Find out how to visit the Machu Picchu Mountain

Many people do not know, but the visit to Machu Picchu offers much more than the incredible walk through the citadel. If you try to buy your tickets for visiting our Wonder of the World you will realize that there are different options, among which is the Machu Picchu Mountain ticket. What is this place? Is the route complicated? At what time can you visit it? Here we solve all your doubts.

The Machu Picchu Mountain

Along with the Huayna Picchu, the Machu Picchu Mountain is one of the two trekkings that you can do in the Inca citadel, but it is the least known, even though it is the mountain that gives its name to our Wonder of the World.

Its summit is located to the south of the citadel and forms part of the Salcantay massif, in the Andes mountain range. Although this trek has less slope, less narrow roads and is less demanding than the Huayna Picchu, the height, which reaches 3082 meters above sea level, makes it requires a great physical effort and more time of dedication to reach the goal.

The route begins at one of Machu Picchu’s most popular viewpoints. Here you will find the entrance where visitors have to register with their name, passport and the time they start the trek. Thus, the guards will be able to make sure that all the people who have started the trek to the Machu Picchu Mountain have gone down the same road.

When you start walking the mountain trails, we recommend you to do it calmly. As we said earlier, this place reaches a considerable height that can affect the pace of walking. For this, it is appropriate that you always carry pills against altitude sickness or coca leaves with you.

After approximately two hours of walking, you will reach the highest point of the mountain, where the views are simply spectacular. Here, unlike what happens in the Huayna Picchu, the Incas did not build any buildings, so you will not find archaeological remains but a great diversity of flora and fauna.

To avoid the crowd in the summit, those who arrive to this place can only stay here for a maximum of 15 minutes, so take advantage of each one of them to get the best photos and breathe the pure air of the Peruvian Andes.

Machu Picchu Mountain tickets

The first thing you have to be clear is you have to choose between visiting the Huayna Picchu or the Machu Picchu Mountain; you will not be able to do both on the same day.

On the other hand, since 2017 in the citadel of Machu Picchu there are two entry schedules; from 6:00 a. m. to 12:00 a. m. and from 12 p. m. to 5:30 p.m. and to access to Machu Picchu Mountain you will have to do it from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. or from 9:00 a. m. to 10:00 a. m. So, if you are going to climb the mountain you will have to obligatory enter in the first turn and, choose the time you choose to start the route, we recommend you to enter the citadel very early, at 6 o’clock in the morning, to be able to enjoy and discover this incredible place as much as you can.

The number of people who can enter each day both Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain is much smaller than the one that simply accesses to the citadel: only 200 people can make these treks in each of the schedules. For this reason, it is highly recommended to book tickets at least one month in advance (in the case of Huayna Picchu, which is more famous, you have to book with at least three months in advance).

Doing any of these treks does not entail any kind of danger: you just have to be careful because, as we have said, they have narrow, but fully accessible areas. In addition, you do not have to be an expert in the world of hikes to reach the summit: with patience and good rhythm everyone arrives to appreciate the wonders of Machu Picchu from another angle. Good luck and good trail!