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→ Every way in
Machu Picchu tour: all nine options, side by side
Every Machu Picchu tour on this site in one place: five Inca Trail hikes, three long days by train from Cusco, and two days that add the Sacred Valley. What each one costs, how long it takes and what the price covers, so you can book the right day.
Quick answer
The short answer. If you want one Machu Picchu tour to book, make it our top pick: the $840 four-day Inca Trail from Km 82, with three nights in trail camps, the Sun Gate on the last morning and a panoramic train back. With 595 reviews at 4.9, it is the most-reviewed hike on this site. Two days on foot cost from $585 per person, with a hotel night in Aguas Calientes. A single long day by train from Cusco costs $308 to $349 per person.
Machu Picchu tour options at a glance
- Listings on this site
- 9five hikes, three days by train, one two-day trip
- Hikes
- From $585per person, two days with a hotel night
- Days by train
- $308 to $34912 to 15 hours from Cusco
- Our top pick
- $840four days from Km 82, 595 reviews at 4.9
- Pickup
- In Cuscoon all nine listings
- Guide languages
- English and Spanishon eight of nine
- Reviews
- 5,037across all nine listings
- Cancellation
- Non-refundable on 7 of 9free cancellation on the $679 and $1,290 hikes
Three kinds of trip
Three ways to reach the citadel
Walk in, ride in for a day, or add the valley. Pick the kind first.
Every Machu Picchu tour on this site is one of three things, and all nine end with a tour of Machu Picchu with a guide. A hike: five listings put you on the Inca Trail itself, for two days from Km 104 with a hotel night, or four days with nights in camp, and you walk in through the Sun Gate.
A long day by train: a Machu Picchu 1 day tour collects you in Cusco between 4:00 and 8:00, rides the train and gives you two to two and a half hours inside with a guide, in 12 to 15 hours. Two days with the valley: Pisac and Ollantaytambo first, the citadel early next morning, for anyone who wants more than the ruins without walking the trail.
On foot
The five hikes, from two days to four
Each Machu Picchu trekking tour here walks in through the Sun Gate. They differ in start point, nights and the way back.
- Four days from Km 82, $840, our top pick
Hotel pickup in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, then the trail from Km 82. Day two crosses Dead Woman’s Pass and Runkuraqay Pass. Three nights in camp, the Sun Gate on the last morning, and the panoramic Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo. 595 reviews at 4.9.
- Two days with a hotel night, $585
Through the rainforest past Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, a hotel bed, one of the first buses up, and a two-hour Machu Picchu walking tour. Guides in English only. 227 reviews at 4.9.
- Two days with picnic meals, $630
Chachabamba, Wiñaywayna and the Sun Gate, with a picnic breakfast and lunch on the trail. A guided visit on day two, then the Vistadome train and a bus back to Cusco. 333 reviews at 4.8.
- Two days from Km 104, $679
Pickup at 4:00 AM, a 1.5-hour train to Km 104, cloud forest to Inti Punku, and a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes. Rated 4.9 from 9 reviews. At $679, one of two listings here with free cancellation.
- Four days on an alternative route, $1,290
Not the classic route: Soqma, Kuychicassa Pass at 4,450 m and an Inca quarry, then the Inca Trail from Km 104 on day three, with two visits to Machu Picchu. Rated 5.0 from one review. Like the $679 hike, it offers free cancellation.
By train and through the valley
Three long days by train, and two days with the valley
Each Machu Picchu full day tour here starts with a pickup in Cusco. Lunch is at your own expense on two of them and an option on the third.
- Group day from the historic centre, $349
The Machu Picchu group tour with the most reviews on this site: 2,334 at 4.7. Pickup at 4:00, 6:00 or 8:00 AM, matched to your train, then bus, train and about two hours inside with a guide.
- Choice of train class, $308
A Tourist or Superior class train and the longest visit of the three, 2.5 hours with a guide. Lunch is an option; entry depends on the option you select. 984 reviews at 4.6.
- Hotel pickup at 4:00 AM, $320
The 6:10 AM Expedition or Voyager train from Ollantaytambo, staff waiting at the station, and about two hours with a guide. Dates cannot be changed. 209 reviews at 4.7.
- Two days with the Sacred Valley, $370
Pisac and Ollantaytambo on day one, then the train; Machu Picchu with a guide early on day two. Up to 15 people, with guides in English and Spanish if you were looking for a tour Valle Sagrado y Machu Picchu. 345 reviews at 4.6.
Along the way
Camps, trains and terraces
Three scenes from a Machu Picchu tour on foot or by rail.
A trail camp
Five turquoise dome tents stand in a row on bare ground under tall trees, with blue bowls and walking poles laid out in front.
On the rails
A long blue train curves along a steep green slope, high above a fast white river with boulders at the water’s edge.
Terraces in the valley
Curved green terraces climb a hillside above a valley floor dotted with houses, under a heavy grey sky.
