Your trip to Machu Picchu will be an experience of those made only once in a lifetime, so it is essential that you be well organized in every detail.
One of the new seven wonders of the world, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, you can reach the Lost City on foot or by train. So let’s see together how a visit to Machu Picchu can be such an exciting and rewarding experience.
Trekking to Machu Picchu
The famous Inca Trail, a demanding 4-day excursion and a truly unforgettable experience, is one of the ways to get to Machu Picchu. However, keep in mind that reservations for this particular type of excursion must be made months in advance. In fact, the Peruvian government allows the presence of only 500 tourists per day on the road itself. Therefore, to fully enjoy this experience, you must plan your hiking excursion well and know the Andes weather in advance.
On the hike along the Inca Trail, you will have to deal with an altitude that ranges between 2,000 and 4,000 meters (between 6,500 and 13,000 feet), since the trail begins in the Andes and ends in the rainforest. This means that you will encounter many types of weather.
The first thing to know is that in the Andes there are basically two different seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The best months for an excursion on the Inca Trail are those of the dry season, from April to October, which is generally considered the best time to go hiking in the Andes.
However, know that in this period, although the temperatures during the day reach 20 ° C (68 ° F), the nights are quite cold and the temperatures can be very cold and fall to 0 ° C (32 ° F). .
Walking on the Inca Trail during the rainy season can be very different. It would be better to avoid going to Machu Picchu walking along the Inca Trail between January and February (when the Inca Trail is usually closed due to rain and maintenance). However, November, December, and March are acceptable months for hiking on the Inca Trail, although the road can be slippery.
Travel to Machu Picchu By train
If you decide to get to Machu Picchu by train, the planning will be totally different. Since the trains leave from Ollantaytambo, Urubamba and Poroy (and go up to the town of Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes), in fact it is possible to reach Machu Picchu throughout the year. However, keep in mind that train travel should also be organized in advance due to the limited number of people per day that can access Machu Picchu (2,500).
