Machu Picchu Peru

The Time We Had Machu Picchu (Almost) To Ourselves

Machu Picchu title

Monumental in both size and reputation, Machu Picchu brings it big in the drama department. This UNESCO World Heritage site packs its Incan legacy into an extraordinary landscape flying 2,430 m above sea-level. However, its majestic scenery is usually accompanied by an equally monumental tourist-draw. Well, not for us.

We had a different experience at Machu Picchu than most—while not vacant, our exploration of the impressive landmark involved 1/4 (or less) of the tourist crowd than most. But how did we manage this?

It wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t planned.

 

Victorious Ben at Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

An archaeological goldmine even more imposing than Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya, Machu Picchu rises from valleys of immaculate greenery enclosed by dramatic cliffs and the forking Urubamba River.

The twin mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu cradle the ancient city, a masterpiece of the Inca civilization lost to the outside world for centuries after the Spanish Conquest.

Now, about a hundred years since an American historian slipped the secret of Machu Picchu to the rest of the world, the site has become one of the most popular bucket list destinations on the planet. Unfortunately, this means most Machu Picchu experiences will be over-saturated with tourists.

To experience this magnificent archaeological site on your own, you’ll have to go from Cusco to Machu Picchu.

Starting in Cusco

As everyone does, we started in Cusco, the nearest town hosting most travelers to Machu Picchu. If you pass through this amazing city, make sure to check out the top things to do in Cusco!

From Cusco, we went to Aguas Calientes, and it initially looked like we would also have the same over-crowded Machu Picchu experience of most.

At our hostel, Supertramp, we met travelers who had been to the ancient site the day before, and told us of their sunny and stunning, yet people-filled experience. When we woke up before the crack of dawn the next day, we expected a similar fate.



Booking.com

Rain, Rain, Go Away

However, we were soon reminded that March is smack-dab in the middle of the region’s wet season, and the weather can vary dramatically day-to-day. While the previous day graced visitors with clear skies, we were invited to drown.

Running through the rain, we boarded a bus and braced ourselves around the twisty climb up to the tourist site. It was still quite early upon arrival, and so there was only a small crowd in line to get in.

After entering the Machu Picchu site, we immediately made for the site’s mountain, Huayna Picchu, in the back, hoping to finish climbing the mountain as soon as possible to avoid the crowds and save the rest of the day for wandering among the ruins.

 

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Foggy morning, rushing to climb Huayna Picchu

Foggy morning with the alpacas, rushing to climb Huayna Picchu

 


Huayna Picchu

The anchoring mountain backdrop of the ancient city, Huayna Picchu offers incredible views (if the weather’s right) and some major heart-pumping steep stair action going up and coming down.

Climbing up Huayna Picchu

 

Climbing DOWN Huayna Picchu

Climbing down Huayna Picchu

A Miserable Climb Up Huayna Picchu

In short, our climb was miserable.

The altitude and our dismaying fitness-level at the time put us to WERK up the remarkably steep steps.

Further, the pouring rain made our steep climb incredibly slippery, forcing us to concentrate on very careful footing. When we finally reached the peak, the dreadful weather had created a fog so thick, we couldn’t see ANYTHING down below, robbing us of at least that pay-off. The supposedly magnificent view was completely hidden from us.

The fog was as thick as cotton balls. And the rocks at the peak were jagged and sharp and slippery. And on those sharp. slip-and-slide rocks, while futilely trying to see the view through that impenetrable fog, Ben slipped and cut his hand open. His gash started bleeding immediately.

Nine thousand feet in the air, at the peak of Huayna Picchu, Ben raised his blood-dripping hand to the thunderous skies, as if in a blood sacrifice to the rain gods. (Really, he was just trying to wash his hand off in the rain.) The rain gods must’ve accepted his sacrifice, because it wasn’t long until our prayers were answered—but not until we were already back down from Huayna Picchu, and not without another hearty serving of humiliation.

No Regrets

Still, I’m incredibly glad I did it, I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I consider it damn near essential for any healthy visitor to Machu Picchu to set aside some time to climb Huayna Picchu. This is because I know how beautiful the pay-off can be, and because I know that the climb would be significantly easier if done in dry weather.


Ben climbing through cave at Huayna Picchu

So please don’t let our experience deter you, and follow these tips for climbing Huayna Picchu!:

 

TIPS FOR MACHU PICCHU & HUAYNA PICCHU

  • Aim for a clear day! A MUST, as we were floating in the clouds at the top and couldn’t see a lick beneath us. If you must visit in the rain, a durable rain jacket is ESSENTIAL.
  • Make sure to wear good shoes! At the peak of the Huayna Picchu mountain at Machu Picchu, Ben and his worn-out shoes had a nasty fall on a sharp and very slippery rock, bringing him a foot from the edge and leaving his hand dripping in blood. We had to wrap his hand in a plastic bag for our return trek down the mountain, until a Good Samaritan, seeing his barbaric wound treatments, kindly offered him bandages. We recommend THESE for women and THESE for men.
  • And, on that note, bring some band-aids. Or this travel first aid kit.
  • Bring a few bottles of water and some snacks. We like the collapsible canteens from Survivor Filter for water, as they’re virtually weightless, take up no space when empty, and can clip onto just about anything. Read our full review of the Survivor Filter collapsible canteens and water filters.
  • Also, wear pants with some stretch (my humiliating story on that matter to come). We recommend THESE for women and THESE for men.

