at the Sun Gate; three nights in tents and a 4:30 AM pickup.
The whole trail with porters for 7 kg, a toilet tent and a guided Circuit 3; Huayna Picchu is a $75 add-on.
The whole trail in groups of up to 10 with porters for 5 kg; one traveler alone pays close to double.
The cheapest classic trek, but no porter for your things and it needs two travelers.
Groups of up to 8 and a toilet tent on the whole trail; the premium price needs two travelers.
Sun Gate by evening and a hotel bed, but only the last 12 km of the trail and a crowded citadel next morning.
The short trail from Km 104, a 3-star hotel night and sunrise over the citadel next morning; up to 16 in a group.
The short trail from Km 104 in groups of up to 13, a hotel night and guides in five languages.
The short trail in groups of up to 10, a 3-star hotel night and the panoramic train back.
The last sector of the trail, the Sun Gate view and Machu Picchu twice, at one of the lowest 2-day prices.
The short trail and the citadel in one fourteen-hour day; you skip the hotel night and the sunrise.
Bike, raft and walk to Machu Picchu with hostel nights; despite the name, it is not the Inca Trail and needs no permit.
Hover a trek to see what the price difference buys. Deposit listings sit in their own box and never count as cheapest.
From-prices as of 28 Sep 2026, per person.
We do not name operators. Every difference that matters is visible in the listing before you book.
We wrote full reviews of fifteen Inca Trail hike tours, with the price for one adult at checkout. Five to start with, one for each way of reaching Machu Picchu:
Machu Picchu Inca Trail tours are priced per person, but some are priced for a pair. At checkout on 26 and 29 September, several treks would not sell to one adult, and two charged one adult about twice the listing price.
Five to six months for a dry-season date on the classic trail; June and July go within days of the October release. The short trail from Km 104 usually needs two to four months outside July and August.
No. Permits are issued only through licensed operators and every trekker must be with a guide. There is no independent Inca Trail.
Yes, the whole trail — classic and short routes — closes for maintenance every February. Nothing is sold for that month. Salkantay and Inca Jungle stay open.
The second day is the hard one: about 1 200 m of ascent to Warmiwañusca at 4 215 m. Two nights in Cusco before you start matter more than training. If in doubt, take the 2-day trail.
That is a deposit. GetYourGuide charges the down payment and the operator collects the rest in Cusco. The card on this site shows both numbers: "$99 now · $680 total".
On none of the 81 treks. Where it exists it is a separate add-on (about $75) that must be booked with its own permit.
Between 5 and 7 kg of your things on the treks that include a porter; the cheapest classic listings include none, which means you carry your own sleeping bag.
Yes, at booking and on the trail. The permit is tied to your passport number and cannot be moved to another person or date. Renewed passport? Bring the old one too.
We do not name operators; the answer changes with the season and the guide. Compare what the listing states — group size, porter kilograms, the train, the citadel circuit, cancellation — and read the reviews for the guide's name. The classic trek most people book has 594 reviews at 4.9.
Threads recommend different operators every season, and the advice that repeats is the same as ours: book five to six months ahead for the dry season, acclimatize two nights in Cusco, rent poles, and read recent reviews for the guide. Our comparison uses the listings' own facts instead of forum names.
Not as packages on GetYourGuide: every trek starts in Cusco, with pickup from your hotel there. You fly to Cusco yourself, usually via Lima, and book the trek separately. Arrive two nights early for the altitude.
Not in one product on GetYourGuide. Rainbow Mountain is a separate day trip from Cusco, best done after the trek when you are acclimatized; the Amazon and the Galápagos are separate trips from Lima or Cusco. Book the trek first, because its permits are the scarce part.
If you want to arrive on foot through the Sun Gate, yes — nothing else does it. The train and bus are faster and cheaper but skip the trail, the ruins on the way and the arrival from above.
Yes, on many listings; some set a minimum age and one short-trail listing is sold as family-friendly. The two-day trail from Km 104 is the usual choice with children: one day of walking and a hotel night.
The whole trail: Km 82 to the Sun Gate at sunrise on day 4. Three nights in tents, porters carry 7 kg for you, and it sells to one traveler.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · listing prices as of 28 Sep 2026, checkout prices checked on GetYourGuide 26–29 Sep 2026.