Travel to Machu Picchu

fabulously picturesque mountain ruins

Set high in the Andes Mountains to the west of the Valle Sagrado and Cusco, Machu Picchu is an iconic Inca citadel and arguably the most important archaeological site in South America.

The site is thought to be the summer residence of Emperor Pachacuti and was constructed around 1450, being abandoned shortly after the Spanish conquest in the 1530s. It comprises a network of plazas, palaces, temples and houses (all constructed of precisely hewn stones which were joined without mortar), many of which are very well preserved.

Rather romantically. Machu Picchu is commonly described as being ‘lost in the mists of time’ for centuries, until it was ‘rediscovered’ by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Machu Picchu is the most visited archaeological site on the continent, so finding ways to avoid the crowds when exploring the ruins is pretty important.

The best time to visit Machu Picchu is generally considered to be during the Apr-Sep cool dry season.

Of course the other seasonal issue is visitor traffic, with numbers peaking during Jul-Aug, which could make Apr-Jun and September more optimum if this is important to you.

Machu Picchu has a subtropical highland climate, which is generally dry and temperate, with two clearly defined seasons.

During the Apr-Sep winter conditions are usually cool and clear, with lots of sunshine. The peak daytime temperatures are usually around 20C/68F and the nighttime lows plunge to around 1C/33F, with regular frosts. Average sunshine is up around 7-8 hours per day, peaking in July.

During the Oct-Mar summer the weather is often cloudy and wet, with rainfall around 100mm (4”) per month. The peak daytime temperatures usually climb to around 27C/80F, with the nighttime lows holding up around 6C/44F. Average sunshine drops to only around 4 hrs per day in February.

Like many of the high elevation locations in the Andes, the ultra-violet radiation is extremely high, so sun protection is essential.

Where to stay

The majority of visitors stay one night in the immediate Machu Picchu area. Your choice of hotel will probably be defined by your budget.

There’s only one property which is actually located up the mountains close to the ruins of Machu Picchu, namely the upmarket Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. If you can afford to stay here (and if we can get availability), then this is a no-brainer, for the vast majority of people this is by far the most attractive option.

The alternative is to stay in one of the hotels in Aguas Calientes down below and catch the early bus up to the ruins. There’s actually a handful of decent properties here to choose from.

There are two ways in which you can visit the area without overnighting (by coming in and out by train same day and by arriving early morning along the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate), but we strongly recommend against both due to visitor traffic).

a key element of most trips to Peru