Last Updated on December 5, 2025 by Ariana Svenson
Machu Picchu with Kids (2025 Guide): Family-Friendly Tips, Hotels & How to Visit
Can you visit Machu Picchu with kids? Absolutely! In fact, a Machu Picchu family adventure can be an incredible experience for everyone! However, traveling to Machu Picchu with kids may end up being a lot different from what you imagine. Wonderfully fulfilling, the experience is likely not even remotely the same as if you were going to the ancient citadel alone or in a couple. Getting the most out of a visit to Machu Picchu with children requires good planning.
Luckily, I’ve been to Machu Picchu with my family a whopping 6 times. So you can imagine I’ve accumulated some really handy advice for the family traveler. It’s a long way to Machu Picchu, so make sure you do it right!
The other thing that sets my Machu Picchu with kids advice apart from all the other bloggers out there is that I have been with kids of all ages, from babies to young children, and now a teen. This post is improved with the best local updates every time we visit. The last time we visited Machu Picchu was July 2023 with a 4.5 year old, 9 year old and 13 year old. This post has since been updated for 2025 with the latest on the ground information from my team in Cusco, at Apus Peru.
Here are my top tips for planning your Machu Picchu family vacation. Spoiler alert: the main one is to consider looking into Machu Picchu private tours for families. They give you the ability to go at your own pace, as well as tailor the Machu Picchu activities for kids!
This post may contain affiliate links, from which we would earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More info in my disclaimer.
Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu With Kids
Three things should be top of mind when you’re figuring out the best time for your Machu Picchu tour with kids. These are weather, crowds & festivals.
Machu Picchu is located in the Andes near Cusco. This means that it is affected by the Andean climate and the Cusco festival calendar. The Andes really have 2 seasons: dry season and rainy season. You might be thinking, “Easy! Obviously, the dry season is the best time to go; who wants to get wet?”.
Here’s what you need to know:
Dry Season vs Wet Season in the Andes
Well, that’s true, BUT: dry season is also winter in the Andes. Running from about May through August, winter in the Andes is characterized by dry conditions with usually very little rain, but it can get very cold, especially at night.
The lower altitude of Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes means it doesn’t get as cold there as in the high altitudes around Cusco and in the mountains. However, it will feel cold at night in Cusco (it can even fall below freezing).
The rainy season is slightly warmer. However, it can be rainy, wet, muddy, and dreary – not great conditions for a Machu Picchu tour with children. That said, one of the other downsides to the dry season is that it is peak tourism season in the Andes. This means… CROWDS. Machu Picchu is always exceptionally busy in the high, dry season.
If you don’t mind getting a little wet, then February can be a good month to visit Machu Picchu. That’s the month that the Inca Trail is closed. There are at least a few hundred fewer people visiting the site during the low season. Plus, when it’s rainy, Machu Picchu becomes shrouded in mist, which gives it this incredible mystical feel. However, you might not get the perfect Machu Picchu photo either.
Our favorite time to visit Machu Picchu is the shoulder months: April and September. In April, the mountains are still green, but the rains are starting to taper off. September typically has good weather too – a little warmer, a little less rain. Both are blessed with not so many tourists!
You can plan your Machu Picchu family holiday around one of the many incredible festivals throughout the year in Peru.
Planning Your Machu Picchu Family Vacation around the Cusco Festival Calendar
Peru has a really active festival calendar. It can be enormously satisfying, not to mention educational, to plan your Machu Picchu family vacation around particular festivals.
You could spend an entire year traveling from place to place in order to see them all! If you know you’re only coming for a week or two, it’s best to get out the calendar and plan your dates around the festivals happening at that time. Here’s a link to a great Peruvian festival calendar!
Take note that the bulk of Peruvian fiestas are linked to the Catholic Feast Days (e.g., Easter, Corpus Christi). This means they are movable dates and can fall anywhere in a month-long period. So, double-check the specific dates for the year in which you will be traveling.
Machu Picchu Age and Suitability
For most people, visiting Machu Picchu is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is one of those special places to tick off your bucket list. It’s a way to fulfill those childhood dreams of adventure, spurred on by Indiana Jones movies as he searched for lost cities (including in Peru!).
Machu Picchu is open to kids of any age. We’ve traveled to Machu Picchu pregnant, and then again with a 1 year-old baby. Then, we later returned to Machu Picchu with a toddler and a 5 year old. Our trip in 2023 was with a 4, 9 and 13 year old. If you are interested in traveling with a toddler or baby, we have a post just for you. How to travel to Machu Picchu with a baby or toddler is a must-read.
