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Trail&Pass
Hikers on Warmiwañusca, Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point of the Inca Trail

Peru · Guided trek · 4 days · Permit

Inca Trail: two tours, one permit, and the sentence you must read before booking

The classic Inca Trail is the only trek that enters Machu Picchu on foot through the Sun Gate – and the only one with a state quota. The route is the same with every operator, the campsites are prescribed. What differs: group size, what the porter carries, whether a private toilet comes along, and how clean the inclusions list is.

4,215mWarmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass)
Editorially checked on 23 September 2026Prices as of 23 September 2026Photo: Mx._Granger, CC0
4days, 3 nights in tents
≈ 43kmfrom Km 82 to Machu Picchu
4–6months' lead time for a permit in high season
2 Comparefrom USD 820 →
The decision at a glance
  • Duration4 days / 3 nights in tents; start at the Km 82 checkpoint, finish in Machu Picchu on the fourth morning
  • PermitState daily quota, tied to your passport; high season May to September often sold out four to six months ahead; closed in February
  • PricesUSD 840 (TreXperience) and USD 835 (Alpaca Expeditions), list prices per person
  • PortersBoth: 7 kg of personal gear in a duffel; sleeping bag, mat and poles are rental gear with both
  • ReservationAlpaca does not list the permit and states the return train twice; TreXperience shows “instant confirmation” while its extra info mentions a manual check within 24 hours
  • CancellationBoth non-refundable – permits are not transferable

Who the Inca Trail suits – and when the Salkantay is the better choice

The Inca Trail is for people who want the Incas' road, not only their destination: original paved stairways, a dozen ruins along the way that nobody else sees, and the arrival through the Sun Gate Inti Punku before the first buses. In return it demands planning. The permit is tied to your passport, non-transferable and sold out months ahead in the dry season. If you fly in eight weeks, your odds are good for the Salkantay and slim for the Inca Trail.

Physically the Inca Trail is not the hardest trek in the region: its highest point, 4,215 m, sits a good 400 m below the Salkantay Pass and 500 m below the Lares' Condor Pass. What it demands is steps – thousands of them, up on day two, down on day three. Knees and poles matter more here than lungs.

Three nights in tents are mandatory; there are no fixed camps or huts as on the Salkantay, and the campsites are set by the state. If that is not for you, Salkantay and Lares offer alternatives with a hotel night at the end.

Two products, two operators – neither without a footnote

Both products come from Cusco operators that have run the Inca Trail for years; both are practically level on price. The difference lies in group size and in how carefully the product data was written. We have flagged both with reservations you should settle before booking – by message to the operator through the platform, with a screenshot of the reply.

The more complete inclusions list

TreXperience – Inca Trail 4 days

Permit, Machu Picchu tickets for circuit 1 (Sun Gate) and circuit 3, porter for 7 kg, private chemical toilet, oxygen, satellite phone, bus down, Vistadome train and transfer to Cusco are all expressly listed. Up to 16 per booking.

USD 820 Classic 4 days · per person

Main limitation: Non-refundable. Additional info mentions manual confirmation within 24 hours despite “instant” – permit availability decides. Sleeping bag, mat and poles are rental gear.

Check on Viator →
With reservationsThe smaller group

Alpaca Expeditions – Inca Trail 4 days

Maximum 8 per booking, minimum 2 people. Porter for 7 kg, private chemical toilet, Machu Picchu entry, oxygen, satellite phone. The permit is missing from the list and the return train is stated twice – clear up both in writing before booking.

USD 835 Classic 4 days · per person

Main limitation: Non-refundable, minimum two people per booking. Return train stated twice (Expedition and, for bookings since March 2026, Vistadome) – confirm the class before booking. Permit not named in the inclusions.

Check on Viator →

Affiliate links to Viator: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Converted at Viator's rate on 23 September 2026; Viator converts at the day's rate at checkout.

Tent camp above the clouds on the Inca Trail
The clouds lie below the tent. That is not a metaphor.Photo: Christoph Strässler, CC BY-SA 2.0

Inclusions compared: permit, porters, toilet, return

Twelve inclusions on which Inca Trail tours differ. For the permit, “open” is no detail: without a permit there is no trek, and an operator that does not list it has presumably just forgotten – presumably. For “small group” we count the maximum per booking as stated on the platform; how large the group gets on the trail, neither of the two says.

