Machu Picchu mountain hike and city

Wandering out from the bush and stairs I see an oasis of flowers, bushes, butterflies and finally one last hill promising the end is in sight! 

A few weeks ago (I know I’ve been getting behind in posts) I hiked up Machu Picchu Mountain. It was a tricky and nervous hike up, but once I arrived at the summit after about 1 hour, 45 minutes, I was rewarded with the most spectacular view over the entire valley (360 degrees) and the city of Machu Picchu.

As the bus took me up to the entrance that morning I nearly shed a tear I couldn’t believe I was actually going to see Machu Picchu. It really was a highlight of my trip. I arrived early in the morning and headed straight for the start of the hike up Machu Picchu Mountain at just after 7am. Hiking up to 3082m above sea level was actually not as bad in terms of altitude as Pisac a few days early. The hike was longer, but varied with its scenery and steps that kept me going.

The Lost City of the Inkas was incredible from above. I made sure to give myself time to sit and appreciate the sights all around me. Imagining life many thousands of years ago here.

Heading back down the mountain was more scary than going up, but I was excited to walk amongst the ruins.

Jelly legs and nearly crumbling at the bottom, after a bit of a rest stop, I ventured into the city while trying to avoid the large amounts of tourist groups arriving. It’s definitely most quiet first thing in the morning and after 2pm in the afternoon when the groups leave.

Walking amongst the ruins was pretty cool, but the highlight was definitely still hiking up the mountain of Machu Picchu.

After Machu Picchu, I stayed for a night in the quaint town of Ollantaytambo ruins. It had some ruins to hike up, but not a lot else!

If you missed my last post, I talked about planning the trip to Machu Picchu, check it out if you’re interested in heading to Machu Picchu »