Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Hike 2024, 2025.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu–It’s the most famous hike in South America – perhaps the world, and a must-do, life-changing experience. Hiking the Inca Trail through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu is both arduous and awe-inspiring. Four days of cold, pain and exhaustion dissipate as the mist lifts to reveal the emerald peaks and terraced ruins of the mystical ancient city. At its most basic, the Inca Trail (Camino del Inca) was a footpath through the Andes leading directly to the gates of Machu Picchu. Contrary to its image as a lone, lost, remote city, Machu Picchu was not isolated in the clouds. It was the crown of an entire Inca province, as ruins all along the Inca Trail attest. Machu Picchu was a religious and administrative center in addition to its other putative purposes. That larger purpose is comprehensible only to those who hike the ancient royal route and visit the other ruins scattered along the way to the sacred city.
More than that, though, the Incas conceived of Machu Picchu and the great trail leading to it in grand artistic and spiritual terms. Hiking the Inca Trail Trek Machu Picchu – the ancient royal highway – is, hands down, the most authentic and scenic way to visit Machu Picchu and get a clear grasp of the Incas’ overarching architectural concept and supreme regard for nature. As impressive as Machu Picchu itself, the trail traverses a 325 sq/km (125 sq/mile) national park designated as the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary. The entire zone is replete with extraordinary natural and man-made sights: Inca ruins, exotic vegetation and animals, and dazzling mountain and cloud forest vistas.
Today the Inca Trail Trek Machu Picchu – which, as part of the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, has been designated a World Heritage natural and cultural site – is the most important and most popular hiking trail in South America, followed by many thousands of ecotourists and modern day pilgrims in the past 3 decades. Its extreme popularity in recent years – more than 75,000 people a year hike the famous trail.
There are two principal ways to walk to Machu Picchu: either along the traditional, fairly arduous 4day/3night path with three serious mountain passes, or as part of a more accessible 2-day/1-night trail ( this trek covers just the last part of the trail, which is suitable for inexperienced walkers or for ones who don’t have enough time). You have porters to haul your packs or suck it up and do it the hard way. Independent trekking on the Inca Trail without an official guide has been prohibited since 2001. You must go as part of an organized group arranged by an officially sanctioned tour agency. Find your adventure of your life on Peru Summit Adventures
Highlights | Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
- Travel & Trek with someone who hiked the Inca Trail 5 days for over 300 times, Salkantay Trek for over 200 times, Choquequirao Trek for over 150 times, Ausangate Trek for over 100 times, Lares Trek for over 50 times, being at Machu Picchu for over 600 times.
- Trek in a high Andean realm. Stay in a mountain 4 season cozy roomy tents (Black Diamond tents/ North Face Summit Series).
- Your own private trek leader, porters, delicious camp cuisine prepared by your personal cook.
- Explore trail-side archaeological sites that only Inca Trail hikers have access to.
- Reach Machu Picchu on foot through the Gate of the Sun, as the Incas once did.
- Enjoy the comfort of our famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu camping services, the best on the trail!
- Want to reduce the use of plastic and help the planet a better place for everyone? then hike with us!
- Direct & official local tour operator with headquarter in Cusco, accredited by the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism.
Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
Activity Type: 
Physical Rating:
Service Level: 
Activity Type: 
Physical Rating:Service Level: 
Activity Type: Physical Rating:Service Level: 
Activity Type: Physical Rating:Service Level: 
Activity Type: 
Physical Rating:Service Level: 
Activity Type: Physical Rating:Service Level: 
Activity Type: Physical Rating:Service Level: 
Activity Type: Physical Rating:Service Level: 
I´D LOVE TO CUSTOM THIS TRIP
So you have decided to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, one of the most famous and coveted hiking routes in the world! but you’re not sure what exactly trail looks like or whether you will be able to keep up with a group hike or can we even combine this trek with another trek, or with a day tour in Cusco or in the Sacred Valley? We can customize this trek to meet your needs and interests. Take a moment to share your travel goals and one of our travel designers will be in touch shortly!
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
We Focus on Details
We are the experts when it comes to customizing tours and treks and our incredible private signature series itinerary.
Our Safety Record is Flawless
Safety is at the core of everything we do at Peru Summit Adventures. There is nothing that we take more seriously.
