Things to do in Machu Picchu

Best time to visit Machu Picchu

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• May to September

  Dry season: clearest skies and classic views, but busiest and priciest; book everything early.

• April and October

  Shoulder months: decent weather, thinner crowds, afternoon rain more likely.

• November to March

  Wet season: greener, mistier, cheaper, easier tickets; Inca Trail closed in February.

What's on

• Inti Raymi 24 June

  The great Inca festival reenactment at Sacsayhuamán, Cusco; combine with Machu Picchu but book Cusco hotels far ahead.

• Virgen del Carmen, Paucartambo mid-July

  Days of dancing and processions; an easy add-on from Cusco.

• Fiestas Patrias 28-29 July

  Peru's national holidays; domestic travel peaks and trains and tickets tighten.

Best things to do in Machu Picchu

• Machu Picchu

  $$

  The citadel itself; Circuit 2 covers the postcard viewpoint and the main temples.

• Huayna Picchu

  $$

  The steep peak behind the ruins; 400 permits a day and the classic aerial view.

• Machu Picchu Mountain

  $$

  The taller, broader, less exposed summit with the widest views of the site.

• Inti Punku

  The Sun Gate where the Inca Trail arrives; the dawn view over the citadel.

• Inca Bridge

  A short cliffside path to the removable bridge guarding the Inca approach.

• Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón

  Free

  Small site museum, free with your citadel ticket; do it before the ruins.

• Mandor Gardens

  $

  Orchid trails, hummingbirds and a waterfall on a quiet valley walk from town.

• Baños Termales de Aguas Calientes

  $

  The thermal pools the town is named for; the leg-recovery move after a climb.

Where to stay in Machu Picchu

• Lower town near the bus departure

  early entry slots

• Riverside / upper town

  quiet and room quality

• Cloud-forest retreat

  honeymooners and nature

• At the citadel gate

  photographers and repeat visits

• Budget near the station

  Inca Trail finishers and one-night stays

Think twice about

• Listings in Santa Teresa or Hidroeléctrica sold as Machu Picchu

  Hours away by rough road; the name in the listing is marketing. Check the address.

• Rooms directly on the railway line in lower town

  Trains start before dawn; ask for a room off the line.

• Cusco as a base for a dawn entry

  3.5 hours each way by train; a day trip means a 3 a.m. start and a rushed visit.

Best restaurants in Machu Picchu

• Indio Feliz

  $$

  French-Peruvian bistro; trout, alpaca steak and the town's best-known dinner.

• The Tree House Restaurant

  $$

  Calm garden room above town with a considered trout and pasta menu.

• Mapacho Craft Beer & Peruvian Cuisine

  $$

  House-brewed beers and a long Peruvian menu on a rooftop terrace.

• Full House Peruvian Cuisine

  $$

  Big portions and fast riverfront service for the post-ruins hunger.

• Tampu Restaurant

  $$$$

  Refined Peruvian lunch steps from the citadel gate for a special day.

• Chullos Craft Beer & Homemade Food

  $$

  Easy craft-beer night with homemade Peruvian dishes on the main strip.

• Incontri del Pueblo Viejo

  $$

  Italian-Peruvian dining room, a reliable fallback off the busiest streets.

• El Mapi Restaurant

  $$

  Hotel buffet with Peruvian staples; practical for groups on a schedule.

Best coffee in Machu Picchu

• La Boulangerie de París

  $

  French bakery by the bus stop, open from 6 a.m. for pre-entry breakfast.

Outdoor things to do in Machu Picchu

• Inca Trail

  $$$$

  The 4-day trek over Dead Woman's Pass ending at the Sun Gate; permits sell out months ahead.

• Wiñay Wayna

  $$$

  The ruin passed on the 2-day Short Inca Trail from Km 104 to Inti Punku.

• Salkantay

  $$$

  The 5-day high-altitude alternative circling the snowcapped Salkantay massif.

Best hotels in Machu Picchu

• El MaPi by Inkaterra

  $$$

  Central, modern, dinner included, 4 a.m. breakfasts and station luggage pickup.

• Casa del Sol Machupicchu

  $$$

  Boutique stay in lower town with a strong service record near the bus stop.

• Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel

  $$$$

  The town's top luxury hotel on the quieter riverside stretch.

• Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

  $$$$

  Secluded cloud-forest retreat with orchid trails, birds and a spa.

• Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, Machu Picchu

  $$$$

  The only hotel at the citadel gate; all-inclusive and steps from the entrance.

• Ecologica Mapi

  $

  Simple budget rooms by the station with breakfast from 5 a.m.

Is Machu Picchu expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Machu Picchu: weeks ahead
• Huayna Picchu: months ahead
• Machu Picchu Mountain: months ahead
• Inca Trail: months ahead
• Wiñay Wayna: months ahead
• Salkantay: weeks ahead
• El MaPi by Inkaterra: weeks ahead
• Casa del Sol Machupicchu: weeks ahead

• Citadel tickets on tuboleto.cultura.pe as soon as dates are fixed; Circuit 2 sells out first.
• Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain permits months ahead in high season.
• Inca Trail permits 4 to 6 months ahead; the trail closes every February.

Is Machu Picchu safe?

• Petty crime only: pickpocketing on crowded trains and the station area, occasional bag snatch on dark upper streets at night. Keep valuables in the hotel safe and carry only what the citadel day needs. Emergency: 105.

Machu Picchu travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• Station and bus-stop touts selling unofficial tickets at multiples of the real price; tickets exist only on TuBoleto.
• The artisan market is mostly mass-produced souvenirs; buy textiles in the Sacred Valley instead.
• Main-strip restaurants with touts pulling you in tend to be the weakest kitchens.

Getting around Machu Picchu: public transport and more

• No roads to Machu Picchu: train to Aguas Calientes, then Consettur shuttle bus or the 1.5-hour walk up.
• PeruRail and Inca Rail run from Ollantaytambo (1.5 to 2 hours) and Cusco/Poroy (about 3.5 hours).
• Book trains 2 to 3 months ahead in high season; morning departures are dearest.
• Allow 30 minutes to queue for the bus at peak times; buy the round trip.

Who Machu Picchu suits

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