Our top pick595 reviews
4 daysMachu Picchu: 4-Day Inca Trail Hike & Panoramic Train
★ 4.9 · 595 reviews
- Four days, Starts at the Km 82 trailhead
- Three nights in trail campsites
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$840
Check availability→ Which one to pick
Best Machu Picchu tour: choose by days, budget and train
The best Machu Picchu tour is the one that fits your days, your budget and your legs. Below, the nine tours on this site are sorted by those three and by the train, with a straight verdict. Hikes start from $585 per person. The three day tours by train cost $308 to $349.
Quick answer
The short answer. With four days, our pick for the best Machu Picchu tour is the $840 classic trail from Km 82: three nights in campsites, 4.9 from 595 reviews, the panoramic train back. With two days, the $585 overnight hike, 4.9 from 227 reviews. With one day, the $349 group day from Cusco, 2,334 reviews at 4.7. With the Sacred Valley too, the $370 two-day trip.
Best Machu Picchu tour at a glance
- Tours compared
- 95 hikes, 3 day tours, 1 valley trip
- Hikes
- From $585per person, 2-day overnight
- Day tours by train
- $308 to $349per person, 12 to 15 hours
- Our top pick
- $8404 days, 595 reviews at 4.9
- Most reviews on one tour
- 2,334the group day from Cusco, 4.7
- Guided visit inside
- All nineabout 2 to 3 hours where a listing says
- Refunds
- Non-refundable on 7 of 9free cancellation on the $679 and $1,290 hikes
How to choose
Four questions that settle the best Machu Picchu tour
Answer these and the best Machu Picchu tour for you is usually obvious.
There is no single best tour for Machu Picchu, only the one that fits your trip. Four questions find it: days, budget, climbing and train.
Days. One day means road and rail from Cusco and back, 12 to 15 hours by the listings' own figures. Two days means the short Inca Trail with a hotel night, or the Sacred Valley first and the citadel next morning. Four days means the full walk with nights in camp.
All nine include a guided visit inside the citadel, so the price difference buys days on foot, nights and meals.
By days
One, two or four days: the pick for each
The best Machu Picchu tour for one day is not the best for four. Here is the pick for each length.
- One day: the group day from Cusco, $349
2,334 reviews at 4.7, the most on this site. Pickup in central Cusco at 4, 6 or 8 AM, train from Ollantaytambo, about two hours with a guide inside.
- Two days on foot: the overnight hike, $585
The lowest hike price, 4.9 from 227 reviews. Rainforest, Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, a hotel bed, then one of the first buses up. Guiding in English only.
- Two days, no hiking: the Sacred Valley trip, $370
Pisac and Ollantaytambo, the train, and a guided visit next morning. 345 reviews at 4.6.
- Four days: our top pick, $840
Km 82, two passes on day two, three campsite nights, the Sun Gate before dawn. 595 reviews at 4.9, the most of any hike here.
- Four days on another route: $1,290
Soqma, Kuychicassa Pass at 4,450 m, an Inca quarry, then the trail from Km 104 on day three. One review so far, rated 5.0.
Every trip, current fare
All nine tours, priced side by side
Usual fares for every candidate for the best Machu Picchu tour. What a listing does not name, assume is extra.
