Machu Picchu is one of the most visited tourist sites in the world. The experience it offers is fantastic: history, beautiful landscapes, an energy that is difficult to describe and good quality tourist services. However, to get the best experience it is recommended to avoid buying tickets at the last minute, traveling in the dark, not wearing the appropriate clothing for hiking or simply losing your passport or ID. Find out 7 things you should not do when visiting Machu Picchu.

• 1. Buy tickets at the last minute
• 2. Not organizing hotels
• 3. Do not visit Machu Picchu with too much luggage
• 4. Do not go trekking without a guide or the correct information
• 5. Forgetting your passport or ID
• 6. Going for walks without the proper clothing
• 7. Not properly adapting to the altitude

Observing Machu Picchu on a foggy day

Planning Your Trip to Machu Picchu
Your trip to Machu Picchu is something you need to plan very carefully, just as if you were planning your last weekend of being single before your wedding. Good planning will allow you to have the Machu Picchu tickets you want, tickets on the train of your choice, entry on the day you prefer, and even get one of the 400 tickets available to enter the Huayna Picchu mountain in Machu Picchu. It is easy for many people to underestimate the significance of a trip to one of the wonders of the world.

1. Buy tickets at the last minute

• Tickets to Machu Picchu are available all year round through online sales. It is estimated that around 1.5 million people visit the Inca city each year.
• Buying a ticket at the last minute means that visitors will not find tickets available on the day and time of their preference.
• The most popular ticket for tourists is the ‘Machu Picchu Classic’ ticket. It is recommended to buy this ticket online 3 months in advance.
• The same is true for the ‘Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu’ ticket, which must be purchased online 2 or 3 months in advance.
• Tickets can be purchased online on the official website of the Ministry of Culture of Peru. You can also do so through the website of a travel agency.
• Tickets can be purchased in person, but in the town of Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu town. According to the rules of the Ministry of Culture of Peru, a thousand tickets are sold there every day. Most visitors get the entrance ticket for the day after their purchase. That is, they must spend a night in a tourist hotel in the town.

Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu

2. Not organizing hotels

• For a smooth and trouble-free visit, it is best to book your hotels online in advance for the days you will spend in Cusco and Machu Picchu.
• You can book hotels online from anywhere in the world. If you want a visit with more free time, you can spend a night in a hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes.
• To get to Machu Picchu, you must first take a train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes.
• Although we do not recommend taking this train at night, you may need to do so, due to time or some other reason.
• If you decide to do this, you really don’t want to arrive in Aguas Calientes without having rooms booked.
• Arriving in Aguas Calientes at night is like a scene from a movie about the end of the world, where everyone is in a mad rush to get off the train and go to their hotels and hostels, and you don’t want to be wandering the streets looking for shelter.
• Make sure to book well in advance if you are coming to Machu Picchu during peak season (May to August).
• Remember that the Sacred Valley tour is one of the most beautiful short train routes in the world, so it is best to do it during the day.

3. Do not visit Machu Picchu with too much luggage

• If you visit Machu Picchu in just 1 day from Cusco, it is not necessary to carry too much luggage: comfortable clothing, a jacket, a rain poncho, your documents and everything in a comfortable backpack.
• On the train journey, the maximum luggage allowance is 5 kilos. This weight is more than enough if you visit Machu Picchu and spend a night in the town of Aguas Calientes.
• To avoid this situation, you just have to read the fine print on your train ticket, in the part where it says that you cannot bring backpacks or large bags, take only a small backpack, and everyone around you will be happier.
• That is, don’t come with a lot of luggage, but if you do, you can extend your accommodation in Cusco until your return date from Aguas Calientes and have your bags stored for you.
• We also recommend booking train tickets immediately after booking your Machu Picchu entrance tickets.

Appropriate luggage for visiting Machu Picchu

4. Do not go trekking without a guide or the correct information

• To get to Machu Picchu you can take multi-day hiking routes. The most famous are: the Salkantay trek 5 days, the Lares trek 4 days, the Huchuy Qosqo trek 3 days, the Inca Jungle 4 days or the famous Inca Trail 4 days.
• All of these hiking routes can be done on your own or with a tour organized by a travel agency. Only the 4-day Inca Trail can be done with a tour. This is because its paths are the historic qhapac ñan, protected by the Peruvian State.
• If you want to hike to Machu Picchu on your own, you should be very well informed and bring with you the necessary things, such as tents, sleeping bags, food and shelter. In these cases, a good idea is to be accompanied by a professional tour guide.
• For a safer route, consult your hotel staff or local hikers where to find the hiking route you should take to get to Machu Picchu.
• We also recommend checking the weather conditions the day before so you can bring the right things for a safe hike.
• If your entrance ticket includes Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain, we recommend taking a bus, rather than walking the 10 kilometers to the gate of the archaeological site.
• The best of Machu Picchu is up in the mountains, and you won’t want to arrive tired when you still have a few hours of walking ahead of you to explore Machu Picchu and some of its mountains.

Visiting Machu Picchu with a professional guide

5. Forgetting your passport or ID

• Another rule that is in fine print, this time on the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu, is that you need an identification document or passport.
• The ticket can be submitted in print or in PDF format via your mobile device.
• If you lose your passport or ID, you can show a copy, either in physical format or in PDF format, via your mobile device.
• If your passport or identity document is stolen, you can show the police report at the entrance to Machu Picchu.
• To start your visit you will need your passport, so take advantage and get the Machu Picchu passport stamp, you can stamp it at a small ticket office in the town of Aguas Calientes.

6. Going for walks without the proper clothing

• In Machu Picchu there are up to six hikes available: the route to Huayna Picchu, the route to Machu Picchu mountain, the route to Huchuy Picchu mountain, the route to the Inca Bridge, the route to Intipunku and the route to the Great Cavern.
• In any case, to enjoy a pleasant experience, you should wear hiking shoes as well as light and comfortable clothing for the walk.
• A common mistake is to go on these hiking routes wearing jeans or even skirts.
• We know, you want to look good for your Instagram photos, with the ruins in the background or kissing a llama, but in fact, tight pants will be quite uncomfortable for the grueling 90-minute hike up the mountain slopes.
• We also recommend bringing an extra cotton t-shirt for a quick change on top, especially if your tickets include the mountains of Machu Picchu.
• Don’t forget to bring deodorant, a hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, as well as snacks and rehydration drinks in a comfortable backpack.

Enjoying the incredible views of Machu Picchu

7. Not properly adapting to the altitude

• Machu Picchu is 2,430 meters above sea level. Meanwhile, the city of Cusco is located at an elevation of 3,399 meters.
• Altitude sickness, also known as mountain sickness, is a natural condition that visitors suffer when they reach geographies above 2,400 meters in altitude. In other words, both in Machu Picchu and in Cusco, you can suffer from its symptoms: headache, nausea, fatigue and shortness of breath.
• The best way to achieve proper acclimatization is to spend two or three days in Cusco before visiting Machu Picchu. This way you will be better prepared to enjoy the Inca city as it should be.
• Don’t underestimate the dangers of altitude sickness. Regardless of your age, physical condition, or whether you’ve lived in the Himalayas all your life, you can feel its effects if you don’t take the necessary precautions to avoid altitude sickness.
• Bring sun protection, too. Machu Picchu is located high up in the Amazon rainforest, in one of the areas with the highest radiation levels in this part of the world, and even when it’s cloudy, you can get a bad sunburn, so bring sunscreen and apply it generously.
• Bring plenty of water and snacks. There is a ridiculously overpriced snack shop at the entrance gate, but you can bring these from Aguas Calientes; there are no places where you can get them inside the park.

Advice from people who have been there

Machu Picchu

By: Eliana D.

“Marvelous“

“Every culture lover should visit this place at least once in their life. I recommend sleeping in the town of Aguas Calientes and being at the bus station before 5 am; this is if you want to take good photos without a bunch of people blocking your way.“

By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, December 13, 2024