The Machu Picchu Mountain hike offers simply astonishing views of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountain range. I’d heard very little about the trail ahead of time and I assumed that was because it paled in comparison to nearby Huayna Picchu Mountain and its famed ‘stairs of death’.
The reality is that it’s an incredible trail and even had several sets of staircases that were pretty reminiscent of the ‘stairs of death’ (which aren’t as bad as they sound!).
As well as this, the Machu Picchu Mountain hike has a very special added bonus - access to the coveted viewpoint at the Guardian House - which offers that classic view over the site of Machu Picchu.
Here’s everything you need to know about the trail.
The Machu Picchu Mountain hike
The stats
Distance: 6.4km total distance (2.4km each way for Machu Picchu Mountain, 800m each way to the MP Mountain trailhead from the entry to Machu Picchu)
Elevation gain: 550m
Difficulty: Hard
Summary: The Machu Picchu Mountain hike is steep pretty much all the way to the top and there’s very little in the way of flat track to catch a breath on.
The trail is in good condition, although there are many steps which are quite uneven (it’s original Incan stonework after all!), with a few staircases being very exposed.
They aren’t overly worrying in dry conditions, but there were one or two spots where if it had rained I would have likely opted to go down on my bum.
However, that said, when dry, the steps are not slippery and I ended up descending much faster than I was expecting - on the way up I had been dreading going down, but it turned out to be reassuringly grippy.
Note that you can’t take hiking poles into Machu Picchu.
Unless Machu Picchu is your first stop in the Cusco area, altitude is not likely to bother you too much as it’s at a lower elevation than Cusco (Machu Picchu is 2,400m and Cusco is 3,500m). By the time you reach the summit of Machu Picchu Mountain you will be at 3061m, however if you’ve already acclimatised in Cusco, this shouldn’t be too problematic.
Our top tip for the trail - the special access viewpoint
Something that is not advertised or really spoken about, is that you can access the Guardian House with your Machu Picchu Mountain ticket.
This is what’s known as the classic viewpoint and it’s the perfect spot to head to before your hike (you can go after, but the light won’t be as good and it will be busier).
We only found out by chance when chatting to a guard that our ticket would allow us access to this coveted spot. Although there are nearby viewpoints offering similar views, the special thing about the Guardian House is that access is heavily restricted and the rules are enforced.
Only people with Machu Picchu Mountain tickets and those that have walked one of the multi day Inca Trails are allowed to go to the Guardian House.
Entering the site - to the classic viewpoint
We would highly recommend that on entering the site you head first to the Guardian House viewpoint, which is 550m away from the entry gate (in the same direction as the Machu Picchu Mountain trail).
After a brief flat section it’s pretty much all uphill and the stone steps are relatively steep. After 250m you will see a junction and signs for an inferior and superior platform. You want to head to the superior platform.
After taking the superior platform path you will see another junction 100m later (it’s just after a small hut), you need to turn right here. Depending on the day there may be a guard here, or simply a piece of rope blocking the path.
If there is no guard and the rope is out, climb over the rope and you will reach the Guardian House 200m later - there will be a guard stationed here and you will need to say you are hiking Machu Picchu Mountain and you’ll get through.
Don’t be put off by that initial rope or you will miss the viewpoint, which you are definitely allowed to access!
Then enjoy the incredible view before heading back to the trail junction, where you may or may not have had to climb over the rope.
Now take the path heading up the stairs, which is signposted as Machu Picchu Mountain. Just 50m later you’ll come to the registration in hut where you will sign in for your hike.
Starting the official Machu Picchu Mountain trail
The hike starts as it means to go on, with lots of stairs! The stairs continue heading up and up, and some sections are pretty steep. It’s nice and shady at first with some tree cover, although it gets exposed later on. You will start to get some views of both Machu Picchu and a beautiful mountain range as you climb. The stairs are uneven, but grippy when dry.
Just over 1km into the trail you will pass a short narrow section of track with views to Aguas Calientes.
Whilst narrow, it doesn’t have a precarious feel by any means and it’s just a few minutes before you head back into the welcome shade of the forest.
The next 350m will see you climbing up through the forest and then you’ll reach the stairs on the side of the cliff wall.
The steps get steeper and more uneven, but the trade off is the views really start to wow you. With layer upon layer of steep jagged peaks and if you’re lucky like us, maybe even a cloud inversion. It was magnificent.
Machu Picchu itself may appear quite distant, but the mountain vistas are simply sensational and it’s also pretty cool to be so far above Machu Picchu that you can really appreciate its setting.
There is one set of stairs which is very exposed on one side and did remind me of a shorter version of the ‘stairs of death’. They aren’t narrow, but they are steep and the drop off would definitely not be much fun for vertigo sufferers.
There are a couple of other sets of stairs which have some exposure, but they are not very long and it does make the trail feel that much more dramatic, especially on the way back down when you are facing the views.
Reaching the summit
As you continue climbing you’ll pass through a little gorge like section of track and round the corner to get some seriously good views of Salkantay Mountain.
If you’ve done the Humantay Lake trail you’ll recognise it.
There are a few little flat bits of track now and some shallower sections, although there are several more staircases too.
