The Ultimate (and Updated!) Guide to Visiting Machu Picchu

by Karen Bakar

COVID UPDATE: After being closed for seven months, Machu Picchu is reopening to tourists on November 1, 2020. A maximum of 675 people will be allowed in per day, in groups of eight (seven visitors plus a guide). Buses and trains to the site will be capped at 50% of capacity. Additionally, temperatures will be checked prior to entering, and groups must stay 66 feet apart.

If you’re travelling to Peru, chances are your itinerary includes the famous Incan ruin, Machu Picchu. Built in the 15th century and abandoned less than a century later, Machu Picchu lives up to all the hype, and then some.

Unfortunately, you can’t just go to Machu Picchu on a whim. Because so many people have this UNESCO World Heritage Site on their bucket list, you must plan your visit carefully and well in advance. Entrance tickets, as well as a guide, are required, and the government of Peru limits the number of visitors and the amount of time you may spend at the site.

A Little Background . . .

I first wrote this guide in 2016, but decided to overhaul it after the Peruvian government implemented more stringent visitation regulations. The new, long-overdue regulations are intended to ensure this cultural treasure is preserved so future generations may enjoy its historical significance.

The following information is accurate as of May 2020 and will help you plan what can only be described as the trip of a lifetime. I intentionally left out prices for services and activities as they can quickly become outdated and also vary for a myriad of reasons.

Machu Picchu ruins
Machu Picchu – as amazing and beautiful as everyone says it is!

When to Go to Machu Picchu

“When to go to Machu Picchu?” is really a three-part question. The first is what time of year you should travel to Peru, the second has to do with the timing of your Machu Picchu visit relative to the rest of your itinerary, and the third is what time of day is best for visiting the site.

Best Time of Year to Visit

Peru has two distinct seasons – the rainy season, roughly between November and April, and the dry season, from May to October. The weather is much better during the dry season, and as a result, this is when most tourists visit Peru, with June, July, and August being particularly busy. It goes without saying that if you decide to go during these months, you’ll want to book the Machu Picchu part of your itinerary far in advance.

Traveling in the shoulder season is a good compromise – this would be in April/May and September/October, when prices go down and crowds diminish, but the weather is still nice for the most part. You can read more about this in my related blog post, Peru: Tips for the Perfect Trip.

A couple of weather-related items to keep in mind is that if you plan to hike the Inca Trail, it is closed for maintenance the entire month of February. This is the wettest month of the year, so not the best time to go anyway.

Additionally, the train between Cusco and Machu Picchu does not run between January and April; instead, you need to take a bus to Urubumba or Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley and then continue by train. I’ve included more on both the Inca Trail and the train further into this post.

Itinerary Planning

After booking your flight to Peru, you’ll need to determine when you want to visit Machu Picchu within your overall itinerary. This part is important because once you book Machu Picchu it’s hard to change it.

Most people enter Peru through Lima, and from Lima fly to the vibrant, historic city of Cusco, which they use as their base for visiting the Incan ruins. Cusco is about 45 miles from Machu Picchu, and the area in between – called the Sacred Valley – is stunningly beautiful.

The Urubumba River tumbles through these fertile lands that have cultivated a multitude of crops, including quinoa and over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, since Incan times. Steep canyon walls rise on either side, with snow capped peaks visible in the distance.

Aerial view of the Urubumba River flowing through the Sacred Valley
Birds-eye view of the Urubumba River flowing through the Sacred Valley between Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Assuming you’re at the start of your Peru trip, my recommendation is to fly into Cusco and immediately head to one of the Sacred Valley towns for a day or two (or more depending on how much time you have) before going to Machu Picchu.

Why skip Cusco at the start? Because at 11,500 feet, many people flying in from sea level experience altitude sickness, with symptoms ranging from light headedness and shortness of breath, to nausea and vomiting.

