The Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu is one of the most well-known and popular treks in the world. That means you should definitely trek the original Inca pathways to Machu Picchu.
And what better way to get started than with our 4-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu? Your comfort, safety, and enjoyment are our prime responsibility. You’ll learn some Quechua words and Incan history in the same place where the Incas used to worship mother nature (Pachamama) with our professional mountain guides.
It’s also the number one hike in South America and the New 7th Wonder of the World. The experience of doing this hike is definitely one of the top that you won’t forget. You can enjoy the Flora and Fauna typical of the place, explore archaeological sites on the way, and feel how the Incas lived in this incredible territory 500 years ago.
Alternative Inca Trails are found all around South America, but there is just one Classic Inca Trail hike that goes to Machu Picchu. Many of the places that you’ll trek through were never even touched by Spaniards. Therefore, if you want to learn and experience the enchanting lives of the Incas, we invite you to join this journey!
If you’re not quite convinced yet, we’ll let you in on the many reasons why you must do this hike. You get to see Vilcanota or Urubamba (two of the three main tributaries of the Amazon River. Then, you are at the entrance of the Amazon Jungle ( the world’s largest tropical rainforest with undiscovered plants and animals). Lastly, you’ll explore Inca buildings that were never discovered by Spaniards. And if you are lucky, you can see the Andean constellation on a clear night.
The Inca Trail is something that you should do once in your life — no matter your age!
Pro Tip: If four days is a bit too long and strenuous for you, consider going on our 1-day Inca Trail tour or 2-day trek to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu Hike via Inca Trail Tour Details
Here are all the essential details you need to know before booking this Inca Trail 4-day trek to Machu Picchu.
Highlights for Your Inca Trail Tour to Machu Picchu
Type of Tour: Culture, History, Adventure, and Hiking with Camping.
All Distance: 49 Km / 30 Miles.
Good For: Hikers who love to walk in the mountains, enjoying nature and culture while having a moderate level of fitness.
Difficulty: Moderate but challenging.
Consideration: PERMIT ARE LIMITED, AND THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND FOR THIS TREK
Useful Information About Our Inca Trail Trekking to Machu Picchu
- Above all, your safety is our top priority.
- Our team will porter your belongings throughout the trek so you can truly admire the scenery and take loads of photos without any hassle.
- Trek the unique path through the sun gate to Machu Picchu (one of the new seven wonders in the world).
- Enjoy the amazing sunrise of Machu Picchu early on day 4th.
- Hike by the same trail that the Incas used to use for a walk to the lost city of the Incas (Machu Picchu).
- You must be prepared for lots of walking and a high-elevation hike.
- We are using local staff and natural resources.
- Local company with sustainable responsibility.
- Your professional Mountain Tour Guide will brief you the night before your trek in our office or your hotel.
Our Inca Trail 4-Day Hike Itinerary
It’s time to have a look at the amazing itinerary for your Inca Trail trek.
Day 1: Cusco — Piscacucho (Km 82) — Patallaqta — Huayllabamba — Ayapata.
We’ll pick you up from your hotel between 4:30 to 5:00 am with our private transportation. Make sure you carry your passport and ISIC Card if applicable. Our journey from Cusco to Piscacucho is roughly 3 hours through the Sacred Valley. Enjoy the beautiful Urubamba River, Andean towns, breathtaking views, landscapes, and the Inca town of Ollantaytambo during this time.
After enjoying a delicious breakfast prepared by our cook on the way, we’ll arrive at Piscacucho (2 700 / 8 858 ft). This is where the first checkpoint is located, and we start our trek from there. After passing the checkpoint, we will walk for around 4 hours up and down flats, passing through some archeological sites such as Ccanabamba, Patallaqta, and Tarayoq.
You’ll be rewarded with amazing views of a snow-capped peak known as a Veronica (5 920 m / 19 423 ft). At the same time, we´ll find many types of flora and fauna along the way that our professional mountain guide will cover in depth.
Around 1:30 pm, we will arrive at Huanchaca for a buffet lunch. Then, after a short siesta time, we keep walking through Huayllabamba, the last community located on the same pathway to our campsite, known as an Ayapata (3 300 m / 10 827 ft). However, you need to know that the last 2 hours of the trek are gentle, and this is when you can enjoy the nice view and mesmerizing landscapes of this place. It’s located at the same altitude as Cusco City, so you won’t experience altitude problems.
