Luxury Inca TrailInca Trail 2 Days 1 Night: Peru Andes Top
Sold and operated by Peru Andes Top. Booked and paid through GetYourGuide. We may earn a commission if you book through our link, at no extra cost to you.
The Inca Trail 2 days 1 night format is the shortest way to walk the famous path and still enter Machu Picchu on foot, through the Sun Gate rather than the town entrance. This listing from Peru Andes Top on GetYourGuide costs $653 per person, runs with a group capped at 13 and includes both entry tickets, a standard hotel night in Aguas Calientes and a guided tour of Machu Picchu on day 2. It is a shared group departure, not private, and the booking is non-refundable once confirmed because the trail permit is personal. This page walks through what the price covers, the day-by-day plan and who should instead look at other luxury Inca Trail tours.
About This Tour
Peru Andes Top runs this two-day short Inca Trail from Cusco. Day 1 is a drive to Ollantaytambo, a train to the trailhead and an approximately 3-hour walk to Wiñay Wayna, then Inti Punku and a bus down to Aguas Calientes for dinner and a hotel night. Day 2 is the bus up to Machu Picchu, a guided visit and the train back to Cusco. Both entry tickets, one lunch box, dinner and a first aid box are in the price.
The group is limited to 13 travellers and the guide speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese. It is a shared departure, so you join other bookings rather than travel alone. The listing is sold on GetYourGuide and is non-refundable, which reflects the permit rules for the trail.
$653 per person, per GetYourGuide. What sits outside that figure is listed below.
2 days with 1 hotel night in a standard hotel in Aguas Calientes. No camping.
Shared group, up to 13 participants, official guide, five guide languages.
A standard hotel in Aguas Calientes, not a tent. Dinner is at a restaurant in town.
Train ticket in tourist class or panoramic, by option, from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, then a van to Cusco.
Not included: lunch after the Machu Picchu tour, Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain entry, and tips. All sales are final, no refund for cancellations.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown once you select a date on the booking platform. Pickup details are agreed at an information session held the day before, from a hotel in the historic center of Cusco.
Quick answer In short
This inca trail 2 days 1 night tour costs $653 per person and covers both entry tickets, a standard hotel night in Aguas Calientes, one lunch box, dinner and a tourist or panoramic train back. The group is capped at 13 and day 1 walking is about 3 hours to Wiñay Wayna. It is non-refundable once booked.
Key takeaways
- See exactly what the $653 covers and what it leaves out in the price breakdown.
- Follow the full two-day plan from Cusco pickup to the Sun Gate in the itinerary.
- If 12 reviews feels thin, compare the same route with more feedback on the 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome.
- The trail closes every February. Check the rules in the Inca Trail permits guide.
What the Price Actually Covers
The table below lists each line of this listing's own inclusions and exclusions, taken from the Peru Andes Top page on GetYourGuide. The headline figure is $653 per person.
Included in the $653
The listing states these items are in the price. The biggest ones are the entry tickets to the Inca Trail and to Machu Picchu, which are the two permits a trek like this cannot run without. Also in: transfers between Cusco and Ollantaytambo, an official guide, a pre-departure briefing, one lunch box on day 1, dinner in Aguas Calientes, a night in a standard hotel, a first aid box, the bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes on day 1, the round trip bus on day 2 and the train ticket in tourist class or panoramic.
Guide languages are English, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese. The group is limited to 13 participants.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inca Trail entry tickets | Yes | Needed for the Wiñay Wayna and Sun Gate route |
| Machu Picchu entry ticket | Yes | For the guided visit on day 2 |
| Hotel night | Yes | Standard hotel in Aguas Calientes, star rating not stated |
| Meals | Partly | 1 lunch box on day 1 and dinner. Day 2 lunch is extra |
| Train back | Yes | Tourist class or panoramic, by option |
| Buses | Yes | Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes on day 1, round trip on day 2 |
| Guide | Yes | Official guide, five languages |
| Tips | No | Set in cash on the day, amount not stated |
| Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain | No | Limited entry, check availability when booking |
| Lunch after the Machu Picchu tour | No | Buy it in the restaurants near the site |
What You May Pay on the Day
Three costs sit outside the from-price. Lunch after the guided tour on day 2 is on your own at one of the area restaurants. Entry to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain is excluded, and the listing warns that entry to both mountains is limited, so you should check availability when booking. It also notes that either mountain trek has a medium-high difficulty and needs good physical condition. Tips for the guide are not included and the amount is not stated on the listing.
