Amazing Trek to Machu Picchu through the Inca Trail 7 Days

It's a 7-day Inca Trail trek package built around the 4-day Classic Inca Trail. You arrive in Cusco on Day 1 and visit the Inca Museum and Qoricancha, have Day 2 free to acclimatize, hike the Inca Trail from Km 82 to Machu Picchu on Days 3 to 6 and finish with a walking tour of Cusco before your flight on Day 7. Airport transfers, three hotel nights in Cusco, permits, camping, meals on the trail and the Vistadome train back are arranged for you.

Days 3 to 6 are exactly our 4-day Classic Inca Trail, with the same route, campsites, crew and inclusions. This package adds what you need around it: airport transfers, three nights in a 3-star hotel in Cusco, two days to acclimatize with the Inca Museum and Qoricancha, and a walking tour of Cusco on your last day. If you'd like a longer high-mountain trek before the Inca Trail, see our Salkantay & Inca Trail 7 Days.

The Classic Inca Trail is a protected four-day hike along part of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road network. You'll walk original stone paths over high passes and through cloud forest, visit Inca sites such as Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Wiñay Wayna, and reach Machu Picchu on foot through Inti Punku, the Sun Gate.

Yes. We'll meet you at Cusco airport on Day 1 and take you to your hotel, and on Day 7 we'll take you back to the airport at the time that suits your flight. Flights aren't included, so share your arrival and departure times when you book; if your arrival changes or is delayed, let us know and we'll adjust your pickup.

On Day 1, a guided visit with entrance to the Inca Museum and Qoricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun. On Day 7, a guided walking tour through the Plaza de Armas, San Blas, the Twelve-Angled Stone and San Pedro Market. You'll stay three nights at Ayni Cusco Hotel or similar, a 3-star hotel, with breakfast: two nights before the trek and one after Machu Picchu.

Day 2 is free so you can acclimatize, but if you feel well you can add a Sacred Valley tour to Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, or a Chinchero, Maras and Moray tour with the Inca terraces of Moray and the Maras salt mines. They aren't included in the package; tell us when you book and we'll confirm the rate and availability. Keep the day relaxed: the Inca Trail starts early the next morning.

About 27.3 mi (44 km) over four days, including the final approach to Machu Picchu. Approximate hiking times, not counting breaks:

Weather, campsite allocation and your group's pace can change these times.

Warmi Wañusqa, or Dead Woman's Pass (13,829 ft / 4,215 m), which you'll cross on Day 4. The second-highest point is Runkurakay Pass (13,123 ft / 4,000 m) on Day 5.

It's a challenging high-altitude hike, not a technical climb. Day 4 climbs steeply to Dead Woman's Pass, and Day 5 is a long day on uneven stone steps. To prepare, hike, climb stairs and walk uphill and downhill with your daypack in the weeks before, and break in your boots.

For most travelers, yes: the package gives you two days in Cusco (11,155 ft / 3,400 m) before the trek, the time we recommend before the Inca Trail. Take it easy at first, go light on alcohol and drink water normally. If you get a headache, nausea or dizziness, tell your guide and don't go higher; confusion or breathlessness at rest needs urgent medical care. If you have health concerns about altitude, talk to your doctor first, and ask us about an additional night in Cusco if you'd like more time.

On Day 3 we'll drive you from your hotel in Cusco to Piscacucho (Km 82), beside the Vilcanota River, where you'll show your original passport at the checkpoint. On Day 6 you'll enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. After your guided tour, you'll return by bus to Aguas Calientes, by Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo and by road to your hotel in Cusco, where you'll spend your last night.

Your Inca Trail permit includes two entries on Day 6. First, the classic viewpoint by the Guardian's House (Circuit 1), for the postcard photo of Machu Picchu. Then, after leaving your backpack at the entrance, your guided tour through the lower city (Circuit 3). If you'd also like to visit Circuit 2, it's a separate ticket: ask us and we'll check availability and the extra cost.

Yes. The PeruRail Vistadome panoramic train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo is included, followed by our transfer back to Cusco. We'll confirm the departure time with your travel details.

Your price includes a personal porter allowance of 15.4 lb (7 kg), and that includes your sleeping bag and the sleeping pad we provide. You'll get the duffel at your briefing, and our porters will have it waiting at each campsite, though you won't see it during the day. Need more weight carried? Ask us about an extra porter in advance.

Your daypack (about 20–30 L) holds water, snacks, layers, rain gear, medication, valuables and your passport. Anything you won't need on the trek can stay at your Cusco hotel, or with us if your hotel can't store it.

Keep it light: a small daypack with water, a rain layer, sun protection and your passport is all you need. Large backpacks go in the storage area at the entrance, food isn't eaten inside the citadel, and trekking poles are allowed only when you really need them, with rubber tips. Each ticket allows one entry, so use the restrooms at the entrance before you go in.

Our porters are the heart of the trek, and every load respects the official weight limit, which is checked at the trail checkpoint. That's also why your personal duffel has a set allowance: it keeps the work fair and safe for the team that carries your camp.

