Anne-Charlotte PasseraBeing on top of the Machu Picchu in Peru for Christmas will be the most impressive and serene experience you’ll ever get to be a part of. Visiting it while on a family holiday will make it even more special.
This awe-inspiring ancient city built by the Incas was forgotten until the early part of the 20th century. It was once used (supposedly) as a major trading post on the route to the Amazonia and the highlands.
Nowadays, the initially overgrown vegetation that wrapped this mysterious site has been replaced by herds of tourists and sometimes llamas.
Fear not, Christmas time in Machu Picchu is not as busy as you might think. The high season is mostly from May to September. That doesn’t mean the site will be empty, but at least you’ll have enough room to explore on your own time and manage to get that precious snapshot.
It’s quite an adventure to get to Machu Picchu but once you arrive, the peacefulness and grandeur of the site will simply enwrap you.
This visit was part of our second stop in Peru during our 2 week family backpacking experience. Three adults and 5 kids with the youngest being 5 and eldest 13.
Getting to Machu Picchu
The easiest way to get to Machu Picchu is by train and then by bus. There isn’t a direct train or bus to Machu Picchu. You will have to make a stop at the town located in a deep gorge below called Aguas Calientes. There is no way around it.
Although Christmas in Machu Picchu isn’t as busy as in the summer months, it’s best to book your roundtrip train ticket from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes as soon as you can.
The train is equipped with comfortable seats with panoramic windows and takes about 3h30. You will have time to enjoy the luscious green landscape of the Sacred Valley or snooze. The roundtrip costs around $144 USD per person. It’s a bit pricy I admit but if you are travelling with kids, it’s the most practical option.
We took the Vistadome train which departs from Cuzco-Poroy (20 minutes from town) and leaves a little before 7 am. The return is around 3:45pm but check the train schedule as it could have changed since we were there. Use Perurail to book your tickets. Cheaper travel options do exist but take longer.
I strongly suggest that you book a roundtrip ticket to avoid getting stranded in Aguas Calientes. This will also help you save time and not have to rush to get back into town in order to buy your return ticket.
To make things easier, and your Christmas visit to Machu Picchu more agreable, plan to spend the night in Aguas Calientes.
Bus to Machu Picchu
Once you arrive in Aguas Calientes, you can either hike up to Machu Picchu which takes apparently 1h30 to do or hop on the bus.
Buying your bus ticket should be the first thing you do upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, especially if you are there only for the day. At the bus ticket booth, you can also pay your entrance fee to Machu Picchu. Doing so will save you time when you get there, as you won’t have to wait in line to get in.
The earliest bus leaves at 5:30 am. We took the 6am one. It’s based on the first come first serve principal. Therefore, try to arrive a half hour before your desired departure to get one of the first spots onto the bus. The bus ride on a winding mountain hill road is only a 8km stretch and takes about 25 minutes. At the time of our adventure (2013), it cost $10 USD for a roundtrip fare for a child. I don’t remember how much it was for us adults.
This is why we recommend spending the night in Aguas Calientes so as not to have to rush when you get there. You can then visit Machu Picchu stress free the next day in the morning before the rush hour which is usually between 10 am and 2 pm.
Where to sleep
If you are only spending one night in Aguas Calientes with a very early morning rise, there is no point in spending more money than you have to on lodging. A hostel will do just fine, and some do come with private rooms if dorm rooms scare you.
Since the town is extremely touristy, everything costs more whether its food or lodging.
We stayed at the Inca Fortress Hostel, a short walk from the train station. It’s nothing to rave about, but the rooms were comfortable. The semi outdoor rooftop terrace is spacious, and we were able to enjoy a homemade chicken soup there as a family. It was the best one we had during our whole trip in Peru. While we visited the Machu Picchu, we left our bags there are not extra cost. The cost for a night for one person starts at $28CAD.
One stop in Aguas calientes
There isn’t much to do or see at Aguas Calientes. It’s mostly used as a pit stop before heading over to Machu Picchu and the town lives off tourism. As the ATM machines are limited and empty out quickly, bring as much cash as you’ll think you’ll need to pay for basic things such as bus tickets, entrance fee, snacks, etc.
Nonetheless, if you walk towards the football field, you’ll find the part of town where it’s a bit more authentic.
At Christmas, the town decorates and be prepared to see unusual Christmas trees. We noticed them all across Peru. They are made in the shape of a pine tree but with plastic bottles. It’s quite colourful and will still put you in the Christmas spirit mood. Oddly enough, that’s one of the things our kids remembered the most from our trip.
