Guide to Visiting Machu Picchu
If you travel to Peru, you plan to visit Machu Picchu. The awe-inspiring Inca City of Machu Picchu rests atop the Andes Mountains in Peru. The Inca held the largest empire in the Americas, and Machu Picchu was built at the height of their reign. The city was believed to have been the royal estate or sacred religious site for the Inca leaders. One of the most fascinating facts about Machu Picchu is that the city was not discovered when the Spanish Conquistadors virtually wiped out civilization in Peru. When the Inca got word of the conquistadors’ arrival, they destroyed their roads so that outsiders wouldn’t find them. The city was abandoned for about a hundred years until American archaeologist Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu in 1911 and shared it with the world. However, there is evidence that missionaries and other explorers reached the city before him but were less vocal about their discovery.
It’s no surprise that millions of people visit this mysterious city every year. Machu Picchu has intricately crafted stonework, terraced fields, and an irrigation system that was years ahead of its time. Getting to view Machu Picchu’s splendor requires handling a lot of logistics. Here is a guide to help you easily plan your Machu Picchu vacation!
Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is open to the public all year. But when is the best time to go to Machu Picchu? The official rainy season is October through April, but you should expect rain anytime. The high season is from June to September. Given the popularity of Machu Picchu, you should always expect crowds. Sundays are the most crowded because locals are allowed into the site for free.
What Time of Day to Go?
There are two entrance times for Machu Picchu. The “primer turno” or morning Machu Picchu ticket gives you access to the Inca ruins from 6 am to 12 pm. This is typically the busiest time of day to explore the ruins. You should visit Machu Picchu in the morning if you want to catch the sunrise. If you’re going to see it in the morning, you must stay the night before in Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu. Otherwise, you won’t realistically be able to arrive before 11 am and won’t have enough time to explore the ruins. Be mindful that there is a high chance of morning fog at Machu Picchu, located inside a mountain rainforest.
The “Segundo turno” or afternoon Machu Picchu tickets (12-5:30 pm) are ideal if you are looking for less crowd, better photography lighting, and better weather. Also, the only doable option is seeing Machu Picchu on a day trip.
How to get to Machu Picchu?
Wondering how to get to Machu Picchu? There are three options when deciding how to travel to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu by Bus
When planning a trip to Machu Picchu, it’s good to know that buses leave from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu starting at 5:30 am. The ride takes about 20-30 minutes. This will cost 24 USD for a round trip. We bought our ticket at a kiosk in Aguas Calientes. While they accept MasterCard and American Express, they do not accept Visa.
Hiking into Machu Picchu
You can hike the trail up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. This Machu Picchu hike is free and will take 60 to 90 minutes, covering 400 meters of altitude.
Taking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The classic Inca Trail is the most popular Machu Picchu trek. This is a 4-day Machu Picchu hike. Depending on your chosen tour group, this hike will cost about 500 USD. When trekking Machu Picchu, tickets and an official guide are required, and most people hire a porter to help carry their belongings.
Machu Picchu Travel Preparation:
Things to Do in Advance
Several things should be done in advance of your Machu Picchu holiday:
Book Machu Picchu tickets
There is a daily limit of 2,500 visitors allowed in Machu Picchu. While you can purchase Machu Picchu tickets in person in Cusco, Aguas Calientes, or any major city with a Banco de Nacíon, buying in advance is strongly suggested, particularly in the high season. Tickets quickly sold out, and you cannot purchase tickets at Machu Picchu.
There are three Machu Picchu ticket options:
Machu Picchu Main Grounds-
This is the ticket I purchased a month in advance. It provides entry to Machu Picchu, including the main ruins, terraces, and temples you see all over your IG feed. It does not give you access to the Machu Picchu hike (i.e., Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu). You must pick a morning ticket (6:00 am to 12:00 am) or an afternoon ticket (12:00 am to 5:30 pm).
Cost (2018): Adult: $47 USD (152 Soles), Student: $24 USD (77 Soles), Child (8-17 years): $24 USD (77 Soles)
Machu Picchu & Montaña (Mountain) Machu Picchu-
In addition to the entrance to Machu Picchu’s main grounds, this ticket allows you to hike the taller mountain, Montaña Machu Picchu, which stands 10,111ft/3,082m tall and provides an elevated view of the ruins. Montaña Machu Picchu itself has no ruins, it is typically less crowded, and has a longer Machu Picchu hike time. You have to pick between the two time slots to hike, 7-8 AM or 9-10 AM.