In Cusco, breakfast is included at your hotel on Days 2 and 7; lunches and dinners in the city are free so you can try Cusco's restaurants. On the Inca Trail you'll have three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners, plus three afternoon "happy hours" at camp with hot drinks and snacks, and hot coca tea at your tent to start each morning. Our cooks prepare soups, vegetables, grains and meat dishes on the trail. Breakfast on Day 3 isn't included: the trek starts early, so you'll buy it in Ollantaytambo on the way.

From lunch on Day 3, our cooks provide boiled drinking water to refill your bottle, so you only need to bring enough for the first morning. Vegetarian, vegan and other diets are available; just tell us about your needs when you book.

Tell us about any allergy or food intolerance when you book, so your cook can plan every meal around it. For your safety, we can't accept travelers with life-threatening allergies on this trek: the Inca Trail runs for days far from roads and hospitals, and a severe reaction couldn't be treated in time. If you're not sure whether your allergy falls into this group, write to us before you pay and we'll help you find the right option.

International and domestic flights, the optional tours on Day 2, breakfast on Day 3 (bought in Ollantaytambo), lunch and dinner on Days 1, 2, 6 and 7, travel insurance, tips and personal expenses aren't included, nor are the optional Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or Huchuy Picchu tickets. Sleeping bags and trekking poles are available to rent, and you'll find the single supplement (room and tent), the tent-only option and an extra porter in Extra Services. The Vistadome train, your hotel nights in Cusco and your 7 kg porter allowance are already included.

There are simple toilets along the trail, and we set up a portable toilet at every camp. Campsites don't have hot showers, so bring wet wipes, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and a small towel.

Phone signal comes and goes along most of the route, so download your documents before you leave and let family know you'll be back in touch on Day 6.

We camp at Wayllabamba, Pacaymayu and, as planned, Wiñay Wayna. Campsites are assigned when permits are issued; if we're given Phuyupatamarca for the third night instead, walking times on Days 5 and 6 will change. We'll confirm your campsites before departure.

For June to August, book six to eight months ahead; for quieter months, at least three. Permits are limited and issued in the traveler's name for a fixed date. Send us your preferred date, and once permits are available, share your details exactly as on your passport and follow the payment instructions. Your place is secured when we send written confirmation of your permit.

We can check nearby dates or another route. The 2-day Short Inca Trail has its own daily quota, so it often has space when the 4-day trek is full. An Inca Trail permit is separate from regular Machu Picchu entry, so if your dates are fixed, these treks are great alternatives:

• Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu – 5 Days
• Lares Trek to Machu Picchu – 4 Days
• Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – 2 Days
• Inca Jungle Trek – 4 Days
• Salkantay Trek & Cusco Tour – 8 Days, a package like this one with a different trek

Each one has its own availability and conditions.

Inca Trail permits are issued in the traveler's name for a fixed date, so it pays to confirm your plans before booking: once issued, the date usually can't be changed. If something comes up, contact us right away and we'll look at your options, depending on permit availability and any applicable charges.

Your deposit secures the permit and advance arrangements for your date, which is why it's non-refundable and non-transferable. We'll go over the full cancellation terms and the amount due before you pay.

Yes. The Inca Trail can only be hiked with an authorized operator and a licensed guide; independent hiking isn't allowed. This group trek has up to 10 travelers sharing a guide and camp crew, and solo travelers are welcome: you'll share a tent with one other hiker or can request a single tent for US$30, subject to availability (it's already included if you take the single supplement). A private tour is arranged just for your party, with its own price, pace and inclusions.

Yes. The single supplement gives you a private room for your three hotel nights in Cusco and a tent to yourself on the Inca Trail. If you're happy sharing a hotel room but want your own tent while camping, you can add just the private tent instead. You'll find both options in Extra Services, subject to availability.

May to September is usually the driest season, and April and October often bring a good balance of weather and crowds. Rain, fog and cold nights are possible all year, and the wetter months bring the cloud forest's orchids into bloom. June to August needs the earliest booking.

The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance and conservation, reopening in March. Machu Picchu itself stays open and can be reached by train.

There's no fixed age limit: the real challenge is long days of steep walking at altitude. Younger travelers must be accompanied by a responsible adult. If you're traveling with children, are an older hiker or have medical concerns, talk to us before booking so we can check whether the trek suits you and whether an extra porter would help.

It's a well-managed route that you always hike with a licensed guide. The things to prepare for are the altitude, the stone steps and changing weather. Tell your guide right away if you're injured, exhausted or have altitude symptoms. The team carries a first-aid kit and emergency oxygen, although these don't replace medical care. Any evacuation or change of route depends on the situation and on access along the trail, so make sure your travel insurance covers trekking at altitude.

You'll find the current price per person in the booking options on this page. Choose your date and send us your details exactly as on your passport, so we can check Inca Trail permits; your place is secured once we confirm your permit in writing. For more trips like this, see our multi-day tours.

You can read real reviews from travelers who have hiked the Inca Trail and joined our other tours on Waman Adventures on TripAdvisor.