Finally, when you arrive at the campsite, you’ll be rewarded with tents that are set up already and hot drinks with something to eat. We will host a happy hour where we ask everyone to gather around to be introduced to the team by the guides. This allows the group to warm up to each other before we tackle the rest of the trail.
But before you go to sleep, we will enjoy our buffet dinner and short briefing for the following day with all the details that you need to know.
Day 2: Ayapata — Dead Woman’s Pass — Pacaymayo — Sayacmarca — Chaquicocha.
This day starts really early in the morning. Your porters will wake you up with a hot cup of cocoa tea to get ready with your belongings before enjoying a big and delicious breakfast for the trek. However, you need to know that it’s going to be the longest day of the entire trek.
We’ll hike for about 4 hours until arriving at the first highest pass on the trek: Dead Woman’s Pass (4 205 m / 13 796 ft). We’ll stop here for a short time to take epic pictures and enjoy the striking scenery of two valleys called Pacaymayo and Cusichaca.
We’ll start to descend for around 2 hours until Pacaymayo, where our buffet lunch is already waiting for us. After lunch, we’ll continue walking to visit the next archaeological site located halfway to the second pass, Runkuraqay (4 125 m / 13 901 ft). Then, we start the downhill for 2 hours until we reach our next campsite, and of course, we’ll visit a couple of archeological sites on the way down, such as Sayacmarca and Conchamarka.
We’re going to stop for a quick explanation and rest along some Inca towns with the sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range in the background. It’s then just 25 more minutes of walking to Chaquicocha, which means dry lake (3 600m / 12 132 ft.). Don’t forget that when you arrive at the campsite, your tent will be ready with hot water in bowls to clean yourself.
We’ll have our end-of-day two happy hour with some hot drinks and something to eat while chatting about our experiences of the hike so far. After that, it’s time for a buffet dinner, and if you are not too tired yet, we can stargaze and talk a little bit about Inca constellations. The campground is so far away from artificial lighting, making it ideal for stargazing.
Day 3: Chaquicocha — Phuyupatamarca — Intipata — Wiñaywayna.
After sleeping like a baby, thanks to climbing the 2 highest passes the day before, we’ll wake you up at 6:00 am with a hot cup of cocoa tea. You have the chance to enjoy the unmissable views of the beginning of the high jungle while organizing your belongings at the same time.
While your breakfast is prepared by your professional chef, well before starting the trek, we´ll enjoy our delicious breakfast just for champs (yourself included). After this, it’s time to start our third-day trek with some stunning views of the Cloud Forest. It’s a bit different than the first and second days as this section will be more gentle and flat.
Enjoy walking through a couple of tunnels created by the Incas for 2 hours, and eventually, we’ll arrive at this fantastic place called Phuyupatamarca, an astronomical Inca site (3 600 m / 10 826 ft.). This is where we start our downhill walk for about 3 to 4 hours to arrive at our lunch spot and campsite.
The campsite is known as a Wiñay Wayna (forever young) and is the most spectacular Inca site of the trek after Machu Picchu. Many people call it the “baby Machu Picchu” because it’s so beautiful, and the locations make you wonder how and why these people were even built here.
Before arriving at the third campsite, we’ll visit a couple of sites, including Phuyupatamarca (a town in the clouds) and Inti Pata (terraces for the sun). Then we’ll arrive at our lunch spot and campsite around 1 pm roughly.
Note that you have time to relax and recharge your energy for the following day, which is the most important day of the trek. But at the same time, you’ll have the time to ask as many questions as you want about the local culture, nature, history, and politics, or simply just relax as you want.
As we did the days before without exception, this day, we’re going to spoil you with one unforgettable feast shared with our porters and chefs. It’s also part of the tradition (happy hour) to do a small event in the evening to introduce everyone again, as we did on the first day. It’s also an opportunity to say thanks to the guides and staff, and if you wish, you can give them a tip during this small ceremony.
Then we recommend going to bed early because the following day, we’ll wake you up really early in the morning to watch the sunrise over the Machu Picchu ruins.
Day 4: Wiñaywayna — Intipunku (Sun Gate) — Machu Picchu.
