Machu Picchu with Children

Machu Picchu is famous for being known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The citadel is open to visitors all year round and has between 4,000 and 5,600 visitors through its doors each day. People travel from all corners of the world to visit the lost city of the Inca’s, whether alone or with their families. Befriending Machu Picchu with younger family members can seem like a challenge, but in reality, it only requires a bit of prior planning. This includes the desired dates for your tour in Cusco and Machu Picchu, as well as train schedules to the town of Aguas Calientes, and of course the Peruvian weather.

Given the logistics, the length of the trip, access to the archaeological site, many people may be discouraged from taking their children to Machu Picchu. However, despite the challenges, Machu Picchu is very children friendly. In order to ease your mind regarding your children, we would like to provide you with some information about the citadel of the Incas.

Best time to visit Machu Picchu with children

Peru is located on the pacific coastline, close to the earth’s equator, meaning by default it should have a warm climate. However, due to the influx of the Humboldt marine current and the passage of the Andes Mountain range, Peru has a great ecological diversity distributed through various altitudes. The country is divided into three main regions, the coast, the mountains and the jungle. Each region experiences vastly different climatic conditions, and Machu Picchu is no exception, which experiences two primary climatic seasons throughout the year.

The rainy season 

The rainy season in Machu Picchu Runs from December till April. Throughout this period there is a lot of precipitation, so the experience is very different to that of the dry season. Although Machu Picchu and the surrounding archaeological sites are open all year round, it is likely that they may be shrouded in mist. Daytime temperatures during the rainy season can reach a maximum of 20°C and drop to 10°C after dusk, but with 12 hours of high-altitude sunshine a day, you will only tend to feel the cold throughout the night.

if you plan to Travel to Machu Picchu with your children during the rainy season, we recommend that you prepare for your visit with clothing suitable for wind and rain. It is prudent to consider however, that although the rainy season experiences more challenging weather conditions, visitors can take advantage of fewer tourists and less crowds (which could be a breath of fresh air with children). Naturally, this provides you with an opportunity to share the beautiful green scenery with less people and perhaps even that famous view accompanied by a colourful rainbow.

The dry season 

The dry season in Machu Picchu is from April to December. Throughout this period, there can be significant temperature differences throughout the day and night. The mornings tend to be warm with an average temperature between 17 – 19 ° C. But the nights can be very frigid, with temperatures often falling below 0°C, especially in the winter in June and July.

What makes this season so attractive though is the consistent good weather due to the lack of rainfall. This is why the drier months bring with them many tourists, with the high season for tourism falling between May and July. One of the main highlights of this period is the Inti Raymi sun festival which takes place in Cusco on June 24 every year.

Consequently, we recommend that visitors favour the dry season, with the best months for exploring Machu Picchu being between May and October. Not only are the conditions during the dry season more preferable, but your souvenir photo of Machu Picchu is almost certain to be much more glorious throughout the drier months.

Weather in real time

Visiting Machu Picchu with Children

The main consideration to take into account when visiting Machu Picchu with children is the network of circuits that operate independently inside the citadel. These circuits allow access to different areas within Machu Picchu, with some exploring the Inca bridge, the main plaza, and the surrounding mountains of Huchuy Picchu and Huayna Picchu.

More information can be found through this link Machu Picchu Circuits

Buying Machu Picchu tickets for children

The purchase of entrance tickets to Machu Picchu can be made from the official ticketing platform. Alternatively, visitors can utilise the services of a trusted tour operator in Cusco that is certified to purchase the tickets on your behalf. Please note that children from 0 – 2 years old will not need to pay for entrance tickets. Children aged 3 years to 18 years old will pay a special rate, and everyone over 18 will pay the adult rate. When buying the tickets you must attach a copy or digital photo of your passport (or identity document) of the father, mother and child, and/or proxy.

Age limitations for children inside Machu Picchu

In reality, there are no age restrictions for children inside Machu Picchu. Every child from newborn can enter the Inca city. We only recommend that they are in good health and maintain order and respect the rules within the sanctuary.

Discounts for children when entering Machu Picchu

Those under 18 years of age will have a special discount on the normal price of the Machu Picchu entrance, for which they must present their duly updated documents. 0-2 years will not be charged.

How to get to Machu Picchu with children?

The primary two routes to Machu Picchu with children are either by car or by train. The popular and safest route being the latter, since it is significantly faster, more direct and does not require walking.

The train can be taken directly from the city of Cusco (depending on the season), or more commonly, from Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. The train is naturally more pricey, but definitely more recommended if you’re travelling with young ones.

The alternative is to take a car, bus or minivan following the route from Cusco to Santa Maria, on to Santa Teresa and then to Hydroelectrica. The final leg of the route requires you to walk for 3 hours along the railway until you reach the town of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town), where you’ll need to spend the night, ready to visit the Inca citadel the following day.

Tips before traveling to Machu Picchu with children

• Book entrance tickets to Machu Picchu in advance, especially if you travel in high season.
• If you travel by train you should also book your tickets in advance.
• Take your appropriate clothes according to the season you are thinking of traveling.
• For the trip to Machu Picchu, take what is necessary, clothing, basic necessities. Since if you take the second route you will have to do a walk.
• Bring water and snacks for the road as these go up in price as you get to Machu Picchu.
• Enter the hygienic services with your children before entering the Inca citadel (once inside Machu Picchu you will not find services).
• It is not recommended to climb the surrounding mountains (Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain) to the Inca citadel since to climb them children must be in good physical condition.
• Before leaving Cusco for Machu Picchu, take with you: wide-brimmed hats, insect repellent, and high-grade sunscreen.