Machu Picchu Travel Guide | Peru

Machu Picchu is an ancient Incan city built in the 15th century on top of a mountain. The lost city was rediscovered in 1911, covered by the Andean jungle. Because the Spanish never found the city, it has been well preserved. Machu Picchu will become one of the highlights of your Peru Route and you’ll see why Machu Picchu belongs to the world’s wonders in my Machu Picchu Travel Guide!

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♬ Walking Around – Instrumental Version – Eldar Kedem

Machu Picchu: the Inca city

Beat the crowds by entering Machu Picchu at 6 AM to watch the sunrise while you’re at the Inca site! We had this amazing sunrise due to a cloud. Yes, A CLOUD. Because when the cloud came in front of the sun, a rainbow was visible! **insert angels singing**

Tip: Make sure to visit the toilets at the entrance as there are no toilets inside the site.

Fact: It is prohibited to take food, tripods, selfie sticks, and drones.

Luckily for us, the Spanish never found Machu Picchu, imagine this beautiful place gone. Explore the Inca ruins in a 2-3 hour tour: vast stone structures that used to be buildings for the people living here. The 600+ terraces were built and used for growing crops and as drainage.

Fact: It’s still not certain what the purpose of Machu Picchu was. National Geographic says it was a summer palace for the 9th Inca King Papachutec however locals like our guide believe it was a spiritual training school for the elite given the 400+ houses and some artifacts found in the housing.

Fact: Not even the name is certain. Old maps speak of a place called Machu Picchu in this area hence the discoverer of the place named it Machu Picchu however the locals always called it Huayna Picchu. 

Fun Fact: Pacha’s village In The Emperor’s New Groove resembles Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru. The emperor even has the same name as the Inca city.

Inca Trail Trek

We didn’t do this one because of scheduling problems, but another option is to walk the official Inca Trail.  It is a 4 or 5-day trek, where you’ll see amazing sceneries and waterfalls with the huge satisfaction of finishing at Machu Picchu through the sun gate.

Tip: Machu Picchu is in the Jungle so don’t forget your Mosquito spray!

Huayna Picchu Mountain

A Huayna Picchu circuit ticket gives you access to Circuit 3 and access to climb Huayna Picchu.

Hike the mountain for 2.5km, climb 200 meters, and conquer the stairs of death (yes you read that correctly). The stairs are steep and high. Sometimes you don’t have a railing and you’re crawling on all fours. The stairs of death are steps as small as bricks. They are very steep as you’re climbing a ladder at 90°. Just be calm and do it at your own tempo and you’ll be fine. The naming sounds worse than the experience! You’ll end up with this amazing bird’s view of Machu Picchu giving you on-top-of-the-world vibes! Just don’t trip and fall 😉 

Fact: The gates to go up are only open between 7 – 10 AM (check the time on your ticket). It is recommended to book your tickets 8 weeks in advance, as there are only 400 entries allowed per day.

Huchuy Picchu Mountain

Another option is to climb the smaller sister mountain Huchuy Picchu. 

Machu Picchu Tickets

Visiting the Inca site is incredibly popular. It is necessary to purchase a ticket in advance. We saw the line for those who didn’t book their ticket and yikes. As of 3 PM the local shop opened, and at 5 AM (yes 10hrs in advance) there was already a huge line… Keep in mind that they only sell 100 tickets per day, so lots of disappointed tourists.

Choosing a specific circuit and time slot for your visit is required when purchasing tickets. Make sure you enter Machu Picchu in your time slot! This allows the organization to control the number of people entering, providing a better experience as the Inca site as it’s sinking every year by a few centimeters due to the crowds!

Machu Picchu Ticket Types

As of 2021, fixed circuits have been placed in Machu Picchu. You can only walk in one direction (!) and walk the route of the booked route. 5 different circuits allow you to explore the UNESCO site. You choose your ticket depending on what you want to see or do.

• Llaqta de Machu Picchu (Circuit 1,2,3 or 4)
• Circuit 4 + Huayna Picchu Mountain
• Machu Picchu Mountain + Circuit 3
• Circuit 4 + Huchuy Picchu Mountain
• Circuit 1 or 2 + Inka Bridge

Fact: As of June 2024, additional circuits will be available as the interest in Machu Picchu is still growing worldwide! 

So we wanted to do the best circuit of Machu Picchu (circuit 1: upper and lower part with the best views) and hike Huayna Picchu (that is circuit 3: lower part only). We then had to buy two tickets for the two circuits. For this, we could start at 6 AM with Circuit 1 and do Huayna Picchu after Circuit 1 at 9.30 AM. We came back down from Huayna Picchu at 12.30 PM and still had to walk around 15-20 minutes to exit the Inca site. 

Fact: You must walk in one direction, so you can’t turn back. Make your photos and videos when you pass by, you only have one shot! But mostly, enjoy and take in the views!

Fact: Tickets are available online, at tour companies, and in all major cities like Cusco or Aguas Calientes. But if you’re only booking in cities, there might be a chance you will not be able to get a ticket… Bring your passport and cash when purchasing it in the city.

How to get to Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo (town) or “base camp” of Machu Picchu, is located just 30 minutes away (by bus) from the world-famous site. This tiny town is built around the train tracks and offers loads of restaurants and hotels. Very touristy and artificial town. Felt like the ski towns from European ski locations. To catch the sunrise at Machu Picchu and to avoid the crowds, spend the night before in Aguas Calientes.

Peru is seeing their tourism growth and is acting upon it. They are expanding the circuits and looking to open activities near Aguas Calientes so that you can stay here longer (and spend more as well of course). Other activities you can do include: enjoying a relaxing massage, hiking through the jungle to the Mandor Falls, hiking up Mount Putucusi, soaking in the thermal baths, visiting the Machu Picchu Museum, or visiting the Botanical Gardens. 

Getting from Cusco to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes)

Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu in Peru. Take the 1.5-hour train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, where each wagon has a see-through roof. 

Tip: Try to have a seating place in the driving direction. It had a better view! Otherwise, turn around once in a while! 

Getting from Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) to Machu Picchu

By Hike

Your second option is to save money and hike about 60-80 minutes uphill to the entrance of Machu Picchu. We saw those hikers and it didn’t look like fun, to be honest (and we had to save ourselves for the Huayna Picchu Hike).

By Bus

The first bus departs at 5:30 AM. However, make sure to start queueing as early as you can (especially in the high season) as the line can get extremely long. Every 5 minutes there is a bus. We stood in line at 6 AM and were at the entrance of the Inca city at 7 AM. The bus ride takes 30 minutes.

Machu Picchu Elevation and Altitude Sickness

Fortunately, the ruins are located at 2450 meters. Altitude sickness only happens above 2500 meters. Spend a few days in the higher-located Cusco to acclimatize. We were fine as we acclimatized during the whole trip. Our hike to Rainbow Mountain (5036m) might have trained us even better than we imagined 😉 

Best period?

Weather-wise, it is best to visit during the winter/dry season (which runs from May to September). May is perfect as the high season hasn’t started yet. The high season is June – September. October to April is with the least tourists because of its wet season and where there is a high chance you won’t see Machu Picchu due to the fog in that season.

Where to stay? 

We stayed at the Terraza de Luna. However, the windows and walls were not of quality. We didn’t sleep at all as there was a lot of music in town still. Till 4 AM to be exact, when we had to wake up of course.

What to Bring?

Small backpack with a bottle of water, a bottle of red Gatorade/Powerade, a small cookie or sugar, Sunscreen, Mosquito Spray, a rain jacket, and your passport (Your passport is linked to the ticket). Depending on whether you’re hiking Huayna Picchu or not.

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