Name: Adventure Classic Inca Trail 4 days | Allyn Pacha Peru
Brand: Inca Trail

Adventure Classic Inca Trail Unlimited

Travel on an unforgettable Adventure Classic Inca Trail, a renowned trekking route celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes, ancient Inca ruins, and rich cultural experiences. This iconic trail winds through the stunning Andes Mountain range, ascending from 1,800 meters to 6,271 meters above sea level, and covers approximately 42 km (26 miles) over four days.

As you traverse this scenic path, you’ll encounter a remarkable variety of ecosystems, each teeming with diverse flora and fauna. The trail meanders through cloud forests, mountain passes, and notable archaeological sites such as Wiñay Wayna. Throughout the adventure, you’ll delve into the rich history of the Inca civilization, visiting awe-inspiring ruins and marveling at their impressive architecture and strategic locations.

Your journey will be enriched by the presence of a dedicated team of local staff, descendants of the Inca culture, who will share their deep-rooted traditions and the Quechua language. Their expertise and stories will enhance your understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the trail.

On the fourth day, you’ll have the extraordinary opportunity to enter Machu Picchu at sunrise via the Sun Gate, experiencing the breathtaking beauty of this world wonder in its most serene and magical light. This epic adventure promises not only physical challenge but also a profound connection to the ancient Inca heritage and the natural splendor of the Andes.

Important Information for the Adventure Classic Inca Trail

For those planning to embark on the Adventure Classic Inca Trail, it’s essential to be aware of the campsite allocation process. The Ministry of Culture, responsible for preserving the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, assigns campsites based on the date of booking. Therefore, early booking is highly recommended to secure your preferred campsites. Availability is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with the most popular campsites often being the first to fill up.

Since the year 2000, the Peruvian Government has implemented regulations to control access to the Inca Trail Network, which includes the 5-day, 4-day, and 2-day versions of the trek. These regulations include a Capacity Control measure that limits the number of people on the trail to 500 per day, encompassing tourists, guides, porters, and cooks. Due to this restriction, it is crucial to make reservations well in advance to secure a spot on your desired date.

Booking Tips

Peak Months: The peak trekking months are May, June, July, August, and September. During these times, it is advisable to book your trek at least 6 months to 1 year in advance to ensure availability.

Early Planning: For those planning to trek during off-peak months, early booking is still recommended to secure your preferred campsites and dates. By planning ahead and understanding these regulations, you can ensure a smooth and memorable experience on the Adventure Classic Inca Trail

Brief Information: Adventure Classic Inca Trail 4-Day Trek

Preparation is key to enjoying your journey on the Classic Inca Trail 4-Day Trek, and we are committed to making your experience seamless. To address any queries and provide all necessary details about the adventure and park regulations, your guide or a company representative will meet with you at your hotel 1 to 2 days prior to departure.

This important briefing is typically scheduled between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. at your hotel, though adjustments can be made with prior coordination at least a week in advance. Our aim is to ensure you are fully prepared and confident for your adventure to this world-renowned destination to Machupicchu.

Day 1: Cusco – Km 82 – Wayllabamba

Our team will pick you up from your hotel in a comfortable private vehicle, starting your journey to the magnificent Sacred Valley of the Incas. After approximately 2 hours of travel, we’ll arrive at Piscacucho (Km 82), the official starting point of the renowned adventure classic Inca trail to Machu Picchu.

The first stage of the trek involves a 3-hour hike, followed by a break at Tarachayoc. Here, our adventure team will prepare a delicious lunch for you, and you’ll have a well-deserved 30-minute rest.

We’ll continue our hike for another 2 hours until we reach the Wayllabamba campsite, located at an altitude of 3,031 meters (9,944 feet). Along this journey, you’ll enjoy stunning landscapes and visit two significant archaeological sites, with Llactapata (2,650 meters/8,747 feet) being the most notable.

Accommodation: Camping
Distance: 10 km / 6.2 miles
Hiking Time: 6 to 7 hours
Meals: Lunch, snack, and dinner
Maximum Altitude: 3,031 m / 9,944 feet
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Adventure Classic Inca Trail 4 days

Day 2: Wayllabamba – Pacaymayu

We will start early to make the most of the stunning landscapes and avoid the intense midday sun. This day’s trek will take us to the highest point on the Adventure Classic Inca Trail, offering a unique chance to experience the diverse microclimates along the route. We will walk through the enchanting Polylepis forest until we reach Llulluchapampa, then continue into the Puna ecosystem, situated over 3,700 meters above sea level.

