Last Updated on November 25, 2025 by Ariana Svenson
If you are visiting Peru with kids, then you may be interested in trekking but also asking, “what is the shortest hike to Machu Picchu”? I understand that once you become a parent suddenly you have to adapt your own desires to what works best for the children.
Doing the 1-Day Inca Trail Hike (also known as the Short Inca Trail) is a wonderful way to combine the needs of the family with that of the kids. It may be your best option to get a taste of the Inca Trail combined with experiencing the citadel of Machu Picchu. Regardless, we are pretty sure it will be a highlight of your trip to South America!
Can you hike to Machu Picchu in one day?
Yes, you can hike to Machu Picchu in one day; and then you visit the Inca Citadel the next day and return at night to Cusco. While it’s known as the Short Inca Trail or 2-day Inca trail, it’s a misnomer, as it’s the only one day Inca Hike. And… its an extraordinary way to experience mystical Inca ruins, and the phenomenal beauty and lush vegetation of the Andes mountains.
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Interested in doing the Classic 4-day Inca Trail with kids – then we have a full post with Top Tips for Hiking the Inca Trail with Children.
The 2-Day Inca Trail, The Shortest Hike to Machu Picchu
What is the Shortest Hike to Machu Picchu?
The Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is actually a 1 day hike on the Inca Trail. Departing from either the city of Cusco or Ollantaytambo Train Station you will then take a relatively short train ride, and then you will start trekking at the archaeological site of Chachabamba. During the climb upwards towards Winaywayna you will have a packed lunch (also known as a box lunch) before continuing on to the Sun Gate for a spectacular afternoon view of Machu Picchu, and across the winding Urubamba River. That first view of Machu Picchu is truly magical.
The first day ends when you take the bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes where you will spend the night in a hotel. Most tour operators have their preferred hotels, depending on the quality of the tour. However, we chose to upgrade to the lovely Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel. If you are not too tired from the day’s hike, you can always go and soak in the hot springs that the town are named for.
The following day, after breakfast, you will again take the shuttle bus. This time up to Machu Picchu where you will have a guided tour of this spectacular Inca site. Many companies include a buffet lunch at the Tinkuy Restaurant at the Belmond Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. The second day ends generally with your return to Cusco.
Here you can see the Apus Peru 2 day Inca Trail tour information.
What is the Age Limit for the 2-Day Inca Trail?
As a rule of thumb, the minimum age for the 4-day Inca Trail trek is considered to be 8 years old. I believe that is pretty young for a 4-5 day trek through the mountains! However, the Short Inca Trail is far more doable for the average 8 year old. In fact, if you are hoping to do the Inca Trail with a 9 year old – I would say go for it – do the 1 day trek on the Short Inca Trail.
Most kids of decent fitness and energy should be able to manage it. Plus, there is no camping involved. It’s only one day. So, even if the kid is hating the experience, it will be over after one day. An important note – any family considering to hike the Inca Trail should honestly assess each family member’s ability and resilience. Just because its a short walk, its not necessarily easy!
Who is the 1 Day Inca Trail Hike Best Suited For?
There are many people that the Short Inca Trail is best suited to:
- People who have limited time, and yet want to get a taste of of hiking the Inca Trail. You still get to walk through the Sun Gate and get an unsurpassed view of the Machu Picchu Citadel spread below you shadowed by gorgeous Huayna Picchu Mountain.
- People who don’t like to camp. If you would prefer to sleep in a bed, and be well rested for their visit to the ancient city.
- Families with babies or toddlers who can be easily carried in a baby backpack.
- Families with children over 8 years of age that want to give hiking a go. All family members should still have decent fitness!
- If you want to try hiking the Inca trail pregnant, then this might be a decent option for you.
Our Story of Doing The 2 Day Inca Trail with a Baby!
To celebrate our daughter’s first birthday, we decided we would trek the Short Inca Trail hike with her! We hope that the following information and our story is enough to inspire you to do Machu Picchu with a baby, toddler or young children.
Classic 4 day Inca Trail permits sell out months well ahead (think – 6 months)! So we made the decision with a good deal of bravado. Even though we spent a lot of time outdoors, we’d never taken our baby on a multi-day camping trip. Still, it was the peak of the high (dry) season, our baby was born in Cusco, and acclimatized to the high altitudes, and we’d paid for an extra porter to carry the superfluous paraphernalia that a baby inexplicably accumulates. We figured that we would be ok doing the Inca Trail with a baby.
If you are going to consider the Short Inca trail with a baby or toddler you MUST allow 4-5 days for acclimatization. Pre-verbal babies/toddlers can’t tell you if they are sick, so gentle acclimatization is a must!
