Extra Hikes and Things to do in Machu Picchu after the Guided Tour!

Written by: Sam Travel | 30 June, 2016
Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain hike cuzco, sun gate

Enjoy the strategic location of the Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu and the surrounding lush canyon from the different angled view points such as: Huayna Picchu Mountain, Sun Gate, Machu Picchu Mountain (not to be confused with the citadel itself), Llactapata Inca ruins, Putukusi Mountain and the Inca bridge section.

Those who are doing the Inca Trail will see Machu Picchu for the first time from the Sun Gate, which is one of the highlights of why people choose the Inca Trail Trek.   Those doing alternative treks arrive to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. After the last day of your trek, you will stay a night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes and take the early bus the next morning to Machu Picchu to enjoy the sunrise.

Check each EXTRA HIKES DETAILS like Huayna Picchu Mountain. 

HUAYNA PICCHU MOUNTAIN INFORMATION

Why does Huayna Picchu sell out faster? Well for starters, Huayna Picchu is home to the breathtaking Temple of the Moon. This hike has the reputation of being the more difficult, and scary climb of the two, especially for people with a fear of heights. Huayna Picchu peak is the steeper climb in comparison. You’ll encounter long sets of stairs and very steep, narrow paths. You’ll need to keep your hands free as it gets trickier towards the top. Ladders and cables are provided to hold on to. This hike is perfect for adrenaline seekers.

Along the climb, there are areas of great exposure to big drop offs and the top can feel very crowded. However, the great thing about Huayna Picchu is that when you’re at the peak, you are able to look straight down over the Machu Picchu ruins and the Urubamba River. It is a faster hike and you get the bonus of seeing some partially completed Inca buildings. The hike will take about 2 hours, roundtrip. Finally, please note that the trail can be very slippery when it’s wet or rainy.

ARE THE ENTRANCE TICKETS LIMITED?

Yes! They are limited to 400 hikers per day so you will need to plan early to book this extra hike. At least 2 to 3 months in advance.  We will purchase the permit for you with your trek, if tickets are available.

 Schedules for hiking up to Huayna Picchu:

  • First schedule: 7am 
  • Second schedule: 8am 
  • Third Schedule: 9am 
  • Forth Schedule: 10am – This is the best schedule for Inca trail trekkers. 

***These are the start times for the hike.  It takes approximately 2 hours (roundtrip) to hike Huayna Picchu.

*** To hike the Huayna Picchu Mountain, you need to follow the circuit 4, with this ticket, however, you are not allowed to explore the rest of Machu Picchu Citadel.

****You must respect the entrance time of 7am, 8am, 9am or 10am; if you are 5 minutes late you will not be allowed to enter. 

PRICES

  • For trekkers of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: $75 USD per person
  • Alternative treks to Machu Picchu: $75 USD per person
  • Tours to Machu Picchu: $75 USD per person

MACHUPICCHUMOUNTAIN

MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN INFORMATION

The great Machu Picchu mountain rises more than 652m/2,139ft above the Sacred City of Machu Picchu and is located at 3,082m/10,111ft above sea level.  It offers some breath taking views of Machu Picchu, a uniqueness like no other place in the world. It is seated at the base of the Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu. Thousands are drawn everyday, by the unique energy emanating from the earth at Machu Picchu,  which is considered sacred to the Inca civilization. Machu Picchu Mountain’s summit was used by Inca priests to perform rituals on special dates and is a place of worship of the Apu Salkantay.

Note: Due to the fact the government has changed the entrance times for this hike and they conflict with the standard tours time for Machu Picchu Citadel; to be able to hike this optional trek, you will need an extra day at Machu Picchu in order to have time to hike it.  

***This is an optional trek within Machu Picchu that does not include a guide. The climb is usually done on your own after you tour of Machu Picchu.  

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

The amount of time to climb Machu Picchu mountain depends on the physical condition of the individual and can range from 1 to 1.5 hours to climb or 2 to 3 hours (round-trip). From the top, you have incredible views of Machu Picchu and the last part of the Classic Inca Trail.  You can also admire the amazing canyon formed by the slope of the Vilcanota river with green mountains on one side and on the other side the mountains of the Cordillera Vilcabamba,  and the snowy summit of Salkantay (6,271 m/20,574ft) and more.