The hotel is described only as standard. If a 4-star room matters, the same route exists with an upgrade: Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel costs $585 per person and has 4,069 reviews. If a named Vistadome train and more reviews matter, 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome costs $592 with 337 reviews. This page's figures come from the operator's listing.
Sources: UNESCO, Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Wikipedia, Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu in morning cloud. Photo: Tomas Sobek tomas_nz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
How the Trek Runs, Day by Day
The itinerary below follows the listing's own description. Clock times are not printed except for the pickup, which is agreed the day before.
Day 1: Cusco to the Sun Gate
An information session happens the day before departure, where the guide fixes the pickup time at your hotel within the historic center of Cusco. A van then drives to the train station in Ollantaytambo through the Sacred Valley. At the station you can use the toilets before boarding the train to the start of the walk.
The guide handles the procedures to begin the trail, and the walk to the Wiñay Wayna archaeological complex takes approximately 3 hours. After a box lunch you explore the houses and terraces, then continue to Inti Punku, the Inca Gate of the Sun, for the first views of Machu Picchu. A bus takes the group down to Aguas Calientes, where the guide leads you to the hotel. Dinner is at a restaurant in town and the guide gives the instructions for day 2.
Day 2: Machu Picchu and Back to Cusco
After breakfast at the hotel the guide picks you up for the bus, which climbs a winding path with views over the Urubamba River canyon. The guided visit of Machu Picchu covers the terraces, staircases, ceremonial enclosures and urban areas. After the tour you have free time for lunch at your own cost.
At the time coordinated by the guide you take the train back to Ollantaytambo, where transport meets the group for the drive back to your hotel in Cusco. The class of train depends on the option chosen, tourist or panoramic. For more on what the Sun Gate arrival looks like, see the Sun Gate Machu Picchu guide.
Hiking the Inca Trail from KM 104 to the Sun Gate
The short trail up to the Sun Gate viewpoint. Third-party video by The Globe Hoppers with Frank and Alyssa. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
Several groups should look at a different listing. Each exclusion below comes from the operator's own terms, with an alternative attached.
The Hard Exclusions
The listing names three groups it is not suitable for: pregnant women, people with mobility impairments and children under 8. Pets are not allowed, and neither is luggage or large bags, so you travel with a daypack only. If you need a private guide for a small family, Private Short Inca Trail runs with up to 8 people and a Vistadome business class train back for $756 per person.
The booking itself is also a filter. All sales are final, with no refund for cancellations, because the passport details of each participant are needed to confirm and the permit is personal and non-transferable. If your passport changes after booking you must present both documents. If you want a free cancellation window on a short trek, the Private Short Inca Trail at $756 allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Fitness and Route Limits
The listing states no difficulty rating, but the walk is uphill in Andean terrain. The trailhead at Km 104 sits at about 2,200 metres and Cusco at about 3,400 metres, so some travellers feel the altitude before the hike even starts. There is no Dead Woman's Pass on this route, which is the main reason trekkers choose the short trail. The full high route and its pass of about 4,200 metres are covered in the Dead Woman's Pass guide.
The trail network also closes every February for maintenance and reopens on 1 March, so no listing can run then. The best time to hike the Inca Trail falls in the dry season. Route background is in the short Inca Trail guide.
Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, on the last stretch of the trail. Photo: Steve FUNG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before and After the Trek
What you arrange around the tour matters as much as the tour itself.
Acclimatise and Get the Paperwork Right
Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres, and altitude sickness can appear from about 2,500 metres. Common symptoms are headache, nausea, fatigue and poor sleep. Plan at least a night or two in Cusco before the trek and keep day 1 easy. The operator needs the passport details of every participant to confirm the booking, and permits are issued to one person on one passport and are non-transferable, so check the document before you pay.
Permits are capped and sold only through authorised agencies, so booking early matters. The mechanics and quotas are explained in the Inca Trail permits guide.
Machu Picchu, the Mountains and the Trains
This listing's Machu Picchu entry covers the guided visit on day 2, but not Huayna Picchu at about 2,720 metres or Machu Picchu Mountain, both of which need separate, limited tickets that you check when booking. The listing warns the mountain treks have a medium-high difficulty. The site itself sits at 2,430 metres, nearly 1,000 metres lower than Cusco, and Aguas Calientes at about 2,040 metres.
