Sun Gate at dusk, day 1Most reviewedCusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train
$592$630pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1 · 27 treks
Short Inca Trail
For most people the best two-day trek is Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train at $592, ★ 4.8 from 332 reviews: the train to Km 104, about 12 km on the original trail to the Sun Gate, a night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, a guided citadel next morning and the Vistadome back. It is the same Sun Gate as the classic trek, with one day of walking, no pass and no camping.
Check dates · $592
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
~12 kmof real Inca Trail, one day
Three kinds of two-day trek
2 Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: Pick by What You Want
Vistadome back
Six two-day listings name the Vistadome for the return; the most-reviewed of them also includes the 3-star hotel and the guided citadel.
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1Most reviewed
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1Machu Picchu: Inca Trail 2-Day Overnight Guided Tour
$585pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Sun Gate at dusk, day 12-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu & Panoramic Train
$625pp, fromBook this trek
sells to one traveller · free cancellation to 24 h
Lowest from-price, no deposit
The cheapest short treks that already have reviews start at $530. Cheaper-looking listings are either deposits or new with no reviews; they are in the table below, marked.
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1Cusco: 2-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Hotel
$530pp, fromBook this trek
needs 2 travellers · free cancellation to 24 h
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: 2 Days
$543pp, fromBook this trek
non-refundable · passport details at booking
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1Cusco: 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
$550pp, fromBook this trek
needs 2 travellers · non-refundable
Your own guide
Three two-day listings are private. The price shown is per person from the listing; the one we checked at checkout, From Cusco, came to $2,023 for one adult.
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1PrivateFrom Cusco: Machu Picchu Short Inca Trail 2-day Tour
$620pp, from · privateBook this trek
passport details at booking
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1PrivateFrom Cusco: 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
$650pp, from · privateBook this trek
passport details at booking
Sun Gate at dusk, day 1PrivateFrom Cusco: 2-Day Private Tour of the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
$2,023for the party · 1 adultBook this trek
non-refundable · passport details at booking
Every short-trail trek on GetYourGuide
All 27 Two-Day Treks Compared
Deposit listings show the deposit and the real total side by side; they never count as cheapest.
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.
27 two-day treks · most reviewed first
Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train
Most reviewedsells to one
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 16
You sleep3★ hotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$592$630pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 16
You sleep3★ hotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$585pp, from
From Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail
sells to one
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backExpedition or Vistadome
Groupup to 13
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$653pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 10
You sleep3★ hotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$625pp, from
Cusco: 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
needs 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupgroup size not stated
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$550pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome
Groupgroup size not stated
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$99now · $680 total
Cusco: 2-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Hotel
needs 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupgroup size not stated
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$530pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupgroup size not stated
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$599pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 8
You sleep3★ hotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$670pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 10
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$682pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleep2-star hotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$710pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 9
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$543pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupyour party only
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$620pp, from · private
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backExpedition
Groupyour party only
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
Rating
From, pp$650pp, from · private
Cusco: Family-Friendly 2Day Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
New listingneeds 2 travellers
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleep3★ hotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$225pp, from
Explore Machu Picchu: Inca Trail 2 Day
New listing
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 8
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$500pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 15
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$540pp, from
Machu Picchu Hike: 2 Days
New listing
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$600pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 15
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$624pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupgroup size not stated
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$630pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome
Groupup to 14
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$639pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 10
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$650pp, from
2-Day Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
New listing
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome or Expedition
Groupup to 10
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$682pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$690pp, from
2-Day Short Inca Trail Tour to Machu Picchu
New listing
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backnot stated
Groupup to 15
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$770pp, from
From Cusco: 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
New listing
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backExpedition
Groupup to 10
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$804pp, from
ArrivalSun Gate at dusk, day 1
~12 kmpermit 250/day
Train backVistadome or Expedition
Groupyour party only
You sleephotel, Aguas Calientes
RatingNew listing
From, pp$2,023for the party · 1 adult
Hike it on your ownNot allowed. The short trail needs a permit too, and permits are issued only through licensed operators.no button
Second choice, live dates
Inca Trail 2 Days — Check a Date on the Runner-Up
The format in one screen
What the Two-Day Trail Is
- Km 104start, Chachabamba, reached by train
- ~12 kmon the original trail, one day
- 2 730 mhighest point, near the Sun Gate
- 250/daypermits, almost all for visitors
- 1 nighthotel in Aguas Calientes
- Day 2guided citadel, then the train back
The train from Ollantaytambo stops at Km 104, where a footbridge crosses the Urubamba to Chachabamba. From there the path climbs for three to four hours to the terraces of Wiñay Wayna and on to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, usually in the middle or late afternoon. You walk down to the citadel for a first look, take the bus to Aguas Calientes and sleep in a hotel. On the second morning the bus goes back up for the guided circuit, and the train takes you to Ollantaytambo and on to Cusco.
