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The route · Km 82 to the Sun Gate

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

TL;DR: The classic Inca Trail runs 42–46 km from Km 82 near Ollantaytambo to the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu, over four days and three nights in tents, with the high point at Warmiwañusca, 4 215 m, on day two. The short trail walks only the last ~12 km, from Km 104, in one day. Both need a permit and a licensed operator.

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The citadel from the Sun Gate
Machu Picchu from Inti Punku, the Sun Gate
42–46km, Km 82 to the Sun Gate
4 215 m at Warmiwañusca, the highest point, on day two3 nights in tents; the short trail from Km 104 is ~12 km in one day2 430 m at the citadel, about 300 m lower than the start at Km 82
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Where it is

Inca Trail Peru — Where Exactly

The Inca Trail is one road among thousands the Incas built, but it is the one people mean: the stone path from the Urubamba valley over the mountains to Machu Picchu, in the Cusco region of Peru. It starts at Km 82, Piscacucho, a railway marker on the line from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, at 2 720 m in the district of Ollantaytambo. The short version starts further down the same line at Km 104, Chachabamba.

You do not reach either trailhead on your own. The operator collects you from your hotel in Cusco between 4:00 and 6:00 AM, drives to Ollantaytambo and on to Km 82, or puts you on the train to Km 104. At the control you show the passport your permit was issued to, cross the Urubamba and start walking.

Other trails"Inca trail" also names other Inca roads — near Sucre in Bolivia, near Tacna in southern Peru, and several day hikes around Cusco. None of them is the trail to Machu Picchu, and none needs its permit.

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Stop by stop

Inca Trail Map, Day by Day

The trail follows the river for the first afternoon, climbs through two passes on the second and third days and drops through cloud forest to the terraces of Wiñay Wayna before the last hour to the Sun Gate. The ruins are the reason the route exists: each one guarded or supplied a stretch of the road.

StopDayAltitudeWhat it is
Km 82 · Piscacucho12 720 mthe control, where the permit is checked
Llactapata · Patallacta1—terraces above the Urubamba, first ruins
Wayllabamba1~3 000 mfirst campsite on most treks
Warmiwañusca24 215 mDead Woman's Pass, the high point
Pacaymayo2~3 600 msecond campsite, below the pass
Runkurakay3~3 850 mround ruin near the second pass
Sayacmarca3~3 600 mfortified town on a spur
Phuyupatamarca3~3 650 m"town above the clouds", ritual baths
Wiñay Wayna3~2 650 mterraces and the last campsite
Inti Punku · Sun Gate4—first view of the citadel
Machu Picchu42 430 mthe citadel and the guided circuit

Some operators camp at Ayapata and Chaquicocha instead of Wayllabamba and Pacaymayo; the third night is at Wiñay Wayna on every classic trek. The short trail joins at Km 104 and walks only the section from Chachabamba through Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate.

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Up and down

Inca Trail Elevation

The trail starts at 2 720 m, climbs to 4 215 m at Warmiwañusca, drops to about 3 600 m at the second camp, rises again to about 4 000 m at the second pass near Runkurakay and then descends for a day and a half to the citadel at 2 430 m. You finish lower than you started.

1 200 m
of ascent on the morning of day two, from the first camp to the pass at 4 215 m

Inca Trail Elevation Gain

The hard climb is concentrated in one morning: roughly 1 200 m from the first camp to Warmiwañusca, much of it on stone steps. The second pass on day three adds a few hundred metres more. After that the effort is downhill, which is harder on the knees than on the lungs; trekking poles, rented at the briefing on most treks, help.

Altitude, not fitnessCusco sits at 3 400 m. Two nights there before you start do more for the pass than any training plan.
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Distance and days

How Long Is the Inca Trail

The classic trail is 42–46 km over four days. Operators measure it differently — from the control or from the bus, to the Sun Gate or to the citadel gate — so listings print 43, 45 or 46 km for the same route. The short trail is about 12 km, listings say 10 to 13, in one day of six to eight hours.

FormatDistanceDays on footHighest pointNights
Classic42–46 km44 215 m3 in tents
Short~12 km1~2 730 m1 in a hotel
One day~12 km1~2 730 mnone

Day by day on the classic route, one listing gives about 12 km on day one, 10 on day two, a long descent on day three and 6 on day four; operators' own figures put the longest day at about 16 km. Expect six to eight hours of walking on each of the first three days and a start in the dark on the fourth.

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Walk it

Treks on This Route, Reviewed

Four classic treks that walk the whole route from Km 82, and the two-day trek we would book for the last 12 km:

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.
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.
Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train
Read the review — our two-day pick: 332 reviews, 3-star hotel, guided citadel, Vistadome back.
Check dates · $798All 15 reviews
On the way

Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu: The Sites You Pass

Every Inca Trail Machu Picchu tour on the classic route passes the same sites, in the same order, from Km 82 to the Sun Gate:

  1. Llactapata (Patallacta), terraces above the Cusichaca river, day one.
  2. Runkurakay, a round lookout at about 3 850 m, after the pass.
  3. Sayacmarca, a fortress on a spur, about 3 600 m.
  4. Phuyupatamarca, ritual baths above the cloud forest, about 3 650 m.
  5. Intipata and Wiñay Wayna, great terraces near the last camp, about 2 650 m.
  6. Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, with the first view of the citadel.

Short trailFrom Km 104 you see Chachabamba, Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate only.

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Read on

Next Questions People Ask

How Hard Is the Inca TrailBy format, in numbersInca Trail Permits500 a day, the October releaseWhat a Trek CostsEvery format, deposits explainedWhen to GoDry April–October, closed February
Route questions

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu FAQ

Four days on the classic route, 42–46 km with six to eight hours on foot on each of the first three days and a pre-dawn start on the fourth. The short trail from Km 104 is about 12 km in one long day. Nobody walks the classic route in less than four days on a permit.

At Km 82, Piscacucho, near Ollantaytambo, at 2 720 m. The short trail starts at Km 104, Chachabamba, reached by train. Operators drive or take you from your Cusco hotel.

Warmiwañusca, Dead Woman's Pass, at 4 215 m on day two of the classic trek. The second pass on day three is around 4 000 m. The short trail stays below about 2 730 m.

There are Inca roads in Bolivia near Sucre, but they are not the trail to Machu Picchu and are not sold on this site. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is in the Cusco region of Peru.

Tacna is in southern Peru, far from Machu Picchu. Tours from there are local; to walk the Inca Trail you start in Cusco, where every trek on this site picks you up.

Yes. The trail ends at Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, above the citadel; you walk down into Machu Picchu for the guided circuit. It is the only way to arrive on foot rather than by bus.

No. Permits are issued only through licensed operators, and every trekker walks with the operator's guide.

Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and Wiñay Wayna on the classic route; Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna on the short one. The citadel itself comes last.

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Walk it with the most-booked trek

Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train

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Live availability · GetYourGuide

Updated 29 Sep 2026 · listing prices as of 28 Sep 2026, checkout prices checked on GetYourGuide 26–29 Sep 2026.

Machu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train$798pp, from
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