Machu Picchu trek: camps, passes and the Sun Gate

The Machu Picchu trek tours on this site come in three shapes. The classic four days begin at the Km 82 trailhead and spend three nights in trail campsites. A Machu Picchu 2 day trek starts at Km 104, walks one long day to Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, and sleeps in a hotel.

The third, at $1,290, is what its listing calls «an alternative Inca Trail route»: two days over the Kuychicassa Pass and past an old Inca quarry, two camp nights, then the Km 104 section on day three and a hotel night.

The Machu Picchu trek Peru is famous for is the first one, and it is our top pick. If you want your Peru trek to Machu Picchu to include nights under canvas, only the two four-day listings camp.

On Machu Picchu trek difficulty, the top listing is plain: travellers «should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness», and day two, over Dead Woman's Pass and Runkuraqay Pass, is «the most challenging part of the trail». Rhian from the United Kingdom: «The 2nd day is very hard! The porters do an amazing job.»

The two-day route gives heights: Km 104 at 2,200 m, the Sun Gate at 2,720 m, Machu Picchu at 2,430 m. Martin from the United Kingdom: «The first day is hard to start but worth it when you reach Machu Picchu». The alternative route climbs for three hours to the Kuychicassa Pass at 4,450 m.

Machu Picchu trek distance is the one figure the listings leave out: they count the walk in days and hours. None sets out training for Machu Picchu trek days either, so treat the fitness line above as the brief.

On the classic route the three nights are in trail campsites: Ayapata, Chaquicocha after the passes, and Wiñay Wayna before the early start to the Sun Gate. The listing describes tents with dining and toilet set-ups.

The alternative route camps twice, in the mountains and then near Ollantaytambo, and spends night three in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. On the two-day trek the night is in a hotel: one listing names a 3-star hotel, another a «pleasant hotel bed».

No itinerary describes porters or what they carry, so ask the operator before you pack.

Our top pick has you rise before dawn to reach the Sun Gate, then walk the upper path of Circuit 1 before a guided visit of Circuit 3. A 30-minute bus takes you down, the Vistadome train runs back to Ollantaytambo, and a van drops you at your hotel in the evening.

The two-day trek reaches the Sun Gate on day one and goes back up by bus next morning for the visit. On all five treks, the last stretch of the trek in Machu Picchu is guided.

The cost of Machu Picchu trek listings here runs from $585 to $1,290 per person, and all five include a pickup and a guided visit inside the citadel. Our top pick adds three camp nights, camp meals and the Vistadome train back; the $585 trek adds a hotel night and the train back, but says nothing about food.

We do not assume what is not stated. Only the $1,290 route says the official Inca Trail is included in its programme; the other four do not mention a permit. The entry ticket is not named on our top pick or on two of the two-day treks, and no listing says the bus ticket is in the price.

Book our top pick at $840 if you have four days: it is the classic Machu Picchu trek from Km 82, with three camp nights, the two passes and the Sun Gate before dawn, and the most-reviewed hike on this site, with 595 reviews at 4.9. Short on time, take the two-day trek from $585, rated 4.9 by 227 reviewers. Both are non-refundable, so fix your dates first.

If you can give it four days, book the classic route from Km 82: three camps, two passes and the Sun Gate on foot. If you can give it two, the $585 trek covers the walk, a hotel night and the guided visit. Either way, have your passport details ready when you book.