Even though there aren’t any official age restrictions, Machu Picchu was not really built with kids in mind. The ruins and the entire complex are built out of hand-carved stone. There are upper and lower levels that are accessed via stone steps. Let me tell you, these steps are HUGE! Especially for a 4 or 5-year-old’s little legs.
I’ve visited now with my eldest daughter at 5 years, and my youngest at 4.5 years of age. For both of them, after an hour of climbing these HUGE steps, they were exceptionally tired. To be honest, I was tired, too, carrying around 22-month-old Master L, who weighed in at 14 kg.
As a toddler, he could have wandered around Machu Picchu, but it would have been difficult for all of us (especially with all of those steep drops)! This is important to keep in mind when you’re planning a trip to Machu Picchu with kids. Before even planning your Machu Picchu family trip, you’ll need to think about your entire trip to Peru! Start planning the perfect Peru family vacation with our guide to visiting Peru with Kids. Our guide to Must-See Places for Your Peru Family Vacation is a must-read for any Peru family adventure, as is how to plan a Peru family holiday.
What’s the best tour of Machu Picchu with kids?
In a rush and want to know what’s the best way to do Machu Picchu with children? Hands down, buy a tour from a local reputable operator who will coordinate entry tickets, train tickets, lunch and dinner; meaning you can relax and enjoy this once in a lifetime visit! And if you ask, you might get a kid friendly guide who will keep the kiddos entertained and you can take a deep breath and enjoy your surroundings!
Is Machu Picchu good for kids?
Machu Picchu is good for kids who are old enough to appreciate this new wonder of the world. Children under 8 will find that there are big steps and lots of walking. Many children enjoy the train trip to Aguas Calientes more than the visit to the ruins themselves; make sure you book a kid-friendly guide to get the most out of your visit.
What’s the Best Age to Visit Machu Picchu with Kids?
Machu Picchu is suitable for kids of all ages; however, the older they are, the more they will enjoy it. In general, we recommend Machu Picchu to children who are above 6 years old; though an 8-year-old will enjoy it more, and when they are 12 years old, they will truly understand the magnificence and importance of the site. Note, every child is different and I read a post the other day about a parent saying their child still did clay models of Machu picchu 5 years after visiting as a 4 year old. Every family is different!
Can I Hike Machu Picchu with Kids?
Yes, you can hike Machu Picchu with kids; however, the older they are, the more they will enjoy it. The minimum age for the Huayna Picchu hike is 12 years, and children should be comfortable with steep steps and long drops. The Machu Picchu Mountain hike is not as steep, but takes longer and could be done by a fit and capable child (12 years old Minimum).
Can I Take My Toddler to Machu Picchu?
Yes, you can take your toddler to Machu Picchu, but be aware that there are many big, steep stairs. There are also plenty of steep drops – for people with babies and toddlers, it’s highly recommended to take a solid hiking carrier, as it will be easier for both parent(s) and child.
What about Machu Picchu for Teenagers?
I have only experienced Machu Picchu with a 13 year old, but I am involved in the daily operation of Apus Peru, and we do have many families with teens travel with us. By teenagers, I think its appropriate to mention we are talking about 13 – 19 years old, or even up 21 years. If you want to have a successful Machu Picchu trek or tour, involve your young people in the decision making, give them some autonomy and hopefully they will be more engaged about the trip. Watch Youtube videos to prepare them and see if you can give them some choices. (We have experienced some fairly sad situations where parents have told kids what is happening, and they have sabotaged the family vacation with their attitude! Its not every family, but it does happen!)
How to Visit Machu Picchu with Kids
Getting to Cusco
Cusco has the closest airport to Machu Picchu. Most people will fly into Lima, the capital of Peru, before flying to Cusco, which is in Southern Peru. For many, it’s a long flight to Lima. So, you might want to rest in Lima before continuing on to Cusco.
You can discover Cusco tours by Apus Peru here.
If you are staying in Lima, read, The Best Things to do in Lima for Kids and The Best Lima Hotels for Families.
Cusco is one of the highest cities in the world! At a whopping 3,400 meters (11,155 feet) above sea level, it leaves everyone breathless – literally!
It is located at a much higher altitude than the Inca city of Machu Picchu. I highly recommend skipping Cusco on your way to Machu Picchu. People of all ages will feel better if they acclimatize at the altitudes of the Sacred Valley before going to Cusco. Read more about Things to do in the Sacred Valley in this post. You can visit Cusco after your visit to the lost city of the Incas.
Read more about planning a trip to Peru with kids and Cusco with kids here.
