Inca Trail

The Classic Inca Trail is a 4-day, 3-night camping trek from KM 82 near Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu — roughly 43 km of stone paths, high passes and Inca ruins. Permits are capped and sold only through licensed operators; you hike with guides, porters and a cook team — not independently.

Lee hiked it on an earlier Peru trip — after planning Rainbow Mountain as altitude prep — and still compares Dead Woman's Pass (~4,215 m) to Lava Tower on Kilimanjaro. Most fit hikers with Cusco acclimatisation can finish, but the stone steps and summit-day timing are demanding.

Start with the complete guide for the permit and operator booking workflow, day-by-day rhythm and porter logistics, then use the Trek Cost Calculator for package tiers and the Packing List Builder for camping kit at altitude.