Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: 2-Day Adventure with Night in Aguas Calientes

Embark on a 2-day adventure on the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Explore archaeological sites, hike through stunning landscapes, and enter the lost city via the famous Sun Gate.

Duration: 2 days
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Cusco – Chachabamba – Wiñay Wayna – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes

Wiñay Wayna - Guests are picked up from their Cusco hotel early in the morning and transported by van to the train station at Ollantaytambo. The train journey takes about an hour before making an unscheduled stop at KM 104, the starting point of the Inca Trail and the beginning of…

What's Included
  • Machu Picchu Entrance Ticket
  • Inca Trail Permit
  • Round trip train tickets
  • Bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes on day 1
  • Tour guide
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
What's Not Included
  • Hiking poles (can be rented from us)
  • Tips
  • Bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu on day 2 (US $24).
  • Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Additional Information

The Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu offers a feasible option for those with time limitations or preference for a less strenuous journey. The trail begins at the 104 Kilometer point of the Machu Picchu railway line, leading to two archeological sites, Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna. This hike further presents an opportunity to access the hidden Inca city…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(300 Ratings)
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1 star
Jeff
Mar 1, 2025
Action Perú Treks provides a fantastic trip - We went on the 2 day, 1 night trek to Huchuy Qosqo/Machu Picchu. In February the Inca Trail is closed but this trail is great and very private. Day 1 it rained but the trek was fun and beautiful. We walked to 13,200 ft so make sure you are altitude prepared. The scenery is beautiful and the Inca settlement is amazing. Our guide Christian was knowledgeable, helpful, a lot of fun and spoke perfect English. A train ride to Aquas Caliente where we had dinner at an upscale restaurant, shopping at the market and then to our very nice hotel with comfortable beds finished day 1. Day 2 started with a hotel breakfast and a morning bus ride to Machu Picchu. It is breath taking. Christian led us through the maze of walkways, stopping to explain the Inca culture, history, agriculture and construction. The Inca were amazing. Christian was a fantastic guide with a wealth of knowledge and Roxner was very great to easily communicate the pre-trek questions and coordination. We highly recommend Action Peru Treks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Timro516lr
Jan 20, 2025
Best provider ever! - The team around Roxner has given us an unforgettable stay in Machu Picchu. It was just wonderful: Perfect organization, excellent and fast communication and maximum flexibility. It doesn't get any more professional. Our guide Lino led us along the Inca Trail and was also super professional and mega friendly. He just knew everything about the Incas and explained it in excellent English. We can't think of a better and more gracious tour guide! In addition, Action Peru Treks is a local company that uses the income to support social projects - so the money stays in the country. Be sure to give us 10 stars!
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Michaelmn2120df
Dec 22, 2024
Amazing, Once in a Lifetime Experience! - We had such a great time and experience. The trail was challenging but our guides were patient and helpful. They made the experience possible and way more enjoyable. Christian, our guide is highly recommended! I really felt like he made an effort to get to know us and have fun. We laughed together and learned about each other. He was checking on us to make sure we were okay and he was knowledgeable about everything we asked. He gave us recommendations of things to see in Lima as well. I would love to go with him again because he was really THAT good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tess_m
Dec 20, 2024
Perfect for novice hikers. - This was the perfect tour if you're not a big hiker or have a short amount of time to explore Machu Picchu. Our guide Fischer was incredible and let us go at our own pace (the altitude is no joke, even though we had been acclimatising for 5 days prior). He was very knowledgeable and friendly. I found the packed lunch to be very good - a lot more than I would usually eat in one sitting - which meant we had plenty of snacks for the next day as well. It was still one of the harder hikes I've done as a novice, but it was absolutely worth it for the views and Machu Picchu at the end. We took as many breaks as needed, which just meant we spent more time looking at the incredible scenery. The hotel and dinner spot in Aguas Calientes were also nicer than what I've experienced on other multi day tours.
Review provided by Viator
Dave
Oct 29, 2024
Absolutely fantastic trek to MP! - We booked our trek in April. It was the private 2D&1N short inca trail. From the outset, Roxner of APT was fantastic with excellent communication throughout. We had a pre-brief the evening before trek with our guide Lino, who deserves a special mention. During the entire trek and the 2nd day visit to MP, he was extremely attentive towards us and showed a real passion for the subject of inkan history. In our trek was all transfers (bus and train), hotel and evening meal in AC during the night, entrance to MP on day 2 ( you get to descend into MP on day 1 around 2pm and revisit MP on day 2). Definitely not for the faint hearted but so worth the trek when you crest at the sungate, it makes all the climbing worthwhile. I can highly recommend APT - you will not be disappointed! These guys help you make memories.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tsw95_
Oct 17, 2024
Something you will never, ever forget! - I recently completed the Short Inca Trail (2D/1N) with my partner whilst visiting Peru. We pre booked our experience with Action Trek Peru prior to visiting, and that decision was one we will never regret. Action Trek Peru were really helpful at clearly communicating the requirements for the trip and organising all necessary elements including hotel transfer, bus travel, rail travel and national park entry tickets. This also meant we avoided many hours of queuing to arrange this when arriving! Our tour guide, Nilton, was absolutely fantastic during our two day trip. On Day 1, Nilton picked us up from our hotel and guided us from Cusco all the way through to arriving by rail at KM104 to begin our hike. Over the 12km hike, Nilton was thoroughly engaging, motivating and funny. His style of providing excellent information on the places we visiting coupled with his excellent and humourous conversation made the whole hike a pleasure (even if at times the elevation gain and stair, after stair, after stair were a challenge!). Reaching the Sun Gate genuinely felt a real success! In the evening Nilton came out for dinner with us where we shared a lovely meal and spoke more about our amazing day, and the history of Machu Pichhu and Aguas Calientes. On Day 2, Nilton gave us a fantastic and information in depth tour of the site itself, the scenery, information and sheer scale of the site is something to behold. Whilst visiting it alone would be something to remember, with a tour guide from Action Trek Peru (especially Nilton!) your experience is so much more, we will never forget some of the stories shared and memories made. Thank you Action Trek Peru and Nilton for such a fantastic experience, we will never forget it and could not recommend visiting Peru and Machu Picchu enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarahsk5280rj
