Visiting Machu Picchu with kids is one of the highlights of a tour of Peru for most families. Machu Picchu was declared one of the new wonders of the world years ago and since then tourism to this destination has increased dramatically. Still, despite the crowds, it remains of course a fantastic sight to visit when in Peru with the family. In this blog, we list all the information you need to visit Machu Picchu with kids.
Best travel time Machu Picchu with kids
The best travel time to visit Machu Picchu with kids is from May through October. Then it is the dry season in Peru and so you have the least chance of rain. Temperatures in this region are actually between 0 and 20 degrees all year round. Machu Picchu is at about 2,400 meters altitude, so keep in mind that it can be quite cold on the mountain. Especially if you are visiting this sight with kids in the early morning.
Because of this altitude, you should keep in mind that you should not exert too much effort with kids if you are not yet used to the altitude. For most families with children this will not be a problem, since most families with kids visit Cusco beforehand, which is about 1000 meters higher than Machu Picchu. This allows you to already get used to the altitude with the family in this city.
Of course, you still need a little luck with the weather when visiting Machu Picchu with kids. The weather can turn quickly and if you are unlucky it can be very foggy. Then, of course, you have much less visibility and it is also a lot harder to take pictures.
Transportation to Aguas Calientes
To get to Machu Picchu, most tourists come from Cusco. Cusco also has an airport and this airport is closest to Machu Picchu. Buses also depart to Cusco from most major cities in Peru. It is not possible to drive your own car to Machu Picchu and you can only get there by train and by bus.
The only other way that you can get to Machu Picchu with the family is to take the entire 43-kilometer hike to the city. This famous Inca Trail takes 4 days and you will go with a guide. This Inca trail is so popular that you have to book this trail at least 6 months in advance, otherwise it is already sold out.
In fact, only a limited number of people are allowed on this trail as well. With young kids, it is not recommended to walk this four-day trail. By the way, the prices of such a four-day trail to Machu Picchu are also quite high.
From Cusco, the first thing you do is take the train to Aguas Calientes. This is the village that is the starting point to visit Machu Picchu. The train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes takes 3 hours and 15 minutes and it is a beautiful ride to this village. Unfortunately, the prices of this train ride are high though, as it is obviously a good business model for the two rail companies that transport the passengers.
Transportation to Machu Picchu
From Aguas Calientes, you then have 2 options to eventually get to Machu Picchu with the family. You can go from to the village to Machu Picchu, but this hike takes at least 1.5 hours and is up the mountain. Or you can take one of the shuttle buses to Machu Picchu. The latter is definitely recommended with kids. You generally walk quite a lot in Machu Picchu and then 1.5 extra hours of walking is quite a lot for kids. Of course, the shuttle buses are not very cheap. Especially if you are with a whole family.
Machu Picchu is open from 6:00 in the morning and the first shuttle buses leave at 5:30. Keep in mind that if you want to be one of the first tourists to visit this sight that the 5:30 a.m. buses are very popular. So line up at least as early as 5:00 a.m. to have one of the first buses of the day.
You have tourists waiting for the bus at least an hour in advance. By the way, there are quite a few buses, so it does go pretty fast. Of course, you can imagine that the later in the day you go to Machu Picchu the busier it gets here.
Yet a visit in the afternoon can also be totally fine. There is often fog in the morning and you are less likely to encounter that in the afternoon. Also, the morning is the most popular among most tourists, so it can be less crowded at 3 pm than at 10 am. In addition, of course, with kids you then have to get out of bed a little less early ;).
Aguas Calientes
So Aguas Calientes is the base for visiting Machu Picchu with kids. We would recommend spending at least 1 night in this village. Due to the travel time, it is almost impossible to visit Machu Picchu from Cusco in one day. It is therefore better to stay the day before your visit in Aguas Calientes, so that you can visit this sight right away the next morning.
You can then possibly stay another night in Aguas Calientes after your visit or take the train back to Cusco right away. We ourselves left our backpacks in Cusco and traveled with a small backpack to Machu Picchu. We ended up spending 2 nights in Aguas Calientes and then traveled back to Cusco. We found this relaxing, but we also had plenty of time when we visited Peru.
