Machu Picchu Mountain Hike 2025

Machu Picchu Mountain Hike 2025

Machu Picchu Mountain is another mountain above the Machu Picchu Citadel that can be hiked. It offers a panoramic view of the citadel, Huayna Picchu Mountain, Putucusi Mountain, the meandering Wilkamayu (Urubamba) River, lush mountain scenery, and the last part of the Classic Inca Trail.

Machu Picchu: Useful information

Important: With the Machu Picchu mountain tickets, you do not have the opportunity to take your “postcard photo” with Machu Picchu at the end of the trek. You will re-enter Machu Picchu from the lower part and must complete Circuit 03 (soft, yellow color). You must buy regular Machu Picchu tickets to get a Machu Picchu postcard photo.

It would be best to respect the scheduled entrance times between 7 and 8 a.m. and 8 and 9 a.m. If you arrive a few minutes late, you cannot enter.

Use sun protection, a hat, and sunglasses. The sun is intense at this altitude.

The Machu Picchu mountain road has 1,600 steps.

To avoid crowding at the top, hikers arriving at this classic photo spot can only stay for 15 minutes, so take advantage of everyone to get amazing photos.

The mountain trail tends to get wet during the rainy season (December to March). Therefore, it is recommended that you wear shoes suitable for hiking.

Machu Picchu Mountain Hike

As with the Huayna Picchu trek, if you book the Inca Trail, you will still need to purchase another permit for Machu Picchu Citadel plus Machu Picchu Mountain, although the Inca Trail will secure you a ticket for Machu Picchu Citadel.

The hike is not for those with a great fear of heights, as there are sections where the trail is only 1.2 meters wide, and a cliff is on one side.
Many websites recommend it as a quiet hike suitable for children and the elderly. Well, it isn’t. It may not be dangerous, but it is strenuous and relatively long.

If you have the Machu Picchu mountain ticket, you should climb the mountain first and then hike the Machu Picchu Citadel. Otherwise, you will have very little time at the Citadel.

If you are making the Inca Trail in 4 days, we do not recommend climbing Mapi Mountain because you will not have time to explore the Machu Picchu Citadel with your guide unless you want to miss the guided tour of the Citadel. But you can climb this mountain after the 4-day Inca Trail trek. If you stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes, then on day 5, you can mount this mountain alone.

How to clean up in Machu Picchu

Use the toilets outside the ruins (2 suns) each. Remember that your permit only allows you to re-enter X1, so you can’t go out and use the restroom often.

Food and water in Machu Picchu

Bring plenty of water—at least 2 liters per person—plus good snacks, as there is no store to buy refreshments from after entering the site. Please be respectful and discreet in the places where you decide to stop and have a snack, and never leave waste.

Altitude Sickness in Machu Picchu

You should be well acclimatized to the altitude before attempting this hike; the air gets thinner, and you will notice the difference.

• Machu Picchu Mountain schedules 2025

The alternative route, Machu Picchu Mountain, will have 400 daily quotas, distributed in two hours: the first hour from 07:00 to 08:00 and the second hour from 08:00 to 09:00. Visitors must enter the Machu Picchu Mountain route and leave the monument on the same path. This ticket type can re-enter Machu Picchu to visit small circuit 3 (yellow color).

The first turn is perfect for people who stay one more night in Aguas Calientes town and decide to climb the mountain on their own the next day or for people who want to do a guided visit to the Citadel after climbing Machu Picchu Mountain. But there is a disadvantage: you will be tired after the total hike of 3 hours (round trip), and then you will continue your tour of the Machu Picchu Citadel with your guide (2 to 3 hours approximately).

The second shift suits people arriving in Machu Picchu from different treks such as the Inca Trail 2 days, Salkantay Trek, Huchuy Qosqo, Quarry Trail, Lares Trek, Inca Jungle Trek, or Train Tour. This is because you start the guided tour at 6 a.m. at the Machu Picchu Citadel until 8 a.m. and then climb the mountain after your guided tour. Note: It only works in the dry season from April to October because in the rainy season, Machu Picchu remains foggy until 10 a.m. most of the time, and it is recommended that the guided tour starts at 9:00 a.m.
The summit of Machu Picchu

View of the Inca City of Machu Picchu from Machu Picchu Mountain

The trail to Machu Picchu

The trail to Machu Picchu Mountain ascends through stone steps and well-established paths. The hike is not dangerous, but it will require all your strength. As the trail approaches the base of Machu Picchu Mountain, the steps become steeper, narrower, and more challenging, and there is no flat part.

How do I get to the mountain from the ruins of Machu Picchu?

Once you enter the main entrance of Machu Picchu, walk for 2 minutes in a straight line, and then turn left towards the gatehouse. There will be a sign pointing you in the right direction. This hiking trail also takes you to the Sun Gate, the same entrance to Machu Picchu for those who came by the Inca Trail.

You should turn right three minutes after the guard house and follow the road through agricultural terraces. You will then arrive at the guard booth, where you must sign in, present your ticket, and register with your passport. It is approximately 30 minutes from the entrance of Machu Picchu to the start of the Machu Picchu mountain trail.

Learn in detail what the Machu Picchu mountain hike has to offer:

• Height: 3,080 m /10,104 ft.
• Height drop: 650 m (2,132 ft).
• Restrictions: There are no age restrictions for climbing Machu Picchu Mountain, but some steps are significant for children.
• Walking distance: 3.9 km (2.42 miles).
• Location: Machu Picchu Mountain is on the opposite side of Huayna Picchu Mountain.
• The number of visitors: 400 seats per day.
• Hiking time: 3 and a half hours (round trip); the amount of time to climb Machu Picchu mountain depends on the person’s physical condition.
• Difficulty: Difficult.
• Archaeological attractions: none.
• Flora and fauna: You will find a variety of orchids, butterflies, and birds.
• Advantages: Less steep trails, panoramic views of the Inca City, Huayna Picchu mountain, and the Salkantay glacier
• Disadvantages: No archaeological remains. It isn’t easy to get to the top.

Prices of the hike to Machu Picchu mountain

The cost of a Machu Picchu mountain permit is 200 PEN (soles) or US$65 (£40); this includes the entrance fee to the Machu Picchu Citadel, which is currently 152 PEN. A Machu Picchu mountain permit costs 48 pesos, or US$15. Students with valid international IDs pay half.

Machu Picchu Mountain Hike

Machu Picchu Mountain Climb Times (7 am or 8 a.m.)

Both times have pros and cons. Just like Huayna Picchu, the advantage of the 7:00 a.m. hike is that it will be more fantastic and pleasant to hike the trail. The 8 a.m. hikers will contend with much higher temperatures. They will require more breaks and water to reach the summit of Machu Picchu.

The disadvantage of going in the earlier group in the rainy season (December to March) is that there is a higher possibility of experiencing mist in the early mornings, which can entirely obscure the view from the summit of Machu Picchu Mountain.