Machu Picchu City is located in the Cordillera of Vilcabamba of the Andes mountains and the eyebrow of the jungle. The climate is temperate all year round but it gets chilly and cloudy mornings in the wet season. The average minimum temperature is 10 ° C and average maximum temperature is 27 ° C. As it is also located in the eyebrow of the jungle, it can rain or get foggy anytime of the year, however, from April to September is dry season and from October to March is wet season.
Usually all travellers ask about the “Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu”, “when is the best time to go to Peru”, “best month to go to machu picchu”, “Machu Picchu rainy season” or “Machu Picchu weather”. These questions surge according to your planned trip to Peru. If you want to have the best experience, we recommend choosing the best time for your trip, the weather doesn’t matter. Machu Picchu have the best scenic during all years.
According to weather conditions and our experience, the best time to visit Machu Picchu is from late April / early May to late September / early October. Nowadays the weather conditions have changed due to global warming so it is usually unpredictable but less rainy. The amount of tourists visiting Peru has been slightly for Machu Pichu and doing treks, so, we provide you the following information to plan your trip to Peru and the Inca sanctuary of Machupichu, one of the 7 wonders of the world.
In order to know when to visit Machu Picchu, you should learn about the weather in Machu Picchu and peak season time to avoid crowds so as to enjoy exploring the site.
Due to best weather codintions, it is anyway advisable to come and visit Machu Pichu from April to September. If you come in June, we recommend that you to book the Inti Raymi (the sun worship festivity) it takes place onJune 24th, and also the Rainbow mountain Tour located in high up in the Andes.
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 travel in high Machu Pichu tourist season, know that you will have to book Machu Picchu tickets 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.
They are the rainiest months in Machu Picchu and in general in the region of Cusco, during most of the days the sky is cloudy, but there are also short periods of clear days, the temperature is relatively pleasant with an average of 14 ° C. Although the rains can be an inconvenience when visiting Machu Picchu, they make Machu Picchu look spectacular green and with colorful flora in all its surroundings, besides the clouds and rain make Machu Picchu become a fable scenario, almost surreal.
One of the main advantages of visiting Machu Picchu in these months is that you will be able to find the vast majority of services at reduced prices, and with many offers in luxury services. So with a moderate budget you can greatly enjoy your stay in Machu Picchu, and if you are the traveler who wants to save the most, this is the time you should visit the Inca city.
April is one of the most propitious months to visit Machu Picchu, the rains are minimal and the days become sunnier and more pleasant. Although the high season of tourism already begins this month, it is still possible to find offers in the services, April the the best time to enjoy the views when all is green and flowering.
In the month of May the days are already completely clear, except for some occasional rain that usually occurs, the dry season is already felt, with sunny days and cold nights. During this month there is a large number of visitors to the Inca city of Machu Picchu and tourist services rise in price. In May it is already possible to see and enjoy many of the activities of the jubilee parties of Cusco.
Undoubtedly June is the month that has more tourist activity, and Machu Picchu is full of tourists from all over the world. The weather this month is sunny during the day and very cold at night, especially at dawn. The services are saturated so it is advisable to book them before arriving at Machu Picchu. All this is reinforced by the activities that take place in the city of Cusco, since in June its festivities are celebrated and there are many shows like the Inti Raymi ceremony.
During these months the winter of the mountains is accentuated, the days are similar to those of June, are months in which Machu Picchu receives a high traffic of visitors, and tourist services are very required. The clear days in these dates allow to see Machu Picchu with splendor, you can take magnificent and clean photographs and except for a sporadic shower, are days when visiting Machu Picchu becomes very pleasant and in company of the imposing Inti (Sun).
NOTE: Between May and August the demand for the Machu Picchu Ticket is highly requested, so if you want to visit Machu Picchu on these dates you must book your admission in advance. If you want to climb the mountain Machu Picchu must book your ticket with more than two months in advance
During these months the change of season is made, the cold of winter decreases and the temperature becomes warmer with a very pleasant climate. The high season of tourism begins to fall, as well as the costs of various services. For the experience of many visitors and travelers, these are the best months to visit Machu Picchu, the first rains make the Inca shrine begin to turn green and the sun shines on most days. They are auspicious days to enjoy all the beauty of the Inca wonder.
Machu Picchu takes bright green colors in the rainy months During these months the rain is already felt with greater intensity in Machu Picchu, but it is still possible to enjoy sunny and warm days, tourist services begin to have more offers, so there are months in which you can visit Machu Picchu and travel it without it being saturated with visitors. Besides, spending the holidays at Machu Picchu is a great experience.
