Machu Picchu 4 day hike: Km 82, three camps and the Sun Gate

Search for a 4 day hike to Machu Picchu and you get two very different trips here. Our top pick is the classic Machu Picchu 4 day hike: it leaves the road at Km 82, follows the Inca Trail over Dead Woman’s Pass and Runkuraqay Pass, and reaches the citadel through the Sun Gate on the fourth morning. The way back is the panoramic Vistadome train.

The second listing calls itself an alternative Inca Trail route. Its first two days run from Soqma over Kuychicassa Pass to an Inca quarry above Ollantaytambo; only on day three does it join the trail, at Km 104, the same start as the two-day hikes. It costs more, sleeps one night in a hotel and has a single review.

If you want the walk most people mean by a Machu Picchu 4 day hike, with Km 82, both passes and three camps, it is the top pick.

On a 4 day trek to Machu Picchu, the nights shape the trip as much as the passes. Our top pick camps three times: at Ayapata, at Chaquicocha, and on the third night back at camp near Wiñaywayna. The listing describes tents with dining and toilet setups. It does not mention sleeping bags or mats, so ask before you pack.

Meals named in the itinerary: breakfast in Ollantaytambo on the first morning, hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners on the trail, and a farewell dinner on day three. Vegetarian, vegan and no-gluten options are available. Ketan from the United Kingdom: «There was plenty of choice for vegetarians too.» Anna from Germany adds a useful warning: «One tip: the campsite toilets are very basic, so be prepared.»

The top pick’s listing does not mention porters, and says nothing about how much of your gear anyone carries. Reviewers mention them a lot. Rhian from the United Kingdom: «The 2nd day is very hard! The porters do an amazing job.» Azzurra from Italy: «The job of the porters is impressing.» Read that as other walkers’ experience, not as a line in the price, and ask about bag weight before you go.

The listing asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness. It gives no distance for the trail and no height for Dead Woman’s Pass, so we do not either. Srijal from Canada summed it up: «Challenging but so worth it.»

The $1,290 listing is a Machu Picchu 4 day tour with two visits to the citadel. Day one: a 5:00 AM pickup, 1 hour 45 minutes by road to Soqma at 3,205 m, a 1.5-hour ascent to Perolniyoc Waterfall, the pre-Inca site of Rayan, then a challenging 3-hour climb to Kuychicassa Pass at 4,450 m and a night in camp.

Day two passes an Inca stone quarry at Choquetacarpo, 3,600 m, that was used to build Ollantaytambo, and camps near Ollantaytambo at 2,940 m. Day three takes the train to Km 104, visits Chachabamba and climbs for three hours to Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, with a hotel night in Aguas Calientes. Day four starts with an optional 5:00 AM bus and a 3-hour guided visit, then the train back.

The alternative route’s listing says the Inca Trail is included in the programme and that permits are very limited, and asks you to contact the operator before booking. The alternative route offers free cancellation and reserve now, pay later. It has one review, from Mike in Peru: «They food, equitment, transportation was fantastic.»

Book the top pick at $840 for the classic Machu Picchu 4 day hike: Km 82, both passes, three camps and the Sun Gate, with 595 reviews at 4.9. Choose the $1,290 route only if you want the remote first days and a refundable booking, knowing it has one review. Short on days? The two-day Inca Trail starts at $585.

For most walkers the Machu Picchu 4 day hike means the top pick: the classic route from Km 82, three camps and the Sun Gate on the last morning, at $840 per person. If four days are too many, the two-day Inca Trail keeps the Sun Gate and costs less.