Short Inca Trail: 2-Day Trek Through the Andes to Machu Picchu in 2025 & 2026
Description
Our 2 day Inca Trail through the Andes Machu Picchu begins early in the morning. Our guide will pick you up, and our driver will take you by tourist transportation to the train station at Ollantaytambo, where we will board a train to the starting point of the short Inca Trail, called Chachabamba or km 104. There, the ranger will check your passport and compare your information with your Inca Trail permits. Once finished, we will begin hiking through the lush vegetation of a cloud forest while being greeted by the songs of local exotic birds. Along the Inca Trail, we can see various wild orchids and bromeliads. We will have a guided tour of the Chachabamba ruins. Then, we will continue the 2-day Inca Trail until the next stop, where we will have lunch. Next, we will have a guided tour of Wiñay Wayna, an Inca complex neighboring Machu Picchu. This archaeological site, whose name means "Eternal Youth," boasts a stunning view down the Urubamba River.
The 2 day Inca Trail is known for the short hike to Machu Picchu thought the Andes Machu Picchu. After visiting the Inca ruins, we will continue to ascend the Inca stairs until reaching the high point, then descend to Inti Punku (the Sun’s Gate), where you can view the amazing Inca citadel. From there, we will keep descending until we reach Machu Picchu. You will go to the Guardian House, where you can take the best pictures, then we will continue descending to reach your hotel in Aguas Calientes. The next day, we will catch the bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour in circuit 3 of Machu Picchu. After the tour, we will return by tourist bus to the town and take the train back to Ollantaytambo, followed by a bus ride to Cusco.
What to Expect
Sustainable Tourism: At Tierras Vivas, we are happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by reforestation native plant in the Andes and supporting local communities.
Short Inca Trail Operator: Tierras Vivas Travel
Service Level: Comfortable, tourist-class accommodation, tourist-class train, and private transport.
Trek's Difficulty: 2 - moderate; a low-altitude hike, accessible to healthy travelers.
Age Requirement: 4+. Please note: all participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets & Permits: It is included the Inca Trail permits and Machu Picchu ticket in your hike.
Staff: A professional Tour Guide and a Tierras Vivas representative in Cusco.
Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x lunch, 1x dinner, 1x bag of snacks.
Transportation: Van, 2x train.
Accommodation: Hotel, 1 night. During the 2-day Inca Trail tour, you will spend a night in a comfortable hotel with a private bathroom (see the Essential Info bookmark).
Quick Itinerary:
Day 01: Cusco - Ollantaytambo - Km 104 - Aguas Calientes town
Day 02: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Highlights of the Short Inca Trail:
- A hike passing through the cloud forest around the Lost City of the Incas.
- Enjoyment of the surrounding landscapes, flora, and fauna.
- Trekking the Inca Trail for 2 days only.
- Explanations of a professional Tour Guide.
- Visit of Wiñay Wayna Inca site.
- Walking through the Sun Gate.
- Exploration of the mystical Machu Picchu.
Itineray Details
Day 01: Cusco - Inca Trail - Aguas Calientes
The Machu Picchu 2 day hike begins in Cusco or the Sacred Valley. We recommend you check the Starting point & Pick-up details below. According your hotel ubication, our guide will provide the exclatly hour to pick you up.
Early in the morning, we pick you up from your hotel or Airbnb and transfer you during a 2-hour ride to the Ollantaytambo train station. There, we board the train to Km 104, our starting point. Our guide will provide recommendations about the trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu.
Before starting the hike, it is very important to present your original passport at the control point. The ranger will compare your passport with your Inca Trail permits. This process takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes. Once completed, we begin the Machu Picchu hike.
We cross the Vilcanota River via a wood and metal bridge. The first archaeological site we visit is Chachabamba, where you will receive a guided tour. Then, we continue through a mixture of vegetation and cloud forest. On the way, we can enjoy a refreshing dip in a waterfall. During the short Inca Trail, we will appreciate bromeliads and orchids, and listen to the songs of local birds. We arrive at the campsite of Wiñay, where we have lunch and rest before continuing to another significant Incan site - Wiñay Wayna. It is considered the sister site of Machu Picchu, and you will have a guided tour of this important Incan enclosure.
Later on, we walk up the Inca rock stairs to the control point. During the ascent, you may use your hands for support. At the ranger control, we again present your documents before continuing our hike to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) to admire the sunset over Machu Picchu and the surrounding landscapes.
After enjoying the amazing view, we descend to the Machu Picchu citadel, where we will go to the Guardian's House. From there, you can take the best post pictures of the Inca citadel. However, it will be too late to have a guided tour of the Incan city today, so we will descend slowly to Aguas Calientes Town, enjoying the beautiful scenery on the way. We spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Aguas Calientes
Places to Visit in this day on the Inca Trail
- Chachabamba
- Wiñaywayna
- Intipata
- Intipunko (Sungate)