Machu Picchu

Ultimate Guide To Machu Picchu and Hiking Montaña Picchu

In continuing my previous post explaining all the necessities of planning a trip to Machu Picchu, this post will touch on the day trip and hike itself. Machu Picchu was certainly one of the highlights (but not the only one!) of our trip to Peru and Bolivia!

Preparing to visit Machu Picchu


We woke up around 4:30am at our Ollantaytambo guesthouse in the sacred valley to catch the first train out that morning to Aguas Caliente (the nearest town to Machu Picchu). Our guesthouse made us a lunch which consisted of an unappealing ham sandwich and fruit. Looking back on it, we probably should have brought more food and water. Ollantaytambo is a tiny town and walking to the train station only takes 15 minutes. There were also cars and tuk tuks waiting in the main square so we paid the 3 soles for a quick ride.

Train ticket perurail
Train ticket PeruRail

At the train station, it was already filling up with tourists eager to check off one of their ultimate bucket list items, as well as locals who I assume were going to work or home. There are numerous vendor stalls selling water and food just in case anyone wanted to buy food for their trip or just grab a quick breakfast.

Tickets on PeruRail trains are separated by cars and it was pretty clear that when we were all lining up to board the train, we were in the gringo car. Overall, the PeruRail train was actually pretty nice. We bought the cheapest class (which isn’t cheap), and the seats were comfortable enough for the 2 hour journey to Aguas Caliente.

perurail machu picchu
Lining up for the train in the morning before going to Machu Picchu

The train and bus to Machu Picchu


The train ride was quite comfortable. It was still pitch black when we departed but the sun started rising slowly. The scenery is absolutely fantastic. Ollantaytambo is in the sacred valley and is characterized by huge, granite mountains with sparse vegetation. As we started leaving the sacred valley and towards Machu Picchu, the scenery started changing into greener pastures, lush with trees, rivers and flowers. The Andes really are impressive to see.

perurail machu picchu
Perurail trains in the morning
View from the train to Machu Picchu
View from the train to Machu Picchu

After two hours, our train finally arrived in Aguas Caliente. This town at the base of Machu Picchu was a lot bigger than I had imagined. It was filled with all the touristy shops, restaurants, hotels, and markets. Many people stay here for a night or two, and those wanting to visit Machu Picchu for the sunrise must stay here as no trains leave early enough to arrive in Machu Picchu for it. From the train, we went straight to the bus station located right next to the train (can’t miss it).

Buying bus tickets in Aguas Caliente

We had no idea the lines would be so long but at 7am, it was already a thousand people deep. You have to buy bus tickets in Aguas Caliente as they operate separate from the trains. They are $24 roundtrip. The trick here is if you’re not a solo traveler, to have one person wait in line, and have the other person (with both of your passports) buy tickets.

aguas caliente bus
The line for the bus in Aguas Caliente! Crazy long

The buses do come quickly but we still waited a good 40 minutes. Once on the bus, we drove for another half hour through dirt roads, climbing up the mountain until we reached the entrance of Machu Picchu. Those that don’t want to take the bus, can climb the trail to the entrance of Machu Picchu which consists of thousands of steps. At the entrance, there was a mob of people waiting to get in. I presented my ticket that I printed out beforehand, along with my passport and we were finally in!

entrance machu picchu
Entrance of Machu Picchu. To the right is a small restaurant with views of the Andes.

Entering Machu Picchu


This was it. Finally, we were here. After seeing countless photos, videos, and documentaries on this place, it was finally my turn.

