- TreXperience 4 daysUSD 840 list price; complete with rental gear and tips around USD 980
- Alpaca Expeditions 4 daysUSD 835; complete around USD 975, minimum two people
- Mountain ticketHuayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain: around USD 60 extra, only with circuit 3, sells out early
- Cash on siteTips USD 60–100, drinks in Aguas Calientes, rental gear if applicable – in soles
List prices per option
Adult list prices from the availability data of the Viator Partner API, retrieved 23 September 2026. Both products have a single option. Both offer child prices, but the trek rarely makes sense for children under twelve.
| Product | Option | List price |
|---|---|---|
| TreXperience, Inca Trail 4 days | Classic | USD 840 |
| Alpaca Expeditions, Inca Trail 4 days | Classic (min. 2 people) | USD 835 |
Per person, as of 23 Sep 2026. Both non-refundable.
Full bill per product
Same trip, two products: trek, Machu Picchu, back to Cusco, no mountain ticket. Rental fees are operator guide figures (sleeping bag around USD 20, mat around 15, poles around 15 per trek); tips are a range from experience, not an obligation.
| Item | TreXperience 4D | Alpaca 4D |
|---|---|---|
| List price | USD 840 | USD 835 |
| Inca Trail permit | included | open (not listed) |
| Machu Picchu entry | included (circuits 1 + 3) | included (circuit not stated) |
| Porter 7 kg | included | included |
| Chemical toilet | included | included |
| Bus Machu Picchu → Aguas Calientes | included | open (not stated) ≈ USD 12 |
| Train + transfer Cusco | included (Vistadome) | included (class stated twice) |
| Sleeping bag, mat, poles (rental) | ≈ USD 50 | ≈ USD 50 |
| Tips porters, cook, guide | ≈ USD 80 | ≈ USD 80 |
| Lunch Aguas Calientes, drinks | ≈ USD 15 | ≈ USD 15 |
| Total without mountain ticket | ≈ USD 985 | ≈ USD 980 + open items |
Guide figures; rental fees and tips vary. Mountain ticket Huayna Picchu / Machu Picchu Mountain around USD 60 extra, advance only. Base price plus known mandatory costs. Items marked “?” are not quantified but still real.
Circuits and mountain tickets: what the packaged ticket covers
The state sells Machu Picchu tickets through tuboleto.cultura.pe, each with a circuit and time slot. Arriving via the Inca Trail you enter the site from the Sun Gate along the upper path of circuit 1 – TreXperience expressly lists a second ticket for circuit 3 in the main area. Alpaca lists “entry” without a circuit; ask whether the main area is visited after the Sun Gate.
Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain are separate tickets with their own quota, around USD 60, and optional with both operators. They sell out earlier than the permit itself. If you want the mountain, say so at booking.
What you need in cash along the way
On the trail the first camps have stalls selling water, beer and snacks at mountain prices; from day 2 nothing. Tips are collected on the third evening at Wiñay Wayna, in soles: USD 60 to 100 per person in total is usual, split between the porter team, cook and guide. In Aguas Calientes lunch costs USD 10 to 20; there are ATMs there, none on the trail.
Questions about cost and inclusions
Why does the Inca Trail cost more than the Salkantay?
Permit fee, entry, mandatory porters with a weight limit and the train back are always packaged on the Inca Trail, and often not on the Salkantay. Priced out in full, the two routes sit USD 100 to 150 apart – not 400.
Is Alpaca's minimum of two people a drawback?
Only for solo travellers: the option requires two people per booking. If you travel alone, book TreXperience or ask Alpaca about a single booking on group dates.
Can I book half a porter?
Both products already include 7 kg of porter capacity. If you need more, ask on site for an extra porter; the legal limit per porter is 20 kg including their own gear.
Sources and check status
Show 5 sources
- docs.viator.com/partner-api/ – Viator Partner API, availability/schedules: list prices per option, retrieved 23 Sep 2026 (accessed 23 September 2026)
- www.viator.com/tours/Cusco/4-Day-Inca-Trail-Trek-to-Machu-Picchu-and-P – TreXperience: inclusions and exclusions (rental gear, tips, mountain tickets) (accessed 23 September 2026)
- www.viator.com/tours/Cusco/Classic-4-Day-Inca-Trail-Trek-to-Machu-Picc – Alpaca Expeditions: inclusions and exclusions (rental gear, tips, minimum travellers) (accessed 23 September 2026)
- www.gob.pe/70649 – Ministerio de Cultura: Machu Picchu tickets, circuits, mountain tickets (accessed 23 September 2026)
- tuboleto.cultura.pe/ – State ticket platform tuboleto.cultura.pe (accessed 23 September 2026)