As we’ve mentioned already, we’re going to wake you up super early at 3:30 am. Before leaving the campsite, you’ll enjoy breakfast at 4:00 am. Then, wait at the checkpoint to be one of the first to start the trek to make it to the gate at 5:30 am.
After we pass the checkpoint, we’re going to walk for around 1 hour and 30 minutes until we arrive at the sun gate, from where we’ll see one of the new seven wonders (Machu Picchu). Surrounded by beautiful mountains, remember that we’ll just have one hour to visit, touch, and feel this fascinating building.
There will be a two-hour tour roughly with the same tour guide for everyone. If you want to visit by yourself, you can couple up. But before this, your tour guide will provide your bus ticket for Aguas Calientes town. This is the small town from where you´re going to meet your tour guide, who will give you train tickets and explain how to take the train back to Cusco.
If you´d like to climb up to Huayna Picchu Mountain, it takes around 50 minutes to reach the summit. From here, you can see Machu Picchu and have a once-in-a-lifetime moment since the scenery is so surreal. But if you want to hike to this mountain, just let us know in advance (the cost is $65).
What Is Included in Your 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Hike Tour
- Professional Tour Guides: All of our tour guides have graduated from a university and can speak three languages — English, Spanish, and Quechua. More importantly, all our tour guides are local people who grew up in the Andes, with much ancient knowledge ready to teach you any ancestral traditions. But they are also funny and highly professional, making sure you’re safe and happy. If your group is over 9 people, then there will be professional assistants to help throughout the tour.
- Permits: After we receive your deposit and information, our staff will arrange your permits for the Inca Trail. These permits are for a specific date and your name has to be the same as your passport details.
- Briefing: One night before starting your trek, your guide will brief you either at our offices or at your hotel. Here, we’ll give you the duffle bag that our porters will help carry—weighing around 7 kg / 14 pounds. This allows you to enjoy the trek a little more.
- Chefs: Our professional chefs will prepare your food according to your preferences. If you have allergies to certain products, just let us know so we can avoid including them in your meals.
- Porters: Our staff includes porters that are in charge of carrying the weight of all of the team’s food, tents, plates, bowls, chairs, etc. At the same time they’re always ready to help you.
- Transportation: Transportation for the entire trek is included, from the beginning to the end, via trains and our private cars. We’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you back to your hotel.
- Equipment: Sparrow Adventure has the best equipment that you need for your trek for your safety and comfort.
- Food: Our healthy and organic food will be prepared by our chef that has lots of experience cooking in the mountain regions. And at the same time you have the chance to tell us if you don’t eat certain foods due to allergies so that our chef will cook accordingly.
- Water: This is an important element that we’ll start to supply for your first lunch to your last breakfast. You can refill your plastic bottle or camelback. If you’re wondering where the water comes from, it is sourced from the natural springs found along the way. filtered and then boiled in order finally to cool down before giving it to you for a refresh or to refill your bottles. Remember that it is really important to drink plenty of water on this hike.
- First Aid Kit: Your safety and health is one of our first priorities. This first aid kit that we have ready during the trek is complete with all the basic essentials such as an oxygen tank in the case of emergencies.
- Extras: These are just a couple of small things you may need for your trek that you can buy at various locations along the trek, from a rain poncho to sun cream and a few loose things that you can get here and there.
What Is Excluded From Your Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Tour
- Daypacks: You need to bring your own day pack for the hike. We suggest getting a small to medium daypack. Try to avoid a daypack that is too big as our porter is going to help carry your baggage. The backpack that you bring has to have enough space for water, sun cream, a sun hat, a few warm layers, a camera, some snacks, headlamps, and a few more things that you consider important for your trek.
- Headlamps: Based on our experience in the mountains, we recommend having personal headlamps for the trek because if you need to move from one place to another or go to the toilet, you’ll definitely need one. Remember that these campsites are places with lights.
- Packing List: We suggest bringing some warm layers for the nighttime during the hike. Something like three T-shirts, hiking pants, and a jacket are basically the things that you’ll need. And it’s even better if your clothing is waterproof or rainwater resistant. That said, a waterproof rain poncho should be fine since it covers all the way to your knees. Don’t forget to bring hiking boots or trekking shoes and sandals or a pair of sneakers.
- Extra Snacks: You can bring your own snacks or buy some on your way.
