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Machu Picchu

machu picchu

Overseas Adventure Travel, the leader in personalized small group adventures, has been helping change lives through travel since 1978. Our 2 Machu Picchu adventures will take your small group into the heart of a destination to venture where the big tour groups can’t. No matter which adventure you choose, O.A.T. always offers:

  • The freedom to personalize your experience, with options to arrive early, add pre- or post-trip extensions, stopover in popular cities, and more.
  • Small group of no more than 16 travelers, allowing us to take you off the beaten path and immerse you in local culture.
  • Adventures tailored to the solo traveler, with FREE Single Supplements and 23,000 single spaces being offered in 2024.
  • Expert Trip Experience Leaders, residents of the region you visit who will share their insights and bring your destination to life.

When you set out on an O.A.T. Machu Picchu adventure, there are endless travel experiences waiting for you. Visiting Machu Picchu not just once, but twice—first in the afternoon then again the next morning—to maximize your time exploring this iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site. Staying near these storied ruins in the frontier-like town of Aguas Calientes. Traveling through the Sacred Valley by scenic train, enjoying views into the gorge of the Urubamba River along the way. Discover all of this and much more when you journey to Machu Picchu with O.A.T.

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Click 'Select to Compare' to see a side-by-side comparison of up to adventures below—including
activity level, pricing, traveler excellence rating, trip highlights, and more

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Spend 2 days in Machu Picchu on

Machu Picchu & the Galápagos

O.A.T. Adventure by Small Ship

DAYS 17
FROM $6,695
PER DAY $394
  Traveler Reviews (662)
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Spend 2 days in Machu Picchu on

Peru: Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley

O.A.T. Adventure by Land

DAYS 11
FROM $3,695
PER DAY $336
  Traveler Reviews (558)
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Spend 2 days in Machu Picchu on our
Pre-trip Extension

Best of Peru: Lima, The Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

NIGHTS 6
FROM $2,095
PER DAY $350

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Find the Adventure That’s Right for You

Our Activity Level rating system ranks adventures on a scale of 1 to 5 to help you determine if a trip is right for you. See the descriptions below for more information about the physical requirements associated with each rating.

Activity Level 1:

1 2 3 4 5

Easy

Travelers should be able to climb 25 stairs consecutively, plus walk at least 1-2 miles over some uneven surfaces without difficulty. Walks typically last at least 1-2 hours at a time. Altitude can range from zero to 5,000 feet.

Activity Level 2:

1 2 3 4 5

Moderately Easy

Travelers should be able to climb 40 stairs consecutively, plus walk at least 2-3 miles over some uneven surfaces without difficulty. Walks typically last for at least 2-3 hours at a time. Altitude can range from zero to 5,000 feet.

Activity Level 3:

1 2 3 4 5

Moderate

Travelers should be able to climb 60 stairs consecutively, plus walk at least 3 miles over some steep slopes and loose or uneven surfaces without difficulty. Walks typically last for 3 or more hours at a time. Altitude can range from 5,000 to 7,000 feet.

Activity Level 4:

1 2 3 4 5

Moderately Strenuous

Travelers should be able to climb 80 stairs consecutively, plus walk at least 4 miles over some steep slopes and loose or uneven surfaces without difficulty. Walks typically last for 4 or more hours at a time. Altitude can range from 7,000 to 9,000 feet. Expect three or more one-night stays in some locations, and very limited free time for rest or independent exploration.

Activity Level 5:

1 2 3 4 5

Strenuous

Travelers should be able to climb 100 or more stairs consecutively, plus walk at least 8 miles over some steep slopes and loose or uneven surfaces without difficulty. Walks typically last for 4 or more hours at a time. Altitude can range from 10,000 feet or more.

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Machu Picchu: Month-By-Month

There are pros and cons to visiting a destination during any time of the year. Find out what you can expect during your ideal travel time, from weather and climate, to holidays, festivals, and more.

