one day inca trail

The Best Way To Get To Peru's World Wonder

Short Inca trail to
Machu Picchu

Pass through incredible Inca Ruins and landscapes along the famous 2-day Inca Trail

Hike the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Walk Where the Incas Walked

Trek the Sacred
Land of the Incas

Sacred valleys, towering mountains and hidden ruins await. Let us take you into the heart of Peru.

Sun Gate Inti Punku Inca Trail

Enter Through the Sun Gate

Arrive at Machu Picchu
the Right Way

The only way to see this view is to earn it — hike the Inca Trail and enter through the legendary Inti Punku.

Hand-Picked Experiences

Our Top Treks & Tours

From the classic Short Inca Trail to unforgettable day trips, discover our most-loved routes to Machu Picchu, led by expert local guides.

Who We Are

More Than a Hike, It's the Experience of a Lifetime

We have one focus: make your trip the experience of a lifetime without breaking the bank. We are avid travelers with a background in creating special journeys, and we use that passion to craft truly memorable adventures for our guests.

Inca Trail landscape
  • Unforgettable Adventures

    Bucket-list moments on the path less travelled.

  • Comfortable Journeys

    Private transport and seamless logistics to Machu Picchu.

  • Expert Local Guides

    Licensed guides who know the trail, its history and culture.

Start Your Adventure
Best of Peru

Trek Combo Packages

Pair the iconic Inca Trail with some of the most breathtaking treks in Peru.

The Journey

What You'll Experience on the Trail

From the terraces of Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, every step brings you closer to the lost city of the Incas.

  1. Wiñay Wayna
    Stop 01 / 03

    Wiñay Wayna

    Its agricultural terraces cover half the mountainside, making it a trail favorite. Its name means "Eternally Young" in Quechua.

    • 2,650m altitude
    • 2.5km from Machu Picchu
  2. Inti Punku
    Stop 02 / 03

    Inti Punku

    The "Gate of the Sun" was the main entrance to Machu Picchu and gives you your first view of the citadel, a view you can only earn on the Inca Trail.

    • Sun Gate viewpoint
    • Exclusive to trekkers
  3. Machu Picchu
    Stop 03 / 03

    Machu Picchu

    By far the most well known UNESCO world heritage site in Peru and the pinnacle of many people's visits to South America. This is where you wanted to be.

    • UNESCO World Heritage
    • #1 Wonder of South America
Your Most Memorable Journey Through Peru

Short Inca Trail Machu Picchu: Your Local Experts in Cusco

Short Inca Trail Machu Picchu is a 100% Peruvian, locally owned and operated company dedicated to the Inca Trail. We guide travelers of every age and style along the ancient stone paths, past the ruins of Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna, to reach Machu Picchu through the legendary Sun Gate. Every trek is tailored to you, and each journey creates jobs and education for the local communities of the Cusco region.

Clients Feedback

Lovely Words From Our Travelers

Real reviews from travelers who explored Machu Picchu and Cusco with us, straight from Tripadvisor, Google and Trustpilot.

Tripadvisor Reviews

Read all on Tripadvisor

Passport47616819993

Germany • 4 contributions

One day trip Sacred Valley

The trip is Sacred Valley, the daily trip is wonderful, the guide Grobert and the driver are nice. We enjoyed the full trip.

Sep 2026 • Couples

Harry W

2 contributions

Amazing experience with Sam travels

I had the best experience with Sam travels, we had an amazing time doing the 4d Salkantay trek, we had the best weather. Specifically want to mention Josep what an amazing cool guy he was. A real leader, great story teller, motivator and made you feel like you were taking on something special. Secondly another special mention for Andres and his catering team. The food was amazing, real nutritious and energising for the long trekking days.

Finally the horse man Donato, he managed to get all of our fresh clothing to the next camp very efficiently. Highly recommend a trip with this company.

Sep 2026 • Solo

Carolin

2 contributions

Great experience at short Inca trail

We did the 2-day Short Inca Trail and it was a fantastic experience! Our guide, Fredy Zapata, was excellent. He told us so much about the history of the Incas and the region, and was able to answer every question we had. He did a great job and made the whole experience really enjoyable.

