Picture this. You are stepping onto a trail laid down by the Inca hundreds of years ago. The Andes rise all around you like silent giants. The Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is our favorite way to give you that magic in just two days. It is perfect if you are short on time but big on wonder. You will walk those original stone paths. You will slip through misty cloud forests. You will stop at Wiñaywayna. It is a little known ruin that feels like a secret the mountains kept just for you. Every corner turns into a postcard. Green valleys. Far off peaks. Air so fresh it clears your head in seconds. We built this trip at Uros Expeditions so you can soak it all in without juggling a dozen details.
Then comes the moment everyone waits for. The Sun Gate. One minute you are hiking uphill. The next Machu Picchu spreads out below you. It glows in the first light like it is waking up with you. It is the kind of view that makes you forget whatever you were worrying about back home. Your guide will sahere with you stories about the stars the Inca tracked. The crops they grew on those terraces. Why this place still feels alive. We keep groups small so you can ask anything. You can laugh. You can take photos. Or you can just stand there quietly. No rush.
We take care of the practical stuff so you do not have to. A solid box lunch with local flavors keeps you going on the trail. Porters carry the heavy gear. Permits are sorted. You will sleep in a comfy hotel the night before and after. We pick you up in Cusco before sunrise so you catch Machu Picchu at its golden hour best. Safety comes first. Our guides are trained and insured. They know every twist of the path. Plus we hire locally and give back to the communities along the route.
This is not just a trek. It is a chance to feel the heartbeat of the Andes. From the first step on ancient stones to the final wander through Machu Picchu’s temples we want you walking away with stories you will tell for years. Drop us a message at Uros Expeditions and let’s get you on the trail. The mountains are waiting.
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Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 2 Days / 1 Night
Experience a magical of Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in an adventure of two days. It’s perfect for those who want a quicker yet beautiful trip. Walk stunning paths, explore ruins like Wiñaywayna. Get to Machu Picchu going through Sun Gate and enjoy the amazing lost city.
Machu picchu short inca trail
Day 1: Cusco – Km 104 – Machu Picchu
The day begins by getting to Km 104, Ollantaytambo by train to the start of the trek. Passing through Chachabamba y Wiñayhuayna to finally you’ll get to Machu Picchu. There, you’ll have take to enjoy the view and explore. Then head down to Aguas Calientes and spend the night there.
Day 2: Machu Picchu – Cusco
In the morning, get a guided tour of Machu Picchu. After, go back to Aguas Calientes to take the train to Cusco, concluding your Short Inca Trail experience.
Price: From $ 540.00 USD
Tour Duration: 02 days
Tour location: Km 104, Ollantaytambo – Machupicchu, Wiñayhuayna, Archaeological Center and Machupicchu town.
Description of the Tour: Transportation by train, walk for 6 hours at least, elevations during the hike; 6600 – 8900 ft.
Tour limitations: Rugged location, a lot of steps and stairs, high temperature and humidity. Average level of physical fitness required.
Short Inca Trail Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco - Km 104 – Machu Pichhu
Your adventure starts early. A person of our team picks you up at your Cusco hotel. It winds down to Ollantaytambo station. You board a scenic train. Soon you reach Kilometer 104, the official start of the Short Inca Trail.
Your bilingual guide is waiting. The hike kicks off with a quick stop at Chachabamba ruins From there, the trail dips into the cloud forest. Trees drip with moss and the path stays cool under your feet. Before long you step out at Wiñay Wayna. The terraces and stonework here always stop people in their tracks. It is easily one of the best stops on the whole hike.
About halfway along, you find a flat spot and open your box lunch. A few minutes to eat and stretch, then you are back on the move. The trail keeps climbing, but nothing too tough. At last you round a corner and hit the Sun Gate. Machu Picchu sits right below you, quiet and huge, the way it has for hundreds of years.
You do not go inside the citadel yet. Instead you hop on the shuttle bus that zigzags down the hill to Aguas Calientes. Dinner is at a small restaurant in town. Later you check into your hotel, something comfortable like the Pisonay Mapi Boutique or another in the same range. The river runs past your window all night.
Day 2: Machu Pichhu - Cusco
Start with coffee and bread in the hotel. Catch the Consettur bus outside and ride up the twisting road to Machu Picchu. Pachacuti ordered this place built back in the fourteen hundreds.
A guide waits by the entrance and walks you through the stones. First comes the Temple of the Sun. The walls bend in perfect arcs. Then the Intihuatana sits ahead, a single rock cut to follow the sun. Pass the narrow terraces that held homes and crops. Pause in the wide plazas where ceremonies took place beneath open sky. The guide explains the drainage systems, the angled doorways that resist earthquakes, and the careful placement of every wall to catch water and light. Stories follow of priests, rulers, and daily life in a city that served as temple, palace, and government seat.
When the visit ends, take the bus down the mountain to Aguas Calientes. Eat lunch in a small restaurant or stroll the streets beside the river. Later, find your seat on the train. The cars glide through the valley and stop at Ollantaytambo station. A driver waits to carry you back to Cusco.
The Short Inca Trail ends here, with fresh memories of stonework and sky.
Included/Not Included
Included
- Briefing at your hotel before departure to the trak
- Professional bilingual guide
- 01 hotel night in Machupícchu Town (Pisonay Mapi Hotel Boutique) or similar category
- Box Lunch first day (sandwich, fruit, juice and snacks), Dinner Fisrt day/Breakfast second day. (Vegetarian option)
- Transfers from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, round trip.
- Train tickets, round trip. Ollantaytambo – Km 104 , Machupicchu Town – Ollantaytambo
- Entrance to Machu Picchu.
- Entrance to the Inca Trail
- Consettur Bus Ticket on the first day
- Consettur Bus Ticket Round trip second day.
Not Included
- Water
Recommendations
- Comfortable clothes for hiking
- Small backpack with personal items; Extra changes of clothes, bottle of water, sunscreen, insect repellent and rain poncho.
Prices
GROUP SERVICE
$ 540 USDincludes personal porter who will carry your personal items up to 5 kilos (including the sleeping bag + mattress: 2kgs and a half)
PRIVATE SERVICE
- 01 people 610 USD
- 02 people 540 USD
- 03 people 520 USD
- 04 – 08 people 500 USD
DISCOUNTS:
- Students under 25 years of age with a Student ID that includes the name of the university, a student photo, and an expiration date no older than one year, have a discount of USD 30.00.
- Under 17 years old up to 12 years old has a discount of USD 50.00
Travel Info
INCA TRAIL HISTORY
The Incas built the Tawantinsuyu empire that translates to four regions joined as one. From a valley near Cusco they spread across western South America in under a century. Roads made it possible. These roads formed the Qhapaq Ñan. Stone paths, rope bridges, and way stations linked the land. The Short Inca Trail is part of that network. You walk the same stones past old farms and small temples. Five hundred permits go out each day. Book months. The lasts six hours and you sleep in Aguas Calientes. Next morning a guide shows you around Machu Picchu with some history about the place.
Best Time to Hike the Short Inca Trail
The area sits in cloud forest. Weather shifts fast. Rain or mist can start any moment.
Dry months fall between May and September. Little rain, open sky. Nights get cold high up. June to August draw the most hikers so spots fill very quickly.
Wet months run from December to April. January and February see heavy showers. Paths turn slippery. The long trail closes in February for repair. Machu Picchu stays open.
Try April, May, or late September to November. Conditions stay fair and crowds thin.
Your Short Inca Trail Experience
A train leaves Cusco early. It stops at Km 104. Hiking begins right away. Chachabamba appears first, a low ruin in thick green. Wiñayhuayna follows higher up. Water still runs in its channels.
The last climb reaches the Sun Gate. Then, you’ll hace arrived to Machu Picchu. Look around and enjoy.In a couple of hours, a bus drops you to Aguas Calientes for the night.
Day two starts with a full tour. The guide covers temples, plazas, and water works. And of course, a lot of information about culture, history and way of living.
What Are the Best Alternative Tours to the Inca Trail?
The classic Inca Trail draws the biggest crowds for good reason. It follows ancient stone paths straight to the Sun Gate. But permits vanish months ahead. If you miss them or want quieter steps, other routes work just as well. Each gives you high mountains, green valleys, and a clear shot at Machu Picchu without the daily cap of five hundred hikers.
You make a decision based on time, energy, and what you want to see. Some trails climb over snow. Others drop past villages where kids still speak Quechua.
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
- Salkantay stands out as the top backup plan. Five days start with a van ride from Cusco. You camp the first night beside a turquoise lake under the peak. Day two crosses the pass at fifteen thousand feet. Wind cuts sharp. Snow crunches. Then the trail flips. Jungle heat rises. Waterfalls crash beside the path. Orchids hang from trees. Coffee farms appear by day four. You roll into Aguas Calientes dusty and ready for a shower.