When Travelling with Kids You Need to be Flexible
A couple of days before the trek Miss M. developed a serious cold. Also, it began to pour with rain – right in the middle of the dry season! I accepted that our Inca Trail with kids trek was not going to happen! With both a sick baby and copious rain, the signs were against us.
At this point the team at Apus Peru Adventure Travel Specialists suggested we do the 2 day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu instead. They made new hotel arrangements, changed our trains, and spent hours finalizing the paperwork for us to do the Short Inca Trail starting at kilometer 104.
The Short Inca Trail Trek is just that, a one-day hike that joins the last day of the Inca Trail. It is ideal for people who are short of time, who don’t like to camp, or who lack the desire to do a longer trek. While its called the 2 day Inca Trail Hike, that is a misnomer. It is actually one day of hiking, a night in a hotel, and then a visit to Machu Picchu the next day.
Starting Our Family Hike to Machu Picchu
As we arrived at our starting point my first reaction was that there were very few other groups doing the route that day; even though it was the middle of the high season. I expected it to be packed out. It’s the “easy route”, after all! In fact, there was none of the hustle and bustle of the entry to the Classic Inca Trail. There were just us, our guide, and the porters who were carrying our baby and her extra things. It was a great experience hiking the Short Inca Trail with kids.
On cue, the rain stopped and revealed the triangular walls of the ruins at Chachabamba. This Inca site was discovered in 1940, almost thirty years after Hiram Bingham found Machu Picchu. Its architectural style and intricate stonework suggest that this was an important religious site. Of course, in addition to its secondary function as a gatehouse guarding the entrance to Machu Picchu.
From here, we began to climb. Having always thought that this was the ‘easy route’ to Machu Picchu, I suddenly realized that there was a lot of gentle but consistent climbing. Despite having trekked extensively in the Andes, after a short while, my aching muscles painfully reminded me that I hadn’t hit the trail in the 12 months since my daughter’s birth – nor even in the final trimester of pregnancy! I began to struggle, puffing, and taking lots of rests. This was what it was like to be out of shape and then do a trek?! Not a lot of fun!
A reminder, even if you are going to do a one-day hike on the Inca Trail, you need to have good physical condition and reasonable fitness! Just because this is the shortest hike to Machu Picchu doesn’t mean that it is easy.
Unexpected Perks of Hiking with a Baby
Luckily for me, my daughter needed frequent breaks from the baby backpack and we stopped often to admire the views of the valley below us. It was alternately bathed in sunshine and misted over with colorful clouds shifting over the mountains.
Despite Miss M’s lingering cold and my aching legs, there was certainly something magical about breastfeeding her on the trail. There were spectacular panoramas all about and I enjoyed the free time soaking in the atmosphere.
We are often asked by parents of babies and toddlers about trekking with their babies. We always recommend that you allow a lot of extra time! At just 12 months Miss M wasn’t yet walking. A few crawls and scoots around on the dirt at regular intervals kept her content. A few weeks later, when she started to walk our Inca Trek with kids adventure might have been very different! Keep this in mind as you need to book the permits so far in advance!
One way that the Incas adapted to the steepness of the Andes was by building step. Something that distinguishes the Inca Trail from the alternative trails around Cusco are the endless steps! In between panoramic views, we passed a beautiful cascading waterfall. This was a lovely surprise from Mother Nature in the midst of the mountains.
Maybe it’s because we were so slow, but we only encountered two groups all day while on the trail. Despite being so near to Machu Picchu and the heavily trafficked Inca trail, we felt that we were alone in the Andes mountains, a truly thrilling experience.
Highlights From The Short Inca Trail
After some 6 hours of uphill hike we arrived at Wiñay Wayna. It is possibly the most beautiful set of ruins along the whole Inca Trail. The name Wiñay Wayna which in Quechua means “Eternal Youth,” or “Forever Young”. It was given to the ruins by the eminent Peruvian archaeologist, Dr. Julio C. Tello. Considered by many to be the most beautiful of the sites on the Inca Trail. It was a wonderful highlight of our trek.
With the frequent stops for the baby, we were some 2 hours slower than the average trekker. We still had a couple of hours’ walk through the moist cloud forest. At this point, the terrain was blessedly flat and cool, we felt as if we were walking in the high jungle. We arrived at the final massive stairs of Inti Punku, which were once a control gate for those who entered and exited the sanctuary. As the entrance to Machu Picchu, it is one of the most important features of the site. As the name suggests, it’s devoted to Inti, the sun-god and is the highest point of the Short Inca Trail, at 2700m (8858 feet).