 

Washing the blood off his hand 9000 feet in the air

Washing the blood off his hand 9000 feet in the air.


Machu Picchu Empties Out

Here’s the thing. By the time we had come down from the mountain, it was POURING every few minutes, with an incredible blanket of fog. And this is when the miracle began. But not first without a serving of that pants-related humiliation I mentioned.

 

Fog everywhere after climbing down from Huayna Picchu

Fog everywhere after climbing down from Huayna Picchu


Let’s Split

My travel-worn cotton pants had served me well up the mountain and back down, like a real champion. But even champs fall. No more than 3 minutes after we had finally taken that last step off the mountain, I sat down on a rocky ledge for a breather.

And then it happened.

My pants…SPLIT. Right. down. the. crack.

MORTIFIED, I tied my raincoat (“Screw it, I’m already soaking wet”) around my waist to conceal the tushy-hole of my wounded trousers, and in problem-solving mode, ran for the entrance to hunt for some kind of gift-shop.

What a regal couple we were—Ben, with his bloody, raggedly-bandaged hand, and me, with my butt slit—both completely drenched and frantically pursuing some pants to buy like wet, crazed dogs. This is what took us to the entrance. And that’s when we saw the miracle that gifted us a near crowd-free Machu Picchu experience.

People were leaving by the BUSLOADS, flowing as readily from Machu Picchu as the rain was from the sky. Rows and rows of travelers uniformly decked out in forlorn faces and yellow plastic ponchos swarmed the exits, looking just as frantically for an escape from the dark grey clouds as we were for some replacement pants. Thanks to the horrendous weather, Machu Picchu increasingly became ours.

So, we found one shop (the one and only) selling one pair (the one and only) of men’s shorts for 45 bucks. 45 BUCKS. In case you don’t know, that’s an ABSURD price to pay for most things in Peru. But I bit the bullet and bought the breeches, and (since it was pretty cold), slipped them on over my shredded pants.

With my shiny new $45 shorts, we re-entered Machu Picchu.

Ben after climbing Huayna Picchu


Here Comes the Sun

Machu Picchu was noticeably emptier than before. Clearly, most people had given up on the weather, but a few sparse groups stayed behind with us, seeking the little bit of shelter there was.

But then yet another incredible thing happened. The rain stopped. And then, slowly but surely, rays of light began peeking out through the thick grey clouds. The most triumphant feeling shined over everyone that had stayed behind. Glowing with the warmth of the sun, we cheered.

Fog clearing from Machu Picchu

We were ecstatic when the fog even cleared out just this little bit!


Persistence Pays Off

And the fog kept clearing out even more. A mixture of relief, excitement, joy, and gratefulness defined the scene, and every soul in sight immediately reached for their phone or camera to take some victorious selfie against the newly sunny backdrop.

Lauren at Machu Picchu

So our miserable foggy, wet morning paid off after all, as we went around exploring the stunning ruins of Machu Picchu without the crowds.

Exploring the Machu Picchu ruins

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An Empty Machu Picchu

 

The Moral of the Story

We had made it. Not only did we have Machu Picchu nearly all to ourselves, but we now had it in good weather.

These are the factors that contributed to our near-empty experience of Machu Picchu:

  1. We visited Peru in tourist off-season (which allowed us to get flights for less than $299 from Los Angeles!)
  2. The weather for the day started off horribly
  3. The weather stayed horrible for a good chunk of the day, compelling the people who did come that day to leave early

Of course, so much of this had to do with sheer luck and fortuitous timing. While wet season in Machu Picchu is the tourist off-season, there will still generally be a decent enough crowd filling in the site on a good day. And the weather itself is unpredictable. A day starting off and staying sunny will likely keep more of a crowd than a day starting off sunny and turning rainy, or even a day starting off a little rainy, getting very rainy, and then turning sunny.


Watchman's Tower
 

Nonetheless, I think there’s a lesson buried in here.

Something about the merits of staying behind through the cloudy times for the light at the end.

And that a decent helping of stick-to-itness will often help a traveler in a variety of situations. In which case, there should be a 4th factor taken into account: that we’re tough cookies, and we stayed behind even while the people with bloodless hands and shred-free pants left by the busloads. And maybe that’s a lesson that can be applied beyond travel.

I want to accompany this thought with some swirling inspirational ballad, a chorus echoing Og Mandino’s quote, “If I persist long enough I will win.” Or throw in a few lines of Mario Fernandez’s more literal, “Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.” And I want you to take that idea with you, living robustly with the power of belief, heroically shattering limitations with every empowered blink.

