Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu

The best time for experiencing good weather on the trail is between the months of April – October when there is minimal rainfall and clear skies. The driest months are June – August, which is winter in the Andes. Nights and early mornings are chilly during this time. November can still be good to hike but, as the season progresses, there is a good chance of getting wet. Rainy season peaks over the Peruvian summer (December- March). The trail is closed over February for maintenance.

For this short trek, it is advisable to pack as lightly as possible. In addition to the trekking clothing (including warm and waterproof layers), bring only the essentials for a full-day trek. Water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, waterproof house, water bottle, snacks, etc.

Your body needs time to acclimatise to high-altitude conditions with lower oxygen levels. We recommend arriving in Cusco at least 2 days prior to your trek (3 days for guests over 60). There is no way of knowing how your body will react to the change in altitude. The more days you can take to acclimatise, the better.

See above for trip inclusions and exclusions.

Short Inca Trail permits are limited. For this reason, we urge you to book as far in advance as possible. Note that the Inca Trail is a logistically-unique tour and once your permit is purchased, your booking becomes non-refundable

Any baggage that you do not need for the trek may be stored in your hotel in Cusco (most hotels offer this service free of charge). If your hotel does not provide this service, we will store your belongings safely in our office at no extra cost.

As an Inca Trail operating travel agency, the government will only allow us to change passport numbers if we have a copy of both the new passport and the old one. If you no longer have your old passport, any government-issued ID will be accepted, as long as the name is the same. Also, make sure that your passport does not expire six months or less from your travel date.

Absolutely! Solo travellers are most welcome. There does, however, need to be at least two people booked on a date to confirm departure. If you are travelling solo, please drop us a message beforehand to confirm existing groups.

If you are a solo traveller, you will need to pay the extra cost of the single supplement US$60. This means private accommodation during the tour. The payment needs to be made in cash USD once you arrive in Cusco.

It’s highly recommended that you take out personal travel insurance. Travel cover can protect you in the case of unforeseen circumstances, including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip. Note that standard insurance often doesn't cover adventure activities. We recommend using specialist adventure travel insurers, like [Rise & Shield](https://riseandshield.com/), for your trip. Specialist insurers can cover unique scenarios, like trekking at altitude or emergency evacuation in hard-to-reach places, that ordinary travel insurance doesn’t cover. It's your responsibility to carefully check the details of your policy to ensure that you're covered for the specific activities you'll be carrying out.

This is a two-day tour but only one day of trekking. On the first day, you will walk about 12km/7.5 miles to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu. Day two is an easy walking tour with optional treks up the neighboring mountains. Because of the short distance, this is a fairly mild hike for which you only need a basic fitness level.

We take a maximum of 8 people per group.

We will pick you up from your hotel to begin your trek and drop you back there after when we return to Cusco the next day.

Here are the distances and elevations for this 2 day Inca trail trip: Day 1: Walking Distance – 10km / 6.21 miles Starting Elevation – 3350 meters ASL / 10990 feet ASL Highest Elevation – 2730 meters ASL / 8956 feet ASL Difficulty: Moderate Day 2: Starting Elevation – 2050 meters ASL / 6561 feet ASL Highest Elevation – 2400 meters ASL / 7873 feet ASL Difficulty: Easy

Of course, without any additional costs! When you make your reservation, please inform us of any dietary requirements, including allergies. We provide vegetarian options and can cater to lactose-intolerant or gluten-intolerant diets. Most of our main meals are buffet-style, so you can pick and choose. If you have preferences( for example, strongly dislike onions, tomatoes, or mushrooms) we will ask our chef to leave out or separate these items. Please note, we cannot accept individuals with life-threatening allergic reactions.

Please consult with your physician or local travel clinic regarding your visit to South America. If you are visiting the Amazon, a yellow fever vaccination is recommended. Illnesses are more common in the Amazon than in the Andes mountains, where this trek takes place. Entrance requirements for Peru in regard to COVID-19 vaccinations and tests change regularly. You should check up-to-date restrictions before traveling.

Hiking up the neighbouring Huayna Picchu mountain is an extremely popular add-on to this tour. This mountain has an additional cost of $85 USD per person and needs to be booked in advance. If you would like to add this to your Machu Picchu visit, please let us know once you have confirmed your booking (use the button on your tour dashboard; MESSAGE THE GUIDE). This extra activity is subject to availability. You will need to pay this balance at our offices once you arrive in Cusco. Note: Due to schedule time restrictions, climbing the alternative, Machu Picchu Mountain, is not usually possible as part of this itinerary.

After you have made your booking and provided your details, we will get on the system to buy your permit. Note that permit availability can change in minutes. Because of this, we can only confirm your trip once we have secured the permit. Once this happens, we will send a confirmation message (at this point your booking becomes non-refundable). If we are unable to get a permit for your date, we will recommend an alternative date or refund your booking in full.

Yes! If you would like to add extra days to your stay in Cusco and visit Rainbow Mountain, please 'Message Your Guide' from your Skyhook Dashboard after making the booking. Any activities that are not included in the itinerary of this trip (including Rainbow Mountain) will need to be arranged directly with the local operator and paid for in the country.

The maximum altitude that we reach on this trek is 2730 m.a.s.l/8956 ft.

We happily receive clients with food allergies (nuts, wheat, dairy, etc.) Please inform us in detail of your condition upon making your reservation. If in doubt, ask us. We kindly ask that you declare the severity of your reaction and any medication that you take in case of an emergency. If your allergy is severe, you need to be accompanied by someone who will take responsibility for your situation and carries the necessary medication. WE CAN NOT ACCEPT CLIENTS WITH LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGIES