Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a historic trekking route in the Cusco region that follows sections of the original Inca road network to the 15th-century citadel of Machu Picchu. The best-known, “classic” route is a multi-day hike that combines Andean mountain passes, cloud-forest sections and several Inca archaeological sites.

On the classic four-day trail trekkers cross high passes such as Warmiwañusqa (Dead Woman’s Pass) at about 4,215 metres, pass archaeological sites including Wiñay Wayna, and finish at Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) with a downhill view of Machu Picchu. The route is roughly 43 kilometres in total and is managed to limit daily numbers.

The trail and its stone causeways and steps were built by the Inca as part of a wider road and administrative network serving the empire; sections led to administrative and religious sites and to Machu Picchu. Management changed in the 20th and 21st centuries to protect archaeological remains, introduce a permit system and regulate camping and porter use.

The trail begins on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Cusco Region at a trailhead commonly called Km 82 (along the railway line) and approaches Machu Picchu from the cloud forest side, finishing at the Sun Gate above the Machu Picchu citadel.

• Permits and limits: A government permit is required year-round for the classic Inca Trail; daily visitor numbers are capped and permits often sell out months in advance.
• Distance and altitude: The classic trek is about 43 kilometres over four days and includes high mountain passes; common altitude reaches above 4,200 metres so acclimatization is important.

What to See #

• Classic Inca Trail: The classic four-day route that starts at Km 82 and finishes at the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) above Machu Picchu, covering approximately 43 kilometres on foot.
• Dead Woman's Pass: Dead Woman's Pass (Warmiwañusqa) a high point on the trail reaching about 4,215 metres and the toughest single ascent on the route.
• Wiñay Wayna: Wiñay Wayna, an extensive Inca site of terraces and stone buildings located close to the trail about 2-3 days into the trek, often visited before the final approach to Machu Picchu.
• Inti Punku (Sun Gate): Inti Punku (Sun Gate), the traditional arrival viewpoint from which trekkers first see Machu Picchu at the end of the trail.