Touring Machu Picchu

From packing bug spray to locating the best vistas, a Peru travel expert reveals insider’s secrets on how to get the most from the Machu Picchu Peru tour.

When you should get

Machu Picchu is open year-round. The Inca Trail is shut every February for upkeep, but Machu Picchu is accessible each day, from 6:00am until 5:30pm.

The rainy season in cloud forest is from usually November to March. Between December and February, you're guaranteed in full a really damp trip to Machu Picchu, so be sure to deliver rain gear. But even during dry period, from June-September, sporadic rainfall baths are typical. So bring a light rainfall jacket just in case.

Summer to August is the peak travel time, when many americans take their holidays, and resort hotels and entrance tickets is booked well ahead of time. If you plan to bring your Machu Picchu Peru trip over these months, make sure you create your travel plans early.

Getting Here

You will find 2 main options: use the train or even the Inca Trail. After traveling into Cusco from Lima, you are able to move directly to the stop and mind through Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, the town during the base of Machu Picchu. The train trip takes about 4 hours each path, and winds through breathtaking views when you look at the Urubamba River Valley. It is strongly recommended which you spend the night into the Sacred Valley or Aguas Calientes before visiting Machu Picchu, so that you can reach Machu Picchu right when it opens another morning.

There are 3 primary kinds of trains: Expedition (previously generally Backpacker), Vistadome, and Hiram Bingham. The Vistadome functions large windows and skylights that enable you to definitely really appreciate the views of this Sacred Valley. The fabric seating are comfortable and there is air-conditioning. The Expedition train is a more inexpensive choice, while the Hiram Bingham may be the deluxe version.

Once in Aguas Calientes, you'll want to take the shuttle bus up the zig-zag Hiram Bingham Highway toward entrance to Machu Picchu. The shuttle takes about 20 minutes and leaves every half hour, starting at 5:30am. You can buy a ticket for shuttle when you purchase your Machu Picchu entrance admission.

Getting Tickets

You need to buy your Machu Picchu Peru trip passes ahead of time; there is no solution booth at the entry to Machu Picchu. Additionally, laws on Machu Picchu tourism recently changed, and now tickets are limited by 2500 each day. During top travel times (June-August), you need to absolutely give consideration to purchasing your tickets well in advance. A Machu Picchu entrance pass is legitimate for only 1 day (from 6:00 AM until 5:30 PM). Observe that if you would like hike the Huaynu Picchu path, you ought to purchase the solution in addition that you buy your Machu Picchu ticket.

Things to See

Huaynu Picchu: lots of people whom carry on a Machu Picchu Peru Tour opt to pay the excess few dollars to hike Huaynu Picchu, the looming granite cliff that types the backdrop to most photos of Machu Picchu. This path winds through thick cloud forest vegetation and uses slim staircases until it begins climbing steeply up Inca-built terraces last but not least achieves the top, about 360 m (1181 ft) in elevation gain. The scene from Huaynu Picchu is dazzling: you can see a panorama of green mountain peaks, separated by high valleys, where Urubamba River winds and bends through the cloud forest under. You may start to see the whole city of Machu Picchu. This is actually the perfect spot to relax, pull-out a novel or diary, and merely enjoy the beauty of your all-natural environments.

The trail simply take about 2 hours to perform, invest the time. Observe that passes to go into the Huaynu Picchu path must bought ahead of time, and can’t be bought on trailhead. There are 2 times daily whenever hikers are allowed to enter the path and you must return by 5:00pm. Remember that the path may be shut during the rainy period.

Machu Picchu Sanctuary Features:

Inside the “city inside sky” of Machu Picchu, there are numerous highlights that you ought to seek out. Try to find the Orchid outdoors close to the Sacred Plaza, the farming terraces, the Temple regarding the Three house windows, the Royal Inca Tomb, in addition to Watchman’s Hut, where you could use the obligatory getaway picture overlooking Machu Picchu and Huaynu Picchu beyond. You might also need go on Inti Punku sunlight Gate, the entrance to Machu Picchu your Inca individuals took, hence now the Inca Trail trekkers use.