Machu Picchu travel guide: best time, routes, tickets and planning

Why Machu Picchu is worth the effort

Machu Picchu is a stone citadel built by the Inca in the 15th century on a ridge high above the Urubamba River in southern Peru. It was never found and dismantled by Spanish colonists, which is a large part of why so much of it survives: temples, plazas, agricultural terraces, water channels and houses, all fitted together from granite cut on the mountain itself. UNESCO listed the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in 1983, covering both the ruins and the cloud forest around them.

What surprises most first-time visitors is the setting rather than the size. The ruins sit on a saddle between two peaks, with steep green slopes dropping away on three sides and the river curling far below. Clouds roll in and out through the morning, so the view you photograph at seven can look completely different by ten. It is a site that rewards slowing down, reading a little history beforehand and accepting that the weather will make some of the decisions for you.

Best time to visit

The Andes have two broad seasons. The dry season runs roughly from May to September, with clear mornings, cold nights and the most reliable views. The wet season runs from about November to March, bringing afternoon downpours, slippery stone steps and more frequent cloud, though the hills are at their greenest.

• April–May: the rains are easing, the landscape is still green and crowds have not yet peaked. A strong choice.
• June–August: the driest and most popular stretch, overlapping with northern-hemisphere holidays and Peru's own festival season in Cusco. Expect full trains and the earliest sell-outs for entry tickets.
• September–October: still mostly dry, a little quieter than mid-year and comfortable for walking.
• November–March: wettest months, with January and February the heaviest. The classic Inca Trail normally closes in February for maintenance. The site itself stays open, and you will share it with fewer people.

For a wider view of how seasons line up across the landmarks we cover, see our best time to visit overview.

Getting there

Almost every trip starts in Cusco, the former Inca capital, which has the nearest airport (CUZ) with frequent domestic flights from Lima. There is no road all the way to the citadel for private vehicles, so the last part is by rail, on foot, or a combination.

By train

Trains run from stations around Cusco and from Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley down the river gorge to Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo. The ride follows the Urubamba through steadily thicker forest and is a pleasant part of the day in itself. From Aguas Calientes, shuttle buses climb the switchback road to the site entrance, or you can walk up a steep stepped path in roughly an hour and a half.

On foot

The classic Inca Trail is a multi-day hike on original stone paths that ends at the Sun Gate above the ruins. It can only be walked with a licensed operator, and permits are capped each day, so it needs planning months ahead for the dry season. Shorter one-day trail options and alternative treks through the surrounding mountains also exist; check what is currently permitted through official sources before committing.

If you are travelling from India: there are no direct flights to Peru, so most routes connect through a European, Middle Eastern or North American hub into Lima, then onward to Cusco. Build in a rest night in Lima if your long-haul arrival is late, and confirm entry requirements on the official government website of Peru or through its embassy rather than relying on forum advice.

How long to spend

The visit to the citadel itself usually takes three to four hours on your chosen circuit. The real time cost is getting there and acclimatising. A sensible minimum is two nights in the Cusco area before you go, plus one night in Aguas Calientes or the Sacred Valley so you are not racing a same-day train schedule.

A simple three-day outline

1. Day 1: arrive in Cusco, take it slowly, drink plenty of water and walk only short, flat distances in the old centre.
2. Day 2: drive or take local transport into the Sacred Valley, which sits lower than Cusco, then board an afternoon train to Aguas Calientes.
3. Day 3: take an early bus up for a morning entry slot, walk your circuit, and return by train in the afternoon.

If you have an extra day, add a second entry on a different circuit, or one of the mountain climbs that sit beside the ruins. These need their own tickets and are steep, with drops that some people find uncomfortable.

Tickets and entry

Entry to Machu Picchu is by timed ticket for a specific hour and a specific circuit, a one-way route through the ruins designed to reduce crowding. The number of visitors each day is limited, and the rules on circuits, time inside and guide requirements have been adjusted several times in recent years. Buy only through the official channel linked from the Ministry of Culture's Machu Picchu site, check the current fee there, and read the conditions for your circuit before you pay.

Book your entry ticket first, then your train and accommodation around it. Carry the same passport you used to book, because names and document numbers are checked at the gate. Re-entry is restricted, so use the toilets near the entrance before you go in.

Practical tips

• Altitude: Cusco sits well over 3,000 m and can cause headaches, breathlessness and poor sleep for the first day or two. Machu Picchu is lower, around 2,430 m, so many people feel better on the day itself. Talk to your doctor before the trip if you have heart or lung conditions.
• Layers: early mornings can be cold and damp, middays hot in strong sun. A light rain jacket, fleece, sun hat and sunscreen cover most conditions.
• Footwear: the site is all uneven stone steps with no handrails in many places. Wear shoes with real grip.
• What to leave behind: large bags, walking poles with metal tips, drones and some other items are restricted. Check the official rules list before you pack.
• Insects: small biting flies are common in the forested gorge. Repellent helps.
• Accessibility: the citadel involves many steps and steep paths, and parts of it are difficult for people with limited mobility. Contact the site management in advance if you need assistance.

Our packing list has a general checklist that works well for high-altitude, mixed-weather trips like this one.

Food: vegetarian travellers will find it easier than expected. Peruvian cooking uses plenty of potatoes, quinoa, corn and beans, and Cusco has a wide range of restaurants catering to visitors. Coca tea is widely served as a traditional remedy for altitude.

Where to base yourself

Cusco is the natural hub, with the widest choice of places to stay and eat, and a long list of things to see: Inca walls under colonial churches, markets and museums. Its height is the drawback for your first nights.

The Sacred Valley, including towns such as Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, sits lower and is calmer. Ollantaytambo has its own impressive Inca terraces and is a train stop, which makes it a useful launch point.

Aguas Calientes is a compact, busy town built around the railway. It is not especially attractive, but sleeping here gives you the best shot at an early entry slot without a pre-dawn train.

Respectful and responsible travel

Machu Picchu is a fragile site under real pressure from visitor numbers. Stay on the marked routes, do not climb walls or touch carved stones, and follow the instructions of site staff even when they seem fussy; they exist because damage accumulates. Carry your rubbish back down with you, avoid single-use plastic where you can, and keep noise low around the ceremonial areas. When you hire guides, porters or drivers, choose licensed local operators who treat their staff fairly, particularly on multi-day treks where porters carry heavy loads.

Pair it with

If ancient stone cities in dramatic landscapes are what draws you, Petra in Jordan offers a very different desert counterpart, carved directly into sandstone cliffs. For another mountain setting with a long walking history, look at the Great Wall of China, where restored and wild sections climb across ridges outside Beijing.

Official sources

Check these before you go: entry rules, opening days and fees are published here and change from time to time.

• Machu Picchu official site (Ministry of Culture of Peru)
• Peru official tourism board
• UNESCO World Heritage listing

Frequently asked questions

Planning tools: compare months for every destination in the best time to visit planner, sketch a multi-stop route in the trip planner and build a checklist with the packing list builder.