Our path was still shrouded in the morning clouds but this is almost every day. Away we went. The ruins are right next to the entrance so it wasn’t long before I reached the fabled ruins of Machu Picchu. Ten minutes later and we were already at the famous viewpoint area of Machu Picchu where we could gaze upon one of the seven new wonders of the world. Llamas were grazing all around us (yes there are llamas all over Macchu Picchu, and it felt a bit surreal.

clouds machu picchu
View of Machu Picchu in the morning. Clouds cover EVERYTHING. Can’t see in any direction

However, it was completely covered in clouds in the morning and I could not see a damn thing. I met people that raved about coming to Machu Picchu for the sunrise but they must have been real lucky because other people have told me Machu Picchu is almost always covered in clouds in the morning so I’m not sure how amazing a sunrise experience would be.

llama machu picchu
Early morning sighting of llamas at Machu Picchu

Seeing as we couldn’t see anything (around 8:30am), we figured we would start our hike up Machu Picchu mountain (Montaña Picchu). At 8:30am, it was already getting warmer so I changed into shorts and a tshirt knowing that this I would thank myself once I started hiking.

Machu Picchu Ruins
Machu Picchu Mountain is the peak in this photo.

 

Hiking Montaña Picchu (Machu Picchu Mountain)


Montaña Picchu is no joke. This is a difficult hike to say the least. It’s a 800m climb to the top and is very steep. Being at 2500m already, the hike was even more difficult as we were constantly gasping for whatever thin air we were already breathing. We took numerous breaks to recover and soak in the views, or at least that’s what I told myself.

As we climbed higher, the clouds were beginning to dissipate and we could see more of the surrounding landscape, occasionally gazing at Machu Picchu as it became more visible. Overall, our hike was just under 1 hour and when we reached the summit, it was a sense of accomplishment and relief.

Montana Picchu
Hiking up Montana Picchu
Climbing Machu Picchu mountain
Some of the trail was questionably narrow special care should be taken
Machu Picchu Mountain
Clouds starting to burn off as we climbed higher. At this point, it is about 9:15am

Reaching the summit of Machu Picchu

The views from the top are incredible. It was still relatively early so there weren’t many people at the peak and the clouds were still covering Machu Picchu. When they finally burned off, the views were absolutely stunning. The ruins are small from so high up but you get a more aerial view of Machu Picchu and the Huayna Picchu mountain in the distant.

The best views and photo opportunities go to those that are the most daring. We climbed over the rope fence and sat at the very edge. It’s a sheer drop from the edge and too much sudden movement or irresponsible selfie taking will lead to certain death. In fact, a few weeks prior to our visit, a German tourist was taking photos in the same area but slipped and fell to their death.

Machu Picchu mountain view
Getting my pic at the very edge. Exhilarating experience.

We spent at least an hour sitting at the top of Montaña Picchu. The views never got old and I had some good talks with the other travelers sitting on the edge of death with me.

Walking through the Machu Picchu Ruins


It was almost 1pm when we descended back down to the ruins. We paused to eat whatever lunch we packed (if you could even call it that) next to some llamas grazing. The llamas in Machu Picchu without a doubt see more humans than most humans do. They are completely unafraid of humans. I could give one a hug, and they would still be eating away completely oblivious to the world. They provide some good photo opportunities like this one:

llama machu picchu
Doing my best llama impersonation in Machu Picchu

We took a good 20 minutes to take all our “iconic” Machu Picchu pictures to get them out of the way. There are numerous areas that are sectioned off for photos that provide the stunning iconic backdrop of the ruins and Huayna Picchu mountain. Whatever you do however, there will be people all around you.

Machu Picchu is actually a very small park as far as acres go and with a minimum of 2500 people visiting, there is no place to find solace and isolation. It’s all about playing with the camera angles to strategically exclude people from your pictures.

Machu Picchu ruins
Like this one
Machu Picchu views
And this one.

Should you hire a guide in Machu Picchu?


There are numerous guides for hire in the mornings charging upwards of 200 soles for a few hours. This is when all the tourists first come so they have time on their side. For a cheaper alternative, consider hiring a guide in the afternoon when people are getting ready to leave for the day. There are many hovering around the entrance and with some negotiation, will do it for half the price of the morning.

We had planned on hiring a guide but hiking Montaña Picchu took it out of us and we just proceeded to walk through the ruins on our own, not understanding much of it. Looking back, we should have hired a guide to fully explain to us the history and lesser known details of the place.

