Peru is one of the most magical places you’ll ever visit, and hiking in Machu Picchu, Peru, is especially magical. When planning your Peru itinerary, it’s important to note that hiking Machu Picchu does require some planning. My husband and I started planning around a year in advance and bought our tickets at least six months before we visited, they do sell out! There are also multiple hiking and train options, and this post will give you all the best details on which ones to choose. Keep reading for the best way to go hiking in Machu Picchu, Peru, and everything you need to know before visiting!
Hiking Machu Picchu Peru: Everything you Need to Know
What do I need to know before visiting Machu Picchu, Peru?
Don’t travel to Peru without first researching and securing your tickets to Machu Picchu. If you’re also looking for the perfect Peru itinerary, I have you covered! Due to its popularity, Machu Picchu entrance tickets need to be booked months in advance. Before hiking Machu Picchu in Peru, we purchased our tickets three to four months in advance, and some time slots were already sold out.
Best time to visit Machu Picchu in Peru
The best time to visit Machu Picchu is during the shoulder season between April and May or September to October. It’s also advised to visit during the week, as residents can enter for free on the weekends. The rainy season would have passed before these spring months, and it is perfect before peak summer travel. Visiting anytime, however, between May to October will bring good weather. The weather doesn’t change much in this region, and it’s fairly temperate year-round. We were told to expect it to be cold, but it wasn’t at all; it’s never bad to bring extra layers!
Do you need to stay in Aguas Calientes?
Many itineraries suggest traveling straight to Aguas Calientes from Cusco, but after spending quite a bit of time researching this, we were concerned about adjusting to the altitude and restrictions on baggage allowances. Most of the trains going to Aguas Calientes enforce baggage allowances based on weight, and even though we both traveled with carry-on-size baggage, this was still more than the allotted weight specified online. When my husband and I visited in the fall of 2022, the weight limit was 11 lbs for Peru Rail and 17 lbs for Inca Rail. If you’re trying to decide the best way to go hiking in Machu Picchu, Peru, here are the best places to stay in the Sacred Valley and the best places to stay in Cusco.
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Adjusting to the Altitude: How to prevent altitude sickness when visiting Peru
One thing that may be surprising is that Machu Picchu isn’t actually at an elevated elevation like the Sacred Valley or Cusco. Cusco is at the highest elevation, followed by the Sacred Valley and then Aguas Calientes. This is why I recommend spending a few nights in the Sacred Valley to acclimate to the elevation and altitude. This also may be beneficial before visiting Cusco.
Symptoms of altitude sickness include headaches (sometimes worse headaches the first night that can recur the next few days), fatigue, light-headedness or dizziness, nausea, and palpitations. To avoid these symptoms, stay well hydrated, avoid alcohol, and get plenty of sleep. You can also eat smaller, more frequent meals to combat the nausea if you develop any. There are anti-nausea medications you can get prescribed by your doctor before you leave if you’re concerned.
Hiking Machu Picchu Peru: How to Get to Machu Picchu via Train
After adjusting to the altitude for a few nights staying in the Sacred Valley, we opted to stay at El Albergue the night before heading to Machu Picchu. We solely chose this hotel as its location is right at the Ollantaytambo train station. Even though there are multiple different trains you can board, similar to Machu Picchu, tickets sell out months in advance.
I highly recommend staying at El Albergue when visiting Machu Picchu. You can read more about our stay in this 10 day Peru itinerary.
Train Companies: Inca Rail, Peru Rail & Belmond Hiram
There are three train companies to choose from: Inca Rail, Peru Rail, and the Belmond Hiram Bingham train. The MOST important thing to remember is that, like Machu Picchu, these train tickets sell out and need to be booked months in advance. I would recommend that once you secure your Machu Picchu tickets, book your train tickets immediately as well. The Hiram Bingham service is a gorgeous train with beautifully crafted interiors and includes a white tablecloth meal and wine during your journey. It’s also much more expensive than Inca Rail or Peru Rail, both of which offer comfortable passage on different types of trains. Some of these trains also have specially designed cars with extra windows for an additional fee.
Choose the IncaRail360
After doing quite a bit of research, my husband and I chose to book tickets for the IncaRail360 over the additional Inca Rail or Peru Rail trains. Even though we would have loved to board the Belmond train, it was quite a bit out of our budget. The journey from Ollantaytambo train station to Aguas Calientes only took around 90 minutes. Make sure to sit on the left side to enjoy views of the mountains. Don’t try to look for Machu Picchu ruins, you won’t be able to see them from the train. Keep in mind when your Machu Picchu tickets are timed for, and plan your train journey and time to the station accordingly.
Take the Bus from Aguas Calientes to the base of Machu Picchu
Once you’ve arrived in Aguas Calientes, find the small bus ticket counter that will allow you to buy tickets for the round-trip bus ride to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Keep in mind you will have a reserved timed entry ticket to the citadel, and the bus ride is around 30 minutes. Make sure to allow yourself plenty of time for the bus ride, and to use the facilities before entering Machu Picchu. It’s also good to bring cash for your bus tickets as some credit cards are not accepted. The bus ride to the entrance of Machu Picchu will take you on a very high, winding road. It’s incredible when you arrive at the site; it’s completely encased in mountains you can’t see any roads or any civilization. It reminded me almost like a life-sized snow globe without the snow.
If you’re looking for all the best places to stay in Peru while visiting, check out this 10-day Peru itinerary, which has everything you need to know!