Machu Picchu Travel with Kids by Train
Machu Picchu is most easily accessed by train. There are twice-daily services from Cusco to Aguas Calientes with Peru Rail. It’s a beautiful train journey, but a bit longer than the private car/ train combination. If your kids are younger or especially fidgety, I would opt for the “bimodal” option.
Peru Rail and Inca Rail have a wide range of services running from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes each day. This service takes about 1.5 hours. I would highly recommend traveling during the daylight hours, as the views of the canyons and the rushing Urubamba River are gorgeous. The train station in Ollantaytambo has a great little cafe, Cafe Mayu, and it’s fun to sit and eat and watch the action in the station.
We’ve taken both the Vistadome and Expedition Peru Rail trains to Machu Picchu. It was definitely the highlight for the kiddos of our Machu Picchu tours with children. On the Vistadome train, a kind man gave up the front seats, and we got amazing views of the tracks.
Miss M was transfixed by the sight of the rails and mountains, and we all loved the journey. There are other ways to travel to Machu Picchu, but they require traveling on hairpin bend roads, etc. Adrenalin-filled (and cheap) but not family-friendly! And even worse if your kids have a propensity to motion sickness!
While both trains have big windows (eg, to see the mountains above you) the Vistadome trains windows are bigger. They serve snacks on the train, and then have a cultural show in the lounge car. To be honest, it wasn’t very cultural, but everyone had fun dancing around the train to La La La La Bamba! The lounge car connects to the observation car, and you can stand with the wind in your hair, watching the landscape rush by. The Vistadome Train also includes a fashion parade of alpaca fashion, performed by Peru Rail staff. A bit cringey, but it is what it is!
Bus Tickets
The bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu takes around 25 minutes. The buses are Consettur Shuttle buses. If you decide to travel by bus, it will save tired little legs and leave them with more energy to explore the ruins. The first bus is at 5:30 AM (get there early) and the last bus is at 3:30 PM. To come down, the last bus is between 3:30 PM and 6:00 PM. Throughout this time, buses run every 5-15 minutes depending on demand.
Hiking
Did you know you can hike to Machu Picchu…with your kids? The Inca Trail is the only trek in the region that actually lets you walk into Machu Picchu itself. No car ride or train ride required. While active families can tackle the 4-day Inca Trail, a better option when you’re with children is to do the 2-day Inca Trail, which involves just one day of the Inca Trail and then sleeping in a hotel.
We cover all of the important information for your Peru family adventure at Trekking The Inca Trail with Kids.
The Short Inca Trail is really a one-day hike with an overnight stay in a hotel in Aguas Calientes before heading up to Machu Picchu the next day. We hiked the 2 Day Inca Trail with a Baby, believe it or not, so it can be done. Check out that post to see all our tips for how to do it.
One really important thing to note – our baby had been in Cusco for 3 months, so was extremely well acclimatized!
Note, the Classic Inca Trail sells out 6-8 months in advance. If you aren’t in time to get tickets for the famous trek, there is a wonderful range of other Machu Picchu treks that are highly suitable for children.
Of these, we recommend the Lares Trek, which combines unique insight into the Andean culture, beautiful high mountain scenery, and is often the best option year-round. If you buy a trek like the Lares and Machu Picchu trek, Machu Picchu is factored in as part of the hike.
If you’re a little wary – but intrigued – about taking your kids hiking, we have great posts that will let you know if hiking is right for you and your family:
- Should I Take My Children Trekking in Peru?
- Trekking With Llamas And Kids In Peru
- Trekking Peru – Lodge To Lodge Trekking With Kids
To Climb, or Not to Climb: Huayna Picchu Mountain / Machu Picchu Mountain / Inti Punku
One of the activities to do at Machu Picchu is to climb Huayna Picchu. Huayna Picchu (Young Peak) is the conical-shaped mountain that you see in all the classic Machu Picchu photos.
Although not a very long hike (it’s about 45 minutes to an hour to reach the top), Huayna Picchu is NOT suitable for small children. You should think twice about climbing Huayna Picchu even with older kids (12+), depending on their fitness, agility, and ability to focus. The climb is very steep, and there are dizzyingly sheer drops on either side of the trail – enough to make any mother faint! It is not a good hike for anyone with a fear of heights.
A better alternative for those interested in hiking with kids is the Machu Picchu Mountain Climb (Old Peak). Although longer (3 hours round trip), the trail is more moderate with a less steep incline and no death-defying drop-offs. The hike takes you up in the direction of Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, and offers quiet, natural surroundings with lots of fresh air. You will be rewarded with panoramic views at the top.
Both Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain require additional permits (beyond your Machu Picchu entry ticket), and the hikes are only available in the morning. This means you will have had to sleep in Machu Picchu the night before.
