Our Guide to Visiting Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is an ancient Incan citadel dating back to the 15th century 5.5 miles from Aguas Calientes, Peru. It sits high atop a peak in the Andes Mountains with an altitude of 2,430 meters. When visiting Peru, Machu Picchu is a clear highlight.
The amount of effort to build this fortress on the top of a mountain without modern equipment is certainly impressive. And the city is amazingly intact given the amount of time that has passed. You can see agricultural terraces, residential buildings, and ceremonial temples, not to mention the stunning view of the surrounding forest and mountains.
The exact purpose of the citadel is unclear. However, most historians believe it was either the estate of an Incan ruler or used for religious ceremonies due to it being at the peak of a mountain, closer to God.
Archeologists believe it was inhabited for only about 100 years. Some believe it was abandoned when the Spaniards invaded in the 16th century. There are no signs of a battle at Machu Picchu, but historians think the inhabitants may have left to help defend other parts of the Incan empire. Others think the Incas may have left due to difficulty obtaining water on top of the mountain.
The “discovery” of Machu Picchu in 1911 is credited to Yale University professor Hiram Bingham. The word “discovery” is in quotes because local people were actually well aware of the ruins before Hiram arrived. In fact, it was a local resident named Melchor Arteaga who led Hiram Bingham to the site. The ruins just weren’t known worldwide until 1911.
Since then, visiting Machu Picchu is the by far the most popular thing to see when visiting Peru. We certainly had high expectations when visiting, and we can say Machu Picchu blew them away. Visiting this gorgeous citadel amid lush green mountains is sure to be a highlight of your trip too.
Machu Picchu Circuits
The Ministry of Culture divided the site into 4 circuits to reduce crowding during COVID. We’re not sure if they will continue to use this system or lift it as COVID concerns and restrictions are reduced. It’s definitely something to be aware of if you plan to visit in the near future and may be worth double checking later, as well, so you know whether you’ll need 1 or 2 visits to see everything.
Each circuit is a one way loop, and you’re only supposed to do 1 route per visit to Machu Picchu. So, if you only go once, you’ll only get to do 1 of the 4 routes, assuming you’re playing by the rules and not trying to cheat the system. Maps are available online.
Here are the 4 options:
Circuit 1, The Short-High Route (red)
As its name suggests, this route includes both lower and higher parts of the citadel. The route lasts approximately 2.5 hours and includes the following:
- Access to 3 trails: Sun Gate Trail, Machu Picchu Mountain Trail, and Inca Bridge Trail
- Guard House
- Funeral Rock
- Cemetery
- Main Gate
- Sun Temple (Open 13:00-16:00) (*not as close as Circuits 3 and 4)
- House of the Inka (*not as close as Circuits 3 and 4)
- Water Fountains
- Granitic Chaos
- Water Mirrors
- Condor Temple (Open 10:00-13:00)
- Cultivation Terraces
Circuit 2, The High-Long Route (blue)
This route includes lower and higher parts of the citadel and is the longest and most comprehensive route. It takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete and includes:
- Access to 4 trails: Sun Gate Trail, Machu Picchu Mountain Trail, Inca Bridge Trail, and Huchuy Picchu/Wayna Picchu Trail
- Guard House
- Funeral Rock
- Cemetery
- Main Gate
- Sun Temple (Open 13:00-16:00) (*not as close as Circuits 3 and 4)
- House of the Inka (*not as close as Circuits 3 and 4)
- Water Fountains
- Granitic Chaos
- Sacred Plaza
- Intiwatana Pyramid (Open 07:00-10:00)
- Sacred Rock
- Three Gates
- Water Mirrors
- Condor Temple (Open 10:00-13:00)
- Cultivation Terraces
Circuit 3, The Low-Short Route (yellow)
This route focuses on the lower part of the citadel. It’s the shortest of the three circuits and may be best for individuals with less stamina/mobility. The route takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete and includes the following:
- Sun Temple (Open 13:00-16:00)
- House of the Inka
- Water Fountains
- Water Mirrors
- Condor Temple (Open 10:00-13:00)
- Cultivation Terraces
Circuit 4, The Low-Long Route (sky blue)
This circuit focuses on the lower part of the citadel and follows a similar route as Circuit 3, but extends a further to include some additional sites. It takes approximately 1.5 hours and includes the following:
- Access to 1 trail: Huchuy Picchu/Wayna Picchu Trail
- Sun Temple (Open 13:00-16:00)
- House of the Inka
- Water Fountains
- Sacred Plaza (*not as close as Circuit 2)
- Intiwatana Pyramid (Open 07:00-10:00) (*not as close as Circuit 2)
- Sacred Rock
- Three Gates
- Water Mirrors
- Condor Temple (Open 10:00-13:00)
- Cultivation Terraces
How many days should you spend at Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes?