In all, it is six to eight hours on the trail with a proper uphill but no pass: the highest point, near the Sun Gate, is about 1 500 m lower than Warmiwañusca on the classic route.
PermitA separate quota of 250 a day for the Km 104 trail. It sells out later than the classic one, but July and August still tighten.
Two days or four
2 Day Inca Trail or the Classic Four Days
The short trail is not a lesser version of the classic trek; it is the last sector of the same road. You still walk original Inca stone, still reach Wiñay Wayna and still enter through the Sun Gate. What you give up is the high country: the pass at 4 215 m, the ruins of Runkurakay and Sayacmarca, three nights in the mountains and the sunrise arrival.
| Short 2-day | Classic 4-day | |
|---|---|---|
| Inca Trail walked | ~12 km from Km 104 | 42–46 km from Km 82 |
| Highest point | ~2 730 m | 4 215 m |
| Nights | 1, hotel | 3, tents |
| Sun Gate | afternoon, day 1 | sunrise, day 4 |
| Permits | 250 a day, 2–4 months ahead | 500 a day, 5–6 months ahead |
| From, per person | $500 | $750 |
Who it suitsAnyone with two days, anyone unsure about altitude or camping, and anyone whose classic dates have sold out — the short-trail quota usually lasts longer.
Short Inca Trail 2 Days: the Hotel Night
Every two-day listing sleeps in Aguas Calientes, the town below the citadel. The most-reviewed listings name a 3-star hotel with a shared twin room; reviews praise the guides and the food on the trail more than the hotel and dinner in town, which is the most common criticism of the format.
“Only niggle was the hotel and dinner at the Machu Picchu village (Agua Calientes) which were average.”Simon · 17 Jul 2026 · review of the most-reviewed 2-day trek
Check dates · $592sells to one traveller · non-refundable
One more day, the valley first
3 Day Sacred Valley and Inca Trail Tour
Three listings add a guided day in the Sacred Valley — Pisac, Ollantaytambo and, on one, Maras and Moray — before the short trail. Day two is the Km 104 hike and the hotel night; day three is the citadel. None has reviews yet.
From-prices as of 28 Sep 2026, per person, checked on GetYourGuide.
Sun Gate at dusk, day 2
3 days · Sacred ValleyNew listing
$750pp, from
Cusco: 3-Day Sacred Valley and Inca Trail Guided Tour
A Sacred Valley day first, then the short trail from Km 104 and a hotel night.
- 3 days
- hotel, Aguas Calientes
- up to 8
- not stated
Book this trek
passport details at booking
Sun Gate at dusk, day 2
3 days · Sacred ValleyNew listing
$765pp, from
From Cusco: Sacred Valley and Inca Trail 3D/2N
A Sacred Valley day first, then the short trail from Km 104 and a hotel night, Expedition train back.
- 3 days
- hotel, Aguas Calientes
- up to 15
- Expedition
Book this trek
passport details at booking
Sun Gate at dusk, day 2
3 days · Sacred ValleyNew listing
$898pp, from
From Cusco: 3-Day Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail Tour
A Sacred Valley day first, then the short trail from Km 104 and a hotel night, Vistadome train back.
- 3 days
- hotel, Aguas Calientes
- group size not stated
- Vistadome
Book this trek
passport details at booking
Sacred Valley first, then the trail — how the days run Sacred Valley and Inca Trail 3 days: the valley at 2 800 m is a gentle acclimatization day before the walk.
Two days, hour by hour
Short Inca Trail Hike, Hour by Hour
- Early morning. Pickup in Cusco, Urubamba or Ollantaytambo and the train down the valley to Km 104.
- Morning. Across the footbridge to Chachabamba, the first ruins, and the start of the climb.
- Midday. Three to four hours uphill on stone steps to the terraces of Wiñay Wayna, with a picnic lunch on most listings.
- Afternoon. The last hour on the level to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, and the first view of the citadel below.
- Evening. Down past the citadel, the bus to Aguas Calientes, dinner and a hotel bed.
- Day two. The bus up early, the guided circuit of Machu Picchu, then the train to Ollantaytambo and the transfer to Cusco.
