Ancient Inca Trail:
Visitors that walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu will be hiking on the actual ancient Inca Trail footpath, carved out of the mountains centuries ago by the Inca people. These treks are multi-day hikes with camping or a mix of other lodging for the overnight stays.
The most popular way to walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the 4 Day Classic Inca Trail group or private tour. The second most popular way is the Short Inca Trail 2 day Tour. There are also longer options for hikers who want to take more time on the Inca Trail, with the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 5 day tour, and those who want to combine the 2 most popular treks in Peru – the Salkantay and the Inca Trail Tour to Machu Picchu in 7 days. Another incredibly popular option is to add the famous one day hike to Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley, to any Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Want to know more? See this handy Guide to Hiking to Machu Picchu.
The Inca Trail: A Journey Through History
The Inca Trail is one of the most important hiking routes in Peru, South America, and the world. Built by the Incas hundreds of years ago, this legendary trail connected the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco, with the citadel of Machu Picchu. Much of the route still preserves its original stone pavement and impressive stairways, crossing mountains, valleys, cloud forests, and spectacular Andean landscapes.
Throughout the hike, you will visit numerous archaeological sites accompanied by a professional guide. These places were inhabited during the Inca period and served different religious, agricultural, administrative, and astronomical purposes. Along the route, you will find agricultural terraces, ceremonial temples, astronomical observatories, ritual water fountains, and other important remains of this fascinating civilization.
In addition to enjoying unique landscapes, the Inca Trail will allow you to discover the flora and fauna of the Andes and learn more about the history, culture, and traditions of the Incas. Arriving at Machu Picchu will be the perfect reward after several days of hiking and nights camping under the stars.
Inca Trail Regulations and Permits
The Inca Trail is strictly regulated and protected by the Peruvian Government in order to preserve this historical and natural heritage for future generations. Along the route, there are permanent checkpoints managed by park rangers, who verify passports and entry permits.
Visitors may enjoy the trail and take photographs, but they must respect conservation rules. It is forbidden to damage the flora and fauna, disturb archaeological sites, or climb on Inca structures.
There are also specific regulations for authorized staff operating on the route, including guides, porters, and cooks.
Due to these conservation measures, the number of daily permits is limited. For the Classic Inca Trail 4 days and 3 nights, approximately 500 people are allowed per day, including tourists, guides, porters, and support staff. For the Short Inca Trail 2 days and 1 night, the limit is approximately 250 people per day.
How Far in Advance Should I Book?
Booking well in advance is essential, as permits usually sell out quickly. Depending on the season, spaces may sell out between 3 and 6 months before the departure date. If you have the opportunity to book one year in advance, even better, as this will help you secure your spot without complications.
Early booking is important for all travelers who wish to complete this hike, whether they are traveling solo, as a couple, with family, or in large groups. Each person needs an individual permit, including tourists, guides, and porters.
Of the 500 daily permits available for the Classic Inca Trail, approximately 200 are allocated to tourists and around 300 to porters and support staff. This is because porters are responsible for carrying food, camping equipment, and other supplies needed for the expedition.
The Short Inca Trail 2 days and 1 night also requires advance booking. Most travelers secure their spaces between 3 and 6 months before their travel date. However, the earlier you book, the better your chances of finding availability for your preferred date, especially during the high season.
At Alpaca Expeditions, as a leading adventure travel company, we work to ensure that you enjoy a safe, organized, and memorable experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Which Machu Picchu Circuit Is Included with the Inca Trail?
The Peruvian Government assigns the visitor circuits for all travelers who hike the Inca Trail, whether on the 2-day, 4-day, 5-day, or longer versions.
Hikers who arrive at Machu Picchu through the Inca Trail have access to Circuits 1 and 3, allowing them to enjoy a very complete experience inside the citadel.
Circuit 1: Machu Picchu Viewpoint
This circuit includes the famous Machu Picchu viewpoint, also known as the Guardhouse or Watch Tower. From this point, travelers can take the most iconic panoramic photos of the citadel, the same images that appear on most postcards and publications about Machu Picchu.
Travelers who complete the Inca Trail arrive precisely in this area, as the trail ends in the upper part of the citadel, offering one of the most spectacular and emotional entrances to Machu Picchu.
Circuit 3: Guided Tour of the Citadel
After enjoying the viewpoint, you will continue with a guided tour along Circuit 3 with your professional guide. This visit lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes and allows you to explore many of the most important sectors of the Inca citadel.
The combination of Circuits 1 and 3 provides a very complete experience and allows you to discover most of Machu Picchu’s main highlights.
Huayna Picchu Mountain Optional
If you wish to climb Huayna Picchu Mountain, located behind Machu Picchu, you will need to purchase an additional ticket. This activity is optional and requires a separate reservation due to limited availability.
The hike takes approximately 2 hours and is usually done after the guided tour of Machu Picchu. Due to high demand and the limited number of visitors allowed per day, we recommend booking this ticket several months in advance.
Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley
We had a great time at Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley. Our tour guide, Elix, was amazing and very patient as we were struggling a bit with the altitude! The transfer was seamless and the day was very well structured. We would highly recommend!
Great trekking company with good kit, fantastic guides and support staff.
