Peru releases next year’s Inca Trail permits once, in the fall, without warning. Tell us your month and who’s coming, and we’ll be ready to secure your dates the hour they open. No payment to join the list.
hiker permits per day, for the whole trail
for June and July to sell out last year
when the 2027 release is expected
We’ll confirm your dates, send a proposal, and secure your permits on release day. Nothing is charged until you say yes.
The Peruvian government limits the classic trail to 500 people a day, and about 300 of those are guides, cooks and porters. That leaves roughly 200 hiker permits per day, for the whole world, released once a year for the year ahead.
Permits are sold only to licensed operators, only against a named passport, and never refunded or transferred. Once the dry-season months are gone, they’re gone: there is no waiting list at the sanctuary and no second release.
Last year the 2026 permits were released in November and June and July were sold out within about two days. The 2027 release is expected between early October and November. It isn’t announced ahead of time, which is why we keep a list.
The dry season is the classic choice and the first to sell. The shoulder months are quieter, greener and easier to secure. There’s no bad month except February, when the trail closes.
Rain tapering off, valleys at their greenest, few people. Easiest permits of the year.
Clearing skies, wildflowers, still quiet. Our favourite month that nobody asks for.
Clear mornings, cool nights. Sells within days of release.
Peak of the dry season and Inti Raymi in Cusco. Gone within a day or two.
Driest, coldest nights, busiest. Gone within a day or two.
Dry and clear, big skies. Sells within days.
Warmer, still dry, a little quieter. Sells within a couple of weeks.
Warm days, occasional showers, orchids starting. Good availability for months.
Green again, afternoon rain, few hikers. Usually available until spring.
Warm and wet, lush and empty. For hikers who don’t mind rain gear.
Wettest month the trail is open. Quiet, dramatic cloud, muddy steps.
The trail closes all month for maintenance. Machu Picchu stays open.
Dry season, sells first Shoulder, good availability Wet season Closed
Many companies selling the Inca Trail don’t operate it: they resell a seat with a licensed operator you’ll never hear the name of. Destination Peru is licensed by the Peruvian government to run the trail ourselves, with our own guides, cooks and porters from the Lares valley. When we say we’ll secure your permit on release day, it’s our own team at the desk.
Book in the United States, with a US phone number that a person answers, and an office in Cusco that knows your name before you land.
$3,395 per person for parties of 2 or 3. Solo travelers and 9+, ask us. US dollars.
The rules are the government’s, not ours. Here’s how they actually work.
Peru's Ministry of Culture releases the following year's permits once, in the fall, and doesn't announce the date in advance. The 2026 permits were released in November 2025; the 2027 release is expected between early October and November 2026. Join the list and we'll contact you the day it happens.
No. Joining the list costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We'll send a proposal for your dates; only once you accept it do we take a fully refundable $500 deposit per person so we can secure permits the moment they open.
If we can't secure your first-choice dates, we'll offer the nearest available dates the same day. If none work for you, your deposit is refunded in full.
Not to join the list. To buy the permit on release day, we need each hiker's name, passport number, date of birth and nationality exactly as they'll appear at the checkpoint. If you're renewing a passport, we can secure the permit with the old one and update the number later; names can't be changed once issued.
No. Inca Trail permits are issued to a named hiker for a specific start date and are non-refundable and non-transferable by government rule. This is why we ask you to commit to dates carefully, and why we require travel insurance.
No. Permits are only sold to licensed operators, who buy them on behalf of named clients. Whoever secures your permit is who you'll hike with, so choose the operator first.
For May to September, be on the list before the release and ready to confirm on release day: June and July typically sell out within a day or two. For March, April and October to January, three to four months ahead is usually enough, but earlier is safer.
Yes. The classic Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance. Machu Picchu stays open, and we can arrange the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu instead.
A real person replies within one business day, from Cusco or from Salt Lake City.
