Understanding the calendar
Why Inca Trail permits sell out months in advance
The Peruvian Ministry of Culture caps the Classic 4-day Inca Trail at 500 permits per day — and that number includes guides, porters and cooks. In practice, around 200 traveler spots open each morning. Once filled for a given date, no waitlist exists.
The 2-day Inca Trail (often called the "Inca Trail Express" or "Short Inca Trail") has a separate, smaller permit pool — roughly 250 spots per day, of which ~125 go to travelers.
The 1-day Royal Inca Trail uses a different permit class altogether and is the easiest to secure last-minute, though high-season dates still book up 2–3 weeks ahead.
Best months to hike
- May – September · dry season, clear skies, peak demand — book by January for July/August.
- April & October · shoulder months · still excellent weather, easier permit availability.
- November – March · rainy season, fewer crowds, lower prices · the trail closes every February for maintenance.
How our booking works
Live availability, verified twice a day
The calendar above pulls directly from the Peru Ministry of Culture's permit database every 6 hours. When you select a date, you are seeing the same number our office sees when reserving permits — no marketing fluff.
Once you send your enquiry, we lock the permits within 2 business hours with our deposit. From that moment, those exact spots are yours. The full balance is settled at our Cusco office on briefing day.
What we book on your behalf
- Government Inca Trail permit (issued in your name, with passport)
- Machu Picchu entrance ticket
- Bilingual guide (English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish)
- Round-trip train tickets (PeruRail or Inca Rail, depending on availability)
- All transfers from your Cusco hotel
- Porters, cooks, and full camping equipment for multi-day routes
Why book with Inkanet
We've held a Ministry of Culture operator licence since 2014, run our own equipment depot, and pay our porters and cooks 40% above the legal minimum. Our trips run rain or shine — and if a permit closes due to weather emergency, we reschedule at zero cost.