The Classic Inca Trail

Why this trek matters

The Classic Inca Trail is the only route to Machu Picchu where the path itself is also the destination. Forty-three kilometres of original Inca stone, laid six hundred years ago to carry the empire's pilgrims to its sanctuary, end at the Sun Gate at dawn — and the citadel reveals itself the way it was meant to be seen, from above, framed by the very mountains the Incas worshipped. We send guests here when the journey to Machu Picchu has to feel earned rather than arrived at.

What you'll feel on the trail

The first day eases you into the Sacred Valley; the second tests you with Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 metres; the third drops you into cloud forest, hummingbirds, orchids and ruined Inca outposts that no day visitor will ever see. By the fourth dawn, your legs and the stone have agreed on a rhythm — and the silence at the Sun Gate, with the citadel below in first light, is a moment most travellers describe rather than photograph. Permits are limited by the government to five hundred per day; we book yours nine to twelve months ahead.

• 43 km over four days, on original Inca stone for most of the route
• Maximum altitude 4,215 m at Warmiwañusqa (Dead Woman's Pass)
• The sole route arriving at Machu Picchu through Inti Punku, the Sun Gate
• Permits capped at 500 daily — we recommend booking 9 to 12 months ahead