Hike, Cycle and Raft to Machu Picchu

A permit is required to visit Machu Picchu, and this is included in the price of your trip. Your host in Peru usually secures entry permits for around 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning to help you avoid the crowds, with each permit pre-purchased in your name and passport number. For late bookings, permits may only be available for a later time slot, meaning you could enter separately from the group. To increase your chances of securing a permit with the group, we strongly recommend booking early and providing your host with your full name, passport number, nationality, and date of birth as soon as possible (preferably at the time of booking). The permits are limited, and once purchased they are non-refundable and non-transferable. If your passport details change after they've been purchased then it's no problem, please just let your host know and bring your old passport with you to access Machu Picchu.

Your local host will handle the booking of your Machu Picchu permits which are booked using your passport details, so please provide your full name, nationality, passport number, and date of birth at the time of booking—or as early as possible. If these are not provided, then your host is unable to book the permits once bookings are open with Peru’s Ministry of Culture, and the dedicated time and circuit will be sold out quickly. Once issued, permits are non-refundable and non-transferable. You’ll need to travel with the same passport you booked with. If your passport changes after booking, just let your local host know and bring the original one with you for entry.

The one-day Inca Trail hike begins at KM104, known locally as Chachabamba. The name KM104 refers to the distance along the railroad line from Cusco. The trail ascends to the Wiñay Wayna ruins before contouring along the hillside, passing through the Sun Gate, and eventually arriving at Machu Picchu. This final section of the Inca Trail is less crowded than the main route or Machu Picchu llaqta itself. The hike is not technically challenging and should be manageable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. The journey starts with a 656 ft uphill section before the path winds around the mountain. Over the course of the day, there is a total ascent of 1,804 ft and a descent of 820 ft.

You'll need a permit for hiking along KM104, which will be arranged by your host and is included in your reservation. There are 250 permits available each day (and sometimes they don’t all sell out), so it’s relatively easy to spread out along the hike and avoid getting too close to other groups. On this trip, you'll take the earliest train possible, ensuring that you’re among the first on the trail. Arriving at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate is a spectacular experience filled with great energy. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's a popular destination and you'll encounter many others, but the shared excitement only adds to the moment. When you finally arrive, the view will make every step of the journey worthwhile.

For each person on this trip a $99 contribution to the Positive Impact Fund will go directly towards the following:

1. Fully offsetting the carbon footprint of your time in Peru, via a carbon sink project in Manu National Park run by Regenera Peru

2. Planting a guaranteed minimum of two native queuña polyepolis trees per person, per day, in the high Andes — helping to protect vital water sources, support hundreds of local farming jobs and regenerate the land

3. Supporting initiatives like Green Hero Peru, which provide sustainability education for up to 3,000 children each year, run clean-ups along riverbanks and public spaces, and aim to establish a new container library annually in a local community

On this trip, you’ll visit Palcoyo, the 'alternative Rainbow Mountain,' which offers everything we love about adventure travel: breathtaking scenery, an off-the-beaten-path experience, and a connection with nature that feels authentic and unspoiled. It’s a quieter, yet equally stunning alternative to the more famous Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain: at Palcoyo, you can soak in the vibrant beauty of Peru’s multicolored landscapes without the crowds. The hike here is pleasantly accessible – it has all the rewards of a high-altitude trek without the intense challenge, balancing exploration with a bit of ease. But accessible doesn’t mean any less spectacular – Palcoyo offers an incredible visual experience with its three colorful peaks: Montaña Palcoyo, Cerro Colorado, and a third unnamed mountain. The reds, oranges, yellows, and greens of these mountains are the result of unique mineral deposits, painting a landscape that feels almost otherworldly. What truly sets Palcoyo apart is its untouched, wild feel. With less tourism infrastructure, the landscape remains unspoiled by heavy foot traffic, allowing for a more personal and profound connection with nature.

Clean drinking water will be regularly provided for you to fill up your water bottles. In an effort to eliminate plastic waste we recommend that you bring your own water bottle with you and regularly fill up. If you are concerned about the water quality, please feel free to bring additional water purification tablets.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).

If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.

For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

The one thing you can say for sure about the weather in Peru is that it is difficult to accurately predict. You can have beautifully clear hot days in the middle of the wet season and hail storms in the dry season. In the Andes, there are two distinct seasons – wet and dry. The dry season runs from May to October and you can expect clear skies, sunny days, with daytime temperatures of around 64-77ºF. The nights tend to be colder, and temperatures can drop significantly, so it's advisable to bring layers. The wet season runs from November to April and the weather can be unpredictable. Daytime temperatures are relatively mild, and it tends to be cloudier, with a higher chance of rain. Rainfall is usually heaviest from December to March. If you want to avoid Machu Picchu at its busiest, you might want to consider traveling in November, when crowds are fewer and rainfall is still not nearly as much as in the following months.