You Need a Guide
In the old days, you could wander around Machu Picchu on your own. However, since 2017, it has been mandatory to tour Machu Picchu with a licensed guide.
Ideally, you will find a guide who is experienced in visiting Machu Picchu with kids and can explain what the large stones are all about in a user-friendly way! A good guide will take fabulous photos of your family and tell you where the best photo ops are!
The easiest way to go with a reputable guide is if you book an all-inclusive tour in advance. During the booking process, you can specifically request a guide who is good with children and who knows how to tailor the best Machu Picchu for kids tour.
You can also find freelance tour guides near the entrance gate to Machu Picchu, but it’s hard to guarantee the quality of the tour you’ll get.
Choosing Machu Picchu Tours with Kids (private vs group)
These two tours by Apus Peru are highly recommended for children aged 8+. Apus provides unique personal experiences tailored to your family.
Lares & 2 day Inca trail (4 days/3 nights): You will see Gorgeous mountain scenery and glacial lakes. You also have the option to spend the night in a remote indigenous homestay. Read more about this tour here.
Lares Valley Cultural Trek (3 days/2 nights): The Lares & 2-day Inca Trail hike is the perfect way to hike to Machu Picchu when four-day Inca Trail permits are sold out. You will experience two days of off-the-beaten-path trekking and a visit to Machu Picchu on the third day. Read more about this tour here.
You can read more about the best Apus Peru family tours here.
The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel is a wonderful place to stay with children. Check out our full review!
Machu Picchu Hotels for Families
How you travel as a family depends on various elements. Factors such as the ages of your kids, how many of them there are, and how fond you are of co-sleeping can influence your decision.
Peru has a relatively generous policy when it comes to sharing beds. So, if you have a child under 4-ish that co-sleeps, they won’t charge you for the child to occupy the room.
Other rooms that have multiple bed arrangements do exist. However, they book out very early, especially those in the mid-range budget option. In our opinion, picking a good hotel is vital to ensuring a successful Machu Picchu family trip! Check out our recommendations at the bottom of the post.
If you are traveling with a baby or toddler, you need to consider whether you will bring your own pack-n-play or whether you will ask the hotel for a cot. Not all of them have them, so you need to make these arrangements on booking.
When booking your Machu Picchu hotel, you will also want to consider how many nights to stay in Aguas Calientes; we like to travel slow and not rush from hotel to hotel, and feel it gives the children a more settled feeling. For that reason, we would stay in Aguas Calientes for two nights as there are plenty of Things to do in Aguas Calientes.
Consider a Kid-Friendly Splurge
Getting the best family rooms is another reason to get your family’s Machu Picchu family holiday booked early. By a “family room,” we mean rooms with three or four beds. These exist but get taken quickly. In fact, check out our list of Machu Picchu family accommodations just below. The Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is also considered one of the best hotels in Machu Picchu, with an associated price tag.
Where to Stay: Machu Picchu Family Hotels in Aguas Calientes
We often get asked “where to stay near Machu Picchu with kids” or “what are the best family hotels in Machu Picchu”? Technically, people should be asking, what is the “best family accommodation in Aguas Calientes”.
We have stayed in all of these places over a period of 5 years. In addition, we have had friends stay in others and let us know what they thought. If we haven’t stayed in a place, we will let you know.
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
We stayed at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, one of the best hotels in Machu Picchu for kids. Not only is this easily the most atmospheric hotel in all of Aguas Calientes (and yes, it’s also one of the pricier ones).
We’ve stayed at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel twice. Not only is this easily the most atmospheric hotel in all of Aguas Calientes, but it has a kids’ program and a small heated pool! It is one of the best family hotels in Machu Picchu.
The kids’ program is targeted at youngsters a little older than Miss M (5 years old). It includes a variety of activities, some of which she could participate in.
They also provide an eco-guide (nanny) service. We noticed that more than one family left their children in the care of the eco-guide doing activities around the hotel, while the parents went to Machu Picchu for a second day. Thus, getting the best of both worlds: time as a family AND time as a couple.
With a kids program and nanny service. This is a great hotel. You can read our full review here. Dates can fill up fast.
Sumaq Machu Picchu
Sumaq Machu Picchu is a newer, luxury hotel that offers a comfortable stay and modern rooms. We stayed here with Little Miss as a 12-month-old and absolutely loved it. It is also on the pricey end of the spectrum.
There’s plenty going on here for kids, from a mini-chef cooking class where kids can make and decorate cookies to experiences where they can learn about Incan traditions. There’s also a special kids’ story time.
Check here for current rates to stay at Sumaq Machu Picchu.
