The Classic Inca Trail

The Classic Inca Trail is the most famous trek in South America and the only way to arrive at Machu Picchu the way the Incas intended, on foot through the Sun Gate. The route is part of the Inca road network inside the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, protected along with the citadel by UNESCO, and it begins at kilometer 82 of the railway at Piscacucho, in the Urubamba valley below Ollantaytambo. Over four days and around forty kilometers it climbs from river valley farmland into high puna grassland, crosses Warmiwanusqa, Dead Woman's Pass, at over 4,200 meters, then dips and climbs through two more passes into the cloud forest, with orchids, hummingbirds and mist. Along the way it passes a sequence of extraordinary sites that you can only reach on foot, including Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca and the terraces of Wiñay Wayna, before the final dawn walk to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, and the first view of Machu Picchu below. Access is tightly regulated. Every trekker must go with a licensed operator, which provides an official guide, cooks and porters, and the number of daily permits is limited, with porters and staff counted within the total. Permits for the year usually go on sale in November or so, and the most popular dates sell out months ahead. Since a 2025 ministerial resolution, Inca Trail hikers enter the Machu Picchu citadel on a dedicated route, Circuit 3-B, with quotas reserved for them. The trail closes every February for maintenance and conservation, and it can close at other times for weather: in August 2026 unusual heavy rain caused landslides and flooded campsites, the Ministry suspended access from 19 August, and routes 1 to 3 reopened on 6 September 2026 after repairs to retaining walls, drainage and campsites.

What the trek is like: days start early, with a wake-up tea brought to your tent, and the walking is on stone paths and long staircases. Day two, over Dead Woman's Pass, is the hardest, a long climb in thin air followed by a knee-jarring descent; days three and four are long but spectacular, with the best ruins and the cloud forest. Camps are basic, with shared toilet blocks, and nights at altitude are cold, so a good sleeping bag matters. The porters, who carry the tents, food and equipment, are the heroes of the trail; choose an operator with a good record on porter welfare, and budget for tips at the end. Good operators include the train back from Aguas Calientes, the bus down from the citadel and the Machu Picchu entry in the price, but check what is included before you book.

Preparation and timing: spend at least two or three days acclimatizing in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before you start, and do some long hill walks at home. The dry season from May to September has the clearest skies and the most demand; April, October and November are a good balance; December to March brings rain and mud, and February is closed. In the shoulder of the rainy season, which begins now in November, carry proper rain gear and expect the trail to be green and beautiful but wet, with a higher chance of weather-related changes. If you cannot get a permit, ask operators about the two-day short Inca Trail, which starts at kilometer 104 and climbs to Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate in a day, or alternative treks such as Salkantay and Lares, which do not need Inca Trail permits.

How to book: pick a licensed operator, check reviews and porter policies, give exact passport details (names and numbers are printed on the permit and cannot be changed), and pay the deposit as soon as dates are fixed, because the operator buys the permit on your behalf. Travel insurance that covers trekking at altitude is essential. Expect to pay several hundred US dollars or more per person for a group trek and considerably more for private departures, with sleeping bags, poles and extra porters as add-ons. The reward is a walk that feels like a pilgrimage, and the moment the citadel appears below the Sun Gate is one of the great arrivals in travel.