CHECK INCA TRAIL AVAILABILITY
Check the calendar below for availability, then click the “book now” button to get started.
Inca Trail Availability & Permits
The Inca Trail is one of the most popular treks in the world, and as such, availability is limited. If you are planning to hike the Inca Trail, it is important to book your trip well in advance. The availability of the Inca Trail is affected by a number of factors, including the time of year, the number of people in your group, and the number of spaces regulated by the Peruvian state.
Only 500 trekking permits are issued per day for Inca Trail treks annually; Inca Trail permits are also required for your travel team such as porters, cooks, and guides; therefore, booking the Inca Trail in advance is essential. because there are multiple needs, to take care of, there is no set amount of time in advance that you must book and guarantee an Inca Trail to Machu Picchu entrance ticket.
WHY TRAVEL WITH ALPACA EXPEDITIONS?
At Alpaca Expeditions, we take pride in being a local company based in Cusco , the tourism capital of Peru. Here, tourism is more than an industry—it’s the lifeblood of the community. Every journey we organize not only connects travelers to the rich history and culture of the Andes but also directly supports local families and fosters sustainable development.
+4
4 ISO Certifications + Green Footprint ISO
The only company with 4 ISO + Green FootPrint ISO, International Organization for Standarization
9001, 45001, 14001, 21101
+31K
31,000+ Excellent Tripadvisor Reviews
The only company with more than 31,000 excellent reviews on Tripadvisor
Join a small group of like-minded travelers
+Impact
Empowering Women
We empower women with real opportunities in tourism through training, employment, and leadership.
See our women’s initiatives
+Care
Inca Trail Porter Welfare
We support our porters with fair treatment, safe working conditions, and real care on every trek.
Learn about porter welfare
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Community Commitment
We support education, local social projects, and create a positive impact beyond tourism.
Explore our community work
+Logistics
Top Hiking Logistics
We provide professional equipment and logistics for safe, comfortable, and well-organized treks in the Andes.
Discover our trek logistics
WHY CHOOSE US?
Alpaca Expeditions is the number one tour operator for treks and tours to Machu Picchu and all-around Peru. Located in Cusco, Peru, we pride ourselves on our dedication to our clients, creating unique adventures and tailor-made tours all led by the most professional guides. We are lucky to have the best clients, who love to share about their experiences and have helped us maintain the number 1 spot on TripAdvisor for 5 years with more than double the amount of positive experiences than any other company.
Check the Inca Trail Availability 2026 – 2027
For the 4, 5, 7 days
The Availability mentioned below is for all Inca trail treks to Machu Picchu, you can choose the best date that fits in your traveling schedule since we have daily departures, we only need two people as a minimum to depart and if you are single traveler contact us and we will be able to accommodate you with one of our set groups.
How do I get an Inca Trail permit?
The best time to hike the Inca Trail is the dry season, which runs from May to September. It is also the busiest time of the year, so it is important to book your trip as far in advance as possible.
Don’t wait until next year – book now to ensure you get your preferred start date.
Inca Trail Hike
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1Check the calendar below for availability, then click the “book now” button to get started.
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2Fill out your personal information and select the type of service and number of passengers for your trip.
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3You can also add extra services such as Huayna Picchu tickets, Machu Picchu Mountain tickets, and the ability to upgrade your train tickets.
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4Review and accept our service policies before submitting the form; after submitting the form, you will have the option to pay USD 200 per person via PayPal.
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5Our commercial department will send you an email confirming your reservation after you make it.
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01 -
02 CHECK WITH US
Confirm Inca Trail availability with our sales team via chat, email, or phone. -
03 FINALIZE EARLY
Permits sell out months in advance; book early.
Inca Trail Permit Availability
Check availability & book adventure
available
few remain
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INCA TRAIL FAQS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
Inca Trail Hikes Which One Should You Choose?
While our most popular tour is the 4-Day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, we have Inca Trail trips that range from 2 days to 7 days. Check our tour options below and choose the Inca Trail trek that best fits your interests!