Get a passport stamp!

The best souvenirs are free ones. Machu Picchu has one of the more unique souvenirs I’ve seen in the form of a passport stamp. Right after exiting, there is a stand with passport stamps. A great finishing touch on the whole experience and certainly a passport stamp collectors dream.

passport stamp machu picchu
The passport stamp stand at the exit
Passport stamp Machu Picchu
Passport stamp Machu Picchu

 

Back to Aguas Caliente


Our train back to Ollantaytambo was scheduled for 6:10pm that evening so we left Machu Picchu around 4pm. We took the bus back to Aguas Caliente and with our leftover time, drank some celebratory pisco sours and Cuscenas at Toto’s House restaurant. We met other travelers that had just finished their treks and with the 2 for 1 happy hour this place had going, we drank so much we ended up missing our train!

Toto's house Aguas Caliente
Having a beer with a view at Toto’s house restaurant in Aguas Caliente

Stupid (but funny) Tourists

The next and last train for the night wasn’t until 9pm . We met these two American travelers that missed their train because they read 16:10 on their tickets and thought it was at 6:10pm. The first thing I asked them was “Are you American?” and immediately felt better about ourselves because at least our excuse was excessive imbibing of delicious pisco sours. We headed back to Tito’s house to drink more, making sure not to miss our train otherwise we’d be spending the night in Aguas Caliente!

Lomo saltado machu picchu
Delicious Lomo Saltado to cap off the day at Machu Picchu

Amazing day and an amazing experience that won’t soon be forgotten!

8 Comments

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  1. Hi, I really enjoyed reading your blog. We are going to Machu Piccu in May and I am doing a lot of research, hence came upon your blog. I was just wondering about your picnic lunch/snacks when you descended back down to the ruins. I thought that I read that some food and drink was prohibited. What did you bring for your lunches that was allowed? thanks!

    • Hi Michelle, glad you like the post! I think there have been some new rule changes implemented in the last year or two. I think officially, they’ve always said no food allowed but when you have thousands of people trying to get through the gates in the morning, you can imagine that no one checks. We brought water in Swell bottles for water, and our food was a bit meh. No one checked. I’ve read through some other forums that no one checks still but it could always change. In addition to the lunch the guesthouse made, we also brought some protein bars and peanuts. Hope this helps!

  2. Hello Johnny, very helpful description! I will go on next January and I was planning to o Machu and Montana Picchu, spending one night in Aguas Caliente. What’s the best way to plan it? Reaching Aguas Caliente the afternoon/evening, spending the night there and the day after entering in Machu Picchu and hiking Montana Picchu?

    Thank you in advance!

    • Hi Valentino, yes I think that is the best way to do it! There are many many guesthouses, hostels, and fancy hotels in Aguas Caliente so it will be easy for you to find a place to sleep before the long day ahead. Also, staying in Aguas Caliente means you can start your day early before the crowds from Cusco and Ollantaytambo get in. It’s the only way to see the Machu Picchu sunrise :).

  3. Hi there, thanks for this. Myself and my boyfriend are you to follow your itinerary exactly – any advice on what not to do or mistakes you felt were made in hindsight? Also what time was your train to Agues and what time did you enter into Machu? Just wondering if we should book the 7am slot at Machu Picchu or the 10am slot?

    • Hi Leanne, would definitely say not wearing sunscreen is one. It might be cool in the morning but it can get quite hot very quickly. I’d also wear some long tube socks next time as the sand flies are quite hectic. I hiked in shorts which was a good choice since the hike is quite strenuous. I’d recommend the later hike because the clouds usually linger until 10 or so in the mornings!

  4. We enjoyed your writing and pictures, and the information was very helpful. We are going in May and will be visiting some of the same areas including Titicaca. Your post about immigration was very helpful. What time of the year did you visit Machu Picchu?

    • Thanks Pilar! I went to Machu Picchu in early-mid September. I think May will be similar as that’s generally when the dry season starts. Enjoy your trip!