Towns in the Sacred Valley, like Pisac, Urubumba, and Ollantaytambo, are about 2,000 feet lower than Cusco, and by staying here first you’ll have an easier time adjusting to the altitude.

Ollantaytambo
The charming town of Ollantaytambo sits at the base of one of the Sacred Valley’s most impressive ruins.
colorful fabrics in the Pisac Market
The Pisac market is one of the biggest and best in the Sacred Valley.

Despite Machu Picchu’s relatively low elevation of 7,900 feet, acclimatizing is important, especially if you plan to do the strenuous Huayna Picchu hike while you’re there (more on that later.)

After visiting the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, you can then head back to Cusco for a few days. Having given yourself ample time to adjust to the thinner air, you’ll be able to better enjoy its colonial charms, and your lungs will be better equipped to handle its steep, hilly streets.

Intiraymi Festival in Cusco
Every June 24, Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is celebrated in Cusco. It is a re-enactment of the Inca Empire’s feast of the winter solstice.

Best Time of Day to Visit Machu Picchu

Because the majority of visitors are day trippers, the most crowded period of time in the ruins is between 10am and 2pm. The site itself opens at 6am, and the earliest arrivals are normally people trekking in from the Inca Trail. The ruins close at 5:30pm.

Having had the opportunity to spend pretty much the whole day at Machu Picchu (my trip was prior to 2019 when the stricter regulations went into effect), I personally think late afternoon to closing is ideal. The most memorable part for my family and me was our last hour at the site. The crowds had thinned considerably, and by closing time it felt like we were the only ones there. Along with the setting sun, this time of day is tailor made for beautiful “golden hour” pictures.

Early morning is another good option, with lighter crowds at least until 10 or 11am. The still-low sun and lingering mist presents its own “golden hour” enchantment, and if you want to hike either Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain, you’ll need to be in by 8am anyway. The downside of early morning is that sometimes the site is socked in by the mist and low clouds.

Important Rules and Regulations

Because of Machu Picchu’s cultural and historical significance, the Peruvian government enforces strict guidelines to ensure the site is protected from “over tourism.” Updated regulations were put in place in 2019, and highlights include:

  • There are three types of tickets from which to choose, and you must purchase your entrance ticket for a designated entry time.
  • The maximum time allowed inside the ruins is four hours.
  • You must have a guide with you and follow a set route with that guide.
  • You may not leave and re-enter on the same ticket.
  • Single-use plastic bottles are prohibited inside the ruins.
Machu Picchu
The view of Machu Picchu as you enter is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Purchasing Tickets to Machu Picchu

You can purchase tickets to Machu Picchu in two ways: 1) in person at an authorized office in Cusco, or 2) online from anywhere.

The authorized offices in Cusco are:

  • In the Garcilaso House: Calle Garcilaso s / n
  • In the Puzzled Directorate of Culture Cusco: Calle Maruri 324
  • In Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town): Avenida Pachacutec s / n

Given the complexities of planning a trip to Machu Picchu, probably the easiest way to book your visit is to go through a tour operator, and there are a number you can find online. If you’re using a travel agent to plan your entire trip to Peru, they can take care of this for you. Of course, by using a third-party agency, you’ll pay a convenience surcharge.

The cheapest way to book your Machu Picchu tickets is through the official government website. This is how we purchased our tickets, and I can tell you, the site is not user friendly!

I cannot emphasize enough the need to book your Machu Picchu tickets as far in advance as possible – three, or even six, months. This is especially true if you are planning to visit during the high season, hike the Inca Trail, or want to do the popular Huayna Picchu hike described below.

Three Types of Tickets

To visit Machu Picchu, you will need to choose one of three ticket types, keeping in mind your four-hour timeframe.

1. Machu Picchu Ruins Only
This allows entry only to the Machu Picchu ruins; it does not include the opportunity to hike Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu Mountain.