Most people spend 1-2 days at Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes on their visit, which you can do 1 of 3 ways:
A day trip, returning the same evening
1 day/1 night
2 days/2 nights
We opted for the most relaxed option, spending 2 days and 2 nights there. And here’s why we think you should too. Spending more time there allows you to more fully explore everything Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes have to offer. You can visit Machu Picchu at different times of day, explore the different routes at Machu Picchu, have more time at Aguas Calientes, and explore at a more relaxed pace without having to worry about rushing back to catch your train.
Going 2 days at different times, not only allows you to visit the different routes, but you may also have more or less tourists, and different lighting/weather. Even if the weather isn’t bad either day, it still allows you to get two different perspectives. One of the days we went was sunny and clear and the other day we went was misty with clouds rolling over the mountains. Both were beautiful, just different.
Time of day may also impact whether you get to see the local wildlife, namely the llamas and viscacha, which are the cutest bunny-looking-squirrel creatures you’ll ever see! When there are less people visiting Machu Picchu in the late afternoon, more of the animals come out to play.
2 Day Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes Itinerary
Day 1
- Take a morning train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes
- Check into your hotel
- Grab a quick lunch
- Visit Machu Picchu in the afternoon
- Our first day at Machu Picchu we went during the latest entry time (2:00-3:00pm). It was sunny, with clear skies, and few people. We had a great guide that our hotel arranged for us named Cristian. He took us along Circuit 2, which is the longest route and includes most of the sites. Since we went later in the day though, we weren’t able to see the Intiwatana Pyramid or Condor Temple.
- Have dinner in Aguas Calientes
Day 2
- Breakfast
- Visit Machu Picchu in the morning
- On day two we did Circuit 4 without a guide, since we’d already gotten the history the previous day. We went in the morning, which was more popular/crowded. It seems more tourists prefer that time. Morning was foggier than the afternoon. Clouds rolled over the mountains, giving it a majestic and mystical feel. And since we went in the morning, we were able to see the Pyramid of Intiwuatana and the Condor Temple, which we missed the previous day.
- Lunch
- Explore Aguas Calientes (click here for more information)
- Dinner
- Depart Aguas Calientes evening of Day 2 or morning of Day 3
Which route should you do if you only have one day?
If your time in Peru is limited and you’re only going to spend one day at Machu Picchu, we recommend Circuit 2. It’s the most comprehensive route.
Should you pay for a guide?
If you are more interested in soaking in the beauty of the ruins and natural surroundings than the history, then you can certainly go on your own.
It’s definitely worth getting a guide if you like having the history, because they don’t really provide any reading materials or have placards around the ruins with history. So, the only way you’re going to get that is if you look it up on your own or pay for a guide.
Aside from getting the history, having a guide is also nice because they can double as a photographer. If you’re like us, you may notice it can be hard to get pictures as a couple or whole family. We always have a lot of pictures of the two of us individually and much fewer of us together. Since the guides do this on a daily basis, they already know all the best picture spots!