The highlight was definitely arriving at the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. An unforgettable experience that we would highly recommend!

Sep 2026 • Couples

Robyn

24 contributions

Great experience because of the team!

Amazing trip! What a great experience, so well organized. Our guide Josep was a guiding star who knows so much and shared a lot of information. Very kind and helpful in every way. The cooking team of Andres was amazing and we had wonderful and a great variety of meals every evening. Donato the horseman made sure we got our stuff safe and in time to every stop. I could not ask for a better experience to be honest. Especially Josep, thank you for being so flexible, organized and sharing your knowledge.

Sep 2026 • Couples

ANDRE m

2 contributions

Unforgettable Salkantay Experience with Sam Travel

We did the Salkantay Trek with SAM Travel and couldn’t have been happier with our choice! Our guide, Josep, was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and passionate. He answered every single one of our questions about nature, history and Peruvian culture honestly, even better than ChatGPT! ;) We especially loved being in such a small group. It made the whole experience feel much more personal, relaxed and authentic.. The accommodations throughout the trek were excellent, and the food prepared by Andrés was absolutely outstanding. We were honestly surprised by the quality and variety of the meals, especially considering we were in the middle of the mountains. We spent a long time researching different companies before booking the Salkantay Trek, and choosing SAM Travel was definitely the right decision. Everything was extremely well organized, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations. We would 100% recommend SAM Travel, and especially Josep and Andrés, to anyone planning to do the Salkantay Trek!

Sep 2026 • Couples

Hamish G

1 contribution

SAM travel

Great trip. Great people. Loved my time with Joseph, Andres, Donato.and Elvis. Amazing world to explore made extra special with great people. Shout to my fellow travellers

Sep 2026 • Solo

Theresa Z

1 contribution

Best trek ever!

It was amazing. We had the best Guide with Josep who is Sperling really good English and explaining so many things to us as well as introducing us perfectly to the altitude and the landscape. The Pick Up, accomodation and especially the food was so well organized and delicious. I highly recommend doing this trek, it was spectacular. 😍

Sep 2026 • Couples

Google Reviews

Read all on Google

Sarah Small

Local Guide • 19 reviews • 15 photos

We had an amazing experience on the 4 day/3 night Salkantay Trek with Sam Travel Peru. Everything was seamless from beginning to end.…

3 weeks ago

PY LAU

5 reviews • 4 photos

I joined the 2-day, 1-night tour to Cusco and Machu Picchu with SAM TRAVEL, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish.…

A month ago

Chris Handley

1 review • 4 photos

We had an incredible time on the 3D/2N Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour and would highly recommend it. It was fantastic to visit some of the highlights of the Sacred Valley, including Pisac, the Maras Salt Mines and Moray on the first…

2 months ago

Sam Pauwels

Local Guide • 20 reviews • 109 photos

We did the 4-day Inca Trail with Sam's Travel, and it was an absolutely unforgettable experience. It's something we will cherish for the rest of our lives.…

2 months ago

Philipp Luthardt

Local Guide • 7 reviews • 11 photos

We had a great time on our 3d/2n tour of the sacred valley and short inca trail. The sacred valley prepared us very well for Macchu Picchu and the information provided was great. Our guide Rolando was very knowledgeable about the inca…

2 months ago

H.Y. Lin

Local Guide • 18 reviews • 12 photos

We’ve just done the 4-Days Inca trail with SAM travel. Our main guide Josep was very professional, knowledgeable and considerate. He really made sure that we enjoy the journey and our needs are addressed. Jimmy, our assistant guide, helped…

2 months ago

Jeff Jimerson

Local Guide • 9 reviews • 22 photos

We had a great experience with Sam Travel Peru. Always felt well taken care of and safe. Our guide, Israel, was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The office staff were always quick to reply to emails.…

2 months ago

Trustpilot Reviews

Read all on Trustpilot

Ann McNamara

PE • 1 review

Awesome trip with Josef as our guide…

Awesome trip with Josef as our guide Mario the chef with amazing food and porters who were our hero’s.