(Unless that’s all B.S. and the real lesson is just to wear some good freaking pants.)

 

Remember: there’s a lot more to Peru than Machu Picchu! For some ideas, check out things to do in Peru besides Machu Picchu.

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The Time We Had Machu Picchu (Almost) to Ourselves, Sacred Valley, Peru, South America


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19 Comments

  • Reply
    She Batt
    at 6:24 am

    I have wanted to go to Machu Picchu ever since I was about 13 years old and heard about it in 8th grade history class. I am now 51 and still have not made it. I read every word of your story imagining my self there climbing with you. I have read other posts of yours and really enjoy them. I also love the name of your blog. Then I read your quote from Og Mandino who was one of my favorite writers when I was in my early teens and knew I chose a great blog to follow.

    Thanks for the great story.

    • Reply
      Lauren West
      at 2:10 pm

      This is the most heart-warming comment I’ve ever been privileged to read! Thank you so much for sharing your story, and for sharing that you identified with mine. You’ve made my day! 🙂

  • Reply
    Mira
    at 12:40 pm

    Machu Pichu has been a destination in my bucket list since 3 years now. When I visited Chile, it was a choice between Machu pichu and Patagonia. I chose the latter and do not regret the decision. It was unbelievable!!! But Machu Pichu still remains in the bucket list. Thanks for reminding me to check that off some time soon!

    • Reply
      Lauren West
      at 6:53 pm

      And thanks for reminding us how much we need to get on over to Patagonia!!

  • Reply
    Trekking Machu Picchu - A Shitty Story - The Poor Explorer
    at 10:16 pm

    […] my friends Grace and Kate and I were faced with quite a few options. It’s very rare that you get the place to yourself and the original Inca trail is booked out months in advance and the costs are extortionate so that […]

  • Reply
    Isabel Leong
    at 11:22 am

    It looks awesome! Is it difficult for solo travellers, or do you recommend travelling with a partner at least to MP?

    • Reply
      Lauren West
      at 1:27 pm

      Hey Isabel! Without at least a rudimentary understanding of Spanish, it might be a little difficult to get around outside of the main tourist centers. If you stick to Cusco and Aguas Calientes, a solo traveler can get around just fine. Outside of the more touristy areas however, it might be easier to have two people/brains/hands/mouths to try to communicate than one! Unfortunately all 4 years of my Spanish lessons have pretty much gone out the window, but Ben has retained it quite well so we managed okay while going around off the beaten track.

  • Reply
    Thais
    at 11:49 pm

    I’m sorry, I laughed at your ripped pants. It never happened to me, but once I fell butt first over a puddle of mud. I had to spend the day with a mud smear on my backside. Not fun.
    Great post, thanks!

    • Reply
      Lauren West
      at 8:08 am

      Hahaha I know! I was like, really pants?! Pushing a girl when she’s already down?!?!

  • Reply
    Tips for Visiting Machu Picchu | Savored Journeys
    at 3:54 am

    […] enjoyed the surroundings more without having to listen closely to a tour guide. (Read more: “That Time We Had Machu Picchu (Almost) To Ourselves” by Television of […]

  • Reply
    Fun Things to Do in Machu Picchu in Lima, Arequipa and Lake Titicaca
    at 7:04 pm

    […] discover some of the most amazing sights I have ever seen with my own eyes. We wanted to reach the Machu Picchu. There are lots of fun things to do in Machu Picchu, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca and Lima and we wanted […]

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    Best Tips for Planning & Visiting Machu Picchu | Savored Journeys
    at 8:58 am

    […] enjoyed the surroundings more without having to listen closely to a tour guide. (Read more: “That Time We Had Machu Picchu (Almost) To Ourselves” by Television of […]

  • Reply
    Television of Nomads
    at 9:42 pm

    […] plane tickets to Cusco so we could make it to Machu Picchu (spoiler alert: we ended up having Machu Picchu almost entirely to ourselves), but we also brainstormed alternatives like traveling to the […]

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    Television of Nomads
    at 9:04 pm

    […] The Time We Had Machu Picchu (Almost) to Ourselves […]

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    Television of Nomads
    at 10:41 am

    […] And if you did visit and you were lucky, you may have even had a similar serendipitous experience to ours, the time we had Machu Picchu (almost) to ourselves. […]

  • Reply
    Darla
    at 6:00 pm

    Wow! That is a pretty crazy story! You did get some great photos!

  • Reply
    Television of Nomads
    at 8:28 am

    […] A bloody hand, ripped pants, and a near plummet to death?! Here’s the Time We Had Machu Picchu (Almost) to Ourselves […]

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    Travel Hack: Do a Cheap Flight Search Like a Pro - Television of Nomads
    at 8:36 am

    […] been my main cheap flight-finding squeeze ever since. From our jackpot $299 ticket win from LA to Peru, to our $340 cheap flight find from South Korea to Sri Lanka, and, most recently, our cheap flight […]

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