| Tour | Price per person | Length | What the price covers | Pickup | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our top pick: classic 4-day trail | $840 | 4 days | Hotel pickup, three campsite nights, meals, guided visit, panoramic train back | Hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley | 4.9 · 595 reviews |
| Alternative 4-day route | $1,290 | 4 days | Two camp nights, a hotel night, 3-hour guided visit | Hotel in Cusco, 5:00 AM | 5.0 · 1 review |
| 2-day hike, panoramic train | $679 | 2 days | Train to Km 104, 3-star hotel, guided visit, Vistadome train back | Hotel in Cusco, 4:00 AM | 4.9 · 9 reviews |
| 2-day hike, Vistadome train | $630 | 2 days | Picnic breakfast and lunch on the trail, guided visit, Vistadome train back | Included, time not stated | 4.8 · 333 reviews |
| 2-day overnight hike | $585 | 2 days | Hotel bed, 2-hour guided walk inside, train back to Ollantaytambo | Included, time not stated | 4.9 · 227 reviews |
| Sacred Valley and the citadel | $370 | 2 days | Pisac and Ollantaytambo, the train, guided visit on day two | Hotel pickup | 4.6 · 345 reviews |
| Group day from Cusco | $349 | 12 hours | Train via Ollantaytambo, about 2 hours guided. Lunch at own expense | Historic centre of Cusco, 4, 6 or 8 AM | 4.7 · 2,334 reviews |
| Day by train, 4 AM start | $320 | 12 hours | Expedition or Voyager train, about 2 hours guided. Lunch extra | Hotel in Cusco, 4:00 AM | 4.7 · 209 reviews |
| Day tour, lunch as an option | $308 | 15 hours | Tourist or Superior train, 2.5 hours inside; entry and lunch by option | Cusco, between 4 and 8 AM | 4.6 · 984 reviews |
Budget
What your money buys at each price
Day tours by train, two-day hikes, four days in camp.
The day tours are the lowest prices here: $308, $320 and $349. Each programme covers road and rail, the bus ride up and two to two and a half hours with a guide. Lunch is at your own expense on two, an option on the third.
Hikes start from $585 for the two-day overnight. The $630 two-day adds a picnic breakfast and lunch on the trail; the $679 two-day names a 3-star hotel. Our top pick at $840 buys four days, three campsite nights and fresh meals, with vegetarian and vegan options. If money is the limit, the best Machu Picchu tour that still puts you on the trail is the $585 overnight. Geoffrey from the United Kingdom, on the Sacred Valley trip: «It looks like a lot of money, but you can see where it goes.» More in what each price covers.
On the way
Camp, stone steps, the valley and the train
Where you sleep, what you walk, what you see and how you ride home.
Nights in camp
Five green dome tents under trees, with trekking poles, boots and blue bowls in front.
Stone steps
Rough grey steps climb between dry-stone walls, grass and ferns in the cracks.
The carriage roof
Glass panels in a wood-lined carriage roof frame blue sky and rocky peaks.
The valley
Curved green terraces climb a hillside above a town on the valley floor.
Fitness
How much climbing you want to do
Four days of passes, one hard day, or no hiking at all.
One listing sets a fitness level: our top pick asks for «at least a moderate level of physical fitness» and calls day two, over Dead Woman's and Runkuraqay Pass, «the most challenging part of the trail». The alternative route climbs to Kuychicassa Pass at 4,450 m. Srijal from Canada, on our top pick: «Challenging but so worth it.»
The two-day hikes start lower: one listing puts Km 104 at 2,200 m and the Sun Gate at 2,720 m. Shorter does not mean light. Andrew from the United Kingdom, on the $630 two-day, warns that «the short Inca trek is quite challenging in parts and day 1 is not an easy stroll».
With four days and moderate fitness, the classic trail is the best way to hike Machu Picchu on this site: the climbing is spread over four days, with campsite nights between the passes. With less time, the best Machu Picchu tour for your legs is a two-day hike. Details: how hard each hike is.
The train
Which train each tour rides
Classes as each listing names them; where it names none, neither do we. More in the train guide.
- Vistadome back to Ollantaytambo: three hikes
Our top pick, the $630 two-day and the $679 two-day take the Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo, then road to Cusco.
- Expedition or Voyager: the $320 day
Pickup at 4:00 AM, a train from Ollantaytambo at 6:10 AM and about two hours on board.
- Tourist or Superior class: the $308 day
About 110 minutes on the train.
- Class not named
The $349 group day, the $585 overnight, the $370 valley trip and the $1,290 route.
- Staying in the Sacred Valley
No listing here is sold as an Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu tour, but our top pick also collects from Sacred Valley hotels.
Our verdict
Our verdict, category by category
The best Machu Picchu tour in each category, with the guide to read next.
