The Short Inca Trail: Km 104 to Machu Picchu in Two Days

Points and Elevations

The trailhead at Km 104 is a stop on the Cusco to Aguas Calientes railway line at about 2,200 metres. From there the path climbs through cloud forest to the ruins of Winay Wayna, then contours along the hillside to the Sun Gate before the final descent into Machu Picchu. Sources give the Sun Gate at 2,720 to 2,745 metres, and Machu Picchu itself sits at 2,430 metres (7,970 feet).

The whole walk takes about 6 to 7 hours.

The Walk Itself

You get off the train at Km 104 with your guide, who handles the permits. The path then climbs through cloud forest. The ruins of Winay Wayna, terraces cut into the hillside, are the cultural highlight and the traditional last camp of the classic trek.

From Winay Wayna the trail continues to the Sun Gate at about 2,720 to 2,745 metres. From there Machu Picchu appears below, nearly 300 metres down. The last stretch descends to the citadel.

Trekkers arriving on the Inca Trail network enter on Circuit 3-B, which covers the agricultural zone, the Temple of the Sun and the House of the Inca. You do not buy a separate Sun Gate ticket, because the trail already passes it.

• Total distance: about 12 km (7.5 miles)
• Walking time: about 6 to 7 hours
• Sun Gate: about 2,720 to 2,745 m
• Entry circuit at Machu Picchu: 3-B, for Inca Trail arrivals

Day One: Train, Trail and the Sun Gate

Many listings start with a train from Ollantaytambo, and some include hotel pickup. PeruRail services from Ollantaytambo take about 1 hour 30 minutes to the Machu Picchu area stations. The short-trail departures get off earlier, at Km 104, where the guide handles the checkpoint.

The 6 to 7 hour walk from Km 104 then runs with a stop at Chachabamba, the climb to Winay Wayna and the arrival at the Sun Gate. You look down at Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate, then descend to the citadel entrance and take the bus down to Aguas Calientes for the night. The Consettur bus from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu costs $12 one way and $24 round trip and takes about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remember that Machu Picchu sits nearly 1,000 metres lower than Cusco, so the trail itself is at moderate altitude, well below Cusco.

• Train from Ollantaytambo, about 1 hour 30 minutes
• Check-in at Km 104 with permit and passport
• 6 to 7 hours walking via Chachabamba and Winay Wayna
• Sun Gate arrival
• Bus down to Aguas Calientes and hotel check-in

Day Two: the Citadel and the Train Back

Day two is the guided visit of Machu Picchu. The first Consettur bus leaves Aguas Calientes around 5:30 a.m. and buses run every 10 minutes, so early entry is realistic. Machu Picchu opens at 6:00 a.m. and has ten daily entry windows from 6 to 7 a.m. through to 3 to 4 p.m.

All visitors must be with a guide, at most 10 people per guide, the general stay limit is about two hours (one operator lists 2 hours 30 minutes for a standard visit) and re-entry is not allowed. Sources do not say whether the limit applies to Inca Trail hikers on Circuit 3-B. Inca Trail hikers with the trekker ticket use Circuit 3-B, which covers the agricultural zone, the Temple of the Sun and the House of the Inca. Short-trail tours return by train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, and the one-day listing adds private transport on to Cusco.

The PeruRail ride takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, and classes range from Expedition to the Vistadome, which has ceiling windows and a live cultural performance on the return. For the details of trains and classes, see the trains back to Cusco section.

• First bus around 5:30 a.m., then every 10 minutes
• Circuit 3-B entry for Inca Trail arrivals
• Guide required, maximum 10 people per guide
• General limit of about two hours inside the citadel, no re-entry
• Train from Aguas Calientes, about 1 hour 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo

The Listings Side by Side

Five of the six are 2-day trips, and one of them does not state its hotel. The sixth is the one-day version, which skips the hotel. Prices are per person as listed.

Single travellers on the Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel pay a $50 single room supplement.

What the Prices do and do Not Cover

Most short-trail listings bundle the essentials. The Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel includes all entry fees for the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, a fully guided visit, first aid and oxygen, and all diets catered for. The Private Short Inca Trail adds door to door pickup, free luggage shipping to the hotel by train and a 2.5 hour private citadel tour, and permits free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The 2-Day Short Inca Trail Tour and the 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome both include entry tickets for the trail and the citadel. The exception is the Premium Express Inca Trail: its inclusions state the train ticket, hotel pickup and drop-off and a bilingual guide, but do not list a permit or a Machu Picchu ticket, and hotels, one dinner and one lunch cost extra. Read the inclusions before booking any of them.

• Cheapest listed: $585 per person, with a 4-star hotel night
• Most expensive listed: $1,032 per person, with several items excluded
• Only private 2-day options with free cancellation: the $756 listing
• Only no-hotel option: the one-day private trek at $596

Pick the Short Trail If

Operators rate the short Inca Trail as moderate and manageable, against moderate to challenging for the classic route. There is no high pass, against Dead Woman's Pass at about 4,215 metres (some sources give 4,200) on the classic route. The short trail suits time-conscious travellers, first-time hikers in Peru and anyone who prefers a hotel bed over a tent.

It still gives the original stone path, the history and the Sun Gate view. Budget runs from $585 per person for the cheapest listed 2-day trip, against $798 and up for the classic 4-day listings. For the full four-day experience, read the classic 4-day trek guide, which covers Dead Woman's Pass in its own route day by day section.

• Time: 2 days and 1 night against 4 days and 3 nights camping
• Effort: moderate, no high pass
• Sleep: hotel in Aguas Calientes, no tents
• Price from: $585 per person listed

Pick the Classic Trail If

The classic 4-day trek from Km 82 is the complete walk, about 42 to 45 kilometres depending on the source, over Dead Woman's Pass at about 4,215 metres and past Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca. It suits hikers who want the full route and the sense of covering the whole road. It costs more and means camping.

Neither trail can be walked without an authorised agency and guide. Both close in February. If you cannot decide between routes at all, the Inca Trail vs Salkantay comparison puts the main alternatives next to each other.

• Distance: about 42 to 45 km
• Highest point: Dead Woman's Pass at about 4,215 m (some sources give 4,200 m)
• Nights: 3 camping
• Permits: capped at 500 people per day, of whom about 200 are trekkers