PeruRail allows one backpack up to 8 kg or one carry-on up to 12 kg on Machu Picchu trains, which matches this tour's no-large-bags rule. Free luggage storage at Machu Picchu station runs from 5:00 to 22:00. Trains from Ollantaytambo take about 1 hour 30 minutes. General planning is in Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Two-Day Itinerary at a Glance
The listing prints no clock times apart from the pickup, agreed the day before. Phases below follow the operator's own description.
-
The day before
Information session in Cusco
The guide fixes your pickup time at a hotel in the historic center of Cusco and runs a pre-departure briefing.
-
Start
Pickup and drive to Ollantaytambo
A van collects you and drives through the Sacred Valley to the train station. The drive from Cusco to Ollantaytambo is about 61 kilometres and takes about 1 hour 40 minutes.
-
After the drive
Train to the trailhead
Toilets are available at the station, then the train carries the group to the start of the walk. The guide completes all entry procedures.
-
Midday
Approximately 3-hour walk to Wiñay Wayna
The trail climbs through cloud forest to the Wiñay Wayna archaeological complex, where the group explores the houses and terraces after a box lunch.
-
Afternoon
Inti Punku, the Sun Gate
The walk continues to the Inca Gate of the Sun for the first views of Machu Picchu, then a bus descends to Aguas Calientes.
-
Evening
Hotel night in Aguas Calientes
The guide leads you to a standard hotel. Dinner is at a restaurant in town and the guide briefs the group on day 2.
-
Day 2
Machu Picchu, then train home
After breakfast the bus climbs to Machu Picchu for the guided visit. Free time for lunch on your own follows, then the train to Ollantaytambo and the van back to your hotel in Cusco.
Pros and Cons
A balanced read of this listing against the rest of the short-trail field, using the operator's own terms.
What we genuinely like
- +Both entry tickets, to the Inca Trail and to Machu Picchu, are included at $653 per person
- +The group is capped at 13, smaller than the 16-hiker cap on one competing short trail
- +The guide speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese
- +A hotel night and dinner in Aguas Calientes are included, so no camping
- +The round trip bus on day 2 and the bus down on day 1 are both covered
The honest downsides
- −All sales are final, no refund for cancellations, because the permit is personal
- −Only 12 reviews stand behind the 4.9 rating, against 337 and 4,069 on rival short trails
- −The hotel is standard, not named as 3-star or 4-star
- −Lunch on day 2, the mountain entries and tips are all extra
- −No luggage or large bags are allowed, so everything travels in a daypack
Who it's NOT for: Not for pregnant travellers, people with mobility impairments, children under 8, or anyone who needs a refundable booking or a named premium hotel.
Questions About This Tour
How much does this inca trail 2 days 1 night tour cost?
The price is $653 per person, per the listing on GetYourGuide, and it includes both entry tickets, a standard hotel night and the train back. The full breakdown is in the price section.
How long do you walk on day 1?
The listing gives an approximately 3-hour walk to reach Wiñay Wayna before the Sun Gate section. The full two-day plan is in the itinerary.
Is the booking refundable?
No. All sales are final, with no refund for cancellations, because the passport details of each participant are needed to confirm and the permit is personal. Alternatives with a free cancellation window are listed in who this tour rules out.
Where do you sleep?
In a standard hotel in Aguas Calientes, with dinner at a restaurant in town. There is no camping. A 4-star version of the same route is the Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel.
What train do you take back?
The train ticket is in tourist class or panoramic, by the option you choose, from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. Train classes and timings are covered in the day-by-day section.
Can I add Huayna Picchu?
Not within this price. Entry to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain is excluded, and the listing says entry is limited so you should check availability when booking. Background on add-ons is in before and after the trek.
When is the trail closed?
The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance and reopens on 1 March, so no departure runs then. Dates and quotas are explained in the Inca Trail permits guide.
What Travelers Said
The guide Lenin was incredible. made our experience so good. He was full of knowledge and fun also took some great pictures of us.
Wally was an amazing guide and the program of the tour was excellent as well. We enjoyed the full experience and this is highly recommended.
Compare the dates, the train option and the hotel level before you commit, because this booking cannot be undone.
Booked through GetYourGuide, this listing is non-refundable once confirmed and needs the passport details of every participant.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure