Inca Trail (Classic 4-day)
OSM classic Camino Inca hiking route in Cusco, Peru (36 km line). Not the Qhapaq Ñan network and not the 2-day trail. Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30. Days (3) is a placeholder from round(lengthKm/12), not the published 4-day window (unverified).
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
- SAC T2
- Mountain hiking. Continuous trail, some steep ground, sure-footedness helpful.
- YDS Class 1
- Class 1. Walking on an established path; low fall risk.
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Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 15703494 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
OSM 2D length is 36.0 km (relation 15703494; name=Camino Inca a Machu Picchu, name:en=Inca trail, OSM description=The classic trek to Machu Picchu, distance=38, roundtrip=no, operator=Ministerio de Cultura, Wikidata Q6014019). Two components: longest 36.0 km used; leftover fragments 2.4 km were not glued. Not Qhapaq Ñan and not a 2-day shortcut. Published ~43 km / 4 days is a cross-check only, not this DataPoint. The stored line is oriented to finish near Machu Picchu / Inti Punku; the OSM start is not verified as KM82 (Piscacucho).
typicalDays 4 is the published classic window, not a DataPoint. SERNANP closes the Inca Trail network all February for annual maintenance and reopens 1 March 2026 (checked 2026-08-25). A May–September dry stamp was not taken from an official page this pass.
DEM high 4,201 m is 14 m under published Dead Woman's Pass ~4,215 m — alpine pass, not a valley-only sample. High point left as Copernicus.
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Treated water via operators is logistics, not a positioned WaterSource.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Permits & fees
- Permit
- Red de Caminos Inka permit (authorized agency)
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Getting there
Sourced legs to the OSM line start (east of Machu Picchu) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Road · Cusco (CUZ) → Ollantaytambo
Sacred Valley road/rail hub for the classic trail. 2026 Camino Inka tickets are reserved on tuboleto.cultura.pe through authorized agencies (https://www.gob.pe/institucion/cultura/noticias/1290142-ministerio-de-cultura-inicia-hoy-el-proceso-de-venta-de-boletos-de-ingreso-a-la-red-de-caminos-inka-y-a-la-llaqta-de-machupicchu-para-2026, checked 2026-08-25). Airport identity: Wikipedia Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, checked 2026-08-25.
gob.pe · 2026-08-25 · official · provisional
Published trailhead is KM82 / Piscacucho; this record's OSM start was not verified as that kilometre post. Exit is commonly Aguas Calientes. Llaqta de Machupicchu is a separate 2026 ticket.
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Trailheads
- OSM line start (east of the citadel) car-free: unknown
- Machu Picchu / Inti Punku area (OSM line end) car-free: unknown
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Hazards
- Altitude / AMS: GLO-30 high 4,201 m on this line (Dead Woman's Pass band ~4,215 m). Surface as a safety fact, not a grade.
- Closed every February for conservation and maintenance (SERNANP, https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/noticias/1340984-comunicado-red-de-caminos-inka-suspension-temporal-por-conservacion-y-mantenimiento-anual, checked 2026-08-25); operations resume 1 March 2026.
- 2026 logistics: Camino Inka and Llaqta de Machupicchu tickets are sold as separate reservation processes (https://www.gob.pe/institucion/cultura/noticias/1290142-ministerio-de-cultura-inicia-hoy-el-proceso-de-venta-de-boletos-de-ingreso-a-la-red-de-caminos-inka-y-a-la-llaqta-de-machupicchu-para-2026, checked 2026-08-25). RM 306-2025-MC requires a circuit 3-B citadel ticket for visitors continuing from the trail (https://transparencia.cultura.gob.pe/rm-ndeg-306-2025-mc).
Questions
Do I need a permit for Inca Trail (Classic 4-day)?
A permit is required for Inca Trail (Classic 4-day): Red de Caminos Inka permit (authorized agency). Cost, booking, and issuer stay behind the login gate on this page.
When is the best time to hike Inca Trail (Classic 4-day)?
On this record the best season is: Closed all February (SERNANP maintenance); otherwise unverified.
How difficult is Inca Trail (Classic 4-day)?
Inca Trail (Classic 4-day) is graded SAC T2 · YDS 1. A sourced hazard on this record: Altitude / AMS: GLO-30 high 4,201 m on this line (Dead Woman's Pass band ~4,215 m). Surface as a safety fact, not a grade.
How long is Inca Trail (Classic 4-day)?
The OSM 2-D length on this record is 36 km (provisional). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to Inca Trail (Classic 4-day)?
The record’s base start is OSM line start (east of Machu Picchu). A primary gateway on the record is Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.