Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4Our pickMachu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
$798$840pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Sunrise at the Sun Gate, day 4 · 18 treks
Classic Inca Trail 4-Day Tours
For most people the best classic trek is Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train at $798, ★ 4.9 from 594 reviews: 16 in a group, a porter for 7 kg, a toilet tent, the Vistadome back, and it sells to one traveller. All 18 classic treks walk the same 42–46 km from Km 82 over Warmiwañusca at 4 215 m to the Sun Gate at sunrise on day four.
Check dates · $798
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
42–46 kmof real Inca Trail
Three kinds of classic trek
Best 4-Day Inca Trail Tours by What You Want
Vistadome back
The panoramic-roof train from Aguas Calientes is the difference between a tired three hours and a good one. Three classic listings include it; our pick is one of them.
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4Our pick
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail Guided Trek to Machu Picchu
$835pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4New listingMachu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
$840pp, fromBook this trek
passport details at booking
Lowest from-price, no deposit
The cheapest classic trek is $750 and requires two travellers; it includes no porter, so you carry your own sleeping bag.
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4Cheapest with a guideCusco: Machu Picchu Inca Trail 4-Day Trek
$750pp, fromBook this trek
needs 2 travellers · non-refundable
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4Cusco: Amazing 4-Day Classic Inca Trail and Train
$780pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · passport details at booking
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4Our pickMachu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
$798$840pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Ten or fewer in the group
Five classic treks cap the group at 10 or fewer; three of them need two travellers.
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Small Groups
$823$895pp, fromBook this trek
one traveller pays $1,605 · free cancellation to 24 h
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 4From Cusco: Classic Inca Trail 4-days to Machu Picchu
$980pp, fromBook this trek
needs 2 travellers · passport details at booking
Sun Gate at sunrise, day 44-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
$1,290pp, fromBook this trek
needs 2 travellers · passport details at booking
Every classic trek on GetYourGuide
All 18 Classic Inca Trail 4-Day Tours Compared
We earn a commission when you book through our links; it does not change your price or our order.
From-prices as of 28 Sep 2026, per person, checked on GetYourGuide.
18 classic treks · our pick first, then by reviews
Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
Our picksells to one
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 16
You sleeptents, 2 per tent
Rating
From, pp$798$840pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backExpedition or Vistadome
Groupup to 16
You sleeptents
Rating
From, pp$835pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleeptents
Rating
From, pp$823$895pp, from
Cusco: Machu Picchu Inca Trail 4-Day Trek
Cheapest with a guideneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 14
You sleeptents
Rating
From, pp$750pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 13
You sleeptents
Rating
From, pp$780pp, from
From Cusco: Classic Inca Trail 4-days to Machu Picchu
needs 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 8
You sleeptents
Rating
From, pp$980pp, from
4-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
needs 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleeptents
Rating
From, pp$1,290pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 16
You sleeptents, 2 per tent
RatingNew listing
From, pp$840pp, from
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 days/ 3 nights
New listingsells to one
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 12
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$885pp, from
4-Day Inca Trail
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$909pp, from
4-Day Inca Trail
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupgroup size not stated
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$909pp, from
From Cusco: Inca Trail 4Days 3Nights
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$929pp, from
Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail or Quarry Trail to Machu Picchu
New listingsells to one
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 16
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$976pp, from
Inca Trail Tour - 4 days || Tour en grupo
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$985pp, from
From Cusco: 4-day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu
New listingsells to one
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 10
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$1,104pp, from
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 days
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 16
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$1,115pp, from
From Cusco: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 Days 3 Nights
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$1,200pp, from
Premium Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at sunrise, day 4
42–46 kmpermit 500/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 8
You sleeptents
RatingNew listing
From, pp$1,499pp, from
Hike it on your ownNot allowed. Permits are issued only through licensed operators; there is no independent Inca Trail.no button
Second choice, live dates
4 Day Inca Trail — Check a Date on the Runner-Up
The format in one screen
What a Classic 4-Day Inca Trail Trek Is
- Km 82start, Piscacucho, 2 720 m
- 42–46 kmof stone road over four days
- 4 215 mWarmiwañusca pass, day 2
- 500/daypermits incl. porters, ~200 trekkers
- 3 nightsin tents: Wayllabamba · Pacaymayo · Wiñay Wayna
- SunriseSun Gate, day 4, then the guided citadel
You leave Cusco before five, pass the control at Km 82 and walk the first afternoon along the Urubamba to Wayllabamba. Day two is the pass: roughly 1 200 m of climbing to Warmiwañusca and a steep stone descent to Pacaymayo. Day three is the long day of ruins, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca, ending at Wiñay Wayna above the river. On the fourth morning you walk the last hour in the dark to Inti Punku and see the citadel at sunrise, then take the guided circuit, the bus down and the train back.
