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Inca Trail Permits: How They Work and How to Get One
How Inca Trail permits work — who can book them, the strict daily cap, release timing, passport rules, the February closure, and what to do when your dates are sold out.
Inca Trail Packing List
Exactly what to bring for the classic four-day Inca Trail — the layering system, rain gear, the sleeping setup, your daypack contents, medication and toiletries, and how the porter duffel weight limit shapes everything.
The Classic 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The four-day Inca Trail — the only trek that walks you into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. Permits, camps, Dead Woman's Pass, altitude, porters and what each day actually feels like.
The Short 2-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The 1–2 day Inca Trail — the trail's grand finale past Wiñay Wayna and through the Sun Gate, without the high passes or camping. Permits, fitness, train logistics and the circuit caveats to know.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: A Complete Guide
Walking the original Inca road to the citadel — the four-day classic and the short version, the permit, what each day holds, porters and ethics, the camps and ruins, and arriving through the Sun Gate at dawn.
Inca Trail vs Salkantay: Which Trek to Machu Picchu?
A clear head-to-head between the two classic treks to Machu Picchu — permits and availability, scenery, altitude, cost, comfort and archaeology — to help you pick the right one.
Choosing a Licensed Inca Trail Operator
The classic Inca Trail can only be booked through a licensed operator — so the operator is your most important choice. How to vet permits, porter welfare, cancellation terms, and spot a too-good-to-be-true offer.
Inca Trail & Treks to Machu Picchu
Walking in instead of riding the rails — the classic Inca Trail and its permit, the Salkantay, the Lares, and how to choose between them.
The Inca Trail February Closure Explained
What closes on the Inca Trail in February, what stays open, and how rainy-season maintenance shapes trek planning — plus the permit-free alternatives that still run.
Porter Ethics on the Inca Trail
The people who carry your trek up the mountain — how to choose an operator that pays, feeds, equips and protects its porters, what the load and welfare rules say, and how to tip without insulting anyone.
Dead Woman's Pass: The Inca Trail's Hardest Day
Warmihuañusca — the 4,215 m high point of the classic Inca Trail and the day everyone fears. The altitude, the effort, the pacing, the weather and the mental game of the trek's toughest climb.
The Sun Gate (Intipunku): Views & the Inca Trail Arrival
Intipunku from the citadel side — the Inca Trail's grand finish, the out-and-back climb for ticket holders, seasonal access and the panoramic view back over the sanctuary.
Wiñay Wayna: The Inca Trail's Hidden Masterpiece
Wiñay Wayna — 'forever young' — the spectacular terraced ruin near the end of the Inca Trail, with its ritual fountains and cloud-forest setting. Why trekkers rank it above the citadel, and how it fits the classic and two-day routes.
Treks to Machu Picchu: The Routes Compared
Walk in instead of riding the rails. The classic Inca Trail and its short version, the Salkantay, the Lares, the Inca Jungle and far-flung Choquequirao — how they differ on permits, scenery, difficulty and how early you must book.
Circuit 3 Royalty guide
The lower 'Royalty' circuit that hugs the citadel's urban core — the gateway to Huayna Picchu, Huchuy Picchu and the Great Cavern, and the path most Inca Trail walkers finish on.
Machu Picchu in February
February at Machu Picchu — the wettest month, the annual Inca Trail closure, the highest disruption risk of the year, and the flexible, buffer-heavy planning that makes a green-season visit work.
Machu Picchu in March
March at Machu Picchu — the late rains easing, the Inca Trail reopening after its February closure, terraces at their greenest, and the shoulder-season value that makes this an underrated month to visit.
Route 3B Royalty guide
The 'royalty' design route inside Circuit 3 — the lower residential quarter, the water channels and the Temple of the Sun, and how Inca Trail walkers connect to it.
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
The Salkantay — the most popular permit-free alternative to the Inca Trail. Its route under a glaciered peak, the Humantay Lake detour, altitude and season, lodges versus camping, and how it differs from the classic trail.
Hiking Gear for Machu Picchu and the Treks
What to actually pack for the Inca Trail, Salkantay, rainy-season trekking, day hikes like Huayna Picchu, and the citadel circuits — the layering system, footwear, rain gear and daypack, without overpacking.
Intipunku, the Sun Gate: How to Reach It
The Sun Gate above the citadel — the Inca Trail's grand entrance and a stiff out-and-back for ticket holders. How to reach it, the seasonality, the views and the effort involved.
Machu Picchu by Month
A month-by-month map of Machu Picchu — weather, ticket demand, train and landslide risk, Inca Trail timing and what to book — so you can pick the month that fits the trip you want.
The Best Treks to Machu Picchu, Ranked
An honest ranking of the routes that walk into Machu Picchu — the classic and short Inca Trail, the Salkantay, the Lares, the Inca Jungle, Choquequirao and the rail-hike hybrids — and how to choose the one that fits you.
The Lares Trek to Machu Picchu
The quiet, cultural alternative to the Inca Trail — a permit-free walk through living Quechua weaving communities northeast of the Sacred Valley, with hot springs, high lagoon passes and a train finish into Machu Picchu.
Trekking to Machu Picchu: A Day-by-Day Itinerary
How to structure a trek to Machu Picchu — Cusco arrival, acclimatization days, the trail itself, the citadel entry at the end, and post-trek recovery — for the Inca Trail, Salkantay or Lares.