For the ruins-only ticket, you choose from nine hourly time slots beginning at 6am, with the final entry at 2pm. (Note: If you enter at 2pm you will technically only have 3-1/2 hours inside, as the site officially closes at 5:30pm. That said, late afternoon is a lovely time to see the ruins; it is much less crowded, especially near closing time.)

You must enter at the top of the hour on your ticket and only stay for four hours. Because there are limits on the number of tickets sold for each time slot (on top of the overall daily visitor limit), you’ll want to plan in advance for more popular times.

2. Machu Picchu Ruins and Huayna Picchu Mountain Combo
Many visitors to Machu Picchu also complete the exhilarating, but strenuous hike to the peak of Huayna Picchu for an unparalleled bird’s eye view of the ruins. Because of the popularity of this ticket, you should try and book this ticket at least six months in advance!

Huayna Picchu, which means “Young Mountain” in the native Quechua language, is the highest peak you see in typical photos of Machu Picchu, which means “Old Mountain.” The hike is steep and can be a little unnerving for those afraid of heights, but is totally worth it.

View from Huayna Picchu
The view from Huayna Picchu makes the hike to its peak worth it.

If you choose this ticket, keep in mind you will need to complete your tour of the ruins and the hike, which takes about two to three hours round trip, within your four-hour ticket window. Only 400 tickets are available each day at three specific morning time slots for the Huayna Picchu hike.

  1. Entrance to Machu Picchu at 6am, followed by entry to Huayna Picchu between 7am and 8am.
  2. Entrance to Machu Picchu at 7am, followed by entry to Huayna Picchu between 7am and 8am.
  3. Entrance to Machu Picchu at 8am, followed by entry to Huayna Picchu between 10am and 11am.

3. Machu Picchu Ruins and Machu Picchu Mountain Combo
Machu Picchu Mountain is not quite as popular as Huayna Picchu, but it’s still a great hike with spectacular views. It is also easier and less scary, so if you’re intimidated by Huyana Picchu, this might be a good alternative.

Eight hundred (800) tickets are available each day at three morning time slots for this two-hour, round-trip hike. Like Huayna Picchu, you must fit this hike into your four-hour time limit.

  1. Entrance to Machu Picchu at 6am, followed by entry to Machu Picchu Mountain between 7am and 8am.
  2. Entrance to Machu Picchu at 7am, followed by entry to Machu Picchu Mountain between 7am and 8am.
  3. Entrance to Machu Picchu at 8am, followed by entry to Machu Picchu Mountain between 9am and 10am.

Getting to Machu Picchu

There are three ways that most tourists travel to Machu Picchu.

  1. By foot, hiking the Inca Trail
  2. On a day trip by taking a train from Cusco or Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley
  3. From Aguas Caliente (aka Machu Picchu Pueblo), which is the village at the base of Machu Picchu

The Inca Trail

The fabled Inca Trail is by far the most adventurous and bucket-worthy way to access Machu Picchu. It is considered to be one of the world’s top five hikes, taking trekkers through mountains, cloud forest, sub-tropical jungle, and Inca ruins over four to five days.

Besides the sheer adventure of this strenuous, multi-day hike, the big reward of doing the Inca Trail is that you arrive at Machu Picchu at sunrise – entering the ruins in relative solitude through the pass above Machu Picchu called the Sun Gate. Arriving at sunrise means you’ll be among some of the first visitors to the site.

Access to the Inca Trail is strictly controlled. You must go with an authorized trekking operator, and the government limits the number of permits issued each day. Please note as well that the Inca Trail is closed all of February, which is the rainiest month of the year.

For more information about hiking the Inca Trail, including a list of authorized trekking guides, visit www.incatrailperu.com.

Day Trip by Train

The vast majority of tourists in Peru visit Machu Picchu by train, which is a safe, relaxing, and beautiful way to go. There are two rail companies that provide service to Aguas Caliente, which is the town at the base of Machu Picchu and your final stop – PeruRail and Inca Rail. (From Aguas Caliente to Machu Picchu, it is six miles reached by shuttle bus or on foot.)