No matter the month in which you visit Machu Picchu, the first thing to do is book your Machu Picchu Ticket, and depending on the season you should also book your train ticket in advance.
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 do not change during the dry season.
Unless you are an experienced hiker, we recommend avoiding the month of February, especially if you plan to tour the Huayna Picchu mountain; the trails of the mountain are narrow and vertigo, and can be somewhat more frightening if they are wet. The month of February has the highest amount of rain in the season, which also restricts the entry of visitors by the Inca Trail.
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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.
It was perfect! On the first day we had a great time exploring the Sacred Valley and see the main attractions and learn about the history of this beautiful place.
I would definitely recommend the short Inka trail, I think it was the best way to get to know Machu Picchu and the surrounding area. We arrived at Machu Picchu when most of the crowd was gone and it felt really special.
You won’t regret booking with this tour company, especially if Liz Montesinos is your guide. My boyfriend and I did the 4 day Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain (private) tour. The tour covered everything; from transportation, hotels, meals, tickets and entrance fees, to stops at local places we would’ve never known to go or check out. We did a private tour because for us we felt this would help us get the most out of our time and experience in Peru
Best mix of adventure, history and nature: Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
4-day trekking option seemed too intense for us, but we still wanted to experience the entrance to Machu Picchu through the ancient Inka trail, so we opted for Orange Nation’s combination of Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I couldn’t be more happy about our decision.
We booked and paid the deposit to Orange Nation / Sam travel for the 4 day Inca Trail and Machu Pichu trip back in 2019. But we couldn't travel in 2020 and 2021 - but the company honoured our agreement and so we came back in 2022.
recommends Orange Nation Peru
You won’t regret booking with this tour company, especially if Liz Montesinos is your guide. My boyfriend and I did the 4 day Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain (private) tour. The tour covered everything; from transportation, hotels, meals, tickets and entrance fees, to stops at local places we would’ve never known to go or check out. We did a private tour because for us we felt this would help us get the most out of our time and experience in Peru. This tour had so many incredible things and places packed into 4 days.
recommends Orange Nation Peru
My girl and i did the Machu Pichu trek tour with Orange Nation. It was seriously the most amazing experience that we'll never forget. Gorgeous views! The long trek was worth the amazing view. The tour guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. We considered other tours but chose Orange Nation because we liked the idea of smaller groups and this was definitely worth it. I will be using Orange Nation again next year when I come back to Peru!
recommends Orange Nation Peru
Wow, what a wonderful trekking experience! My trip to Peru was amazing thanks to this awesome tour that i took with Orange Nation. I did multiple tours with this company. I'm a solo traveler and everyone in my group was always still friendly and did not make me feel left out. I loved going off the beaten track with this company. It's much better to pay extra to go off the path for the quality experience of this amazing guided tour They definitely helped guide us and gave us a quality experience with a small group and paid special attention to each one of us. I highly recommend using Orange Nation for your next tour in Peru!
Has one of the most outstanding meal services. Our chefs have been highly trained to prepare the best peruavian and International food our treks. You should be prepared to not only have a superb trekking experience, but also a culinary one. "The food has been the highlight for all our hikers"
Christian B
10/10 Amazing experience
If you’re thinking about which agency to use, look no further- Ray and Jimmy went well above and beyond and made this a memorable, safe, fun, and professional experience.
Ray is the most knowledgeable guide I’ve ever had in any country for any excursion - during both the Short Inka Trail and the actual tour of Machu Picchu, Ray’s expertise shined through in his ability to give us a detailed background on every aspect of the history, climate, nature, flora, animals.. anything!
Likewise, Ray and Jimmy were truly the friendliest, kindest hosts that I could have imagined our group having.
Thank you both so much and I will definitely book with you again if (when) I come back!
Matt A
Awesome experience!!
Did the 2 day Inca trail with Ray and Jimmy they were great and knowledgeable. Ray not only guided us along trail to Machu Picchu but also was an excellent photographer and taught us the history. It was a group of 10 and we had a great time. Even everything going on in Peru, we always felt in good hands.
Rius
Short Inca Trial (2-Day)
This tour was the perfect experience for our (group of 10) short trip to Peru. The trail was sometimes challenging, but the views and history made it all worth it. Ray and Jimmy were our guides and imparted sooo much knowledge about the history of Peru, Inca, and beyond. I would definitely recommend!