- Best overall: our top pick, $840
4.9 from 595 reviews: weighing rating and reviews together, the best Machu Picchu trek on this site. Read the 4-day guide.
- Best on two days: the overnight hike, $585
4.9 from 227 reviews. For picnic meals on the trail, the $630 two-day, 4.8 from 333 reviews. See the 2-day guide.
- Best in one day: the group day, $349
The best tour to Machu Picchu and back in one day from Cusco, by review count: 2,334 reviews at 4.7. See the one-day guide.
- Best with the valley: the two-day trip, $370
4.6 from 345 reviews. See the Sacred Valley guide.
- If you need a refund option: the $679 two-day
Free cancellation, as on the $1,290 route. 4.9 from 9 reviews.
Book direct
Book the best Machu Picchu tour for your trip
Our top pick, the lowest hike price, the one-day pick and the valley trip.
Rated 4.9227 reviews
2 daysMachu Picchu: Inca Trail 2-Day Overnight Guided Tour
★ 4.9 · 227 reviews
- Two days, Hotel night before Machu Picchu
- Wiñay Wayna and Sun Gate
- 2-hour guided walk in citadel
- Free cancellation
$585
Check availability→ 
Bestseller2,334 reviews
12 hFrom Cusco: Full-Day Group Tour of Machu Picchu
★ 4.7 · 2,334 reviews
- Twelve hours, Pickup in Cusco historic center
- Guided visit of about 2 hours
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$349$29.08 / hour
Check availability→ 
2 days345 reviews
2 daysFrom Cusco: 2-Day Trip to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
★ 4.6 · 345 reviews
- Two days, Pisac and Ollantaytambo stops
- Guided tour of Machu Picchu
- Limited to 15 participants
- Free cancellation
$370
Check availability→ Before you book
Three things to check before you pay
Before you book the best Machu Picchu tour for you, read these lines on the listing.
- Refund terms
Seven of the nine listings are non-refundable, our top pick and the $585 hike among them. The $679 two-day and the $1,290 route offer free cancellation.
- How far ahead
The $585 overnight asks you to book two weeks before the tour date. The $1,290 route asks you to contact the operator first, as permits are very limited.
- February
One listing, the $679 two-day, says the Inca Trail closes in February for maintenance. The others do not mention it.
Common questions
Best Machu Picchu tour: common questions
Is the 2-day or 4-day Inca Trail better?
It depends on your days. The 4-day classic starts at Km 82, camps three nights and crosses Dead Woman's Pass; our top pick costs $840. The 2-day starts at Km 104, passes Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate and sleeps in a hotel, for $585 to $679.
How hard is the Inca Trail?
Our top pick asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness and names day two, over Dead Woman's and Runkuraqay Pass, as the most challenging part. Martin from the United Kingdom: «The first day is hard to start but worth it when you reach Machu Picchu».
Is food included on the Inca Trail?
On our top pick, yes: fresh meals from breakfast in Ollantaytambo to a farewell dinner. The $630 two-day serves a picnic breakfast and lunch on the trail. The $585 overnight listing says nothing about meals.
Does the price include the Machu Picchu entrance ticket?
It depends on the tour. On the $349 and $320 days and the valley trip, the operator books it with your details; on the $308 day, entry comes with some options. Three hike listings, our top pick among them, name a guided visit but not the ticket.
Can I cancel and get a refund?
On most tours here, no. Seven of the nine are non-refundable, including our top pick and the $585 hike. The $679 two-day and the $1,290 alternative route offer free cancellation.
Do I need my passport for Machu Picchu?
Yes. Four listings, our top pick among them, ask for passport details when you book; the $349 day and the $679 two-day ask you to carry it.
Go deeper
More guides to Machu Picchu
Four days
Four days
The full trail with three nights in camp.
Two daysTwo days
The short trail: one walking day, one night, the citadel next morning.
In one dayIn one day
Train there, guided visit, train back: what a single long day looks like.
By trainBy train
Which tours ride which train, and what the carriages are like.
What it costsWhat it costs
What each price includes — permit, train, entry, meals, nights — and what it leaves out.
