Inca Trail Permits: How They Work and When to Book
The Classic Inca Trail is the only trek that enters Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate, and the only one with a strict daily limit set by the government. If you want to walk it, the permit is the first thing to secure, before flights and hotels. This guide explains how the system works, how early to book and what to do if your dates are already full.
How the permit system works
Peru’s Ministry of Culture sets a fixed number of places on the Classic Inca Trail each day: about 500 people, including guides, cooks and porters, which leaves roughly 200 places for trekkers. When a date is full, it is full: there is no waiting list and no permit sold at the trailhead.
- Permits can only be booked through a licensed tour operator, not by individual travellers.
- Each permit is issued in your name with your passport number. At the Km 82 checkpoint, your passport must match the permit.
- A permit cannot be changed to another name or another date.
- The permit includes your entrance to Machu Picchu at the end of the trek.
When to book, by season
| Travel month | Book ahead | Risk of waiting |
|---|---|---|
| May to September (high season) | 4–6 months | High: popular dates sell out first |
| April and October | 2–3 months | Medium |
| November, December, January, March | 1–2 months | Lower, except around the holidays |
| February | — | The trail is closed for maintenance |
Our advice is simple: book as soon as your dates are firm. Flights and hotels can be arranged later; the permit cannot be recovered once it sells out. You can check open dates yourself in our live permit calendar, and read about the seasons in the best time to hike the Inca Trail.
Secure your Inca Trail permit
Check open dates in the live calendar and book the Classic Inca Trail with permit, guide, porters and meals — from US $820.
What we need when you book
To request the permit we need each traveller’s details exactly as they appear on the passport, which is why our booking form asks for them. Please check the spelling and the passport number carefully: a mistake can mean being refused at the checkpoint. If you renew your passport after booking, tell us straight away.
Keep in mind that Inca Trail permits, like Machu Picchu and train tickets, are personal and cannot be refunded once purchased. That is another reason to book only when your dates are certain. Our refund policy explains the details.
The short Inca Trail has its own permits
The Short Inca Trail starts at Km 104, passes the terraces of Wiñay Wayna and also reaches Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. It uses a separate quota from the classic trail, so it often still has space when the four-day trek is full. We run it in two days with a hotel night in Aguas Calientes (from US $585) or in a single day (from US $490). Compare them in short vs classic Inca Trail.
If the Inca Trail is sold out
It happens, especially in July and August, and you can still walk to Machu Picchu. These treks need no Classic Inca Trail permit:
- Salkantay and Inca Trail, 5 days: glaciers, cloud forest and a final day on the short Inca Trail through the Sun Gate.
- Lares and Inca Trail, 4 days: weaving villages and hot springs, then the short Inca Trail.
- Salkantay Trek, 4 days: the classic alternative, from the foot of a glacier down to the jungle.
Our guide to alternative treks to Machu Picchu compares them all.
Frequently asked questions
About 500 people a day, including guides, cooks and porters, which leaves roughly 200 places for trekkers.
No. Permits are only sold through licensed tour operators, using each traveller’s passport details.
No. Permits are personal and cannot be transferred or moved to another date, so check your details carefully before booking.
In high season it is very unlikely. In the rainy season you may find space a few weeks ahead, but it is never guaranteed.
No. It closes every February for maintenance. All other months operate normally.
