What is Huayna Picchu Mountain?
Huayna Picchu is the tall mountain you see in the most famous photographs of Machu Picchu, the classic postal pictures. To be able to hike this mountain, you need to book the entrance tickets far in advance.
The access point is located in the northern corner of Machu Picchu; it takes about 1 hour to the top and 45 minutes down the same trail. Inside Huayna Picchu mountain, you will find steep and narrow stairs know as “stairs of death.” Also, you will be able to see terraces, temples, orchids and enjoy the amazing views that offer this incredible place.
Ticket Times to enter Huayna Picchu Mountain.
Every day 400 people are hiking to Huayna Picchu Mountain, the entrance tickets will sell out fast, for this reason, you need to book far in advance the Huayna Picchu tickets; there two shifts that you can choose from:
The first shift is from 7:00 am to 8:00 am, where 200 people are allowed per day; this shift is perfect for people that stayed the night before at the city of Aguas Calientes. They take the early buses and climb this mountain before sunrise. Depending on the season, the weather, and the hikers’ physical conditions is almost impossible to arrive at the top before dawn. The climbing takes at least 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach the top and another hour to come down carefully.
The second shift is from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, where also 200 people will be allowed to enter; this shift is perfect for people that they just did the Classic Inca Trail, Salkantay Trek, Lares Trek, Inca Jungle trek, Tours by train, or any other trek that leads to Machu Picchu. This is because you need to explore the citadel of Machu Picchu first, then you can climb the mountain. The climbing takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour up, and similar the way down. It’s important to know that the top of Huayna Picchu Mountain closes at 1:00 pm, so you need to start coming down before that time.
The cost of the Huayna Picchu tickets is 75.USD, this includes Machu Picchu citadel as you can not buy just Huayna Picchu itself. Same in the case of Machu Picchu Mountain, to plan a perfect trip to Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, you must book the shift that is more convenient for your tour.