PermitTied to your passport number and your date from the moment the operator buys it; non-refundable on almost every listing.
What actually differs
Classic Inca Trail Tour: What Separates $750 from $1,499
Every classic trek walks the same stones, sleeps near the same campsites and passes the same control at Km 82. The route does not change with the price. What changes is who carries what, how many people walk with you, which train brings you back and how much of the citadel you see with a guide.
| What you pay for | Cheapest classic | Our pick | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| From-price, per person | $750 | $798 | $1,499 |
| Porter for your things | none — you carry your bag | 7 kg | not stated |
| Group, at most | 14 | 16 | 8 |
| Toilet tent | not stated | yes | yes |
| Train back | not stated | Vistadome | not stated |
| Books for one traveller | no — needs 2 | yes | no — needs 2 |
Listing facts as of 28 Sep 2026.
The $48 difference between the cheapest classic and our pick is not a better route. It buys a porter for 7 kg of your gear, a private toilet tent at camp and the panoramic train home, and it removes the two-traveller minimum. The premium listing at $1,499 caps the group at eight; it has no reviews yet.
The rule of thumbRead four lines on any listing before the price: porter kilograms, group size, the train name and the cancellation line. Those four explain almost every price gap on this page.
Check dates · $798sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Group size and solo travellers
Inca Trail Group Tours: How Big Is the Group
Every classic trek on this page is a group tour: the permit is issued to a licensed operator, and you walk with their guide, cooks and porters. Listed group caps run from 8 to 16 trekkers. Sixteen is the largest you will meet on the trail; eight or ten feels like a private group without the private price.
The number that matters more for a solo traveller is the minimum. Ten of the 18 classic listings need two travellers to depart; the card and the table say "needs 2 travellers" wherever it applies. Our pick, the runner-up and several others sell to one person with no single supplement listed.
Solo?Filter the table above by the chip "sells to one"; everything else needs a companion or a private booking.
4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu from Cusco: the pickup
Pickups run between 4:00 and 6:00 AM from your Cusco hotel, and several also collect from the Sacred Valley. The drive to the trailhead at Km 82 takes you through Ollantaytambo; on day four you come back the same way in reverse, by bus from Machu Picchu, train from Aguas Calientes and a van to Cusco in the evening.
Check dates · $798sells to one traveller · non-refundable
The four days, one by one
Machu Picchu 4 Day Inca Trail Tour, Day by Day
Every classic listing follows the same rhythm. The distances below are the ones a classic listing gives per day; operators measure a little differently, but the shape of the days is the same everywhere.
- Day 1 · Km 82 to the first camp. About 12 km along the Urubamba past the Llactapata terraces, the easiest day, up to about 3 000 m. Listed temperatures 10–23 °C.
- Day 2 · the pass. About 10 km: seven up to Warmiwañusca at 4 215 m, three steeply down to the second camp. Listed temperatures 3–20 °C; the coldest night.
- Day 3 · the ruins. The longest day, over the second pass near Runkurakay, past Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca, down through cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna.
- Day 4 · the Sun Gate. Up in the dark, about 6 km, the Sun Gate at first light, the guided citadel, the bus down, the train to Ollantaytambo and a van to Cusco by evening.
PaceGuides set the pace for the slowest walker; the porters leave after you and arrive before you with camp already up.
What to Pack for Four Days on the Trail
Pack for cold nights and warm afternoons, and for rain in any month. The porter's allowance, 5 to 7 kg on most treks, covers the sleeping bag, a warm layer and a change of clothes; the rest rides in your daypack.
- In the daypack
- Water, snacks, a rain jacket, sun hat and sunscreen, a warm layer, your passport.
- With the porter
- Sleeping bag (rented on most treks), a fleece, dry clothes for camp, a head torch.
