When Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit Machu Picchu?

26.12.2023 - 12:24 / forbes.com / Hiram Bingham

If you're wondering when's the best time of year to visit Machu Picchu, what to pack and how to get there, the answer depends on whether you plan to hike up or take the train, and whether you'd prefer to visit in the busiest season when the weather's better but the site is more crowded.

Machu Picchu is one of the world's most famous sites situated in Peru in South America, at the point in the Peruvian Andes where it meets the Amazon basin.

It sits majestically at 2,430 m above sea-level on the eastern slopes, surrounded by tropical flora and fauna, built in the 15th century by the Incan empire who used the mountain slopes to build a citadel encompassing 200 buildings crisscrossed with stone terraces.

Today it's a World Heritage site covering 32,592 hectares that were uncovered to most of the world at large by a 1911 publication of his trek by American explorer Hiram Bingham and it's been on many people's travel bucket-lists ever since.

The summer season runs from December to March in Peru and while summer is warmer, it's the time of year with the most rainfall. In Lima, most traveler's starting point, the hottest month is likely to be February which is also when one of the paths to the site, the Inca Trail, is closed every year for restoration.

Winter in Peru runs from May to September (the dry season is April to October) and while it has less rainfall it may also be the most crowded.

So, while technically you can visit Machu Picchu all year round, it might be best to visit out of both the winter and summer seasons—May and September are ideal months, which offer fewer crowds and less potential for rainfall.

Whether you're planning to trek or take the train to Machu Picchu, your starting point will be the very laid back mountain town of Cusco. It's best to stay at least one night before if trekking so that you can get acclimatised to the altitude before setting off. The trek takes around four days, on one of two different trails, and you can either book beforehand or find a guide once you arrive in Cusco. The most popular Inca Trail route is 26 miles long at an elevation of 4,215 meters above sea level and while it's considered moderate in difficulty, it involves a lot of ups and downs.

The train takes four hours from Cusco to the village of Aguas Calientes (you can buy single or return tickets directly with the local rail company or you can pay to have a guide on the train through various companies, such as GetYourGuide online). Once in Aguas Calientes you can pick up any extra provisions you might need—water, snacks—or stop in one of the local restaurants.

From there, there are two options for heading up to the Machu Picchu site. One is a thirty-minute bus ride and the other is a reasonably