Ahh, the majesty that is Machu Picchu. It’s no secret that Machu Picchu is a must see when visiting Peru, but what many don’t know is what treasures and gems await one at the site.
Huayna Picchu is just that. For the avid hikers, it provides one of the best views of the ruins from within the archaeological site. The trickiest part is that it’s also not the best kept secret. They only allow 400 people a day up the mountain (200 from 7am-10am and 200 from 10am-1pm). Many ambitious tourists rush to get their spots and it can fill up as early as 6am-7am. The best way to do it is to show up early, reserve on the 10am spot and head back to explore the ruins before the crowds hit (around 11am it turns into Disneyland on crack). It gets a little complicated for those on the Inca Trail (See Trickery on the Inca Trail).
Huayna Picchu is the mountain to the right of all the typical Machu Picchu photos (see below).
Huayna Picchu is the mountain on the right
The hike from the bottom to the top of Huayna Picchu is about 30 min. to an hour and I HIGHLY recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.Here’s a panoramic video I took from the top:
