Do this before you plan your triip to Machu Picchu in 2026. I'm about to save you a ton of time and a truck load of dinero. The year 2025 was rough, with changes at Machu Picchu that unsuspecting travelers had no idea about. Sit back. I'm about to share the details. This information is relevant to travelers choosing their dates in 2025 for travel in 2026. And in 2026, it will be especially applicable for people planning their trips the same year, once all Machu Picchu entry tickets can be viewed on the official Peru government website. Tickets are released each year on the website in batches over 10-12 days in January, for that year. It's impossible to check Machu Picchu ticket availability in 2025 for travel in 2026. 

What's the very first thing you should do before you choose your travel dates to Machu Picchu?

Check Machu Picchu entry ticket availability on the one and only official govenment website. I don't care how cheap your flight to Lima is, the savings will disappear like Phish concert tickets at the moment they're released, if you can't buy a ticket online to Machu Picchu. It happened to many people in the summer of 2025, especially August. Many of them called me after they booked non-refundable flights, only to find out all Machu Picchu entry tickets were sold out for their travel dates! Yikes! These folks were compelled to travel for 2-3 days to get to the village of Aguas Calientes and go through the "not-ideal" process of buying entry tickets to Machu Picchu in person. This made it complicated to book hotels and return trains since they had no way of knowing what day they would get into Machu Picchu. Let's say it was a stressful vacation. And. It ends up costing more to do it that way.

After you do this. Then check the expiration date of your passport. Why? Because you need a  passport to buy a ticket to Machu Picchu. No passport. No ticket. Passport expiring? No worries. You can use an expired passport to buy your ticket to Machu Picchu. However you must show the expired passport when you enter the national park. Bring it with you when you travel.

Is Machu Picchu Really Overcrowded?

And if so, how would this affect the travel dates you choose?.The reason I'm including this topic in this post, is because I'm amazed at how brazen the headlines are becoming. Most of these stories about Machu Picchu suffering from overtourism offer no evidence to back up their claims. They just like to show photos of crowds. And there's no way to determine if those are stock photos or images taken by the editors. There is a way for you, or anyone, to validate just how crowded Machu Picchu is. it's best to do it in January. Go to the official Machu Picchu government website and count the number of tickets available each day. There's no other source for buying tickets online. Every operator, hotel, travel agent, and train company uses that same website to get tickets for their clients. In case you're wondering, no one can buy blank tickets in advance and store them. There's no waiting list for tickets because tickets can't be refunded or cancelled. So here's what you do. Every January, they release the tickets to Machu Picchu in batches over the course of about 10-12 days. Just go count them yourself. Manually. Add up the total number of tickets available each day. I usually check 1 random date each month. There are a couple of seasonal hikes that will have minimal affect on the bottom line. These side hikes add a smidgen of extra visitors to the grand scheme of things. 

Then add 450 people per day for Inca Trail hikers. And add 1000 per day for in-person tickets which are sold in the village of Aguas Calientes. You'll come up with around 5000 - 5500 per day. Then, hold your hats and check out how many tickets I counted in 2024. And then! Go read what happened on July 1, 2017 when the park changed Machu Picchu entry tickets to half day. 3200 in the morning wave and 3200 in the afternoon wave.  CLICK HERE to read more.

Are there more visitors to Machu Picchu now? I don't think so. Even if you make allowance for 450 hikers per day and the new in-person tickets offering 1000 per day, the current total number of visitors per day is not excessive. Why does Machu Picchu "seem" so crowded? Is it media coverage? If you're interested in going a little deeper on this, I wrote about this in another post. CLICK HERE to read more. 

Interestingly, our Instagram account (@adiosbasecamp) hit 2.4 million (now viral and counting) views on a short reel showing travelers lining up for busy shuttle buses in the village of Aguas Calientes. Obviosly, a nerve was struck!

After you have confirmed that Machu Picchu tickets are available, then you're ready to understand how the weather and holidays can affect your travel experience to Machu Picchu.

What dates should you choose to increase chances of clear visibility at Machu Picchu?

Here's what you need to know.  it can be cloudy and views can be obscured at any time of the year at Machu Picchu. But there are times of the year when these conditions have lower probability. The temps in Cusco, Peru average about 65F daytime / 42F nighttime. And temps in Machu Picchu are slightly warmer. Year round! That's right. So what season is the best for maximizing your chances of getting great views at Machu Picchu? Notice I didn't say "sunny." Although the dry season is best for clear skies, the wet season doesn't mean non-stop monsoons. The sun still shines. But visibility at Machu Picchu could be perfect even with overcast conditions in the upper atmosphere. Take that as a win. However, the wet season is the time of year when cloudy conditions can reduce your visibility at Machu Picchu. So, there's that! When is the wet season? It rolls in around late December (ish), and peaks out in February, then winds down by early April. This is why the Inca Trail hike is always closed in February. But, in 2025, the Andes Mountains weather patterns shifted and the rains peaked out in March. Well, this resulted in the closure of not only the famous Inca Trail, but other hikes in the region! The popular Salkantay trek was closed and then reopened in early April with a modified route. At Machu Picchu they shut down the hikes to Huayna Picchu mountain and Machu Picchu Mountain for a couple of months. Here's what I find interesting. There were no safety incidents on any of these trails that could be attributed to calamitous weather. We've seen similar conditions occur in previous years and as long as tour operators could conduct safe hikes, the attitude of the authorities was,"sure let them sleep outside in the rain if that's what they want!" The decision to close trails in March 2025 literally happened overnight. One day we just woke up and found out the Inca Trail was closed the first 2 weeks of March. Meanwhile, travelers were boarding flights and arriving! It wasn't like the weather affected trains, planes and roads. This year it was the trails. 

I like May and early June for good weather and modest crowds. November and early December are next. Then October, late April and September. 

Are there times of year you should avoid traveling to Machu Picchu?

Let's say you want lowest crowds, best weather and least hassle. So the answer to that question is YES! February is the least crowded but it's likely to be cloudy most of the day at Machu Picchu. if you want to enjoy views and landscapes, don't plan your trip in late December, January, February and now I'm adding March to the list after what happened to all thetrails in 2025. 

Avoid traveling on the following holidays for least amount of travel hassle due to crowds in Cusco and Machu Picchu: I'm talking about having choices in hotels, restaurants and and exploring the historical city center on foot. 

• Easter / Spring break
• Inti Raymi (Sungod festival) June 23-24
• Peru Independence Day July 28 begins school break through mid-August. 

Are weather apps reliable for predicting upcoming weather in Machu Picchu?

For the most part, I have found weather apps to be unreliable. It's best to choose your travel window based on your preferences for fewest crowds in the dry season. I have been to Machu Picchu just about every month of the year at this point. I follow the weather trends and if I'm escorting a private group, I choose our travel dates based on weather and crowds. Of course I always check ticket availability. I've talked to people who nearly cancelled their excursions to the Amazon jungle because the weather apps predicted rain! It's the rainforest folks! However, there are seasons where rainfall is low. In Peru, that tends to be in July through October, (ish) Another reason to travel to the Amazon towards the end of the "less rainy" season is that mosquitos may be less prevalanet than if you travel to the rainforest right after the rainy season winds down. It's not a guarantee. But it is quite possible. 

After all that, now what's the first thing you're going to do? 

Need help? I'm here and of course the Adios Adventure Travel team of locals in Peru have my back! Just call me. I answer questions all the time.