2 Day Inca Trail with the Vistadome Train

Included

The entrance ticket to the Inca Trail and the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu are both in the price, as are the guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, all trains, the bus in Aguas Calientes and the hotel night. Food covers day 1 only: a picnic breakfast and lunch prepared by the trekking chef and dinner at a local restaurant. Lunch on day 2 is not included.

Safety equipment on the trail is a satellite phone, a first-aid kit and an oxygen tank. A safety briefing runs the day before the trek and free luggage storage is offered.

• Inca Trail entrance ticket and Machu Picchu entrance ticket
• Hotel pickup from Cusco, Urubamba or Ollantaytambo and drop-off at about 7:30 PM
• Expedition or Voyager train to Km 104, Vistadome panoramic train back from Aguas Calientes
• 1 night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, shared twin room
• Day 1 picnic breakfast, picnic lunch by the trekking chef, dinner at a local restaurant
• Satellite phone, first-aid kit and oxygen tank, free luggage storage

Not Included and Paid Separately

Lunch on day 2 is on you, so plan cash or a card for Aguas Calientes before the train back. Trekking poles can be rented rather than bought in advance, and the listing does not state a rental price. Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Montana tickets are excluded and must be booked in advance, with availability described as very limited.

Travel insurance is also excluded. There are no stated mandatory extras beyond these, and the record lists no single supplement figure for solo travelers on this listing.

The Non-refundable Point

This listing cannot be refunded. Inca Trail permits are issued to one person on one passport and are non-transferable and non-refundable, which is why the operator sells the whole package as final. Fix it by being certain of dates and names before paying, and by buying travel insurance, which the listing itself excludes from the price.

Day 1, Cusco to the Sun Gate

The day starts with hotel pickup from Cusco, Urubamba or Ollantaytambo. The drive from Cusco to Ollantaytambo is about 61 kilometres and takes roughly 1 hour 40 minutes. From Ollantaytambo the group takes an Expedition or Voyager train to the Chachabamba stop at Km 104, which sits at about 2,200 metres.

The trail from Km 104 to the Sun Gate runs about 12 kilometres and usually takes 6 to 7 hours of walking. It passes Chachabamba, then Wiñaywayna, then climbs to the Sun Gate, where Machu Picchu is entered in the late afternoon. A trekking chef prepares a picnic breakfast and lunch along the way, and dinner is at a local restaurant in Aguas Calientes, followed by the night in the 3-star hotel.

Day 2, Machu Picchu and the Way Back

The Consettur bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu takes about 25 to 30 minutes and is included in the price. Day 2 is a guided tour of the citadel with the professional guide, and the entrance ticket is in the price. Lunch is not included.

After the visit the group returns by bus to Aguas Calientes and takes the panoramic Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo, a trip of about 1 hour 30 minutes on the Ollantaytambo route. A van then completes the transfer to your accommodation in Cusco at about 7:30 PM.

Health and Fitness

The listing says the trek is not suitable for pregnant women or people with back, heart or mobility problems. The walk is about 12 kilometres over 6 to 7 hours on day 1, and the Km 104 route starts at about 2,200 metres and climbs to the Sun Gate. Cusco itself sits at about 3,400 metres, so altitude sickness is possible before the trek even starts.

If the climb or the altitude worries you, the short Inca Trail guide sets out the route in more detail.

Service Level and Money Back

The group runs up to 16 and the hotel room is a shared twin, so this is not a private or boutique product. The booking is non-refundable with no cancellation window at all. The record states no single supplement for solo travelers on this listing.

Travelers who want free cancellation up to 24 hours before, private service and luggage shipped to the hotel should look at the Private Short Inca Trail instead. Travelers who want a 4-star hotel night should compare the Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel at $585. Those with one more day and a taste for the full classic route should read about the 4-Day Inca Trail with Panoramic Train from the same operator.

Practical Limits

Passport details are required at booking and the permit cannot be transferred, so name changes are not a fix. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance and reopens on 1 March, and the trail cannot be hiked independently at any time of year. Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Montana add-ons are excluded and sell out, so book them early if you want them.

Acclimatise in Cusco

Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres and altitude sickness can appear from about 2,500 metres, with headache, nausea, fatigue and poor sleep as the common signs. Sleeping altitude should rise by no more than about 500 metres a day above 3,000 metres. Arriving a couple of nights early in Cusco gives your body time before the day 1 climb.

The best time to hike the Inca Trail guide covers seasons as well.

Permits, Passport and Timing

The listing requires passport details at booking because Inca Trail permits are personal, non-transferable and non-refundable. The trail closes each February and reopens on 1 March, and operators report March permits selling out quickly. Book as far ahead as you can, and treat the date as fixed because the ticket is non-refundable.

The Inca Trail permits guide explains the release calendar.

Machu Picchu, Trains and Luggage

The listing does not name which Machu Picchu circuit its ticket covers, so ask the operator at booking if the circuit matters to you. Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Montana tickets are excluded and must be booked in advance, with very limited availability. On the train side, PeruRail allows one backpack up to 8 kg or one carry-on up to 12 kg on Machu Picchu routes, with free luggage storage at the station.

This listing adds its own free luggage storage and a safety briefing the day before, which helps with the 3-star hotel night and the Vistadome return. An extra night in Aguas Calientes after the trek is possible if you want a second day at the citadel, at your own cost.