The route passes a couple of small Inca sites. Nothing matches Wiñayhuayna, but the scenery shifts every few hours. One minute you stare at glaciers. The next you sweat through cloud forest. Camps feel remote. Stars crowd the sky.
Lares Trek to Machu Picchu
- Lares keeps you off the tourist radar. Three days wind through high valleys where potato fields patchwork the hills. Llamas graze near your tent. Women in red skirts spin wool while kids chase soccer balls. Hot springs bubble at the end of each afternoon. You soak sore legs and swap snacks for woven bracelets.
No big ruins line this path. The draw is the people. The trek ends near Ollantaytambo. A short train ride lands you in Aguas Calientes for the night. Machu Picchu waits fresh the next morning.
Huchuy Qosqo Trek
- Huchuy Qosqo fits if you want ruins without the multi-day grind. One solid day of walking covers twelve kilometers. You start above the Sacred Valley. The trail climbs to a ridge. Stone walls appear. Trapezoid windows frame snow peaks. The site sits quiet. Few groups bother coming this way.
Horses carry packs if your knees complain. Lunch overlooks the whole valley. Corn fields spread like a green quilt. After the site you drop to a road. A van takes you to Ollantaytambo. Train to town. Sleep. Up early for the citadel. Short, sweet, and still packed with history.
Inca Jungle Trail
- Jungle Trail throws adventure into the mix. Day one you bike down from Abra Malaga. Asphalt twists through cloud forest. Brakes heat up. Clouds rush past. Day two offers choices. Whitewater on the Urubamba or zip lines above the canopy. Either way you end with short walks along the railroad tracks.
The hiking stays light. No heavy climbs. The fun comes from speed and splash. You still pass coffee groves and small ruins. Aguas Calientes appears by evening. The next morning you join the standard Machu Picchu tour. Perfect if you want motion without exhaustion.
Frequently Asked Questions
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During the Inca Empire, their territory extended across six modern countries. Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, even a slice of Colombia. They built different paths that connected everything and named it Qhapaq Ñan. Over thirty thousand kilometers of road. Stone in the highlands. Rope bridges over rivers. Rest stops every day’s walk.
The Inca Trail is a historic footpath that leads straight to Machu Picchu. It follows part of the old Qhapaq Ñan.
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Yes, it is absolutely necessary to book the short Inca Trail 2 days several months in advance, both in high and low season.
It is subject to strict quotas: 500 people in total (including guides and porters), so there are only 300 spots for travelers. As trekking is very popular, these few spots fill up quickly.
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It is important to know that you have to walk between 5 and 7 hours a day. You don’t have to be a great athlete, but you do need endurance. The humidity and altitude can make the climb a little more complicated. It is best to train with your hiking boots and your backpack with some weight.But don’t worry, even the most inexperience hikers arrive at the camps before nightfall and the guide always walks with the last person.
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The porters carry tents, food and cooking equipment. You will have to bring your personal belongings, as well as the sleeping bag (provided by the agency). You will only have to bring what you need during the day (camera, water, sun cream, etc.). Large pieces of luggage (suitcases) will stay in Cusco or the Sacred Valley. The vast majority of hotels will take care of your luggage without any problem during the tour to Machu Picchu, but if not, your agency can take care of it.
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The highest point of the best 2-day Inca Trail tour is Warmiwanusqa, at 4200 m.a.s.l. We arrive there on the second day of the trail, after 4 hours of uphill hiking, which is the -most difficult part of the 2-day short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, then we descend to the Pacaymayo River to reach the Runkurakay site at 3924 m.a.s.l. From here it is a gradual descent.
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Yes, there are several toilets with running water have been placed along the 2-day Inca Trail, including the main camps.
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Of course, it is your responsibility to inform the agency in advance of any health-related problems before booking the Inca Trail (allergies, heart problems, etc.). Guides always carry a first aid kit, including oxygen, and are trained to respond quickly. It is very rare that a person has to be evacuated, but if necessary, the team will take you back to Cusco.
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Depending on there service you chose, a private service (1 up to 8 people) or a group service (up to 16 people).
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Tipping is never mandatory in Inca Trail 2 day trek and is at your discretion, but it is highly recommended. They work very hard to make your trip easier and offer you an unforgettable experience. Furthermore, they come from humble families in the area and the tip they receive really makes a big difference.
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