4 Day Inca Trail Itinerary

6 min readFeb 27, 2021

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of the highlights of a trip to South America and for many years it has been the most visited trekking route in Peru. Hardly any other destination in Peru can compete with a visit to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. For almost every Peru visitor, Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail are part of a successful round trip.

Active travelers and physically fit travelers can hike on ancient Inca trails and experience an active holiday in a 2 day Inca Trail tour or 4-day Classic Inca Trail.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A large part of the Inca Trail consists of steps, the path is roughly paved and sometimes only 60–80 cm wide. Travelers with knee or foot problems should keep this in mind and be prepared to hike with constant concentration. In four days we will traverse many different landscapes made up of steep mountain passes, wild pasture lands and dense forests. You will walk over mountain passes with incredible views, parts of the original Inca Trail and along the Inca ruins. The green jungle appears out of nowhere.

What is the daily routine of the four-day Inca Trail?

Day 01: Starting the Inca Trail

Cusco (3,350m) — Ollantaytambo — Chinchero — Urubamba — Km82 — Patallacta — Piskakucho (2,850m) — Wayllabamba (3,100m)

Early in the morning (between 5:50 and 6:30 a.m.) you and other travellers will take the bus to km. 82 (2.850m) the head trail to the and starting point of the Inca Trail. The tourist van through the Sacred Valley of the Inca and the villages of Chinchero, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo. In Ollantaytambo you will have time to have breakfast and you can buy a few last things for the hike (e.g. hiking stick, rain poncho, snacks). Together with the participants of the Inca Trail you cross the Inca Trail Check Point and pass the Urubamba River.

The path takes you west to the ruins of Huillca Raccay and you will hike down the Cusichaca valley to the last inhabited village of the trail: Wayllabamba (3,100m). Here is the tent camp and the last chance to buy drinks and snacks for the tour.

Day 02: Hiking on the Inca Trail

Wayllabamba (3,100m) — Warnihuañusca (4,200m) — Pacaymayo (3,600m)

Today it will be exhausting and sweaty as you cross the highest Gerbirgpass, the Warmihuañusca Pass. You leave Wayllabamba early in the morning and start the ascent up to Llulluchayoc. The path consists of many kinking curves. Through the cloud forest it goes higher and higher to the Llulluchapampa point (3,850m). A fantastic view over the valley invites you to take a short break.

Because the difficult ascent to the Warmihuañusca Pass through the impressive paramo landscape at an altitude of about 4,000m lies ahead of you. The view from the Warmihuañusca Pass, at an altitude of 4,200 meters, is impressive. The Warmihuañusca Pass is translated in Quechua as “Dead Women Pass”. Before you reach the tent camp, it is just as difficult downhill to the lower valley to the Pacaymayo River (3,600m).

Day 03: Hiking on the Inca Trail

Pacaymayo (3,600m) — Sayacmarca (3,725m) — Phuyupatamarka (3,580m) — Wiñay Wayba (2,650m)

The program of the third day is peppered with historical and natural beauty and will therefore be the longest day. Enough time to enjoy the wonderful landscape to the full. From the camp you walk to the ruins of Runkurakay (3,800m) with a view over the Pacaymayo valley. Here the Inca Trail shows its full beauty, as a large part up to the second pass, Abra de Runkurakay (4000m), consists of a road paved by the Incas. The path leads you to impressive Andean peaks, deep canyons and a beautifully constructed staircase to Sayacmarca (3,725m). The name means “inaccessible city” because the ruins are protected by steep cliffs.

Forests full of orchids, mosses and ferns are the highlight on this route. Then go through an Inca tunnel up to the third pass at an altitude of 3700 meters. From here you have beautiful views over snow-capped mountains such as the mighty Salkantay (6,180m) and Veronica (5,750m).

The “city in the clouds”, Phuyupatamarca is the next stop on the trail.

These impressive ruins can only be reached via many steps. After visiting Phuyupatamarca you have to descend hundreds of steps to Wiñay Wayna (3km).

Wiñay Wayna will be the last camp before arriving at the ruins of Machu Picchu. Wiñay Wayna is a more comfortable camp with a restaurant, toilets and hot showers. The hot showers can be used for a small fee. The beautiful ruins of Wiñay Wayna are located near the camp. Wiñay Wayna means “forever young” in Quechua, which is also the name of a pink orchid that grows in the area. Since there are ten Inca baths in the area, it is believed that Wiñay Wayna was a bathing place before Machu Picchu was built.

Day 04: Hike to Machu Picchu

Wiñay Wayna — Machu Picchu — Cusco

Seeing the sun rise over the Machu Picchu ruins is impressive. To see him, you will leave the camp at 04:30 in the direction of the “Sun Gate” (Intipunku). Around 7:30 am you have an impressive view of the first rays of sun over Machu Picchu. The descent to Machu Picchu is short and you will have more than enough time to explore the scenario and snap photos. You can also leave your backpacks at the entrance of Machu Picchu. After a two-hour guided tour through the complex, you will have enough time to yourself and perhaps to climb Huayna Picchu.

Huayna Picchu is the mountain behind Machu Picchu. It takes an hour to go up and forty minutes to go down. Note that you need to make a reservation to climb Huayna Picchu. Let your guide know in advance and you can get one of the 450 tickets before the tour starts. The tour to Huayna Picchu starts at 6:30 am and 9:00 am and an additional charge must be paid.

What should I consider when planning a trip and running the Inca Trail?

Many travelers take the bus to Aguas Calientes around 1:00 p.m. for lunch, as there is only one restaurant (Sanctuary Lodge) in Machu Picchu, which is relatively expensive. In Aguas Calientes you can then also visit the hot springs, which can be relaxing after 4 days of hiking. Admission is relatively cheap and valid for two hours. The train to Cusco leaves Aguas Calientes in the afternoon and it is important to know the times of the bus that will take you from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.

Usually buses run every 25 minutes and the bus and train prices are included in the price of the tour.

The transfer from Aguas Calientes to Cusco could be difficult to arrange and we cannot promise exactly when you will be back at the hotel. The return journey is planned as follows: you will take the train from Aquas Calientes to Ollantaytambo from 2:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m., the journey will take about 1 hour and 40 minutes. In Ollantaytambo you will then be taken to your hotel by bus, the journey time is 1 hour and 45 minutes. You will arrive at your hotel around 17: 30–18: 00 or 21: 30–22: 00.

We need the following important information when booking the Inca Trail:

• Passport number, special eating habits (e.g. vegetarian), hotel and address where you stay. If you have a special illness, you are responsible for your medication

During the trek you have the option of putting your personal belongings and sleeping bags that you do not want to carry but still want to take with you in a large bag. The sack that the mules will carry can weigh up to 7 kg.