Inca Trail Trek
Inca Trail (Classic) 4D/3N Group Tour + Vistadome Train Experience
per person
$835
4 Days / 3 Nights
Challenging
Inca Trail Trek
Inca Trail 4D/3N Private Tour
per person
$1,695
4 Days / 3 Nights
Moderate
Inca Trail Trek
Machu Picchu Inca Trail 5D/4N
per person
$995
$1,050
5 Days / 4 Nights
Moderate
Inca Trail Trek
Short Inca Trail trek with Camping 2D/1N
per person
$595
2 Days / 1 Night
Moderate
⚡ Likely to sell out
Inca Trail Trek
2-Day Short Inca Trail Trek + Vistadome Train Experience with Hotel
per person
$585
2 Days / 1 Night
Moderate
Inca Trail Trek
Inca Trail + Salkantay Trek 7D/6N
per person
$1,195
$1,225
7 Days / 6 Nights
Challenging
ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
In the pursuit to stand out from the rest, Alpaca Expeditions has obtained four ISOs plus our carbon footprint certificate to date. These achievements result from our efforts to implement the internationally-recognized integrated management system. They also represent our commitment to all of our clients and staff of operating sustainability and responsibility in every way possible.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
In Tripadvisor
March 18, 2026
We had a wonderful time with Juan visiting the Inca sites in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Juan is very knowledgeable about the history and prehistory of the Inca civilization. He also knew all the best spots for pictures! We really appreciated his expertise.
March 17, 2026
In general: What an experience! Great guides, chefs, and porters. Alpaca Expeditions is a green company that pays close attention to their carbon footprint, sources their food locally, and has various programs that give back to their community. Bonus: they have a portable toilet that is well maintained and stocked with TP at all times. My personal experience: This is long, but hopefully helpful if you have any reservations about whether you can accomplish this trek! I arrived in Cuzco to acclimate 3 days early…however, I unfortunately succumbed to the altitude on day one of the actual hike and got worse on day 2 and 3. It is not lost on me that I was ONLY able to complete the trek because of the Alpaca team. The chef team, led by Cecilio, were very accommodating to my needs and prepared different teas to try to help me. Our groups guides, Alvin and Yojhan, were beyond encouraging and made sure I was safe the whole time. One of them was always with me even though I took twice as long as the rest of the group. >_< I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the right team supporting you in any situation. Their company’s back bone is stellar, but their actions during the hike showed me their heart is unbeatable.
March 17, 2026
I recently completed the 4-day Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions alongside my teenage daughters, and it exceeded every expectation. The weather was perfect all four days, which made the stunning views even better. Our guides, Yojhan and Alvin, were true experts, sharing deep insights into Incan history, the wildlife, and the flora and fauna of the area. They were incredibly patient and answered every question we had about Peru and more. From the start, they encouraged us to keep smiles on our faces and told us we’d become a "super family" by the end—and that is exactly what happened. The "super porters" worked tirelessly, and our chef Cecilio and his assistant cooked incredible meals for us along the way. Everything went perfectly to plan, and we finished the expedition with celebratory toasts and a shared album for photos with our new friends. I cannot recommend this team highly enough!
March 17, 2026
Muy buena experiencia con Alvin y Yojhan haciendo el camino Inka clásico. La comida que nos hizo Cecilio y Angelito estaba impresionante. Repetiría seguro!
March 17, 2026
The 4 day Inca trip was the best trip i have had in my lifetime. Beyond the scenic scenery everything has been well planned through. Alvin and Yohan were there for any possible inquries and shared a lot of nice insights along the inca trail. The food was better than any regular meal you can grab in town and was served three times a day by the amazing chef Cecilo and his crew. If you don’t do this trip you miss out.
5.0
Out of
5 stars
5 stars
Meet the AE Trekking Team!
Everyone on the Alpaca Team is from Cusco region, living the traditions and history they share with you while on one of our tours. Our guides are all graduates of university studying tourism, history and english. Our chefs are trained every February by a professional cooking team learning new meals, adding varieties of entrees for all types of eating. And all our porters are from HUARQUI, HUACAHUASI, PATACANCHA, QUISWARANI, CANCHACANCHA, QUEYUPAY, UMACHURCO and CCACCACCOLLO villages, very often working this job on top of maining their farms back at home. Most of our team has been with us for years, as we have the most loyal, hard working, happy employees in Cusco. We know how lucky we are to have the best team trekking and you will immediately fall in love with all the men and women who call Alpaca Expeditions their home.
