Best Time To Visit Machu Picchu: Cannot Miss This One While Visiting Peru
You pick any South American tour, and you will find that these end in Machu Picchu. It is like the icing on the cake. And because of that, the average number of visitors the place gets is close to 3 million. As you can see, the place is quite popular, and if you want to take a trip here, and avoid the bad seasons and the crowd, then you have to pick the right time carefully. Considering all of that, the Best time to visit Machu Picchu would be from March to May as well as from September to mid-December. But to know a lot more, read the article till the end.
Which Is The Best Time To Visit Machu Picchu?
The absolutely perfect combination of amazing views, fewer crows, and a pleasant climate is the shoulder season which is April, May, September, October, and November. You get to click some amazing pictures and watch the clear blue sky, and of course, the place is not overly crowded during this time.
But you have to take note that Machu Picchu is actually located in the cloudy rainforest, meaning you can see cloudy skies and squalls at any point. Because of this, dressing appropriately and adequately would be a good idea to face the mood swings of the weather.
Best Weather In Machu Picchu
If you look at the map of Machu Picchu carefully, you will realize that the Inca citadel is located 8000 feet northwest of Cusco. It is at the jungle eyebrow, and a cloudy rainforest covers it.
With humid and warm days, refreshing nights, along with some spontaneous cloudiness, and rainfall at any point of the day and year, Machu Picchu has quite unpredictable weather. The average temperature remains somewhere around 12 to 27 degrees Celsius. Machu Picchu has three seasons throughout the year, the summers, the middle, and the rainy season.
Best Season To Visit Machu Picchu
Even though the Peruvian coast has cold and cloudy days, the jungle and Sierra have warm and sunny days along with clear skies. On the contrary, when the jungle and Sierra receive torrential rainfall and have cloudy days, the coastland has sunny days with clear skies and a refreshing breeze.
Because Machu Picchu is located between the jungle and the Sierra, we are going to refer to the seasons these two regions have and leave the coast out. Well, by now, you know the weather is a little crazy in Peru and Machu Picchu.
The Rainy Season Is Less Crowded
The rainy season in Machu Picchu coincides with the rest of the world’s summer. There is rainfall mostly in the late afternoon and early in the morning, and the sky gets cloudy, along with a lot of humidity and muddy roads with warm nights.
The months that receive more rainfall are February and March, which have an average temperature of 7 to 23 degrees Celsius. Because of that, the Inca train remains closed in February to avoid the dangers of a mudslide and wait for the better months when you can visit the train risk free. But during this time, the prices of hotels and flights are relatively lower, and the crowd is also less.
Shoulder Season Is Also A Good Option
The shoulder season is April, May, September, October, and November. This time, it receives occasional light showers, but it is not more than what the place witnesses during the rainy season as there is a transition between the dry and the rainy season.
The advantage of this is there is a lot less crowd than in any of the peak seasons, and the temperature is also moderate. It is not too hot or too cold but has blue skies along with clear days.
In other words, it is a perfect combination of crowd and weather. If you are someone who likes it when the weather gets unpredictable, then visit Mach Picchu during the shoulder season.
The Dry Season Is The Busiest Time
The dry season coincides with the tourist season. Take any other time of the year, but the dry season welcomes the most number of tourists every year. The dry season starts in mid-April and ends in October. During this time, you get to see the clear blue sky, along with warm temperatures and sunny days.
The average temperature during this time ranges from 0 degrees to twenty-five degrees Celcius. Getting tickets during this time is very difficult as people love to see this time in Machu Picchu. So, if you have plans to visit Machu Picchu during the dry season, then buy tickets before time.
What Are The Crowded Dates?
There is nothing specific or a special time to visit Machu Picchu. But, thinking of the dry season, which is from April to October, some days are overly crowded, and there is a long line to the Inca citadel
Holy Week: Holy week is mainly from the last week of March and the initial days of April. The majority of Peruvians are Roman Catholic, so they have a tendency to take advantage of the Holy Week.
Spring break: Spring break is usually from March end till the first week of April. This is the time students from the United States get their vacation. They utilize this time to visit Peru and of course Machu Picchu.
Summer break: From the first half of May to the beginning of September. Most jobs in the United States and Europe establish vacations for their workers in the summer.
Peruvian Independence Day: Peru celebrates their Independence Day on July 28. The government mostly declares holidays from two days before and extends it to two days after the date. So, there is a crowd in the citadel by the local visitors.
New Year’s Eve parties: New Year parties do not start on New Year’s Eve. It starts at Christmas. The festivities start on December 24 and continue till January 2. You can visit Machu Picchu during this time as well.
Well, if you were thinking of having a night stay in the citadel, then you have to change your plans. The Ministry of Culture does not allow anyone to stay inside the Machu Picchu citadel. But there is a beautiful five-star hotel at the peak of the mountain where the citadel is located.
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