Cost (2018): Adult: $62 USD (200 Soles), Student: $38 USD (125 Soles), Child (8-17 years): $38 USD (125 Soles)
Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu-
In addition to the entrance to Machu Picchu’s main grounds, this ticket allows you to hike the shorter, more crowded mountain peak, Huayna Picchu, which stands 8,923 ft/2,720 m tall. Huayna Picchu provides panoramic views and admission to the Temple of the Sun and the ruins at the top. You have to pick between the two time slots to hike, 7-8 AM or 10-11 AM.
Cost (2018): Adult: $62 USD (200 Soles), Student: $38 USD (125 Soles), Child (8-17 years): $38 USD (125 Soles)
Beware that a few internet websites sell Machu Picchu tickets at inflated prices. The best place to purchase tickets in advance is through the Ministry of Culture website. The website isn’t the most user-friendly, but it is functional. Here are some pro tips to help you navigate it:
You will need Adobe Flash to view the website.
- If English is your preferred language, click the British flag at the top right corner to translate the website into English.
- When you select your site to visit ( “lugar a visitor”), you can choose Machu Picchu only or the Machu Picchu Museum and Machu Picchu. I haven’t been to the museum. If you decide to go to the museum, plan accordingly; it is midway to Machu Picchu, but no buses stop. Most people recommend visiting the Inca Museum in Cusco as an alternative.
- After selecting your Machu Picchu visit, you will choose your route and time slot. You can purchase the morning and afternoon time slots for a full-day experience.
- Special note about student tickets. Peruvian and foreign undergraduate students up to the age of 25 years old are allowed to purchase tickets at the student rate with the presentation of a valid student ID. However, many people falsify this information, so student tickets can not be purchased online. They can be purchased through an authorized travel agency or in person in Cusco or Aguas Calientes.
Book train tickets
I decided to take the train when visiting Machu Picchu because it was the quickest way to get there. The three train companies to choose from are the Inca Rail, Peru Rail, and the Belmond Hiram Bingham train. The Hiram Bingham service is the more fancy and expensive train option. The Inca Rail and the Peru Rail are affordable options that provide comfortable passage on various types of trains.
I booked with Peru Rail because that was the train most of my blogger friends traveled with. I enjoyed my experience with the Peru Rail. We traveled on two different trains. On the way to Machu Picchu, we had an expedition service providing complimentary beverages and snacks. On the way back, we had the slightly upgraded Vistadome experience, where we were given a complimentary drink, sandwich, and dessert. The Vistadome experience also included a Saqra Dance performance (a Peruvian traditional dance) and a fashion show highlighting the latest Alpaca fashion. Both trains were comfortable and spacious and had large windows, which was great for taking the scenic route.
Other Important Things to Note
Get a Tour Guide
According to new government rules, as of 2017, all visitors must enter Machu Picchu tours with a guide. Although it didn’t seem heavily enforced, I highly recommend you get a guide and do a Machu Picchu tour. They provide a local perspective and all the fascinating historical and architectural content. We found our English-speaking tour guide in front of the entrance gate of Machu Picchu. For our 2-hour tour, we paid USD 10 each and were in a small group of 7.
How much time do you need to explore?
Our departure from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu was at 8:30 am, and our returning train to Ollantaytambo was at 5:23 pm. This gave us enough time to eat lunch in Aguas Calientes, explore Machu Picchu, grab a quick bite to eat before we departed, and do a little shopping in the market, conveniently right next to the train station.
Machu Picchu Packing list
Passport – Necessary for entry into the citadel and also for you to mark the novelty Machu Picchu stamp on your passport!
- Water – You’ll be walking at a high altitude, so hydration is essential.
Rain jacket – Rain is always possible at Machu Picchu.
Sunscreen with high SPF – Peru has the highest ultraviolet radiation readings worldwide, and the sun is extremely strong. Do as the locals do and load up on sunscreen.
Sol coins – Restrooms at Machu Picchu cost 1 Peruvian sol, so make sure you have these coins available. The only restroom available is located right before the entrance to the site. You will have to exit the gates if you have to use the restroom while exploring, so be sure to bring your passport and ticket because you will need to show that for re-entry.
Visiting Machu Picchu
Now that all the logistics are out of the way you can spend your time visiting Machu Picchu’s urban core, temples, and agricultural zones. There are over 600 terraces, over 170 buildings, thousands of steps, several temples, and 16 fountains! The site is a testament to the Inca’s masterful skill in architecture, agriculture, and engineering. It’s mind-boggling to me that the finely crafted stonework was created without iron tools but with river rocks! The terrace system was created to grow crops and keep the city from sliding down the mountain.
After you take your pictures, make sure you take time just to sit and take it all in. Imagine what it would be like to be one of the 600 Inca that inhabit this city!
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