Show me only offers with
InclusionTreXperience · Inca Trail 4 daysTreXperience · 4 daysAlpaca Expeditions · Inca Trail 4 daysAlpaca Expeditions · 4 days · With reservations
Options and list pricesClassic 4 daysUSD 820Classic 4 daysUSD 835
days / nights4 / 34 / 3
StartCusco (pickup 4:30 am), Urubamba/Ollantaytambo around 6 amCusco (pickup 4:20 am), porters' house in Ollantaytambo
Inca Trail permit✓included
Show detailsInca Trail permit, Machu Picchu tickets (circuit 1 Sun Gate and circuit 3) and all fees included.
?unclear
Show detailsThe Inca Trail permit is not in the inclusions list; the trek is impossible without one – confirm before booking that it is included.
Machu Picchu entry ticket✓included
Show detailsCircuit 1 (Sun Gate at sunrise) and circuit 3 (highlights) included; mountain tickets optional and to be booked early.
✓included
Show detailsMachu Picchu entry included; circuit not stated.
Porter for 7 kg of personal gear✓included
Show detailsPorters for camping gear and up to 7 kg of personal gear in a duffel.
✓included
Show detailsPersonal porter up to 7 kg per person.
Tent for two, sleeping pad✓included
Show detailsEureka tents shared by two, sleeping pad and pillow included.
✓included
Show detailsFour-person Eureka tents used by two.
Sleeping bag and poles✕not included
Show detailsSleeping bag, mattress and poles as rental gear (optional).
✕not included
Show detailsSleeping bag, poles and air mattress for rent.
Meals and water✓included
Show detailsAll meals, snacks and purified drinking water on the trail.
✓included
Show detailsAll meals and drinking water on the trek.
Private chemical toilet✓included
Show detailsPrivate portable toilet for the group.
✓included
Show detailsPortable chemical toilet only for the own group.
Bus Machu Picchu → Aguas Calientes✓included
Show detailsBus Machu Picchu → Aguas Calientes included.
?unclear
Show detailsBus down from Machu Picchu not mentioned.
Return train + transfer to Cusco✓included
Show detailsVistadome or 360° train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco.
✓included
Show detailsReturn train included – both Expedition class and Vistadome (from March 2026) are listed.
Oxygen, satellite phone✓included
Show detailsFirst aid, oxygen and satellite phone listed.
✓included
Show detailsFirst aid, oxygen tank, satellite phone.
Briefing the day before✓included
Show detailsSafety briefing the day before, free luggage storage.
✓included
Show detailsBriefing the evening before at 6 pm at the office.
Small group (max. 8)?unclear
Show detailsUp to 16 per booking; group size on the trail not stated.
✓included
Show detailsUp to 8 per booking; minimum 2 people.
Groupmax. 16 per bookingmax. 8 per booking
Tour languageEnglish, SpanishEnglish, Spanish
AgeAdults from 18, children 3–17 bookableAdults 18–75, children 5–17 bookable
CancellationNon-refundable. Confirmation instant per the platform, but final only after manual check within 24 hours per additional info.Non-refundable. Instant confirmation.
Rating★ 5.0 (5,448 reviews)★ 5.0 (11,499 reviews)
ProductCheck on Viator →
Viator 66100P1		Check on Viator →
Viator 330995P1

How to read this: “included” and “not included” come from the operator's inclusion and exclusion lists on Viator. “Depends on option” means only certain bookable variants. “Unclear” means neither promised nor excluded – ask before booking. Unclear is not zero dollars.

Platform ratings signal demand and trust, not safety. Operator data as of 22 September 2026. Converted at Viator's rate on 23 September 2026; Viator converts at the day's rate at checkout.

Your passport is part of the permit. The permit is issued to your name and passport number and checked against the original at the Km 82 checkpoint. If your passport expires or is renewed between booking and trek, you need a change through the operator, which is not always possible. Book with the passport you will carry at the start.