Short review: Great trekking company with good kit, fantastic guides and support staff. Overall a superb experience. Long review: Alpaca Expeditions was highly recommended by a friend who used them 2 years ago and clearly Alpaca’s standards have not dropped in that time him. Like my friend, my wife and I did the 4 day/3 nights trek to Machu Picchu (MP) via the Sun Gate which was booked through our travel agent. PRE-DEPARTURE COMMUNICATIONS with Alpaca were very good with detailed explanations of kit required, each day’s trek and what we could expect. LOGISTICS: Hotel pick-ups, trains (at the end) and bus transfers back to our hotels in Cusco was always efficient. EQUIPMENT: I have undertaken several supported treks in Nepal and Pakistan. Without doubt Alpaca had the best tents, air mattresses (Therm-a-Rest), etc that I have seen and used on similar treks. Although the campsites have their own toilets, Alpaca bring a portable toilet for each group’s sole use. This is a god-send at 2am! PORTERS & WELFARE: It was reassuring to see that the porters are well equipped and Alpaca take their responsibilities re. porter welfare very seriously, especially in terms of weight (ie trekker's kit) the authorities allow them to carry. They were always cheerful and friendly and encouraging especially on some of the longer ascents. FOOD & COOKING: Alpaca and the guides and chefs were careful to ensure that dietary needs were fully met. Food was abundant with plenty of variety. Perhaps most astonishing was the chef (JUALIAN) and his team producing a proper sponge cake on the last night! THE TREK: The days can be long and in places the trekking is hard. However the days are structured carefully with regular breaks and lunch stops. Some of the Inca Steps can be a bit tiring, but with the encouragment of the guides and fellow group members, I believe anyone with a basic level of fitness - and determination - could successfully complete the trek. GUIDES: We were fortunate enough to have JAVIER (as head guide) and DAVID as his deputy. From the start they encouraged a team spirit. As a qualified Mountain Leader in the UK, I know that this bonding makes a huge and positive difference to slower members. In addition, Javier managed our group with skill and where appropriate, allowed faster members to go on ahead to pre-determined points while supporting those who were…. enjoying the views! HISTORY TALKS: I’m not sure if this is standard for all groups on the Inca Trail, but it was fascinating to listen to Javier giving very interesting talks about the Incas at the various Inca sites we encountered on the way. HIs knowledge extended to flora and fauna and for my wife and I, and indeed the rest of our group, this was the 'icing on the cake' and really made the trek much more than just getting to Machu Picchu. WEATHER: We undertook the trek on 02-05/Oct/2026 and were fortunate to have no rain. Sadly the Sun Gate was shrouded in cloud, so we missed the classic view of MP. But as predicted by Javier, the cloud burned off and by the time we reached MP - an hour or so later, it was bright and sunny. Further talks by Javier when walking around MP, brought the entire city to life. In conclusion, this trek with Alpaca is more than simply getting to MP. The destination will of course be very important to trekkers, but so is the journey. Anyone can catch the train and bus to MP. However trekking there with Alpaca (and if you're really lucky Javier & Jualian) will really make that journey worthwhile and special.
Incredible Experience
We had the best experience! A huge thank you to Alejandro for the amazing food and to our guides Juan Carlos Zuloaga and Darwin / all the porters for being so lovely, helpful and knowledgeable. It’s a tough hike, but the whole crew made it so much easier by always being there to help and support us. You all made the experience so special, and we couldn’t recommend this tour enough!
Amazing experience with Alpaca Expeditions
We booked with Alpaca after doing a lot of research and decided to use a local company. they had lots of very good reviews. The booking process was straightforward and communications were good, having WhatsApp and email for any questions. We did a day in the Sacred Valley the day before our Inca trail which was enjoyable and a fun day with lots of history and culture. Alpaca were very helpful, they picked us up from the airport late at night and took us straight to the hotel. We wanted to acclimatise for a few days first so they booked extra nights in the same hotel for us. Our guide Carlos Arqque was a great host from start to finish. He kept everything on track and made sure we were where we needed to be, but also giving us rest time when we needed it. I enjoyed hearing about the history of the archeological sites we visited along the way, it was very informative and interesting. He kept us motivated on the more challenging sections which was needed! When we arrived at Machu Picchu he organised everything well and made sure we all had our tickets in hand and gave us an in depth tour which was really interesting. He took lots of pictures for us along the way, as a group and individually which I really appreciated, he was entertaining and knowledgeable at the same time! The whole alpaca team was amazing, I can’t thank the porters enough for all of their hard work making our trip more enjoyable by lightening the load. At every stop they made sure everything was ready, the tents were setup and our bags ready. The food was also very nice, we had different meals everyday and the food was very fresh and very well put together. Even on the last day the chef made us a cake! The vibe fun and our group were all very supportive of each other which really helped. We finished with a final night in Cusco before they picked us up and took us to the airport which took the stress out of getting there. I’d highly recommend using this company and would definitely use again in the future.
Comfortable, attentive and professional
Carlos Arqque was the perfect guide for our group. He kept spirits high, had a great sense of humour and was also very punctual and great at keeping us motivated and keeping us on schedule, without being too pushy. As well as this, the porters were incredible. They had superhuman strength, agility and speed as they trekked the trail faster than the groups and made sure everything was set up for us before we arrive. The chef was also 5 stars, very delicious and fresh food provided throughout which is really impressive considering we were up in the mountains the whole time. Overall, 10/10 experience with alpaca expeditions and I'd highly recommend to anyone considering the Inca trail.