Originally Posted by
Section 107
We just got back. We did the one-day Inca trail hike from Km 104 to Machu Picchu and visited the citadel the evening which we arrived at Machu Picchu and the next morning with our guide from
Alpaca Expeditions. We had no issues whatsoever with permits for the hike or the tickets which they got us for both the train and the citadel.
Originally Posted by
boybi
Would like to go to Machu Picchu sometime in 2023.
1. When's the best time to go?
2. What are the transportation to take from Lima and back?
3. How many days should I allot for MP, including acclimatization?
4. I have read that one needs to book for a tour guide to enter MP, is this true?
The rainy season is during the southern hemisphere summer, between November and April. The southern hemisphere winter, the dry season, is the most popular time to visit the citadel. Peruvian get discounts and Cuscanians are admitted free on Sundays, so that's a good day to avoid.
To get to Machu Picchu from Lima, you need to fly to Cusco. From there you can take the train all the way to Aguas Calientes at the base of the citadel. It is much faster to take a bus, a van or a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and the train from there. The train is the only mode of transportation to get to Aguas Calientes. From Aguas Calientes, there is frequent bus service to Machu Picchu.
We spent two nights at Cusco and one night at Ollantaytambo before hiking from Km 104 to Machu Picchu. I had some issues acclimating to the high altitude in Cusco, 11,100+ feet. However, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, while at high elevations, are considerably lower than Cusco. I had no issues at those locations, nor did I have a problem on our last night in Cusco after visiting Machu Picchu.
Tickets to Machu Picchu are valid for half a day, either morning or afternoon. If you get there at 6:00 to 6:30 am (the buses start running at 5:30 am), you will have several hours to explore the citadel, which is plenty. Tickets are sold for
four different circuits. The longest one takes approximately three hours. The maximum stay is four hours. There are optional extra cost hikes to Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu, which you can do before or after your visit to the citadel.
A guide is required for the first day, however, not for a second day, if you return and have a certificate from your guide. We used the same guide that we had for the Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu.