The climb to Machu Picchu Mountain is considered moderate to difficult but not challenging. An average physical condition is required.  During the rainy season, the road can be very slippery, making the ascent more difficult.

Schedules for hiking up to Machu Picchu Mountain:

  • First schedule: 7am
  • Second schedule: 8am.

***This is the time you start the hike.  It takes approximately 3 hours (roundtrip) to hike Machu Picchu Mountain.

*** To hike the Machu Picchu Mountain, you need to follow circuit 3. With this ticket, you are not allowed to explore the rest of Machu Picchu Citadel.

***You must always respect the scheduled entrance times of 7am or 8am.  If you arrive 5 minutes late you will not be allowed to enter! 

PRICES

  • For trekkers of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: $75 USD per person
  • Alternative treks to Machu Picchu: $75 USD per person
  • Tours to Machu Picchu: $75 USD per person

sungatemachupicchusamtravelperu

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUN GATE

With the new regulations, only Inca Trail trekkers will have the opportunity to view Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate.  Visitors can no longer hike from Machu Picchu Citadel to the Sun Gate. 

For travellers who trek the Inca Trail, they enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate, also called Inti Punku, and watch the sunrise. For those who don’t do this multi-day trek, it’s still possible to enjoy the impressive views from the Sun Gate.

INCA BRIDGE INFORMATION

The trail to the Inca Bridge wraps around the backside of a mountain in the opposite direction of the Machu Picchu ruins. A special ticket is not needed to walk the path, although daily traffic to the Inca Bridge is documented. Each visitor must log their name in a book at the entrance and then sign out. It’s about a 20-minute hike along a fairly narrow path towards the bridge. While the climb isn’t steep, some of the drop-offs along the edges may make some people uneasy.

The Inca Bridge is made of a few narrow logs perched above a sheer vertical drop – it´s believed to have served as a secret entrance to Machu Picchu. Crossing the bridge itself is strictly forbidden today for safety reasons but you can take as many photos as you like. On the return hike, you’re likely to ponder whether or not you would have the courage to cross the bridge if you lived during the time of the Incas.

PUTUKUSIMOUNTAIN

PUTUKUSI MOUNTAIN INFORMATION

When heading for Machu Picchu, climbers often want a bird’s eye view of the ruins and most head up to the summit of the famous Huayna Picchu. This mountain makes the backdrop for Machu Picchu. Wait! There’s another mountain just a little further away from the ruins. Visited less frequently, this mountain also gives the climber great views: Putukusi (also spelled Putucusi) lays directly across the Urubamba River from the ruins of Machu Picchu.

The summit has wide open views over Machu Picchu as well as the surrounding valleys and mountain peaks. It’s best to get there early (around 6:00 am) to see the ruins before the crowds enter Machu Picchu. Also, the light is best at that time of the day.

Aguas Calientes is a small village surrounded by rugged impenetrable mountains in the eastern part of Peru’s Oriental Cordillera . The entire town exists for one sole purpose: to serve the millions of yearly visitors to Machu Picchu.

Right next to Aguas Calientes, even closer than Machu Picchu, Putukusi is a sheer cliff, a jungle coated mountain rising the better part of two thousand feet up from the valley. On a clear day, it’s possible to see Machu Picchu with snow-capped Salkantay behind it, which is an absolutely spectacular sight. Putukusi is the best and almost only thing to do in the Aguas Calientes area that doesn’t involve Machu Picchu and doesn’t require paying an entry fee.

The mountain, like all others in the area, is composed of near vertical, perfectly smooth stone walls with steep gullies intersecting them. The walls are entirely covered by cloud forest.

