Hike the classic four-day route from Km 82 to the Sun Gate with your own guide. Spend three nights glamping in the Andes, with hot showers and dinner prepared by your private chef.
Operated by Peru & U
At Llactapata, stone terraces curve around the hillside above the Urubamba River. On this private Inca Trail trek, you can pause with your guide to ask how the Incas farmed these slopes. Farther along, you cross Dead Woman’s Pass and follow stone steps into the cloud forest.
Your last camp is near Phuyupatamarca, where your chef prepares dinner. The next morning, you walk past Wiñay Wayna to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. From there, you look down on Machu Picchu before following the trail into the citadel.
From Km 82 to Machu Picchu, you’ll walk about 45 km (28 mi) and spend three nights glamping. Here’s where the trail takes you each day.
Cusco → Km 82 → Tarayoc → Wayllabamba
A private transfer brings you from Cusco to Km 82. Meet your guide and crew, then set out beside the Urubamba River. At Llactapata, stop to look across the hillside and pick out the curved lines of the Inca terraces.
After lunch at Tarayoc, the afternoon walk brings you to Wayllabamba. Your crew takes care of the tent and bedding. Set down your pack, enjoy a hot shower and sit down to your first dinner on the trail, prepared by your private chef.
Walk: 10 km / 6.2 mi
Overnight: Glamping at Wayllabamba
Meals: Lunch, dinner.
Wayllabamba → Dead Woman’s Pass → Pacaymayo
From Wayllabamba, climb through the Ayapata Gorge toward Llulluchapampa. This is the most demanding ascent of your private Inca Trail trek. Your guide can adjust the pace to your group, with time to catch your breath and look back down the valley.
At Warmiwañusca, better known as Dead Woman’s Pass, you reach the route’s highest point at 4,215 m (13,829 ft). Pause on the ridge before descending the stone steps into the Pacaymayo Valley. At camp, take off your boots and unwind with a massage before dinner.
Walk: 12 km / 7.5 mi
Overnight: Glamping at Pacaymayo
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Pacaymayo → Runkurakay → Sayacmarca → Phuyupatamarca
Climb out of Pacaymayo to the ruins of Runkurakay, then cross the pass of the same name. On the far side, the trail descends into cloud forest. At Sayacmarca, pause with your guide to see how the settlement fits onto a ridge above the valley.
Stop for lunch at Chaquicocha before following the stone path to Phuyupatamarca, the “Town Above the Clouds.” Your final camp is near the ruins. Share one last dinner on the trail before the early start for Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate.
Walk: 11 km / 6.8 mi
Overnight: Glamping near Phuyupatamarca
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Phuyupatamarca → Wiñay Wayna → Sun Gate → Machu Picchu
Leave camp early for Wiñay Wayna, where terraces drop away beside the trail. Beyond the ruins, a final climb takes you to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. After three nights in the mountains, you catch your first glimpse of Machu Picchu before following the trail down to the citadel.
Explore the citadel’s stonework with your private guide, then head down to Aguas Calientes for lunch. Board the Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo, where a private vehicle meets you for the return to Cusco.
Walk: 12 km / 7.5 mi
Overnight: None included. The tour ends in Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Walking distances are approximate.
Your first night is at Wayllabamba, your second in the Pacaymayo Valley and your last near Phuyupatamarca. Your crew sets up the tents at each stop, so you can take off your boots and settle in as soon as you arrive.
Stretch out on a comfortable bed with pillows and warm blankets. There’s space to keep your pack beside you and lay out the layers you’ll want for the next morning’s walk.
Each camp has private toilet facilities and hot showers. After the long descent from Dead Woman’s Pass, wash off the trail dust and change into dry clothes before dinner at Pacaymayo.
Take a seat in the dining tent with the people you’ve walked beside all day. Your private chef prepares balanced meals with fresh local ingredients. After dinner, linger over a cup of herbal tea before turning in.
Your trek includes 10 meals, from lunch at Tarayoc on day one to lunch in Aguas Calientes after your visit to Machu Picchu on day four.
Tell us about any food allergies or dietary preferences when you plan your trek. Our Cusco team will review them with your chef and confirm the menu options with you before departure.
If someone in your group has a birthday during the trek, let us know in advance. Your chef can prepare a cake to share, and everyone can gather around the camp table to sing “Happy Birthday.”
Your four-day trek includes the Inca Trail permit, entry to Machu Picchu and the return journey to Cusco. Optional mountain hikes and personal expenses are separate.
Your private Inca Trail trek covers about 45 km (28 mi) over four consecutive days. The toughest stretch comes on day two, when you climb to Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 m (13,829 ft) and descend the stone steps to Pacaymayo.
Choose a hill or staircase where you can practice both the climb and the descent. Gradually lengthen your walks, wearing your trail boots and carrying your daypack. Once longer outings feel comfortable, try walking two days in a row.
If you fly into Cusco from sea level, consider sleeping at a lower elevation for the first night or two, then ascending gradually. Even fit hikers can develop altitude illness. Keep activity light at first and discuss your route with a travel medicine clinician if you’ve had symptoms at altitude before.
Carry your passport, a refillable water bottle, sunscreen, a warm layer and a rain jacket in your daypack so they’re within reach on the trail. Use the duffel we provide for spare socks and a change of clothes for camp.
Prices are per person for the four-day trek to Machu Picchu. Each rate includes your Inca Trail permit, a private guide and three nights of glamping along the trail.
Rates are in US dollars.
Tell us when you’d like to hike and how many people are coming, even if your group size isn’t listed. Our Cusco team will check permit availability and prepare a quote for your dates.
If you book more than 45 days ahead, a 50% deposit confirms your trek. The deposit is non-refundable.
The balance is due 45 days before your trek starts. If you book within 45 days of departure, the full amount is due when you reserve.
Request changes or cancellations in writing. Once issued, your Inca Trail permit cannot be rescheduled, transferred or refunded. Review the cancellation terms in your quote before booking.
Peru & U operates your Private Inca Trail Trek from Cusco, Peru. Our team coordinates the permits, transport and camp arrangements for your four-day journey to Machu Picchu.
Share your travel dates, group size and preferences with our travel specialists. We check permit availability, prepare your proposal and help you understand what to expect before you arrive.
Your private guide accompanies you along the Inca Trail. Your chef, porters and camp crew prepare meals and set up camp, so you can settle in after each day’s walk.
Practical answers to help you plan your four-day journey to Machu Picchu, from trail conditions and glamping to permits and optional hikes.
Share your preferred travel dates, group size and any special requests. Our Cusco team will check Inca Trail permit availability and prepare a personalized quote for your four-day journey to Machu Picchu.
If you are planning a longer trip in Peru, tell us how the trek fits into your itinerary.
Excelente servicio súper atentos y amables en especialmente nuestro chofer Ronald quien nos orientó y nos guió en nuestro viaje a Machupucchu
Thanks to this local agency, which I luckily found through a Google search, I was able to visit Peru for the first time in a very well-organized way. All the guides were great attentive and friendly and the hotels were great too, not to mention the incredible places we visited. A special mention to Javier, who helped me with the booking; Ronald, our amazing local host; guide Felipe for a very interesting private tour of Lima; and Richard for a spectacular, one-of-a-kind private tour of Machu Picchu.