From this point, we will embark on a roughly 90-minute hike to reach the highest pass of the journey, the renowned “Abra de Warmiwañusca” or Dead Woman’s Pass, located at 4,200 meters. After taking in the breathtaking views and enjoying a well-deserved break, we will begin our descent of nearly 550 meters. This descent will take us about 1.5 hours as we navigate the remarkable Inca Trail, where about 30% of the original stone steps are still intact. We will arrive at our campsite in Pacaymayu (3,657 meters / 12,000 feet), meaning “hidden river,” where we will enjoy a delicious lunch and rest for the remainder of the day.

Accommodation: Camping
Distance: 10 km / 6.2 miles
Hiking Time: 7 – 8 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner
Maximum Altitude: 4,215 meters / 13,907 feet
Difficulty: Challenging

Adventure Classic Inca Trail 4 days

Day 3: Pacaymayu - Wiñaywayna Camp

Start your day on the Adventure Classic Inca Trail with a refreshing Inca tea at our camp. Prepare for a day filled with invigorating hikes offering diverse landscapes, stunning vistas, and intriguing Inca ruins. After a hearty breakfast, we’ll begin our ascent to the second pass of the Inca Trail, Runkurakay (3,760 meters / 10,647 feet). We will pause at the Runkurakay archaeological site, also known as the “Ovoid Tower,” where you can take in breathtaking views of the Pacaymayu Valley. The climb to Runkurakay Pass (3,970 meters / 13,023 feet) will take approximately 45 minutes.

Upon reaching the pass, we’ll descend into the Aobamba Valley to explore the Sayacmarca Archaeological Group, renowned as the “Dominant City.” Our journey continues to the third pass, where we’ll stop for lunch, depending on weather conditions. This pass, named Phuyupatamarca, which translates to “City Above the Clouds” in Quechua, is also home to another significant Inca archaeological site.

After a well-deserved break, we’ll descend about 900 meters (2 hours and 30 minutes) to reach Wiñaywayna. Once we set up camp, you’ll have the chance to visit the stunning Wiñaywayna archaeological site, known as “Forever Young.”

At the end of the day, after dinner, we’ll take a moment to express our appreciation to the Inca Trail staff with kind words and a tip, as we won’t have time for farewells the following day.

Accommodation: Camping
Distance: 16 km / 10 miles
Hiking Time: 9 to 10 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner
Maximum Altitude: 4,215 meters / 13,907 feet
Difficulty: Challenging

Adventure Classic Inca Trail 4 days

Day 4: Wiñaywayna - Machu Picchu

The most anticipated day of our journey has arrived! We start early to fully embrace the grandeur of Machu Picchu. After a pre-dawn breakfast, we head towards the citadel to witness the sunrise in all its glory.

Our hike begins with a 1.5-hour trek to “Intipunku,” also known as the “Sun Gate.” From this vantage point, we’ll get our first panoramic view of the Sacred City of Machu Picchu, marveling at its splendor as the morning sun illuminates its ancient walls. After capturing the perfect photos and enjoying a well-deserved break, we’ll descend to the main entrance of Machu Picchu where restrooms are available.

Next, we will re-enter Machu Picchu through Circuit 3, after passing the ticket checkpoint. Our guide will then lead us on an official 1.5-hour tour, offering an in-depth look into the history and mysteries of this incredible site. Once the tour concludes, we’ll take a 30-minute bus ride to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we’ll board the train back to Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo, we’ll transfer by bus to the city of Cusco. The total travel time is approximately 4 hours.

Distance: 6 km / 3.5 miles
Walking Time: 2.5 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Highest Elevation: 2,720 meters / 8,977 feet
Difficulty: Easy