The views open up on both sides of the trail and though it was really hot under the cloudless sky and I was more than ready to stop climbing, it couldn’t detract from the awe inspiring scenery.
There is one last exposed staircase along this section and then you’ll see the little lookout hut ahead of you.
You’ll reach it just over 3km into the trail, or 3.4km if you visited the classic viewpoint first.
The Machu Picchu Mountain summit
There is an initial viewing platform overlooking the mountains just before the lookout, then the lookout itself and then a couple of metres beyond you’ll get to the main viewing area.
Unfortunately the lookout itself doesn’t have quite as good a view as the area beyond, which is a shame as it’s the only place with any shade!
The main viewing area might be shadeless, but it’s a panoramic delight. There are steep sheer mountains with epic ridge lines, a few of which are snow-capped, and of course Machu Picchu itself nestled in-between it all. It’s vast, it’s spectacular and it is 100% worth every last one of those stairs.
There is a little rocky area you can sit on and we stayed here for nearly an hour soaking it all up - we were lucky to share the summit with just a handful of others, so there was plenty of room.
If it were very busy you probably couldn’t stay as long, as there isn’t a huge amount of space.
There are little ropes in place around the edge of the cliff along the whole main viewing area, which seemed a little unnecessary and detracted slightly from the natural feel, but that’s a small complaint really!
My overwhelming feeling was of amazement that I had never really seen anyone rave about this hike, yet the view is out of this world.
Descending and circuit 3
As mentioned the descent was easier than I’d expected, I took it carefully on the steeper staircases, but overall you can keep a fairly good pace. We got down in 55 minutes which felt pretty quick until we met somehow who had just done it in 40 minutes : )
Once you’re at the bottom you can head to the classic photo point if you haven’t already (we actually went again to see in full day light) and then you would exit the site.
This is the only ticket we found that included one re-entry to the Machu Picchu, so technically you exit after hiking Machu Picchu Mountain and then re-enter for your circuit three portion of the ticket.
Circuit 3 is not a great circuit (it’s just 850m in length) as it only covers a very small portion of the bottom section of Machu Picchu. It will take you to the Temple of the Sun (open 1pm - 4pm) and the Temple of the Condor (10am - 1pm), but you’ll miss the rest of the bottom part of Machu Picchu.
However, on our visit no one was checking your ticket once you were on circuit 3, so you could continue onto the better lower level option, circuit 4. This allows you to see the whole of the bottom of the site, which is extensive.
Combined with the access to the special viewpoint, I think most people will feel like circuit 4 will give a very good overview of the site.
Circuit 3 would feel very brief, but the chance of someone checking your ticket and stopping you turning onto circuit 4 is very unlikely.
The ticket checks tend to happen on the upper circuits (1 and 2), which are the popular ones because they offer the big views. We bought four different Machu Picchu tickets and tickets were never checked on the lower circuits.
Machu Picchu Mountain vs Huayna Picchu
I won’t go into too much detail here as we have a whole guide dedicated to answering this question, however, in short I’d say that Machu Picchu Mountain is harder than Huayna Picchu. It has significantly more elevation gain (number of staircases you need to climb) and as it’s a fair bit longer too.
There is less shade, and the sun can be really hot if you have a clear day. Huayna Picchu has a few more exposed sections, but Machu Picchu Mountain isn’t completely devoid of it’s own steep drops from unfenced cliff edges!
Both have wonderful views, although Huayna Picchu gives you a closer view of Machu Picchu from above and has a more exciting path.
The views from the top of Wayna Picchu
Machu Picchu Mountain opening hours and entry fee
At time of writing the Machu Picchu Mountain ticket which includes circuit 3 is 200 soles (approx USD $50). Tickets are limited and may sell out in peak season.
There are currently three time slots, 7am-8am, 8am - 9am and 9am - 10am. You must enter at the time slot provided and have up to an hour to start your climb (if you buy a 7am ticket, you enter Machu Picchu at 7am and have until 8am to start the trail to Machu Picchu Mountain).
You must leave the summit by midday and there is someone up there to tell you to leave. This is plenty of time, but you may as well take the first time slot anyway as you can watch the sunrise beforehand and it’s quieter.
After climbing Machu Picchu Mountain you may exit the site and re-enter to walk circuit 3 (at time of writing). Your ticket should say re-entry 1 if this is still the case - we’re being cautious with the wording here as Machu Picchu likes to change the rules a lot!
Getting to the Machu Picchu Mountain trailhead
From Aguas Calientes you can take the steep hiking track or the 20-25 minute bus ride up to the Machu Picchu entry gate. You use the top entry gate, to the left of the toilets.
Bring your passport just incase they check, they only checked ours once but don’t risk not having it with you. Once inside the site follow for circuits 1 and 2, or sometimes Machu Picchu Mountain itself is signposted. Remember to follow the path saying ‘superior platform’.
Facilities at Machu Picchu
There are no toilets inside the site. You can only use the bathroom at the entry gates and the cost is 2 soles. You’ll also find a cloakroom here where you can store luggage if necessary.
No food is allowed inside the site. There is a cafe at the entry gate and also a buffet restaurant which served lunch for around USD $40. The cafe is not cheap, by Peruvian standards, but it’s cheaper than the restaurant at least! Expect a can of fizzy drink to be around USD $2.50.
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