PeruRail has departures from Cusco (Poroy Station, 20 minutes outside of town), Urubumba (not a lot of frequency), and Ollantaytambo. From Cusco, the ride is three to four hours; from Urubumba, it is about three hours; and from Ollantaytambo, it is one and a half hours.

Peru Rail train at station
A PeruRail train at the Ollantaytambo Station.

There are three levels of service with PeruRail, ranging from the less expensive, but still very nice, Expedition, to the super-deluxe (and super expensive!) Hiram Bingham, which provides a gourmet brunch on the morning train to Machu Picchu and dinner with cocktails and entertainment on the way back. The mid-range option, the Vistadome, is actually much closer in price to the Expedition than it is to the Hiram Bingham. As its name suggests, the train cars have panoramic windows so passengers can enjoy the amazing scenery.

Inca Rail trains primarily depart from Ollantaytambo, but have a limited number of departures from Urubumba. Like PeruRail, there are multiple classes of service. The least expensive tourist classes are the more basic, but perfectly comfortable, Voyager and The 360 with panoramic windows and an observation outdoor carriage with bar.

For a more luxurious experience, First Class service offers spacious table seating, a welcome drink, and a glass of wine. Groups of up to eight can even book an entire rail car. This Private service includes a full bar, cocktails, a full tasting menu, and shuttle service between Aguas Caliente and Machu Picchu. Plan on spending thousands of dollars for this however!

Peru Rail
Culture and entertainment on board PeruRail’s Vistadome.

Both PeruRail and Inca Rail have restrictions on baggage size and weight. PeruRail restricts each ticketed passenger to one carry-on bag not exceeding 11lbs and 62 linear inches. For Inca Rail, each ticket holder may only bring one bag of no more than 17lbs and 46 linear inches. Basically, if you’re taking the train to Machu Picchu, you’ll need to make sure that each person in your travel group has only one airplane carry-on size bag. Most hotels in Cusco and the Sacred Valley will store the rest of your luggage for free (always good to check in advance though), so you can pack just what you need for Machu Picchu and leave everything else behind. The train stations also have lockers, although we never used them.

TIP: If you can only spare one day to see Machu Picchu, I’d recommend staying in Ollantaytambo and taking the train from there so you won’t have to spend half your day traveling. Ollantaytambo, which is at the base of an impressive ruin itself, is well worth a visit anyway. If you can stay a night near Machu Picchu though, go for it and read on . . .

From Aguas Caliente

The main problem with doing a day trip to Machu Picchu is that you inevitably end up spending your time at one of the world’s most amazing attractions smack in the middle of the day along with a million other tourists.

If you want to get an early start to avoid the biggest crowds, have combo tickets to do one of the hikes described above, or simply prefer to be there later in the afternoon, you should consider staying in Aguas Caliente for one or two nights.

Also called Machu Picchu Pueblo, Aguas Caliente is a bustling, albeit overpriced, tourist thoroughfare at the base of Machu Picchu. From the town, you can take a 25-minute bus to the entrance of the ruins or hike there in about an hour and a half.

Aguas Caliente, Machu Picchu
Aguas Caliente is the gateway to Machu Picchu and despite what most people and guidebooks say, it’s worth an overnight stay.

Where to Stay in Aguas Caliente

There are dozens of accommodations in Aguas Caliente to meet all budgets. Regardless of your price range, however, don’t expect any deals. Hotel owners know they have a captive audience, so you’ll pay a premium for what amounts to mediocre value. My advice is to book a hotel that is close to the waiting area for the shuttle buses to Machu Picchu and, if possible, the train station.

Take note of where the train drops you off when you arrive, as it may not be at the actual train station, which is where all the trains depart from. We learned that lesson the hard way and almost missed our return train because we assumed it was departing from the spot where it had dropped us off.

Aguas Caliente
Aguas Caliente may be overpriced, but it’s fun to explore after a tiring day at Machu Picchu.