Knowledge and Expertise
Our Guides with a deep knowledge of destination, route, and a focus on customer service makes all difference en route
Responsible Travel
Let’s make this world a better place for everyone and for everyone that lives in it! All is done in a responsible manner
Additional Information
Why Travelers Choose this Hike with Us?
We do like to do our hikes a little bit different than others or conventional operators that way to experience a true journey & adventure along the trail likewise the team that goes with us as well.
We understand the hard work our Quechua porters face along the trail just to make your hike/ experience as enjoyable as possible by providing us their support, how? by carrying our clothes, cooking our gourmet meals, setting up our tents, and for years, many have done this under appalling working conditions.
However, all this could be different with us. We are committed to ethical conditions which are within our Responsible Travel guidelines. See below some of the Pros you have when choosing to hike with us.
- We organize our hikes only in small groups with a minimum of 2 people max 8 people to experience the trail in-depth, that’s why we hike away from crowds and set up our tents in quieter places.
- We do not put our porters aside, they are part of the experience along the trail, you will have chance to share some coca leaves with them, give them some hi-fives, and they will share some stories, tales from their hometown at the campsites with you. This is an experience that involves everyone on the trail.
- After an arduous day, our porters deserve to sleep in a decent tent with a pad, that’s what they get for from us. We send these gears along with the travelers’ gears from our warehouse. We are totally against that our staff might sleep in precarious places like toilets floor or somewhere else at cold night temperatures.
- Peruvian labor law mandates that all porters be paid a minimum wage of 45 soles per day (about $14). We do pay them more than average, not even minimum wage. We do know that their work is tough (about 15 hours), most of them have large families or the youngers want to keep studying at local institutes and getting paid in a reasonable and decent way is very important to us to achieve their goals or improve their family’s welfare.
- Food/ nourishment is a must for our porters. We are against that they eat some leftovers of our travelers or eat only pasta and rice, they do deserve a proper meal because they spend the day carrying demanding loads up and down over mountains. If our travelers eat some chicken, beef or any other meal type, our porters do as well.
- By Peruvian labor law, porters must carry no more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds), including 5 kilograms (11 pounds) allowance for their personal belongings. Peru Summit Adventures porters carry 18 kilograms (39 pounds) plus 4 kilograms (8 pounds) of personal belongings. We try our best that our porters carry less than that weigh.
We do our very best effort and are committed to change the things on the trail to make a better place for everyone that is part of us. We know all these issues because we experienced unfair treatment when we worked as support staff years ago for other companies. Be an explorer be a local at least for 4 days and mingle with our Quechua Andean porters. Come join us and make a great difference by hiking with us, it’s the only way to discover what we are really doing it.
Inca Trail Permits Availability 2024, 2025, 2026 – Per Month
Inca Trail 2024 – BOOK NOW
- November (availability at 90%)
- December (availability at 95%)
Inca Trail 2025 – BOOK NOW
- January (available every day).
- March (available every day).
- April (available every day).
- May (available every day).
- June (available every day).
- July (available every day).
- August (available every day).
- September (available every day).
- October (available every day).
- November (available every day).
- December (available every day).
Inca Trail 2026 – BOOK NOW
- January (available every day).
- March (available every day).
- April (available every day).
- May (available every day).
- June (available every day).
- July (available every day).
- August (available every day).
- September (available every day).
- October (available every day).
- November (available every day).
- December (available every day).
Get inspired with our Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu Video
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is part of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, it has been designated a World Heritage natural and cultural site – is the most important and most popular hiking trail in South America, followed by many thousands of ecotourists and modern day pilgrims in the past 3 decades. Its extreme popularity in recent years – more than 75,000 people a year hike the famous trail.
TRIP REVIEWS
Experience of a lifetime
Amanda R from EEUU
Read more...Best trip of my life!
Michael P from EEUU
Read more...Trekking Machu Picchu
Sam E from EEUU
Read more...Custom Salkantay Trek for 13 Plus Wedding!
Meridith Craven from EEUU
Read more...Ausengate Trek – Best 5 Days so far!
Stefanie from EEUU
Read more...Salkantay Walk with Peru Summit
