Luxury Short Inca Trail, 2 Days
Km 104 with a private guide, a four-star hotel and the Observatory train
- 2 days
- 2,720 m max
- Moderate
- Cusco to Cusco
Thirteen kilometres of original Inca road from Km 104 with a guide who is yours alone, picnic meals cooked by a chef on the trail, the Sun Gate in the late afternoon, a four-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge and the Vistadome Observatory train home.
The short Inca Trail is already the best-value day’s walking in Peru. This is what happens when you stop economising on everything around it.
The route is unchanged — Km 104, Chachabamba, the climb through cloud forest, Wiñay Wayna, and Inti Punku in the late afternoon with the citadel laid out below. What changes is that the guide is yours, the food on the trail is cooked rather than packed, the hotel has four stars, and the last day ends with lunch beside the citadel and the Observatory train rather than a sandwich and a standard carriage.
It is the trip we suggest to people who want the Sun Gate arrival — which only a trail permit allows — but who have no intention of sleeping in a tent to get it.
What you'll see
A private guide for one day of walking
No group to keep up with on the climb from Chachabamba, and as long as you like at Wiñay Wayna.
Chef-cooked meals on the trail
A picnic breakfast at the checkpoint and a picnic lunch near Wiñay Wayna, both made fresh with local ingredients rather than handed over in a box.
The Sun Gate in the late light
You reach Inti Punku in the afternoon, when the day's crowds have gone, and see the citadel from above before you ever walk into it.
A four-star hotel and a good dinner
A proper room in Aguas Calientes and dinner at a well-regarded restaurant, rather than the usual three-star and a set menu.
Lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge
The Tinkuy restaurant beside the citadel on day two, before the train.
The Observatory train home
Panoramic windows, an open-air carriage and cultural performances on the way back down the valley.
Luxury Short Inca Trail, 2 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Km 104, Chachabamba, Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate
Thirteen kilometres and about seven hours, climbing from 2,000 m to 2,720 m. Collection around 04:00, one of the first trains to Km 104, then the original Inca road to Inti Punku and down to the upper citadel in the afternoon light.
- Meals
- Picnic breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner
- Night
- Four-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 2
Machu Picchu with a private guide, then the Observatory train
Back up early for the full guided visit, with an optional peak if you booked one. Lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge beside the citadel, then the Vistadome Observatory train and a private transfer to Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
- Night
- Not included — you are back in Cusco
What the price covers
Before you set off
- Pre-departure briefing at your hotel
- Collection from and return to your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley
- Private transfers to and from the train station
- A private professional guide for both days
Trains, buses and permits
- Train from Ollantaytambo to Km 104
- Return on the Vistadome Observatory train
- Bus tickets between Aguas Calientes and the citadel
- Your Short Inca Trail permit and Machu Picchu entrance tickets
Beds and meals
- One night in a four-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, with breakfast
- Picnic breakfast and picnic lunch on the trail, cooked by our chef
- Dinner at a well-regarded restaurant in Aguas Calientes
- Lunch at the Tinkuy restaurant at the Sanctuary Lodge on day two
On the trail
- Trekking poles
- First-aid kit, oxygen cylinder and satellite phone
Not included
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain, which need their own permit
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
- Anything personal — drinks, souvenirs, laundry
Luxury Short Inca Trail, 2 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
About two hours there and back on day two. Depends on your entry hour and your train.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
About three hours there and back, on a broader path. Same timing caveats.
What to bring
Papers and money
- The original passport your permit was issued against
- Cash in soles for tips and anything personal
- Your medication and any personal first aid
- A head torch for the early start
On your back
- A daypack — poles are provided, so this is only your camera, water and layers
- A refillable water bottle
- A power bank
Clothes
- Walking boots or trail shoes with grip, broken in before you fly
- Trekking trousers and hiking socks
- A fleece for the four o'clock start
- A waterproof jacket or a poncho
- Something to change into for dinner
Sun and skin
- High-factor sun cream
- Sunglasses with UV protection and a sun hat
- Insect repellent for the cloud forest
- Lip balm
Questions we get asked
What makes this the luxury version?
Four things, and they are worth naming because none of them changes the walk. The guide is private rather than shared. The meals on the trail are cooked by a chef rather than boxed. The hotel is four-star with dinner at a proper restaurant instead of three-star with a set menu. And day two finishes with lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge and the Observatory train rather than the standard carriage.
How hard is the walking?
Thirteen kilometres and about seven hours, climbing from 2,000 m to 2,720 m at the Sun Gate on Inca staircases. Moderate. There is no altitude issue at all — the highest point is some seven hundred metres below Cusco.
Do we do the guided tour on day one?
No, and it is deliberate. On day one you arrive through the Sun Gate, walk down into the upper citadel and take in the view in the afternoon light. The full guided visit is saved for the next morning, when you have slept and the site is fresh. It is a better order than trying to do both in one afternoon.
Can I add Huayna Picchu?
Sometimes. It depends on your entry hour, your circuit and the train you are booked onto, all of which we know once your permit is issued. Ask when you enquire rather than assuming, and we will check your specific date.
When do I have to book?
The short trail uses the same government permit system as the four-day trek, issued in your name and tied to a single date. In the May to September window permits go months ahead. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Is the trail ever closed?
Every February, for maintenance, across the whole Inca Trail network. The citadel itself stays open, so we would move you onto a train itinerary rather than lose your trip.
Can you collect me from the Sacred Valley?
Yes, and it makes the morning much kinder — you are already close to the station rather than an hour and three quarters away.
How much do I carry?
A daypack. This is a one-day walk with a hotel at the end of it, so there is nothing to carry beyond water, a camera and a layer. Your luggage stays in Cusco.
Ask us about Luxury Short Inca Trail, 2 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.