There is one alternative to Aguas Caliente. If money is no object, consider a luxurious stay at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. This is the only accommodation right by the entrance gates of Machu Picchu, but it will put you back a lot! Of course, it is an absolutely beautiful hotel, and because you are right there at the entrance, you won’t have as many logistics to worry about.

Bus Tickets to Machu Picchu

Unless you’re accessing Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail, the last portion of your journey will involve either taking a bus or trekking from Aguas Caliente to the entrance gate of the ruins.

The bus trip takes about 25 minutes up a steep and winding road. The modern, air-conditioned buses depart every five to 10 minutes (or whenever the bus is full) starting at 5:30am on Av. Hermanos Ayar S / N. The last bus up departs Aguas Caliente at 3:30pm, and the buses from Machu Picchu to Aguas Caliente run from 6am to 6pm.

Bus route to Machu Picchu
The zig zag line on the side of the mountain is the road between Aguas Caliente and Machu Picchu.

You do not need to purchase bus tickets in advance (though you can) and can easily get them right before your visit. There’s a ticket kiosk on Av. Hermanos Ayar in Aguas Caliente and by the Machu Picchu entrance gate. You can also buy your ticket in advance in Cusco. Tickets are not sold on the bus. Of course, if you are using a tour agency to help with your trip planning, they can always book your bus tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in line.

If a bus ride up the steep side of a mountain is not your thing, you can also hike from Aguas Caliente to the Machu Picchu entrance. It cuts a steep path through the zig-zag road used by the buses and takes about an hour and a half. Personally, I found the bus ride to be pretty hairy, and if I had to do it again, I would have hoofed it to the entrance!

10 Miscellaneous Tips 

Now that you know about the different strategies for getting to Machu Picchu and booking your visit, I’d like to leave you with some “insider tips” for the big day.

  1. Make sure you have your passport. Before you leave your hotel in the morning, pack this, along with your entrance tickets. They will not let you in without these items!
  2. Plan to wait for the bus in Aguas Caliente for at least half an hour, especially during high season and at busy times of day. You may also need extra time to buy your bus tickets – be sure to get round trip unless you think you might walk back.
  3. Dress in layers, as the early morning and late afternoons are cool, but the afternoon sun can be hot, especially if you’re hiking Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu. Sunscreen is a must, too!
  4. Umbrellas are not allowed in Machu Picchu. If you’re there during the rainy season, it’s wise to have a rain slicker or poncho tucked in your daypack.
  5. Single-use plastic bottles are prohibited so be sure to have your own reusable water bottle.
  6. Camera/phone tripods and selfie-sticks are not allowed.
  7. While food is technically not allowed, no one will bother you about small snacks – just make sure you keep any wrappers with you. There are two places to have lunch outside the entrance gates – one is at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, which offers a nice but expensive buffet lunch. The other is a self-serve snack bar with pizza, burgers, and other basic lunch fare right by the entrance. Keep in mind that you cannot leave the ruins for lunch and then re-enter.
  8. Be sure to have Peruvian coins with you for the bathroom. There is one large bathroom outside the entrance gate, and at the time of this writing, it will cost you two soles to enter. There are no bathrooms inside the ruins, so go before you enter.
  9. If you want to get a passport stamp from Machu Picchu, there’s a place to do this right inside the entrance gate.
  10. Avoid the long return bus lines. If you don’t have to catch the mid-afternoon train from Machu Picchu and have flexibility with when you leave, stay later when the bus lines are shorter. The last bus leaves Machu Picchu at 6pm, but remember your may not spend more than four hours total at the site.
img_1046
With fewer people and spectacular lighting, late afternoon at Machu Picchu is magical. Keep in mind there is a four-hour limit to your visit, so if you want to be there at closing, you’ll need to book the later entrance time slot.

1 comment

maryc2006 September 18, 2016 - 1:00 am

Great commentary Karen and beautiful photos!

Comments are closed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More