Sep 9, 2026

Carolyn

US • 7 reviews

Rainbow Mt and Lake Titikaka

For the second part of our Classic Inca Trail package, we hiked Rainbow Mountain and then toured the islands of Lake Titikaka. On this portion of our trip package, we were able to spend a day/night/morning with a local family on Isla Amantaní. What an incredible experience to really got to understand the culture! Our guide Christian (Chris) from Sam’s Travel was an incredible resource helping us to not only navigate where to be, but also helped us converse with the local community. In addition to being an excellent guide and very knowledgeable, Christian was an AMAZING photographer for our group so we are all in all of the photos!

Jun 29, 2026

Joann Campos

US • 1 review

The Ultimate Birthday Bucket List Experience – The Dream Team of Liz and Abdul!

I recently checked a major dream off my birthday bucket list with an incredible 3-day tour of the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain. This experience was everything I hoped for and more, largely because of the outstanding duo of Liz Montesinos and Abdul. If you are booking with SAM Travel, I cannot recommend this pair enough—they work so perfectly together as a team that it made our entire journey feel seamless and special.

Liz Montesinos is an absolutely wonderful guide who brought so much heart to our experience. What stood out most was her intense passion for her culture and her country; she doesn’t just share facts, she shares her heritage with a deep pride that makes the history of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu truly come alive. She was also incredibly attentive, always making sure we were comfortable and helping us capture the most stunning photos of our milestone trip.

While Liz provided the incredible storytelling and cultural depth, Abdul was the perfect partner behind the wheel. He is a fantastic driver who made us feel completely safe and relaxed, even on the winding mountain roads. Seeing them work in tandem allowed us to just focus on the magic of Peru. They truly operate as a "dream team," and their combined energy and professionalism made this a birthday I will never forget. If you want the best experience possible, be sure to ask for Liz and Abdul together!

Apr 24, 2026

Susan

PE • 2 reviews

The Inca Trail with the best guide.

We did the 3 night, 4 day Inca Trail with Sam Travel Peru and our guide and organiser was Josep Quiñonez Alvarez. It was a fantastic experience and Josep made it extra special. He is extremely experienced so was able to read the group very well and make adjustments to the route when necessary. His knowledge of the Incan civilisation was excellent and he was able to convey it in superb English with passion and enthusiasm. Despite the ardours of the trail we had a great 4 days, which undoubtedly was definitely down to Josef.

Oct 9, 2025

Jen Thomas

GB • 2 reviews

An amazing adventure

Sam Travel Peru were brilliant from start to finish on the 4 day classic Inca Trail. They were well organised which made for a smooth and enjoyable experience. The guides Henry and Jimmy were amazing, so fun and helpful. They were informative about Inca history and really knew how to keep the group energised and having a good time. The chef (Mario) came up with some delicious food, pretty incredible at such remote locations. So thankful for the porters too, who made the experience so much more enjoyable by carrying everything to make camp each night (as well as our duffle bags). An all round spectacular experience, so grateful to a wonderful team.

Oct 3, 2024

Anna Mozumdar

US • 1 review

We booked a day tour for the Rainbow…

We booked a day tour for the Rainbow Mountain and it had been just perfect. Fernando, our guide, was really kind and attentive. All the staff is professional and friendly, totally recommended!

Jul 12, 2024

Jon Tam

PE • 1 review

Incredible Salkantay Trek with Exceptional Guide Jhordy

We recently completed the Salkantay Trail trek with Sam Travel, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. Our guide, Jhordy, was exceptional. He was highly professional, providing great insights, facts, and stories that enriched our journey. Jhordy was very patient with us and demonstrated remarkable flexibility, adjusting the itinerary when we weren't feeling our best. We highly recommend Sam Travel, especially Jhordy, for making our trek an incredible time.

Jul 3, 2024
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