Aguas Calientes is, of course, a village fully equipped for tourists. Of course it is not a very beautiful village and it is hugely touristy, but it is nice that as a tourist you have all the facilities at your disposal. Because Aguas Calientes is a lot lower than Cusco, the temperature is often a lot more pleasant in the village as well.
After you arrive in Aguas Calientes with kids, you can visit the village’s various hot springs to relax and recover from the train ride. Of course, this is also a good idea if you have done a lot of walking around Machu Picchu and you are back in Aguas Calientes.
Tickets Machu Picchu
It is advisable to buy tickets for Machu Picchu in advance. Due to the enormous popularity and crowds in recent years, there have been increasing regulations to manage the crowds. You should therefore buy tickets in advance and book a time slot. You then have several hours to visit Machu Picchu with kids.
You can buy different tickets for 10 different routes you can walk with a guide at Machu Picchu. Some routes are more popular than others and are sometimes sold out weeks in advance. So you have different walking routes and you have a vantage point from different mountains from where you have a view of the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. These are the mountains Huchuy Picchu, Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain and The Sun Gate. By allowing tourists to walk different routes, they are trying to reduce the crowds a bit.
Check out the official Machu Picchu website here to see what tickets you can buy and exactly what the costs are. Through the official website, tickets are obviously the cheapest and most reliable.
Guide to Machu Picchu
Of course, you can also hire a personal guide for your family. When you stand at the shuttle bus you will already be approached by guides. An advantage to having a separate guide for your family is that he knows his way around Machu Picchu and can obviously tell you more about the Inca ruins you see here. In addition, it can be very helpful if you have someone with you who can take pictures of you as a family and also knows the best photo spots in this area.
What to bring to Machu Picchu
As we mentioned, it can be quite cold in the morning at Machu Picchu, so be sure to bring warm clothes for the kids and good shoes. So don’t go here in flip-flops. In addition, it is important that you bring your passport with you to Machu Picchu, as you will have to show it at the entrance.
In addition, it is good if you bring enough drinks, since you will be walking quite a bit. Food is not officially allowed, but you can always put some small snacks in your coat. Usually they only check bags for food. Generally they won’t be very difficult about that if you have a small snack in your coat.
Keep in mind that the kids have to go to the restroom at the entrance, because that is not possible once you start the tour. It is then only one-way and then you really have to go all the way back to the entrance which is not very convenient.
Mosquito repellent is also often recommended to take with you, but we have to say that we didn’t have too much trouble with this ourselves during our visit to Machu Picchu. A tripod and selfie sticks are not allowed in Machu Picchu, so keep this in mind as well.
Family-friendly restaurant Machu Picchu
As we mentioned in this blog, you have plenty of facilities for tourists in Aguas Calientes and therefore there are also plenty of family-friendly restaurants to visit. We list some family-friendly restaurants in Aguas Calientes below.
Chullos Craft Beer & Home Made Food: this is one of the better restaurants in the village and this restaurant has good value for money. In the evening you often have live music in the restaurant and the service is very fast. This is always nice with kids too! You have several dishes to choose from including a burger with fries, pasta or typical Peruvian dishes like guinea pig. The restaurant also has delicious desserts.
Incontri del Pueblo Viejo: this is an Italian restaurant in Aguas Calientes and you can go here with kids for pizza or pasta. It is an atmospheric restaurant that warmly welcomes families with kids to its spacious restaurant. The staff is known for its magic tricks.
Cala Tratoria: this is another Italian restaurant where you can go for dishes other than Peruvian cuisine. Also at this restaurant the price-quality ratio is very good!
Family-friendly hotel Machu Picchu
You can spend a great night in Aguas Calientes with the family. You have plenty of family-friendly accommodations to book here. We list some options for Aguas Calientes in the different price ranges. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: El Tambo Machupicchu
Middle Class Accommodation: Amakonkay Machupicchu
Luxury Accommodation: Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Aguas Calientes, take a look here.