It’s also kind of nice having a guide because they can let you know whether you’re pronouncing things correctly. We learned that Machu Picchu is pronounced “Match-oo Peek-choo,” which means “old mountain,” but many tourists mispronounce it as “Match-oo Pee-chew,” which means “old penis.” Lol! So, if you notice locals laughing at you after pronouncing Machu Picchu wrong, that’s why!
If you go twice though, you probably don’t need to have a guide for both days. We would recommend just paying for it once.
When should you visit?
The best time to visit Machu Picchu is whenever you can! Okay, that’s a copout answer, but not entirely untrue. Let’s dig in. If you want the best of the best, April and may fit the bill. It’s right after the rainy season, so the mountains are still lush and green. But you’ll have generally clear skies. October through January are wetter months (getting progressively wetter to February), but you’ll generally have opportunities to visit the Machu Picchu without getting totally soaked.
The beauty of this wetter season is you get gorgeous rolling fog and clouds plus the mountains are verdant. June through August are the cooler and drier months, but also when the most tourists visit. The same goes for if you go too close to Christmas. Everyone visiting on their holiday break can really mire the place down. That leaves February and March.
The wettest months by far. In fact, the Inca Trail closes through February. However, Machu Picchu is still open. So if you don’t mind the chance of getting wet, it’s possible to still make it up to enjoy visiting Machu Picchu. And again, the unpredictable mountain weather is just one more reason why we recommend spending a couple days up here if possible. It’s why we appreciated visiting Machu Picchu two separate days, getting different experiences.
How do you get to Machu Picchu?
Most people visiting Machu Picchu come from Cusco, which is approximately 74 km southeast. The easiest way to get from Cusco to Aguas Calientes is by train, which takes 3-4 hours. You can book tickets via Inca Rail or Peru Rail.
From everything we read, you can’t really drive from Cusco to Aguas Calientes. The best you can do is drive to Hydroelectrica or Santa Teresa, and then you still have to take the train or hike the rest of the way there. We wouldn’t recommend this since you’d have to drive on narrow, windy, unpaved, single lane roads and it takes much longer. It was hard for us to find precise time estimates for this option. Estimates seem to range 5-7 hours to drive from Cusco to Hydroelectrica or Santa Teresa, plus a 30-45 minute train ride or a 2-3.5 hour hike to Aguas Calientes. In our opinion, it’s not worth it to give up a day of your trip, risk safety on dodgy roads, and tire yourself out before you even get to Machu Picchu.
Once in Aguas Calientes, you can purchase bus tickets that take you from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, which is another 30 minutes.
You can also hike from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, which takes approximately 1.5-2 hours.
Or, if you like hiking and camping and want something a bit more adventurous, you can do one of the treks: Inca Trail, Chaski (Cachicata) Trail, Lares Trail , Vilcabamba Trail, and Salkantay Trail. The different treks vary in difficulty and length/number of days. The most popular/well known is the Inca Trail, which starts outside Ollantaytambo and takes 4 days. Vilcabamba is the longest and most difficult trek, which starts in Cachora and takes about a week. You can also choose to do a shorter One or Two Day Inca Trail Trek or a Lodge Trek, which is an option for those interested in hiking, but prefer more modern accommodations over camping. For treks, trail permits must be purchased in advance by a tour operator.
Tickets and Final Tips
- Tickets must be purchased in advance.
- You can get tickets through tour operators, the Ministry of Culture, or online through the Ministry of Culture website: https://reservas.machupicchu.gob.pe/inicio.
- Booking online is probably the best and easiest option.
- You must have a valid ID or passport
- There are no bathrooms inside the citadel. So make sure you use the bathroom near the entrance before you enter.
- Tickets are only for one entry. You cannot leave to go to the bathroom or eat and come back in.
- You must enter during your allotted 1-hour entry time.
- Entry times are every hour, starting at 6:00-7:00am and ending at 2:00-3:00pm.
- Check to see if proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is still required.