At other times when we’ve done the Inca Trail, Inti Punku had been filled with hundreds of tourists moving eagerly to catch their first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Instead, as we were arriving very late in the day, we were the only people at Inti Punku. It was a special moment to arrive at a place normally so inundated with tourists and yet enjoy it in solitude. As we descended the final stretch to Machu Picchu, we saw that there were few people at the site. We had unobstructed views: it was a unique feeling.
As it was now late afternoon, we made the last bus down. Our 12-month-old looked exhausted by the day’s trek. It was amazing to get a hot shower and then to sink into a soft bed and we were filled with gratitude. Despite having been on the Inca Trail for just a day, we experienced solitude, isolated Inca ruins, and an indescribable sense of awe and accomplishment. We had trekked into Machu Picchu on foot, as a family.
Our Family’s Update 2023:
Our plans to hike the Inca Trail in 2020 were dashed when the pandemic occurred. Currently we are planning to do the 2 day Inca Trail Hike (this trek!) in July 2023. The reason that we won’t be doing the longer Inca Trail (4 days) is that permits sell out well in advance. We weren’t sufficiently organized to confirm dates; and then the permits sold out. I was also doubtful of whether my special needs child would cope and figured we would be better to attempt a less complicated trek (ie, with easier exit points) should he have too much anxiety and need to finish early.
Top Tips for Doing the 2-Day Inca Trail with Children
- First up you MUST read our blog post Tips for Hiking with Toddlers. The whole post is useful but if you are short of time head directly to # 5 Want To Trek With Toddlers In The Andes? This specifically refers to our experiences in the Andes. Also of vital importance please read: Tips For Acclimating To Altitude With Kids (altitude sickness is no fun)! Plus, there are many things to do in the Cusco Region, or the Sacred Valley of the Incas while you are acclimatizing.
- Consider paying extra cost for a private tour that allows you as much time as you want to rest. A private tour will also include private transport. Your next best option is doing a small group tour.
- Even though the 2 day Inca Trail trek is a short hike you want to know that you are with a high quality tour operator that can deal with issues should they occur. It’s a good idea to ask them about their experiencing operating the Short Inca Trail with kids. Look for honest, genuine responses. Insist that your tour guide is experienced in trekking with children.
- Ask about the inclusions! All tour operators will include entry to the Inca Trail, as well as Machu Picchu entrance tickets. Most will include the Expedition Train tickets operated by Peru Rail. Top end operators generally include the nicer Vistadome train. All companies include a Machu Picchu tour.
- Ask what you should do with your main luggage while you are trekking. Some companies will transfer a small bag of clothes to your Aguas Calientes hotel so that you have your clothes waiting when you arrive.
- You will need an authorized Inca Trail trek operator to buy your permit (by law) and assist with logistics. Apus Peru Adventure Travel Specialists have plenty of experience in offering treks with young people! Your Peru family vacation can start!
What to Pack For the Short Inca Trail Hike?
If you are travelling with a baby then you need to read this, Baby Travel Essentials: The Best Travel with Baby Gear.
- Plenty of water! Even though your packed lunch will be included, you need to drink a lot on a trek like this.
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Warm Clothes. Even though it can be sunny in the valley, as you climb higher it can get quite cold!
- Original passport. You need to present this at the Machu Picchu entrance.
Make sure to check out our other trekking with kids posts.
The Best Hiking Backpacks for Kids
Hiking Gear For Kids: Essential Kids Outdoor Gear
The Best Toddler Carriers And Baby Backpacks For Hiking
You are going need a proper trekking baby carrier. We have used a Deuter 3 Kid Comfort for years. In addition, you need to buy the Kid Comfort Sun Protection separately. We love everything about this carrier and highly recommend it. Other baby carriers that we would consider for this kind of trek are an Osprey Kid Carrier or Mac Pac Carrier. Keep in mind that you can hire a porter for children up to 20kg. However, if the child weighs over 20kg, you will need to carry them yourself, due to porter laws! You can see pictures here:
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Other Machu Picchu Family Vacation Resources
Visiting Machu Picchu With Kids
How to Ace a Trip to Machu Picchu with a Baby or Toddler!
Should I Take My Children Trekking in Peru
Peru Lodge To Lodge Trekking With Kids
There’s no better way to prepare for a trip to Peru than by sharing stories that capture its heart. Discover our favorite Peruvian Children’s books, full of warmth, adventure, and cultural insight—ideal for helping kids fall in love with Peru before they’ve even packed their backpacks.
The Verdict – The Shortest Hike to Machu Picchu
We hope that we have given you a great introduction to the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu that better explains why you might want to opt for the this short one-day Inca Trail. This is Inca Trail option gives you a taste of the Inca trail – and the amazing Peruvian Andes.
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