The effortSix to eight hours on the trail, three to four of them uphill in the valley's warmth. The altitude is lower than Cusco's.
Short Inca Trail Tour: What Is Included
- Always
- The Km 104 permit, the Machu Picchu entrance, a guide on the trail and in the citadel, the train and the bus.
- On most listings
- A hotel night in Aguas Calientes, picnic lunch on the trail, dinner and breakfast in town, hotel pickup.
- Differs
- Vistadome or Expedition back, 3-star or simpler hotel, which circuit of the citadel, a duffel service for your bag.
- Never
- Huayna Picchu, tips, travel insurance.
Read before you book
Short Inca Trail Tour Reviews
Six two-day treks reviewed in full, with the checkout of 29 September: which ones sell to one traveller, which have free cancellation and which train comes back.
- 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.
- Machu Picchu: Inca Trail 2-Day Overnight Guided Tour
- Read the review — the best-rated two-day trek: 4.9 from 226, Machu Picchu at sunrise, English-only guide.
- From Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail
- Read the review — two trains to choose from, guides in five languages; first free date 28 November.
- 2-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu & Panoramic Train
- Read the review — groups of ten and free cancellation up to 24 hours; bring your own water.
- Cusco: 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Read the review — $550 each with hotel and guided citadel, but only for two or more.
- Cusco: 2-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Hotel
- Read the review — group $530 or private $625 each for two, free to cancel; three reviews.
If your dates may change
Two-Day Treks You Can Cancel
Most two-day treks are non-refundable once the permit is bought. At checkout on 29 September, two of the treks we reviewed offered free cancellation up to 24 hours before:
- Groups of ten
- 2-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu & Panoramic Train, $625 for one adult.
- Group or private
- Cusco: 2-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Hotel, from $530 each for two.
Check the lineFree cancellation shows under the price in the table as free cancellation to 24 h.
Check dates · $592sells to one traveller · non-refundable
Know before you pay
Two-Day Trek Gotchas
"$99" is a deposit
One listing shows $99; that is the down payment. The total is $680, with $581 paid in Cusco.
The table shows both numbers.
See it in the table"1 Day" in a title
One listing is called "1 Day" but runs two days with a hotel night.
The real one-day treks are on their own page.
One-day trailHuayna Picchu is extra
Not included on any short-trail listing; where offered it is a separate add-on with its own permit.
Machu Picchu Mountain is the other summit.
Permits guideExpedition, not Vistadome
Several listings return on the Expedition train; the Vistadome with the panoramic roof is named on others.
The card fact "train" says which.
Compare trainsSome need 2 travellers
Three short-trail listings will not sell to one adult, including two of the cheapest with reviews; at checkout they ask for at least two participants.
The most-reviewed short treks sell to one traveller.
See the tableNon-refundable
Most listings are non-refundable once the permit is bought, like the classic trail.
Check the cancellation line under each price.
See the tableShort trail questions
Two-Day Trek FAQ
Day one: pickup in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, train to Km 104, about 12 km on foot past Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, a first look at the citadel, bus down and a hotel night in Aguas Calientes. Day two: bus up early, a guided circuit of Machu Picchu, train back to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco.
Yes. The most-reviewed listings collect from hotels in Cusco, Urubamba or Ollantaytambo and bring you back the same way on day two. The first transfer leaves in the early morning to catch the train to Km 104.
Moderate. It is six to eight hours with three to four hours of uphill from Km 104 to Wiñay Wayna, at a lower altitude than Cusco itself. There is no pass and no camping. Most people who can walk steep stairs for an hour at a time manage it comfortably.
Two to four months ahead is usually enough; July and August tighten, and the whole trail is closed in February. The short-trail quota of 250 a day is separate from the classic one, so it is often still open when the four-day dates are gone.
On most listings, yes: briefly from the Sun Gate and the upper terraces on day one, then on a guided circuit on day two. Which circuit is included differs by listing; the runner-up names circuit 3.
A daypack with water, snacks, layers and a rain jacket. Your overnight things travel with you or in a small duffel; one listing includes a 5 kg duffel service. Luggage stays in Cusco at the operator.
If you want to walk into Machu Picchu rather than arrive by bus, yes. The train-only visit skips Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate entirely. The short trail costs more than a train and ticket, but it is the only way to arrive on foot in one day of walking.
Many families do. One listing is sold as family-friendly and needs two travellers. The walk is long rather than technical; check each listing for age limits before booking.
The short trek most people book
Cusco: Machu Picchu 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome 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.