Oct 17, 2024
The best way to experience Machu Picchu - What an experience! Everything was seamless when booking our trip, Action Trek Peru organise everything for you and look after you well. Pick up was easy and on time, very easy to send bags to hotel, everything included that you need. The hike was difficult at times but so rewarding and the scenery stunning, a special shout out to our guide Nilton who shared details about each Incan site we came across, different plants we saw along the way and many interesting facts about the Quechua culture. He was friendly, encouraging and funny and made the trip very enjoyable. Reaching the Sun Gate was so rewarding and such a special way to see your first view of Machu Picchu before the guided tour on day 2. Again Nilton was very knowledgeable and delivered the tour in an interesting way that did not feel manufactured. Do not hesitate to book this experience! :) Thank you Nilton and Action Treks Peru.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarafg7318oh
Oct 4, 2024
Amazing experience! - We had an exceptional experience! The team was incredibly flexible and helpful with all the arrangements, from managing our luggage to organizing everything with the hotel and restaurants, which made the entire trip stress-free. Our guide, Lino, truly made the difference. His vibrant personality and deep knowledge brought the journey to life, with tailored explanations that added a personal touch throughout. The trail itself was breathtaking, and when we finally arrived at Machu Picchu, Lino skillfully avoided the crowds, creating a peaceful and unique experience. It’s rare to feel so relaxed in such a busy location, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa
Sep 13, 2024
“Breath”-taking in many ways but worth every single step - This was a truly magical trip - full of wonders in sights and sounds and tastes -an experience to be relived over and over in our memories. What made it extraordinary was our Action Peru Trek guide- Christian Pena He treated us like family and our one-on-one time With him over the 2 days was full of interesting conversations and unique insights into this place. He was genuine, respectful and passionate about his job and the Inca traditions and history We were truly mesmerized by the beauty of our surroundings and the importance of being part of a trek to such a historic and archeologically significant site. Christian was supportive and encouraging when we felt we could not take another step……and he never said there were millions of more steps….he kept us focused on the now and what beauty was to come which gave us hope that we could finish🥳. Thank you for a truly magnificent trek - absolutely the best 2 days ever!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cathriona_w
Sep 22, 2024
The Inka Trail to Machu Picchu is magnificent - Machu Picchu is magnificent. Like nothing I've ever seen before. The trail on day one was challenging but so beautiful and our guide Hipo really made the whole experience for us. He was so enthusiastic, supportive and knowledgeable. He had great humor and it was just really enjoyable to spend the 2 days with him. If I was coming back to Cusco/Machu Picchu i'd definitely request to go with him again. He also helped to make the trip very smooth with no waiting in lines and he was very punctual. The trek itself was fantastic. It totally exceeded my expectations and I was really glad to have Hipo with us to learn all about the nature, scenery and inkan history. The lunch provided on day 1 was also exceptional, for a packed lunch I was very impressed, it was the best brownie I've ever had! This experience was definitely something I will always remember and would fully recommend someone coming to Peru to do. As an avid traveller and reviewer, I believe feedback is a gift so I'm also sharing the reasons I am giving this experience 4 stars and not 5, with the hope it will be taken on board by the tour provider to make this specific tour even better. The 2 main reasons this was not a 5 star experience were the following: 1. Accommodation The staff at the B&B were so friendly and helpful, however the quality of the accomodation was really bad. Our room had windows on the first floor that didn't lock, the walls were paper thin so we could hear everything from outside including loud techno music and dogs barking at 3am. This meant that we had a terrible sleep. Considering day 1 starts at 4am and day 2 at 5:30am, having a restful place to stay is so important. Additionally the bathroom facilities were really old and smelled like sewage. For a tour that cost over €1000 for 2 of us, the accomodation was really below expectations. We checked online and it was about €40 for the night in the B&B we stayed in, and you could tell. I strongly recommend investing in a higher quality accomodation for future guests. 2. Day 2 of the tour, bad organisation The morning of the second day was fantastic. Hipo collected us and took us to Machu Picchu for a tour and we were one of the first groups in which was amazing. However we were back in Aguas Calientes for about 9:30am and the tour was over, but we had to wait until 15:50 for our train back to Cusco. That's over 6 hours in a town with not much to do and no access to a hotel or facilities. This felt like a serious waste of time and was really disappointing. I feel we should have been travelling back to Cusco within 2 hours of the tour ending. The final thing that really bothered me was after the wait, we boarded the train back to Cusco to realize we weren't seated together. As a couple, travelling together and booking the tour together, I expect that our seats on the scenic train ride of over 1 hour are beside each other. This felt like really really bad organisation from the tour provider and to be honest after spending that amount of money and waiting that long for the train, just isn't good enough. Overall day 1 was 10/10, we couldn't thank our guide Hipo enough, as apart from the magnificent scenery, he was the highlight for us.
Review provided by Viator
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