Every tour, current fare
Every Machu Picchu tour, priced side by side
Prices are per person. The middle column lists only what each listing states.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two days, hotel night | $585 | per person | 2 days | Hotel bed; two-hour guided walk; train and car back to Cusco | Pickup in Cusco | 4.9 · 227 |
| Two days, picnic meals | $630 | per person | 2 days | Picnic meals on the trail; guided visit; Vistadome train back | Pickup in Cusco | 4.8 · 333 |
| Two days from Km 104 | $679 | per person | 2 days | Train to Km 104; 3-star hotel; guided visit; Vistadome train back | Hotel in Cusco, 4:00 AM | 4.9 · 9 |
| Four days, our top pick | $840 | per person | 4 days | Three camp nights; trail meals; guided visit; panoramic train back | Hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley | 4.9 · 595 |
| Four days, alternative route | $1,290 | per person | 4 days | Two camp nights, a hotel night; two visits to the citadel | Hotel in Cusco, 5:00 AM | 5.0 · 1 |
| Choice of train class | $308 | per person | 15 hours | Tourist or Superior train; 2.5 hours guided; lunch by option | Cusco, 4:00 to 8:00 | 4.6 · 984 |
| Expedition or Voyager train | $320 | per person | 12 hours | Train; about two hours guided. Lunch extra | Hotel in Cusco, 4:00 AM | 4.7 · 209 |
| Group day | $349 | per person | 12 hours | Bus and train; about two hours guided. Lunch extra | Historic centre of Cusco | 4.7 · 2,334 |
| Sacred Valley, two days | $370 | per person | 2 days | Pisac and Ollantaytambo; train; guided visit. Lunch on day two extra | Hotel pickup | 4.6 · 345 |
Read the small print
Permits, tickets and the bus on a Machu Picchu tour
The Machu Picchu tour cost on this site spans $308 to $1,290 per person. Here is what the listings say about three costs people ask about.
The permit. One listing mentions it: the $1,290 route says «The official Inca Trail to Machupicchu is included in this program». The other four hikes include the Inca Trail section but say nothing about the permit, so ask before you pay.
The entry ticket. On the group day and the Sacred Valley trip, the operator issues it, «subject to availability at the time of ticket issuance». Which circuit you walk depends on availability wherever a listing names one.
The bus. The 25 to 30 minute bus up from Aguas Calientes is in the programme, but no listing says whether the fare is in the price.
Before you pay
Four things to check before you book
Before you book Machu Picchu tour dates, read these lines on the listing.
- The cancellation line
Seven of the nine listings are non-refundable, our top pick among them. Free cancellation applies to the $679 and $1,290 hikes.
- Your passport details
Four listings ask for them when you book, and two ask you to carry the passport on the day.
- How far ahead
The $585 hike asks for booking two weeks before the tour date; the $1,290 route asks you to contact them first, as permits are very limited.
- Your fitness
Our top pick asks for «at least a moderate level of physical fitness». The $679 hike notes that the Inca Trail closes in February for maintenance.
In their words
What travellers wrote after each kind of day
Short quotes from reviews on the listings, word for word.
- Srijal from Canada, four days
«Challenging but so worth it. One of the best experiences of my life»
- Andrew from the United Kingdom, two days
«Anyone booking should know the short Inca trek is quite challenging in parts and day 1 is not an easy stroll»
- Zuzanna from the United States, group day
«Amazing day! The train was comfortable, the staff was very attentive.»
- Bensu from Germany, Sacred Valley
«Machu Picchu is great but Pissac and Ollantaytambo was also really good»
Our verdict
Our Machu Picchu tour verdict, by kind of trip
To walk in, book our top pick at $840. Four days from Km 82, three nights in camp, 595 reviews at 4.9. Two days on foot: the $585 hike, rated 4.9 by 227 reviewers. One day only: the $349 group day, with 2,334 reviews. More than the citadel: the $370 two days with the Sacred Valley. For a Machu Picchu adventure tour off the classic route: the $1,290 four days over Kuychicassa Pass.
Book direct
Three Machu Picchu tour picks to book
Our top pick, the two-day hike with a hotel night, and the group day by train. Prices are per person.
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→ Common questions
Machu Picchu tour questions, answered
Is the Inca Trail permit included in the price?
Only one listing says so: the $1,290 alternative route. The other four hikes include the Inca Trail section but do not mention the permit, so ask before you book.
Is the entrance ticket included?
It depends on the listing. On the $349 group day and the $370 Sacred Valley trip, the operator issues it, subject to availability. On the $308 day, entry depends on the option you choose. All nine include a guided visit inside.
What time do the days by train pick you up in Cusco?
At 4:00 AM on the $320 day; at 4:00, 6:00 or 8:00 AM on the $349 group day; and between 4:00 and 8:00 on the $308 day.
How long do you get inside the citadel on a single day?
About two hours with a guide on the $349 and $320 days, and 2.5 hours on the $308 day. On the group day, you cannot re-enter once the visit ends.
Is lunch included on the days by train?
No. Lunch is at your own expense on the $349 and $320 days, and an option on the $308 day.
Can I cancel and get a refund?
On most listings, no: seven of the nine say «This activity is non-refundable», our top pick included. The $679 and $1,290 hikes offer free cancellation; check the deadline on the listing before you pay.
Go deeper
More guides to Machu Picchu
Hikes compared
Hikes compared
The 4-day and 2-day Inca Trail side by side: distance, nights and what the price covers.
In one dayIn one day
Train there, guided visit, train back: what a single long day looks like.
Sacred ValleySacred Valley
Two days with a night near the citadel and the valley on the way.
What it costsWhat it costs
What each price includes — permit, train, entry, meals, nights — and what it leaves out.
