The Short 2-Day Inca Trail will give you the same rewards of the Classic 4-Day one, but without having campsite nights, lots of hiking, more time and of course there is Machu Picchu tour at the end. Here are the best months for this 5-star trek across Cusco highlands.
Short 2-Day Trail on Rain Season
It goes from November until March (please keep in mind that both this one and the Classic 4 Days are closed every February due to Peruvian regulations), so this period actually covers November, December, January and March.
Weather is as follows: temperatures are warm in Cusco City and since Machu Picchu is at a lower altitude and closer to the Amazonian jungle, it is hotter there (this is one of the reasons Machu Picchu was said it was a luxury resort for Inca royalty…). It can be windy some days and naturally there are pourings, but they are really short and do not happen every day. You will find less people doing this tour, but don’t ever take entrance permits for granted anytime! We will elaborate on this later. Overall, these are not considered the best months for this trail.
Tourists commenting on their arrival to Machu Picchu in the rain season.
Short 2-Day Trail on Dry Season
It goes non-stop from April to October, same as the touristic high season. Climate can be described as follows: zero rain, temperatures get cold in Cusco City, especially between June-August (but keep in mind the Machu Picchu region is always much warmer), windy. Most hikers prefer some of these months for the obvious reason of the absence of rain; additionally, indeed on rainy season the paths may be somewhat muddy and there is the possibility of downfalls, overall the trek gets more tricky.
Therefore, if talking about a best season for this track, it would be between April-October. However, we have people coming all year round except in February. If you’re looking for the right time to be enchanted by more excursions in Cusco, read our blog entry about the best time for the Maras Moray tour, a fantastic connection with nature and history.
Tourists enjoying the landscape to Machu Picchu in the dry season.
Booking the Short 2-Day Inca Trail
This package is one of two most in-demand in Peru. Booking procedures must be started with proper antecedence. On this website, TOUR IN PERU staff keep a permits availability calendar which is updated in real time, you can certainly check the link. Official tickets sales begin every October, but we strongly suggest you start talking to us as earlier as you can.
A beautiful landscape of Machu Picchu with the typical animals of the area.
As an insider suggestion, you could extend this amazing Inca Trail program with one of our other premier packages, like the Sacred Valley tour, or brief hikes which are becoming quite famous like the Humantay Lagoon or the amazing Rainbow Mountain. Feel free to browse our website for complete information.
We hope knowing the best months for the Short Inca Trail will be really helpful for planning an extraordinary vacation in Cusco! You can contact us to make it all happen!