Adventure Classic Inca Trail 4 days

Taylor M

2024-07-01

An experience of a lifetime! We had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eli from Allyn Pacha tours for our 9 day trip in Cusco Peru. Eli is extremely knowledgeable and so accommodating! He truly goes above and beyond for his travelers and assures you have a wonderful experience! He is excited to show you around and share his knowledge and secretes in order to miss the crowds and see incredible views. I cannot say enough how impressed I was with his hospitality. Our decision to book our tours with Eli through Allyn Pacha was the best choice we have ever made while traveling. This decision made our entire experience in Peru absolutely unforgettable. From the beginning research phase, Eli was extremely responsive, answering any and all questions and offering suggestions to make the most of our itinerary and time in Peru. During our trip my fiancé came down with altitude sickness and with no hesitation, Eli rushed over and nursed my fiancé back to health with his natural herb remedies. From start to finish Eli went above and beyond to continue to amaze us. Whether it be him nursing us back to health, surprising us with pillows and blankets for the car rides, making sure we were ok every step of our journey, and or being a phenomenal photographer, the list could go on and on. We are so thankful to have met Eli and to be in such great hands. Eli is extremely knowledgable, funny, kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about offering amazing experiences. He has worked 20+ years in the industry and knows the ins and outs of not just history and site-seeing’s, but how to make experiences the most enjoyable for his guests. I would 1000% recommend booking your Peru trip with Eli from Allyn Pacha. It’s never a goodbye, it’s see you later. Thank you Eli, until next time!

Cade F

2024-06-27

Trip of a lifetime. 10/10. This trip and trek was an experience I will never forget. It was incredible. Elistan was the man, and quickly became someone I’m glad to be able to have spent such an incredible trip with. He’s intelligent, kind, and really cares about the people he works with. Elistan was someone that people were always happy to see on the trail as it seemed a lot of people knew the kind of person he was. This hike had me a bit nervous in time leading up to the hike, but with the calming experience of Elistan and his crews top notch service we not only completed but enjoyed every second of the hike. The 5 star meals along the way at 14000 ft are another story. Certainly wish I could eat the meals that this teams chef provided 3 times a day. I also had to be very careful during the hike because I had an engagement ring in my pack! I told Elistan about my intentions in very short notice. We discretely came up with a game plan, and I proposed at the Sun Gate. Elistan was incredible and the team in its entirety is the real reason my brand new Fiancé and I had so much fun. If you are planning a trip and want to make some memories you will have forever please take my word for it and just do it with this team. I promise you won’t forget it.

Emily N

2024-06-23

Allyn Pacha tops the rest! Our decision to book our tours with Eli through Allyn Pacha was the best choice we have ever made while traveling. This decision made our entire experience in Peru absolutely unforgettable. From the beginning research phase, Eli was extremely responsive, answering any and all questions and offering suggestions to make the most of our itinerary and time in Peru. We (my fiance and I) ended up spending 6 days in total with Eli, touring the Sacred Valley, going on a city ruins tour around Cusco, and embarking on the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Eli is extremely knowledgable, funny, kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about offering amazing experiences. He has worked 20 years in the industry, and knows the ins and outs of not just history and site-seeing, but how to make experiences the most enjoyable for his guests. The service Eli provided to us on the Inca Trail was above and beyond what we saw other companies offering. We signed up for a private tour, and Eli, his chef, and team of porters took excellent care of us. Porters play an important roll on the trail, carrying food, cooking materials, sleeping tents, eating tents, and anything used on the trail. They carry heavy bags daily to ensure the guests experience is nothing short of amazing. In other companies, it is known that porters are not always treated well, or compensated fairly. It was seen that Eli takes excellent care of his porters. He noted that he was once a porter, and understands how hard they work. He makes sure they feel like an equal part of the team. Multiple times throughout the trek, porters from other companies would greet and talk to Eli. Most porters work for more than one company at a time, and many asked Eli when they could come work for him next. This to me just proves how Eli's service is phenomenal not only for his guests, but his staff as well. Before the trek, I had some nerves about how difficult it would be to complete. Eli provided me constant reassurance and explained how each day would look. We had plenty of breaks, and walked at a comfortable pace. Being just the two of us, we had complete control of our speed, and were able to slow down or speed up when needed. Additionally, Eli even helped my fiance in surprising me with a proposal at the Sun Gate! He kept the secret for the entire trek, and they secretly planned the proposal without me suspecting a thing. I cannot recommend Eli with Allyn Pacha enough. If you are looking for a small group, individualized experience, please give Allyn Pacha a chance. You will not be disappointed!

Rachel Y

2024-05-28

The BEST Guide Wow, I can't say enough great things about Allyn Pacha. Our guide, Elistan, was loaded with knowledge about the areas we visited, history, and culture. He was extremely fun to be around the couple days we toured the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Had it not been for him, we would not have been able to visit Machu Picchu due to our last minute planning. I am beyond thankful for their expertise and guidance on this trip. I cannot wait to come back and explore more. Thank you!!