Machu Picchu in January-February

January and February mark Peru’s wet season. You can expect rain at least once per day, but the season’s showers usher in the bounty of Mother Nature, including verdant, healthy vegetation blooms. Trekkers hoping to hike the Inca Trail will find it closed for cleaning and maintenance, but Machu Picchu remains open throughout the wet season and plays host to gloriously few visitors. And with fewer tourists to compete with, your travel dollar will go further.

Machu Picchu in March-May

March, April, and May—Peru’s fall—usher in milder temperatures and the start of the dry season. The main tourist season hasn’t yet begun, so you can expect fewer crowds at Machu Picchu’s many ancient ruins and must-see sites. These are some of the best months to visit Machu Picchu—and if you do, you’ll witness the additional delight of orchids in bloom, which are visible on the train ride from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu in June-September

Peru’s winter months are the official peak of the dry season—and the tourist season for Machu Picchu. Drawn by cloudless skies, visitors flock to the mysterious ruins, which can see as many as 2,000 tourists a day. However, on some days visitors may also experience a dense fog known as La Garua, which blankets the city in a misty drizzle.

Peru’s winter months are the most popular time of year to visit, so it’s best to plan your visit in advance.

Machu Picchu in October-December

October in Peru offers sunshine and mild temperatures, while late November heralds the start of the wet season. Despite the occasional downpour, December is still largely pleasant—and with fewer crowds in the ruins to compete with, many travelers are willing to risk getting a little wet for a chance of uninterrupted time at Machu Picchu’s popular attractions. This is also an excellent time of year for viewing wildlife and birds—of the latter, Peru has more species than any nation except for Colombia. 

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Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was built by the Incas around 1450, and then abandoned in the wake of the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century. For hundreds of years, its existence was known only to local Quechua peasants until a 1911 expedition by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham brought it to the attention of the world at large. Today it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Although it is Peru’s most well-known attraction, it is still shrouded in an aura of mystery. Much of the site is still claimed by the jungle, and archaeologists haven’t decided conclusively what the “lost city” was used for in its heyday; the two most common theories posit that it was either an estate for the Inca emperor, or a sacred religious site for the nobility.

The site is located nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, set between two imposing Andean peaks. The ancient Inca who built it were master architects, fitting together granite stone without mortar to create structures which amazingly still stand today (with the help of vigilant conservationists). Visitors can walk among the ruins, discovering key sites like the Temple of the Sun, and the ritual stone of Intihuatana, and hike to the Sun Gate for a panoramic view of the site as a whole.

Experience Machu Picchu with O.A.T. on:

The Inca Trail

While many (understandably) opt to head to Machu Picchu by vehicle, hiking the Inca trail is a challenge that many daring individuals chose to undertake. And when they do, they are rewarded with unparalleled scenery such as forests obscured by clouds, jungle-dwelling wildlife, and myriad relics left behind by a lost people. The trail is 26 miles long from beginning to end.

For those who are looking to behold mystifying history without the 26-mile hike, some of the ruins lay fairly close to Machu Picchu and require less of a trek. The Sun Gate, for example, sits at the Machu Picchu end of the trail and is a one-hour hike from the ruins. It’s believed that imperial guards strategically used this remote entrance to monitor who had access to the city. Travelers who hike here experience an unmatched overhead view of Machu Picchu. Alternatively, the Inca Bridge is also a short distance from the city and showcases a mysterious and impressive architectural feat. A path is cut into the face of a cliff for safe passage. However, a gap was left in one section that the Incans bridged with logs, but then removed when under threat of enemy invasion.

Also close by is the peculiarly shaped Intihuatana (place to tie up the sun) Stone. This is one of the many relics of the trail that’s shrouded in a fog of mystery, as it was likely used for astronomical studies and a keystone of Incan rituals. What information it afforded the ancient residents and what they did with it, however, is still unknown.

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