4 daysCusco
4-Day Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu: Biking, Rafting & Zipline
5.0(150)Free cancellation
from$429
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsMachu Picchu
Cusco and the Sacred Valley · UNESCO World Heritage
Built by the Inca emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century and abandoned about a hundred years later, Machu Picchu sits on a saddle between two peaks at 2,430 m, above a loop of the Urubamba River. It was never found by the Spanish, which is why so much of it survives.
Visits are now strictly managed: every ticket is for a set circuit, route and hourly entry time, and the most popular ones sell out months ahead in the dry season.
Planning your visit
- Choose your circuit. Circuit 2 walks through the most ruins; circuit 1 has the classic photo. Our ticket guide has a chooser.
- Getting there. Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then a 25 minute bus. See how to get to Machu Picchu.
- Arrive on foot. The Classic Inca Trail ends at the Sun Gate above the citadel. Permits sell out: see our permit guide.
- Climb a peak. Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain need their own tickets. Compare them here.
When to go
Early morning slots are quieter and often clearer, though cloud can hang over the ridge until mid morning. The dry season from May to September has the best views; from November to March expect afternoon rain and fewer people.
Where it is
Multi-day tours that visit Machu Picchu
Every tour here includes Machu Picchu in its itinerary. Best rated first.
4 days
4 days
4 days
2 days
2 daysLikely to sell out
4 days
4 days
4 days
2 days
2 daysLikely to sell outSacred Valley
Machu Picchu 2Day Tour by Train from Cusco with Overnight Stay
5.0(64)Free cancellation
from$519
6 days
2 daysCombine it with
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Machu Picchu: questions
How long do you need at Machu Picchu?
One ticket allows about 2.5 to 4 hours depending on the route. Staying a night in Aguas Calientes lets you visit early or come back on a second ticket.
Do I need a guide at Machu Picchu?
Visitors are meant to enter with a licensed guide, and it is worth it: there are no signs inside.