My kids and I went to the hot springs. It isn’t as exciting as it sounds as the water was pretty mirky when we went there late afternoon. However, it does give you something to do at a really affordable price. At the time of our visit, the entrance fee was $3CAD per person. Bring your travel towel so as not to have to rent one.
Machu Picchu at Christmas
In order to take in the spectacular site that is Machu Picchu, you need to be committed and willing to sacrifice a little on your beauty sleep.
The best time to go is as early as possible in the morning in order to catch the sun rise above Machu Picchu. This also means that there will be fewer tourists as well. Not everyone wants to be an early bird. However, if you are absolutely not willing to get up at the crack of dawn, try to be there before 10 am as that’s when day trippers from Cuzco slowly start to arrive.
As soon as you walk through the main gate, you’ll arrive on a plateau stretched out before you. A welcoming party of llamas will greet you. Don’t stand too close, as they might spit on you or photobomb your picture. Only one of those two facts happened to us.
The visit
If you go up the steps to the left, you’ll land at the Hut of the Caretaker of the funeral rock. As the name implies, some kind of burial ritual occurred there. It is believed that it was used to mummify nobility. It’s also around that part of the site where you’ll find the most photogenic spot of Machu Picchu.
Then, head on down through the main gate to the Royal Tomb and the Temple of the Sun. You can’t miss it as it’s the only round building there. It also has window openings perfectly placed for the summer and winter solstices.
Other than that, just walk around, up and down, a series of plateau that make this majestic site what it is, and find the altar where they practiced human sacrifices. Actually, I think it was used for something else, but that’s what we told the kids to spark their curiosity and interest. It’s also the place to get an unobstructed glimpse of the valley below.
Update: Things have changed at Machu Picchu since we were last there. Time is limited. You only get 4 hours and have to pick a time slot. Only 200 people are let in per time slot. Apparently the first two hours there are done with a guide.
You can book your tickets online HERE.
2021 Entrance fees: $47 CAD /adult, $22 CAD /child
Some general rules to abide by when visiting Machu Picchu
- No plastic bottles are allowed.
Bring your own reusable water bottle.
- Eating on site is not permitted.
Since my sister-in-law is diabetic, she is always carrying food or at least snacks. The guards let her bring them in. I think snacks are tolerated just as long as they are not individually wrapped. The goal is to preserve the site as much as possible. Smoking is not permitted either.
- Don’t walk on the walls.
They are old and therefore could be brittle.
- Bring insect repellant and sunscreen.
Yes, despite of the altitude, insects still exist. If you are not fully covered, chances are you might get unknowingly bitten.
- Only small backpacks are allowed.
Leave your luggage at your hostel or put it in a locker near the main entrance of Machu Picchu ($).
Christmas Machu Picchu weather and attire
When we visited Machu Picchu for Christmas, actually Christmas Eve, it wasn’t the start of the rainy season. That starts in January. We didn’t have rain, but we did have dense fog upon our arrival.
It’s not uncommon for Machu Picchu to be under the clouds in the early morning. As you start going through the site and about your morning, the fog, the clouds will start to magically disappear.
Our arrival was disappointing because the fog didn’t allow us to grasp the grandiosity of the site. Luckily, it cleared up a bit throughout the morning.
Machu Picchu is located in the cloud forest or high jungle, where the natural behaviour of the jungle is to emanate mist early in the mornings and keep this forest very humid, this happens even in the dry season. So, this mist may affect your experience.
Perusummit.com
- It goes without saying that strollers are really not practical there nor accepted. Once again, a carrying scarf will come in handy.
- Closed toe shoes or hiking shoes are almost mandatory.
- Wear comfortable clothing and layers. In the early morning its kind of chilly so you’ll need a light jacket or rain jacket, possible a long sleeve shirt. However, by the time we left and with all the walking we did, we were in our T-shirts.
Our Machu Picchu Christmas experience
Our Machu Picchu experience was pretty special. We walked around the site, with no guide, for 6 hours! We explored all the nooks and crannies and the kids even played hide and seek. This almost gave us a heart attack.
While we were there in the wee hours of the morning, at the same time in a far away land, my father was being buried. We felt that the Machu Picchu weather followed our sorrow. But as the morning went by, it lifted away. It does sound corny, I admit, but it’s really how we felt by the end of the day.
I can’t think of a better spot to deal with something like that. We each took time, in our own way to reflect on my father’s passing. My brother even took it as far in trying to do a little meditation session with the kids…. Not very fruitful, but it did ease up the atmosphere.
Despite my sadness that followed me throughout the Peru trip and especially on that day, I did feel a sense of peacefulness while there.
Christmas Eve day on top of Machu Picchu is an experience that I will never forget.
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