When to visit Machu Picchu?

If you have already decided to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but you still don’t know when is the best time to visit Machu Picchu, we will help you discover it.

Machu Picchu, in Cusco, is in the middle of the Amazon Basin and the Andes Mountains, therefore, the climate will be quite particular and changing. Due to this, there are two marked seasons, each one of them has its pros and cons, so only you can decide which is the ideal moment to visit the Inca citadel.

The dry season in Machu Picchu

Between the months of April and November, in Machu Picchu, the sun shines all day long and it hardly rains, which allows to do, without any further care, hikes to the mountains of Machu Picchu. In the same way, you can capture the best views of the Inca citadel with the clear blue sky.

However, you will have to take turns in the places as it coincides with the high season. On these dates, entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, train tickets and hotels, must be reserved at least 3 months in advance. If you want to do experiences like the Inca Trail or the Huayna Picchu Mountain, you will have to book your entrance 6 months in advance.

On the other hand, if you want to make excursions in the mountains of Machu Picchu, this is the best time. The mountain trails are narrow and dizzying, and can be a little more scary if they are wet.

The rainy season in Machu Picchu

The rains in Cusco go from December to April. These months the rains intensify and therefore the visitors decrease. But normally the days are sunny and warm and the rains are at night. An important fact is that many tourist services are beginning to have offers that favor visitors.

Several travelers, prefer this season because it is the best time to come to Machu Picchu. You will enjoy the citadel in its most intense green, with lower prices and something that most people want but is impossible to get in high season: Being in Machu Picchu with the least number of people possible, which will allow you to take pictures of Machu Picchu without many strangers in them.

You cannot miss the wonder of Machu Picchu surrounded by a mystical fog in the early morning hours or crowned by a beautiful rainbow after a drizzle in spring.

Regardless of the month in which you decide to visit Machu Picchu, the first thing you should do is reserve your ticket for Machu Picchu and, depending on the season, you should also reserve your train ticket in advance.

How to get to Machu Picchu?

To know how to get to this Wonder of the World we invite you to live a magical experience aboard our trains:

• Expedition Train PeruRailPeruRail Vistadome Train
• Belmond Hiram Bingham Train

When you arrive at the Aguas Calientes station, you will have to take a bus to go up to the Inca citadel. The bus tickets can be bought in the city of Cusco on the Niños Avenue or directly in Machu Picchu Pueblo at the bus stop that goes up to the citadel, the sale is limited.

To know the services offered by each train, please go to the Service Details page.

Entrance to Machu Picchu

The entrance to the Inca citadel can be purchased at the citadel itself or at the INC in Cusco (Av. La Cultura 238, Condominio Huáscar, in front of the university stadium) or by visiting www.machupicchu.gob.pe.

What to bring

To enjoy Machu Picchu even more, in any of the two seasons, we recommend you take the following:

• Comfortable and warm clothing
• Caps
• Gloves
• Wool socks
• Bottled water
• Chocolate
• Lemon candies
• Sunscreen
• Lip Gloss

Machu Picchu is a unique and unparalleled destination, regardless of the time you visit it. A place full of mysticism and culture that you cannot miss.