Huayna Picchu Hike: Look Beyond Machu Picchu. Literally!

It is difficult to miss the human face shaped mountain on a clear day. It forms the backdrop of the Machu Picchu ruins. The nose, the highest point on the sleeping face, is Huayna Picchu. You see it when you look beyond Machu Picchu. Literally. An exciting hike will take you to the nose tip.

Huayna Picchu Hike: Popularity Index

There is a curiosity that drives thousands of people to Machu Picchu in Peru every year from around the world. The tag of one of the “New 7 wonders of the world” only encourages that curiosity.

Then there is Huayna Picchu (or Wayna Picchu), that stands tall behind the Inca bastion, Machu Picchu. You have to climb the stairs built by the Incas, or whatever remains of it. The hiking trail takes you to the terrace passing through stints of narrow stairs, sometimes exposed to the valley and forests hundreds of meters below, and occasionally crawling through tiny tunnels. But throughout, you continue to appreciate amazing views all around. This 2 hour (climbing up and down roughly) steep and difficult hike starts from the back end of the Machu Picchu premises.

Then why would you hike Huayna Picchu?

To give you some perspective on popularity of the hike, you need to book the Huayna Picchu hike months in advance. Yes, that’s right, you need a separate ticket to do this hike and it might get sold off. Just 400 visitors are allowed each day, 200 each in two slots 7-8 am or 10-11 am.

If the idea of walking on Incan paths fascinates you, consider the 4-day Inca trail hike to Machu Picchu.

The Entry Slot

We had booked the 7-8 am slot. Anyway, that was the only available choice, as the 10 am slot was already full for our date of travel, at the time of our booking. Three months in advance! How did the slot turn out at the end for us? Wait, we will come to that.

The Entrance

The entry to the beginning of the hike is hidden at the end of the main ruins of Machu Picchu. As we were on the 7-8 am slot, we reserved the detailed exploration of the citadel for later, post returning from the Huayna Picchu hike. So we had to be content with a quick sneak peek and some quick photos of Machu Picchu, not to miss it in the glorious morning sun. We resisted the temptations to stop at every corner of the ruins so that we reach the Huayana Picchu hike entrance at a reasonable 7:30 am.

We entered our personal details (name, passport no., entry time) in the register at the entrance kiosk. Also, don’t forget to sign out at the end of the hike at this same kiosk. These entries are important as this is the only way to track hikers and take action in case of any unfortunate event. There is no guide or official on the trail until the summit.

We waited for a little while in a small queue before the entrance. This gave us a last chance of reminding ourselves the strategies – ‘how we have to be careful’, ‘stay hydrated’, ‘take it easy, it is just a holiday’, ‘no risk-taking for photo-ops’, etc. After the formalities, in a minute, we were on our way towards the ancient Inca stairs that take us to the nose tip.

The Hike

Rituals – Do as the Incans do

Our guide, who was supposedly an Incan descendant, had given us some coca leaves, considered sacred by the locals. As per his instructions, we chewed some and placed the rest beside the path as a tribute to the mountain. This is a ritual that the Incas follow whenever they trek this mountain. We had learnt that coca leaves are good for avoiding altitude sickness from our travels in the Himalayas. This short ritual was our respect to local tradition and a confidence-building exercise.

The Beginning

The Huayna Picchu hike starts with a mix of downstairs and light ascents and views of a chain of mountains covered in morning mist. After about 10-15 minutes, when we were just getting a glimpse of hope that this would be a moderate cardio, the steep ascent starts (enters your personal gym trainer). The humidity was not yet high and the path was still cool, thanks to the dense vegetation. Good time to bring on the challenges.

The Inca Steps

The description will be incomplete without talking about the stairs. These are supposedly from the Inca times and with uneven heights and breadth. They were so narrow at times, we had to use our hands to climb a single step. Same reason, why lots of times the space on the stairs will be just adequate for one person. Most of the times, we didn’t look back and tried to cover as much as possible at one go until we reach occasional hold-outs that are just adequate for at least two people to stand. Some places had handrails while others didn’t. So we had to be extra careful with the steps.

