Machu Picchu is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and for sure it is on your list of places to visit. Maybe he already planned the photos he's going to take and some souvenirs to buy and take home. Solved some of the most frequent questions to go to Peru and has the suitcase ready. But there is still a question, what is the best time to go to Machu Picchu?
Plan when to go to Machu Picchu
You should take into account the rainy season and the availability of the attractions you want to visit to choose the best time to visit Machu Picchu. The rainy season in the area is from November to March. During this season the rains can reach a maximum of 98 mm in February.
Located at 2430 meters, the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is open 365 days a year, each with a unique landscape to offer visitors. The routes of the Inca Trail, either the Classic Inca Trail of 4 days or the 2 day Inca trek, close each year in the month of February for maintenance. The Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains only close in April for 15 days each.
The best time to go to Machu Picchu
The most appropriate months to go to Machu Picchu on a tour are from April to October. The rains are scarce and you can contemplate the dawn in the ruins without any problem. The landscapes of the subtropical zones and the humid forests in the route of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Peru do not change during the dry season. The city of Cusco also has no rain and you can appreciate the surrounding ruins in the City Tour for Cusco in all its splendor.
During June, you can add to your tour a representation of the most important sacred festival of the Inca Empire, the Inti Raymi ceremony or Fiesta del Sol on June 24.
Machu Picchu in January, February and March
If you do not mind the rain and prefer to visit the citadel without encountering too many tourists, these three months could work for you. Although it is cloudy almost all the time, during these months there is not much fog so visibility is good. Being low season, the prices of accommodations and tours can be quite cheaper than in other months. Note that if you want to make the Inca Trail, it is disabled during February for maintenance.
Machu Picchu in April and May
Notoriously less humid, visiting Machu Picchu in April and May are the best months to get to know the citadel. During April the number of tourists begins to increase, but already in May it is when it increases considerably, since it coincides with the beginning of holidays in the northern hemisphere. The rains are more frequent in April (9 days on average per month versus 3 days on average during May), but if you do not mind the rain and the ranks of tourists bother you, it is recommended that you go to Machu Picchu closer to April than of May.
Machu Picchu in June, July and August
The driest months of the year. The weather in Machu Picchu during this period presents sunny days during the day and a significant cold at dawn. Because the peak season is high, accommodation prices are the highest during the year and services such as the Inca trail or train tickets are sold out well in advance and we recommend reserving them before arriving in Cusco. In this time is where most tourists will find around the citadel, and it is common to have to wait in line to take pictures from the most iconic points. If you travel in June, we recommend you to book the Inti Raymi 2025 Tour that takes place in June 24th, and also hike the Palcoyo Mountain Tour, which is an incredible Rainbow Mountain located in the Andes.
Machu Picchu in September and October
As in April and May, September and October present some important differences. Although the number of tourists remains very high in both months, September is much drier than October, when there is the most notorious transition to the rainy season. Near the end of October the high season begins to fall, as well as the costs of various services. This is also one of the best time to go to Machu Picchu, as the mild increase in rainfall makes the Inca sanctuary begin to get greener.
Machu Picchu in November and December
These are the months with the least saturation of visitors. The rains are already beginning to feel quite intense and tourist services are starting to have more offers. These are the best months for those wishing to visit Machu Picchu with as few tourists as possible and who do not mind the constant rain.
Can I go to Machu Picchu during the rainy season?
Although the rainy season is not the best season, it offers the same landscapes as during the dry season. You can see the wonder of Machu Picchu surrounded by a mystical mist in the early morning or crowned by a beautiful rainbow after a drizzle in spring.
However, our recommendation is to avoid taking the Inca Trail during the rainy season (November to March). During February it is completely closed for maintenance.
How is the high season in Machu Picchu?
The high season of tourism occurs between May and August; this season coincides with the dry season, but also with the vacations in Europe and the USA. If you plan to come to Machu Picchu in high season, know that you will have to book Machu Picchu entrance fee at least 3 months in advance; but it's not all, you'll also have to book in advance, train tickets, guides and additional tour. On the other hand, you will have to compete with other visitors for the first bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, and for the best places in the Huayna Picchu mountain and in the Inca city. One of the main disadvantages of this season, it is not precisely that you do not find places, but what you will have to pay for them. During the high season, the prices of most tourist services, rise between 30 and 100%, depending on the time of anticipation of your reservations.
How is the low season in Machu Picchu?
While it is possible to encounter some rain, the low season is for many, the best time to come to Machu Picchu; enjoy Machu Picchu in its most intense green, with lower prices and something that most people want but that is impossible to obtain during the high season; be in Machu Picchu with the least amount of people possible, allowing you to take pictures of Machu Picchu without a lot of strangers in them.
Best tours to visit Machu Picchu
Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.
- Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5 days
- Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 5 days
- Inca Quarry Trail 4 Days
- 2 Day Inca Trail Tour
- 2 Day Inca Trail with Camping
- 3 Day Inca Trail
- Vilcabamba Hike to Machu Picchu 6 days
- Choquequirao trek to Machu Picchu 9 days
- Ausangate trek 7 days
If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.