Ethan A

2024-04-20

Unforgettable Trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu This trek and tour of Machu Picchu was fantastic! Juan was very flexible, accommodated all of our requests, and provided a well-planned, seamless itinerary. He was very friendly, and the five of us shared many laughs along the trail. Each night he organized for us to stay with a local family, allowing us to experience the local culture and customs. At Machu Picchu Juan knew where to be and when so that we could best-experience the UNESCO site, and had endless knowledge to tap into. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

melissa c

2023-10-25

Eli the man who knows everything Eli is super amazing and knowledgeable. I wanted to do a Machu Picchu train tour and he was able to find tickets where as everywhere else I went told me it was sold out and the next available is a week later. He arranged a driver to pick me up from the hotel at 4 AM, got to the train station at 5:40 am and provided a cute box breakfast. The next day after the Machu Picchu tour I wanted to see alpacas and llamas, He was able to accommodate me on my last minute trip! He’s your go to guy if you ever need anything or last minute planning. He knows everyone in Peru from the ticket lady in Machu Picchu to random tour guides from other companies, to restaurants waiters, to alpacas.

Vicent A

2023-10-02

a perfect day in the mountains of the seven colors My wife and I went on a day trip with Elistan to visit the mountains of the 7 colors on our honeymoon, everything went perfectly. Elistan recommended that we get up very early so we could enjoy the mountains alone. He knew the area and the weather situation perfectly, so in the early morning he picked us up with a driver and a private car (for the 4 of us), he arrived 10 minutes before the start. hour to wait for us at the door, and gave us each a pillow, two blankets and two boxes with breakfast, so that we could sleep during the journey and have breakfast when we arrived at the destination. Once there we had breakfast while it began to get light and we climbed following his advice on height and physical performance. We enjoyed almost two hours of the mountains exclusively for ourselves and he explained many things to us. Afterwards we went to eat at a restaurant that I knew, it was buffet style but of quality. In the afternoon on the way to Cusco, he was explaining to us everything we wanted to know, and we stopped at a delicious bakery where we bought a loaf of chocolate-filled bread for 9 soles (€2.5) and they gave us bread and water. Finally he dropped us off at the hotel. It is highly recommended, it was like taking a trip with two friends, I hope we can return to Peru to repeat. PS: he knows about photography, the photos I upload were taken by him.

ariell p

2023-09-14

Exploring with Allyn Pacha Had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eli and James from Allyn Pacha tours for our 15 day trip in Peru. Eli is extremely knowledgeable and so accommodating! He truly goes above and beyond for his travelers and assures you have a wonderful experience! He is excited to show you around and share his knowledge and secretes in order to miss the crowds and see incredible views. I cannot say enough how impressed I was with their hospitality and patience with our large group. I have gained a friend in Eli and I will be visiting him when I return to Cusco for another adventure packed trip! Eli you are wonderful! See you next time!!!

Eve H

2023-05-08

One day Ince Trail - DO IT, it's absolutely amazing!! I'd heard about the Inca Trail, wanted to do it, but didn't have the four days needed for it...and then I stumbled across the one day option that Allyn Pacha offers, and I'm so glad that I did. The last 7.5 miles of the trek are stunning, and coming to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate was nothing short of magical. Initially I'd been a little worried about being the only person on the trek...what if the guide was awkward and I was stuck with them ALL day?!...but Eli is the BEST. He's funny, sweet, engaging, and so knowledgable. Was able to answer every question I had, he is a wealth of information. We hiked on a day when there was a lot of mist, and he was like a mist ninja - knew exactly when and where to wait, for how long, so that I could see all the sights and get all the pictures that one dreams of when going on this journey. This is going to sound cheesy, but - it was truly an experience of a lifetime.

Sara Manley

2023-02-14

Truly an incredible experience!!! Eli is absolutely the best! I highly recommend this company. I spent 2 days with Eli visiting the different Inca sites and touring the Sacred Valley. Eli went in-depth about the Inca culture and history. It was a very custom and special experience. Will definitely be back to do his other tours!

Related Tours

Explore our other exciting tour packages that might pique your interest! Discover a range of immersive experiences tailored to satisfy every traveler's wanderlust.

New

4 Days / 3 Nights