Machu Picchu Information

Machu Picchu is 2,430 meters (7,972 feet) above sea level, which is much lower than the city of Cusco — 3,360 meters or 11,023 feet — so it’s likely you won’t suffer from altitude sickness if you’ve already spent time acclimatizing in Cusco first. But if you plan to hike Machu Picchu Mountain, know that the altitude at the top is more than 3,000 meters (~9,842 feet) and Huayna Picchu is about 2,700 meters (~8,858 feet) tall, so you may feel it, especially if you’re being active. If you’re concerned about altitude, take it slow and drink plenty of water. Sipping coca tea, chewing coca leaves or taking a soroche pill — available at local Peruvian pharmacies — can also help you deal with the symptoms, which include shortness of breath and lethargy. Consult your doctor ahead of time with any concerns regarding altitude.

Visit Machu Picchu in the Morning

Thanks to the new regulations, you can now only enter Machu Picchu from 6:00am to 12:00pm or from 12:00pm to 5:30pm depending on the time slot you choose when you buy your ticket. If you’ve purchased the morning entrance, it is highly unlikely they will kick you out at noon — Machu Picchu ended up staying from 6:30am to almost 12:00pm with the morning entrance ticket. Of course, this could change in the future, though the site will need to implement a feasible system to herd thousands of people out at their end time, so it may be a while before this rule is enforced.

The advantages to go early to Machu Picchu is that you will be at the view point with not many people, because the crowds arrives there between 8am to 2pm and thousands of people arrive to the classic spot. if you wan to join Machu Pichcu without crowds we recommend go early about 6 am and enjoy the sunrise.

There Are No Bathrooms Beyond the Main Entrance

You’ll find a small snack bar, restaurant and bathroom just outside the gate at Machu Picchu before you enter the site — which costs two soles, or about 60 cents to use — but that’s all folks. You are not allowed re-entry during your visit to Machu Picchu, according of the last regulations your Machu Picchu ticket is valid only once, if you used it at the morning and you’ve exit you are not allowed to go in again.

Bring your passport with you

This one is simple: Don’t forget your passport since you’ll need to present it with your ticket to enter. To commemorate your visit, you can also get a special Machu Picchu stamp in your passport — look for a small desk just past the entrance or ask a staff member where to find it once you get in.

Bring These Five Things

Be sure to bring sunblock and bug spray — or shampoo, if you want to give the local anti-mosquito method a try. It’s also a good idea to wear comfortable walking shoes, a raincoat and several layers of clothing, as it can be very chilly in the morning, very hot at midday and very rainy at any time. Having a small or regular-size backpack is allowed, but one rule they were enforcing involved large backpacks. If your bag is larger than 40 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm (15.7 inches x 13.7 inches x 7.9 inches) it won’t be allowed in and you’ll have to pay to store it in the lockers before you can enter the site.

Bus or walk from Aguas Calientes

You can walk up to Machu Picchu, but it will take one hour and it’s extremely steep. The bus ride to the top takes about 20 minutes and you can purchase your tickets in Aguas Calientes at the bus stand the night before. Tickets are $12 per direction and you’ll need to show your passport to purchase them, no exceptions.
If you decide to take the bus, plan to line up about one hour before your allocated entrance time. It may seem crazy, but hundreds of people are lining up to take these beginning at 5:30am, so if you line up at 5:30am, you won’t make it up to the ruins until 6:30am or 7:00am. To get there for sunrise around 6:00am, you should arrive by 4:30am to wait in line. If you get carsick, consider taking motion-sickness pills, as the ride is short but somewhat harrowing, with several switchbacks and curves.