The three contradictions in the product data

1. Alpaca: permit not listed. The inclusions name Machu Picchu entry, porters, tents, toilet and train – but not the Inca Trail permit. For an operator that has run the trail for years, this is almost certainly a gap in the platform listing. “Almost certainly” is not enough at USD 835; get it confirmed.

2. Alpaca: return train twice. The inclusions name Expedition class, an addendum names Vistadome for bookings from March 2026. The product title says Vistadome. The difference is a panoramic window and a snack, not the arrival time – but whoever pays for Vistadome should ride Vistadome.

3. TreXperience: confirmation. The platform shows “instant confirmation”, the extra info says the booking is checked manually against permit availability within 24 hours. In practice: do not book the day before a flight, and expect the date to move if the quota is sold out.

Booking terms: non-refundable, minimum age, payment

Cancellation: Both products are non-refundable. That is standard for the Inca Trail because the permit is issued to you at purchase and can be neither cancelled nor transferred. Travel insurance that covers trekking is not optional here.

Age: TreXperience books adults from 18 and children 3 to 17; Alpaca adults 18 to 75 and children from 5. Children under twelve are rare on the Inca Trail, not banned – the stairs on day two are the yardstick.

Payment: In full through Viator at booking. On site you still pay tips for porters, cook and guide, rental gear and drinks in Aguas Calientes.

Questions before booking

How early do I need to book the Inca Trail?

For May to September: as soon as the year's permits go on sale, usually in October of the previous year. Six months' lead time is normal in high season, four is tight. In the rainy season from November to January and in March/April a few weeks are often enough. In February the trail is closed for maintenance.

Can I buy the permit myself?

No. Permits for the classic Inca Trail are issued only through licensed operators; the trek without a guide is not allowed. That is why the permit belongs in every inclusions list – and why we ask when it is missing.

What about the short Inca Trail?

The 2-day version starts at Km 104, passes Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate and sleeps in Aguas Calientes. It also needs a permit but sells out less often. We have not yet checked a product for it; details on the permits and tickets page.

How much do people tip?

Both operators exclude tips. On the Inca Trail they are collected on the third evening, separately for porters, cook and guide. Expect a total of USD 60 to 100 per person, in soles, cash. It is not compulsory, but the porters carry 20 kilos for you.

Will I see Machu Picchu at sunrise?

The checkpoint at Wiñay Wayna opens at 5:30 am; you reach the Sun Gate around 7. That is not sunrise, but it is before the bus crowds – and the view from above is the one you get no other way.

About this route

Route and stages

Four days, two passes, a dozen ruins: altitudes, camps and walking times day by day.

Read more →

Cost and inclusions

Full bill for both products, rental fees, tips, mountain tickets.

Read more →

Permits, tickets and 2 or 4 days

How the quota works, when it runs out, and what the short version does differently.

Read more →

Salkantay or Inca Trail

The route comparison for everyone who does not have a permit yet.

Read more →

Sources and check status

Show 6 sources
  1. www.viator.com/tours/Cusco/4-Day-Inca-Trail-Trek-to-Machu-Picchu-and-P – TreXperience, Inca Trail 4 days: inclusions, exclusions, itinerary, terms (Viator Partner API) (accessed 23 September 2026)
  2. www.viator.com/tours/Cusco/Classic-4-Day-Inca-Trail-Trek-to-Machu-Picc – Alpaca Expeditions, Inca Trail 4 days: inclusions, exclusions, itinerary, terms (Viator Partner API) (accessed 23 September 2026)
  3. docs.viator.com/partner-api/ – Viator Partner API: list prices per option (availability/schedules) (accessed 23 September 2026)
  4. www.gob.pe/70649 – Ministerio de Cultura: Machu Picchu tickets, circuits and time slots (accessed 23 September 2026)
  5. www.gob.pe/sernanp – SERNANP, managing the Machupicchu Historic Sanctuary: Inca Trail access rules (accessed 23 September 2026)
  6. www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru/safety-and-security – UK Foreign Office: altitude, trekking and strikes in the Cusco region (accessed 23 September 2026)
2 offers from USD 820per person · Prices as of 23 September 2026
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