- Left in Cusco
- Everything else: luggage storage at the operator's office is free on the most-booked trek.
Read before you book
Inca Trail 4 Day Tour Reviews
We reviewed five of the 18 classic treks in full: the options and the price for one adult at checkout, what is and is not included, and what travellers wrote. Every one is a 4 day Inca Trail group tour; they differ in group size, the porter and the train back.
- Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
- Read the review — our pick: sells to one at the listing price, 7 kg porter, toilet tent, Vistadome back.
- From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail Guided Trek to Machu Picchu
- Read the review — the close second: 123 reviews at 4.9, 7 kg porter, Expedition train back.
- From Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Small Groups
- Read the review — ten at most with the sleeping gear included; $823 each for two, about $1,605 for one.
- Cusco: Machu Picchu Inca Trail 4-Day Trek
- Read the review — the cheapest classic at $750 each for two, but the porter and the train back are add-ons.
- Premium Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu
- Read the review — the premium trek: eight at most, a four-person tent for two, $1,499 each for two.
Travelling alone or as two
What One Traveller Pays on the Classic Trail
The listing price is not always what one person pays. At checkout on 26 and 29 September, three things happened on the classic treks we checked:
- Same price for one. Our pick and the guided trek sold to one adult at the listing price.
- About twice the price for one. The small-group trek charged one adult $1,605 against $823 each for two.
- Not for one at all. The cheapest classic trek and the premium trek ask for at least two travellers.
Travelling aloneFilter the table by sells to one, or start with our pick at $798.
Check dates · $798sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Know before you pay
Classic Inca Trail Gotchas
The pass is on day 2
1 200 m of climbing to 4 215 m. Arrive in Cusco two nights early.
Not sure? The 2-day trail has no pass.
See the alternativeNon-refundable
Once the permit is bought, it is yours and no one else's.
A few short-trail tours cancel free to 24 h.
See the alternativeSleeping bag not included
Rented on most classic treks; book it at the briefing or bring your own.
One classic listing includes a sleeping bag and mat.
See the alternativeHuayna Picchu is extra
Separate permit, about $75, booked well ahead.
Machu Picchu Mountain is the alternative.
See the alternativeSome treks need 2 travellers
The cheapest classic at $750 requires two.
Our pick sells to one traveller.
See the alternativePermits sell out early
June and July go within days of the October release.
Salkantay or Inca Jungle need no permit.
See the alternativeClassic trail questions
4-Day Inca Trail FAQ
Only on some listings. The cheapest classic at $750 requires two travellers; our pick sells to one. The card says "needs 2 travellers" where it applies.
A daypack with water, layers and a rain jacket. The porter carries up to 7 kg of your things in a duffel on treks that include one.
Coldest at the second camp, around 3 600 m; the listings give 3–20 °C for the day of the pass. Rent a warm sleeping bag at the briefing if yours is not included.
It is the panoramic-roof train; the Expedition is the same route with smaller windows. On our pick the Vistadome is included.
On GetYourGuide, yes. Every classic listing in the Inca Trail category is four days and three nights from Km 82; no five-day version was on sale on 28 September 2026. The three nights are in tents, and the fourth morning is the walk through the Sun Gate at sunrise.
Fit enough to climb about 1 200 m in a morning at altitude. The pass at 4 215 m on day two is the hard part; the rest is long but steady. Two nights in Cusco at 3 400 m before you start help more than training. If you are unsure, the two-day trail has no pass and no camping.
On almost every listing, yes: the citadel follows the Sun Gate on day four; read the includes line to be sure. Which circuit you walk with the guide differs: our pick covers circuits 1 and 3, the runner-up circuit 3. Huayna Picchu is never included; it is a separate add-on of about $75 where it is offered.
Yes; tips are excluded on every listing. Operators suggest amounts at the briefing the evening before. Bring cash in soles; the porters are usually thanked together at the last camp.
Yes. The most-booked trek lists free luggage storage at the operator's office, and most operators do the same. Take only what the porter allowance and your daypack hold.
Five to six months ahead for a dry-season date. Permits for the following year are released in October, and June and July go within days. Outside the dry season, a few weeks to two months is usually enough. February is closed and nothing is sold for it.
The classic trek most people book
Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
Check dates
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · listing prices as of 28 Sep 2026, checkout prices checked on GetYourGuide 26–29 Sep 2026.