Walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Walk the Inca Trail, South America's most iconic trek, to reach the Sun Gate at dawn for spectacular views over Machu Picchu.

The Inca Trail is one of the world’s most famous treks, and rightfully so. This tough four-day journey to the mountaintop citadel of Machu Picchu in the Andes starts on the river bank of the Urubamba and climbs up to several mountain passes, the highest at 4,200m above sea level.  Passing a number of other intriguing Inca sites along the route, you'll be treading in the footsteps of the Incas themselves on an original ancient stone path skirting jagged mountains and dipping to subtropical cloud-forest.

The highlight for many is arriving at dawn on the fourth day to walk through the Sun Gate and see Machu Picchu laid out before you, resplendent in the remote Andean setting that kept this 'lost city' hidden for centuries.

Three nights are spent under canvas. However, this is a fully-assisted trek with a knowledgeable guide to lead the way and a fantastic team of porters who carry all equipment and have the camp set up by the time you arrive. There are three hot meals a day, providing you with the fuel to face what is undoubtedly a demanding, yet enormously rewarding experience. Return to Cusco via a spectacular train ride through the narrow Urubamba gorge.

Mini Inca Trail and Salkantay Trail

The classic four-day Inca Trail is challenging, and too strenuous for some travellers. If you still want to experience the wonder of arriving at the Sun Gate to see Machu Picchu, a good alternative is the two-day mini Inca Trail. The first part is a steady climb of three hours to Wiñay Wayna, then it's a further three hours through cloud forest to a short, narrow flight of steps to the Sun Gate.

Note that due to high demand and restricted numbers, the classic Inca Trail should be booked at least six months in advance. However, there are alternative trails which offer different experiences. The five-day Salkantay Trail offers stunning mountain scenery but fewer ruins than the classic trail. It's a tougher trek but has the option to stay in mountain lodges instead of camping. The trek crosses high-altitude, chilly pampa grasslands indented with icy lagoons before plunging through steamy cloud-forest and plantations to the Santa Teresa river, then it's a short train ride to Machu Picchu.

Activity Rating: challenging