What to Do before entering Machu Picchu
Even though our time slot to enter Machu Picchu was 10 am, we wanted to make sure to arrive 30-45 minutes before. There are sometimes lines to enter the citadel, and even though you have an hour to enter, we carefully timed our entrance time with our hike time (you will need to buy separate tickets for the hikes you want to complete). You can book your tickets on the official site here.
Planning your hike at Machu Picchu
One of the most important facts– there is no bathroom in Machu Picchu! There is a public bathroom outside the entry that only requires a few coins to enter. Keep in mind when your entry time is, as you have 1 hour from your entry time to enter. We attempted to enter early but were not allowed. If you’re planning to enter at sunrise and spend the entire day here until they close around 5, I would recommend buying two separate tickets for the same day. Since you can’t leave and re-enter the site, it would be possible to leave and have lunch or a bathroom break, and then re-enter with a separate ticket. Unfortunately, you will need to pay for two tickets, but it will allow you to maximize your time at Machu Picchu if you choose.
What to bring when Hiking Machu Picchu:
Here’s what we packed in our backpacks we brought with us for the day: our packed lunches from El Albergue Hotel, energy bars, bug spray, hiking boots of course, a hat, lightweight rain jackets, refillable water bottle with built-in filter, over the counter medications like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen, you could also bring your altitude medications as prescribed by your doctor.
What not to bring inside Machu Picchu
Don’t bring umbrellas or hiking sticks as they are prohibited inside. You can check their official website for all other items prohibited.
Peru Machu Picchu hiking: What hike to choose
Make a game plan before entering Machu Picchu
Here is a list of the additional hikes to take at Machu Picchu in addition to your timed entry basic circuit ticket. Many opt for the first hike but keep in mind how long the park is open for and how much time this will take away if you’re spending time on a long hike. We chose the shortest hike with the best views of Machu Picchu, and this also allowed us time to really enjoy every part of the citadel without running out of time. Keep reading for my hiking Machu Picchu Peru recommendations.
Huayna Picchu
As this is one of the most popular hikes at Machu Picchu, you’ll need to book your tickets sometimes up to 6 months in advance. There are also a limited number of tickets because the hike is strenuous, steep, and narrow. Once you’re at the top it doesn’t allow much room to sit and marvel tat he views. The view looking down from the peak of the Inca ruins is a highlight for many. You’ll have the choice of starting your climb at 7 or 10 in the morning. It is known that the geographical location of Machu Picchu can make it cloudy. Choosing the 10 am start time might allow you a better view, as the clouds usually clear by the afternoon.
Machu Picchu
This hike also requires a separate ticket and is more rigorous than Huayna Picchu as it’s all stairs. You’ll have the choice of starting your climb at 7 or 9 am.
Sun Gate
All are allowed to take the two-hour round-trip trail to the Sun Gate. This trek has few stairs and is a gentle trail to the top, rewarding you with fantastic views of the overall site.
Huchuy Picchu
This is one of the best hikes in Machu Picchu, keep reading to find out why!
Hiking Machu Picchu Peru: Hiking Huchuy Picchu
In my opinion, this is the best hike offered at Machu Picchu. The hike up Huchuy Picchu is easy, taking only around 45 minutes. Even though the photos make it look quite steep, there are only some steep areas, otherwise, it’s a moderate hike up. Huchuy Picchu has incredible views from the top and allows you a different view of both peaks, versus being on top of them yourself and unable to view.
There was plenty of space at the top to sit and relax. If you want to optimize your time at Machu Picchu and see as much as you can, you will need to buy two separate tickets for this hike. The first ticket will be the circuit ticket for entrance into Machu Picchu. The second ticket will be a ‘mountain access’ ticket for this hike. Once at the top, we enjoyed our boxed lunches, staying as long as we wanted. Because the citadel limits the amount of hikers daily, it wasn’t busy at all.
Do you need a guide for Machu Picchu?
Even though my husband and I researched this quite a bit, at the end of the day we decided not to choose to have a guided tour. We wanted to set the pace ourselves, so didn’t want to be dependent on a group. If you are looking for a private guide, you can either find one at the entrance or book in advance. There were plenty at the entrance, and many seemed like authentic tour guides.
If you’re looking for a guided tour from Cusco as a day trip, this Get Your Guide group tour has incredible reviews!
Download the Machu Picchu app Tupuy
The app we used as our guide is called Tupuy. After downloading, you will need to pay for and download the Machu Picchu guide separately in the app ($2.99). This is a far cheaper option than hiring a guide. This option will also allow you to take the citadel at your own pace.
All trails in Machu Picchu are one-way
Once you enter the citadel, try to break from the crowds and head for the Guard House instead. You will see lots of groups with tour guides and crowds along the initial small paths. The path does widen a bit once you climb higher and higher. There is an area slightly above the main part of the site. This area is usually less crowded as people tend to rush to the main area of the site. Keep in mind all the trails are one way, and you will not be able to backtrack. For reference, we took Circuit 2 which can take 2-3 hours in total. Our timed tickets for our hike to Huchuy Picchu were between 12-1. We booked our entrance time for Machu Picchu for 10 am, and that worked perfectly for us!
Planning a trip to Peru? Here are the posts you need to read:
10 Day Peru Itinerary: Machu Picchu, Cusco, & Lima
2 Days in Cusco: My BEST Hotel Recommendations
Sacred Valley Hotels: Best Places to Stay near Machu Picchu
Here are a few other posts you may enjoy:
Best Places to Stay in Cartagena Colombia: South America’s hidden gem!
Best Places to visit in Africa for First Timers: Including a Botswana Safari
Cape Town Itinerary: Best Things to See and Do
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