The trail leading up the mountain is more vertical than horizontal; that seems to be the general pattern among the mountains here. When looking out at Machu Picchu from the summit of Putukusi, it is interesting to ponder why the Incas chose to build their empire in such a rugged place. Surely the incredible beauty of the landscape inspired them and they thought of themselves as standing in the presence of their gods. The wilderness here is some of the most pristine left anywhere on earth. It is interesting to imagine that there might be another “Machu Picchu” hidden in these mountains that today nobody knows even exists.

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Bernie s 2023/03/02

Had a great trip with our guide Ray Herrera and driver Alfredo. Lots of good experiences in a short period of time 4 days. Learnt a lot not just about the main tourist destinations but Peru in general by Ray. Ray has a passion for Inca history and local produce. Ray knows all the good photo spots and we managed the sun out every day .. Good culture and if you want to get on a tour ask for Ray at Sams Travel = amazing

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Ray was our Tour Guide and Alfredo was our driver for a 4 day tour we did with SAM Travel Peru. Ray's knowledge of the history of Cusco and Machu Picchu was outstanding. Ray was very accommodating with all our needs. He stayed alongside us when trekking and helped where he could. His sense of humour was pleasant to be around. Ray spoke very good English. He is such a nice guy. I would strongly recommend Ray to be your tour guide to visit Machu Picchu. Ray explained everyday what the plans were for the next day, which was reassuring what we needed to take etc

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Our 1 day tour thru the Sacred Vally with Danny was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and able to answer all our questions in detail. I would recommend asking for him personally if you are able.

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We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.

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Wow. We had such an incredible experience in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Our guide, Dayvit, is the most knowledgeable guide we have ever had. He has such an extensive knowledge of the history and is very friendly and helpful. If you are planning a trip to Peru, I highly recommend SAM travel and be sure to request Dayvit!

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2 day tour sacred valley / Machu Picchu highly recommend! David was the best tour guide. He knows an incredible amount about Incan culture and is personable and funny. He also kept us up to date on a political situation happening when we were there and was informative. Overall, this tour checks all the boxes. Thank you!

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We used SAM Travel for a 2D/1N trip from Cusco to Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu on Dec 25-26, 2022. The team was good with communication from the start - both Saul and Junior were very helpful and professional with answering any questions and clearing up any misunderstandings. Our guide, Miguel, was prompt, pleasant, and quite knowledgeable. We enjoyed his company and insight over the 2 day trip and recommend him to anyone booking with SAM Travel.

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We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.

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Brandon Slater 2022/09/30

My wife and I just completed two excursions with SAM Travel Peru and we absolutely loved them. We did the 4 Day Salkantay Wilderness + Machu Picchu and then the 2-Day Rainbow Mountain + 7 Lakes trek with guide Carlos Estrada, chefs Nerio & Lucio, and horseman Unarato. Over the last 6 days we have learned so much about the Inca culture, discovered some of the most incredible sights, and ate delicious food every step of the way. We would definitely recommend SAM Travel (especially with Carlos!) to anyone that wants an incredible Peruvian adventure. The Wilderness trek is a much quieter trail than the standard Salkantay and goes a bit higher elevation, but camping at the base of Salkantay was incredible. Carlos's guided tour through Machu Picchu was so informative. We would have missed so much without him taking the time to share his knowledge.

Kellie Taylor 2022/04/06

Big thanks to David he was an amazing tour guide who really cared for our group. He allowed us to go at our own pace and was a brilliant photographer He was really funny and is full of interesting information & his passion for his inca ancestors is very obvious and warming. He also brought us to great restaurants! This company are very good and from what I can recall were cheaper than most. Thank you!

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They took care of everything! Saul the owner is very responsive and helpful. Johnny our guide was fantastic, as were our chef, assistant chef and horsemen. I can’t recommend them highly enough and will definitely use them again if we return to Peru!

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Three of us decided to choose Sam Travel Peru, reason being is it is a local travel company that help indegenious communities. We picked Lares Trek 4D3N to have cultural experience while hiking. Good foods provided by talented Mario Chef! Johnny is our tour guide, very helpful tour guide. He even helped me to carry my daypack as I was too exhausted to carry it on day 1 hiking. Strongly recommend to those like to have local experience while hiking.

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