Inca Trail

Inca Trail
Distance
42 km (26 miles)
Country
Peru
Difficulty
Challenging
Type of trip
Hiking trail

The Classic Inca Trail is a 42 km walk from Km 82 (Piscacucho) in the Urubamba valley to Machu Picchu, usually done in four days with three nights camping. It follows original Inca paving and steps past a string of ruins. It climbs from about 2,600 m to 4,215 m at Warmiwañusca, also called Dead Woman’s Pass, then drops through cloud forest.

You can’t walk it on your own. Permits are sold only through licensed operators, numbers are capped each day, and popular dates sell out months ahead. Peru’s Ministry of Culture closes the trail every February for maintenance. Check the current permit rules and availability before you plan anything else.

Highlights along the way

  1. Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman’s Pass): the highest point, at 4,215 m, reached on the second day by most groups.
  2. Runkurakay and Sayacmarca: Inca sites on the stretch after the pass.
  3. Phuyupatamarca: a site whose name means "cloud-level town", above a long stone staircase.
  4. Wiñay Wayna: terraces and a line of stone fountains, near the last campsite.
  5. Inti Punku (Sun Gate): the pass where the trail first looks down on Machu Picchu.

Distance

42 km.

Best time to go

May to September, in the dry season. The trail is closed throughout February, and the wet months either side bring mud and cloud.

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