Our Guides
Travelling and trekking along the mountains is one of the best activities in the World. Connecting with nature and conquering your own limits to get to the highest points of the creation can’t be beat by anything.But this activity needs to be supported by professionals and for that same reason we have our professional trekking […]
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Our Chefs
Trekking along the mountain on your way to conquer Machu Picchu is a once in a lifetime experience. Which won’t be possible to be done without our staff. Our guides and porters make the trek possible and provide all the needed help but the real secret behind our motto ‘’the journey is the destination’’ is […]
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Recognition & Excellence
TRIPADVISOR RECOGNITIONS
Our goal at Alpaca Expeditions is to create the best experience for all of our clients. We create journeys that are to be remembered for a lifetime. Journeys you can be proud of and can share with everybody around you.
#1
Tour Operator
in Peru
31,670+
5-Star Reviews
Unforgettable Short Inca Trail Experience
We had an amazing experience with Alpaca Expeditions on the Short Inca Trail 2D/1N. Everything was perfectly organized, including all the different transfers, which made the whole experience completely smooth and stress-free.
The food at the campsite along the trail was excellent and incredibly generous — we honestly did not expect such amazing meals during the trek!
A special mention goes to our guide, Nilton, who was absolutely fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history and the Inca civilization, his English was perfect, and he was always kind, friendly and available to answer all our questions. Without a doubt, he was the best guide we had during our entire trip to Peru.
A big thank you also to Marco, Nilton’s assistant, who was incredibly kind, friendly and always available to help us throughout the trek.
We would definitely book with Alpaca Expeditions again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable Inca Trail experience!
Once in a Lifetime
Spectacular adventure! Alpaca Expeditions ensured everything ran smoothly even though the Inca Trail remained closed. The alternative options were as close as you could get to the original. We started with a Sacred Valley tour (highly recommend ) and I opted for the Huchuy to Lamay, and KM104 to Machu Picchu trek. Still challenging, reaching 4,300m, beautiful landscapes, and the amazing Huchuy Qosqo ruins. Then, of course, the final day of the traditional Inca Trail with Wiñay Wayna, the Sun Gate, and the incredible hike down to Machu Picchu. The team supporting us was outstanding. We were incredibly grateful for our hardworking porters and chefs. The food was amazing and we had everything we needed. Our guides, Ivan and Raymondo were equally outstanding, keeping us informed, educated, organized, safe, and entertained. I highly recommend Alpaca Expeditions.
When El Niño gives you rain… you make the best of it.
Had a great time doing an alternate Inca Trail with Romario and JC! Due to the El Niño, we couldn’t have done the classical trail. Still the guides helped us keep a good attitude (no Lama faces) and we got to go through an alternative trek for the first two days, near Cusco.
As part of the alternative trek, we did the short Inca trail - which IMO was a blessing in disguise (I need more higher altitude training). This cumulated in a hotel stay (which had a small room assignment issue, which JC resolved), so we can visit Machu Picchu fresh.
Definitely would go with Alpaca again if I do another trek in Peru!
Machu pichu 2 day trek with camping.
We booked our 2 days short inca trail with camping with Alpaca tours. From.the very beginning they were great. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Their website itself is pretty detailed. But if we still had questions they had live support anytime. If they miss our call by any chance they always called back. The previous day of the trek we had a briefing where we met our guide Victor. He was simply amazing. He answered all out questions. Helped us through everything. From pick up to the hike to the camping all the way till our return from machu pichu. the guides Victor and Vanessa was there every throughout. Eveb whn we had some difficulties they were extremely understanding and supportive. And the food was really amazing. Freshly made hot food each time. I would recommend alpaca travels to anyone going to machu pichu. The hike was moderately difficult but they made it as comfortable as possible. And again thanks to Victor and Vanessa
Best experience with extraordinary guides ❤️
Me and my wife did 2 days inca trail on September 1st and 2nd. I would say it was the trip of a life time. I don't have words to express it. Alpaca did a great job from beginning to end. Especially our guides Victor and Vanessa, i would say we're blessed to have such a kind and knowledgeable guides thorough out our journey.
The trail is breathtaking but definitely has its demanding stretches, especially the steep stone steps up to Wiñay Wayna. Our guides paced us perfectly, always attentive to our breathing and comfort, and knew exactly when to take a water break or share an inspiring story about Inca history and Andean flora. Their deep passion for Quechua heritage brought every ruin and terrace to life.
Beyond their vast knowledge, it was their genuine kindness and constant support that truly stood out. If you are planning to hike the Short Inca Trail, having guides like ours transforms a tough hike into a seamless, unforgettable journey. I cannot recommend them highly enough!
Victor and Vanessa are the best !!!!!!!!!❤️❤️