Climbing & trekkingAmericasLicensed operator onlyCheck · Sep 2026
Inca Trail permits
A named daily permit to walk the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, capped at about 500 people a day including porters and guides.
The permit
- Who issues it
- Ministry of Culture, Peru (via licensed trail operators)
- How to get it
- Licensed operator only. Only licensed trekking operators can buy permits, in your name and passport number; you cannot walk the trail independently.
- Lead time
- 4 months+ · May–August dates often sell out 4–6 months ahead; shoulder months 1–3 months. The trail closes every February.
- Cost (check)
- Permit folded into the tour; classic 4-day treks typically US$700–1,500 per person (check).
- Documents
- The same passport you booked with (numbers are checked)
- Student card if you booked a student rate
- If you skip it
- Names and passports cannot be changed: a new passport can mean losing the permit unless you bring the old one; no-shows are not refunded.
- Official site
- Machu Picchu official ticket site
Check before you pay
Fees, quotas and closed areas change, sometimes with days of notice. These figures were last checked in Sep 2026; confirm on the official site or with a licensed operator before you book flights.