Strategic Time-outs

We took breaks to catch our breath, refill fluid in the body and of course, appreciate the views around at some of the turns. Also, these are the opportunities to say ‘hello/ola’ to your fellow hikers as mostly you won’t otherwise have a chance to face others in this narrow trail.

The First Stage

We hiked about an hour to reach a flat platform where you can relax on the rocks and have a clear view of the Machu Picchu citadel. This was the first decent place where multiple people can stand after a long hike. The reason why it turned out to be a rush for selfies with the best background!

Almost there, but not yet

The top looks pretty close from here and an early sense of achievement creeps in. But the rest of the hike is not just through narrow (you are now used to these by then, though!) stairs, but also at the edges where the valleys go down miles below.

The Stairs of Death

When we were thinking that this could not get scarier, we arrived at the last stretch of stairs. They had no fence or handrails on either side and gave a feeling of hanging from nowhere. Apparently, this stretch is called ‘The Stairs of Death’ because of the exposed nature of climb.

We don’t have vertigo, but still this stretch was something to remember for a while! The deep valley looked more real and we leaned towards the wall than being curious about what lied beneath.

The Summit

There is a flat platform after the ‘stairs of death’. We sat there for a while and reflected on our 300m+ hike while taking in the views. The Machu Picchu site lied below at the distant and we looked at the Incan marvel quietly. We hiked on a clear sunny day, the reason why the Machu Picchu was visible to us in its full glory.

The highest point of Huayna Picchu lies above this platform. We had to climb one last rock and walk carefully on its edges. There wasn’t much room to stand as we were sharing space with other hikers in the queue to the glory. Finally, we reached the summit. The summit looked like an uneven terrace where you take some time to have your ‘I am on the top of the world’ moments. However, watch out for the crevices, just to be safe.

But kudos! Relax, jump in joy (actually, don’t jump!) or lie down on the rocks or just sit and enjoy the views around. You have earned it! This is definitely one of the best views of the Machu Picchu site below and worth some quiet time to soak into it. While the site was the attraction on one side, the other end gifted us with a never-ending view of the green forests rolling over the mountains with the Urubamba river flowing below.

The Descent

Now that you have enjoyed the summit with the spectacular views, it is time for the descent. While you might think that you have already experienced all the adventures that the Huayna Picchu hike had to offer, including the views, save some feelings for the exit. This path goes down a different way, slightly hidden in a cave-like structure on the other side of the mountain from where we ascended.

Be ready to pass through couple of tunnels on the way down, where we had to crawl or slide sideways, just about squeezing ourselves through them. Remember they are Incan and probably have not changed since. Most parts of the descent are different from the hike up to the top. That opened before us different perspectives of Machu Picchu and the surrounding valley.

As a reminder, sign out at the same kiosk just to ensure that your Huayna Picchu hike is recorded as officially complete.

Worth it?

Definitely yes. The Huayna Picchu hike is a difficult one, steep almost the entire path, but you get the best views of the Machu Picchu. So if you have a decent fitness level, go for it!

Tips for Huayna Picchu Hike

• Do not forget to carry water.
• Do not rush, enjoy the views, take breaks.
• As the steps are narrow, high and slippery at times, be patient with other hikers and vice versa.
• Wear good hiking shoes.
• Carry your camera. You do need to capture the best views of the Machu Picchu, right?
• Plan your travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Here is a tip on how you can do it for cheap.
• How to choose the slot? If you want better odds of a clear view of the Machu Picchu from the top of Huayana Picchu, choose 10 am slot. Keep in mind that this slot is more popular and gets sold out earlier. However, the 7am slot has the advantage of hiking at a much cooler time of the day. Also, you can start bit late, and stay back little more, in case you want the better odds. We had a great clear view as you can see in the photos.

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