- Rentals: Each hiker needs a sleeping bag, and it’s optional to bring an inflatable air mattress. A walking stick is good for this trek but don’t worry if you don’t have any, because you still have the chance to rent really good equipment from us.
- Huayna Picchu: This is the name of one mountain next to the Machu Picchu site, where you can get gorgeous views of the archeological site surrounded by the Urubamba River. You have the chance to hike this mountain, but let us know while you’re booking with us, as this permit is limited. However, if you don’t get this permit, you still have the chance to go to the Inca Bridge and enjoy the ruins of Machu Picchu because it is a really big site.
Note: We charge 20 US$ for sleeping bags, 15 US$ for inflatable air mattresses, and 15 US$ for one pair of walking sticks.
Helpful Information for Your Machu Picchu Hiking Tour
Before booking your KW tour with us, here are a few more helpful tips to keep in mind.
Altitude Sickness
It’s common to start wondering about altitude sickness if you are thinking of coming to Peru, especially in Cusco. However, It’s easy to figure out this problem. You just need to spend a few days in Cusco drinking plenty of water and cocoa tea.
These are some of the high-altitude symptoms: headaches, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, tingling, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, and vomiting.
Please, If you feel any of these problems contact our company or call a doctor to help you. However, altitude sickness is usually temporary, and drinking plenty of water and cocoa tea will help significantly. That said, sometimes our customer prefers pills, and in that way, we suggest you have an (acetazolamide or dexamethasone) and come a few days before to Cusco.
Weather
In general, the weather here in the Andes is unpredictable, and that is why we suggest being ready for a rainy or sunny day. As such, we recommend packing waterproof clothes or a poncho.
First Aid Kit
All of our mountain guides have their first aid kits and a lot of training, which they receive every year from licensed doctors. They know how to treat common problems like diarrhea, cuts, headaches, scrapes, etc. They also have an oxygen tank to help those who struggle with altitude gain. However, you are more than welcome to bring your own first aid kit for the trek.
Travel Insurance
It’s always a good idea to have travel insurance for your tour or trek, especially if you are thinking of traveling for a few weeks or more than a month. It is especially recommended if you have any serious illnesses or health concerns.
However, if you don’t have travel insurance, you are still more than welcome to join this tour.
Environmental Impact
This company is a travel agency that protects our environment. We’re a sustainable company that uses biodegradable packaging for meals. We also consider the leave-no-trace principles during our tours as a way to help reduce the effects of global warming and ensure everyone protects our home (planet Earth).
Community
Most important for us is our amazing team. As we are a local company, the families and communities of our team feel proud of everyone involved at Sparrow Explorer. By sharing the culture and knowledge of our ancestors, everyone who joins our tours can better understand our traditions, behaviors, and customs.
By doing this, we can help protect everything left by our ancestors, as we believe in “Love just the things that you know.” This way, in our own small way, we can help preserve the amazing Inca culture for generations to come.
FAQs: Hiking Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail
Let’s look at some of the most popular questions asked about Machu Picchu hikes.
1. What Is the Difference Between the 4-day and 5-day Inca Trail?
The five-day trek covers the same distance as the four-day hike, but it is spread over one more day. This means you’ll have less distance to cover each day, so hikers can take their time and enjoy more of the surroundings along the way.
Tip: If you are interested in a longer hike, check out this luxurious 5-day Inca Trail trek.
2. What Are the Most Difficult Days on the Inca Trail?
The first and second days are the most difficult because they go through demanding Andean landscapes.
3. Am I Too Old to Hike the Inca Trail?
Anyone of any age and in good health can hike the “Inca Trail”. So, as long as you’re fit and have no medical conditions that could make it difficult for you, you are able to trek this trail.
4. How Fit Do You Have to Be to Walk the Inca Trail?
The Inca Trail is challenging, so it requires a good level of physical fitness and endurance. While you don’t need to be a pro athlete, do prepare yourself for challenges regarding the terrain, altitude, and duration of the hike.
5. Do You Shower on the Inca Trail?
Personal hygiene takes a dip on this trail. There are no showers along most of the Inca Trail, let alone running water. But, there are ways to clean yourself at campgrounds, such as a quick “wash” in your tent.
6. Can You Go to the Toilet on the Inca Trail?
Yes. Outhouse-style toilets are available along several locations along the Inca Trail.