Hatun Inti
Hatun Inti is a small boutique-style hotel right on the river. We loved watching from the balcony (with a close eye on Master, 22 months!) and listening to the river roar.
As a wonderful bonus, the room had a large spa, which was awesome. This is one of our favorite places to stay in Aguas Calientes.
Check here for current rates to stay at Hatun Inti.
El Mapi by Inkaterra
Owned by the fabulous folks at Inkaterra, the El Mapi by Inkaterra is a large, modern hotel with decent-sized rooms and offers a high-quality stay. There are gardens where the kids can play.
Check here for current rates to stay at El Map By Inkaterra.
Taypikala Hotel
Located in Aguas Calientes, this is the closest hotel on the list to the actual hot springs of Aguas Calientes. This means that it’s located at the top of town, not down at the bottom near the train tracks like a lot of the other hotels on the list. In practical terms, this means a fairly steep walk to the hotel. However, if you are inspired to do the hot springs, they are right there.
Another bonus of the Taypikala Hotel is that it’s located far away from the trains, so it’s a relatively quiet hotel. Finally, there are spectacular views from this hotel, so ask for floor 3 upwards if you can. They have large rooms with multiple beds; if you want to put the kids in one bed, adults in the other.
Check here for current rates to stay at Taypikala Hotel.
Tierra Viva
Also located in Aguas Calientes, they offer the same high-class service as their other hotels in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
All the hotels have gone for a Qhuipu-style pop of color in the rooms. In this case, this was formerly the Hatuchay Tower, and they have done a very nice job renovating.
The Tierra Viva is towards the bottom of town, right on the river. In the wet season, the noise from the river can be loud.
This is a very kid-friendly hotel and was my choice to stay on our last trip to Aguas Calientes, but they had no large family rooms available for our dates, so we stayed somewhere else. They offer baby cots and a connecting rooms
Check here for current rates to stay at Tierra Viva.
For more affordable options, we have stayed in both of these next two recommended places pre-kids. They are atmospheric and fun. Located on steep hillsides, they wouldn’t be recommended for small kids. Certainly, for those with older kids, they’d offer an adventure.
Rupa Wasi
We love Rupa Wasi because it’s a rustic Eco Lodge with amazing views into the cloud forest. It also has one of Aguas Calientes’ best restaurants on-site, fantastic food, and cooking classes (need to be organized).
This would be a wonderful place to stay with older children or teens. It is at the top of a flight of stairs, which does give tired legs a workout!
Check here for current rates to stay at Rupa Wasi.
Looking for something different in Aguas Calientes? Then why not look at a complete list of hotels in Aguas Calientes?
Aguas Calientes – Good or Bad with Kids?
To start with, many reviews of Aguas Calientes call it an ugly, concrete jungle and not worth stopping in.
Well, we totally disagree! Unless you are going to fork out $1000 a night for a stay in the gorgeous Belmond Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, located just outside of the ruins, you are going to need to stay in Aguas Calientes for at least one night! Well, unless you want to have a 12-hour day, which is hard on yourself and the kids.
Contrary to the guidebooks, we love Aguas Calientes. It’s a fantastic train ride to this little village nestled at the bottom of some vertiginous verdant mountains, and there is an expectant energy about this little place.
When traveling with kids, we try to break things up. A train ride and then some fun, so that could be a walk around town, a soak in the Aguas Calientes hot springs, or just a play in the hotel room. The next day, getting up early to beat the crowds is recommended BUT take that with a grain of salt for kids. As backpackers, we were among the first at the site, both hiking in via the Inca Trail and from Aguas Calientes.
When we were traveling with a 22-month-old and a 4-year-old, we had a relaxed breakfast and headed up around 8am. It was still quite empty, and we hadn’t got up too early to make ourselves grumpy.
For us, another afternoon in Aguas Calientes and more playing was just the ticket. We then took the train back to Ollantaytambo the next day. Giving Machu Picchu the time it deserves means that booking a family hotel, which is kid-friendly, in Machu Picchu is important!
In 2023, we caught the 9.15 am train from Ollantaytambo, then dropped our bags at our Aguas Calientes hotel. After the bus up to Machu Picchu, we had lunch at the Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant and fuelled up before the 2 pm entry to Machu Picchu.
A visit to Machu Picchu is often a “big” emotional thing for many people, and after a visit, they can feel let down, especially if they jump back on the train to Cusco.
Machu Picchu Packing List
You don’t need to take a lot to Machu Picchu; in fact, there’s a lot you can’t take (see below). Depending on how you plan your Machu Picchu tour, you will be walking around the site, going up and down steps, for at least a couple of hours.
You should make sure that you and the kids are comfortably dressed and, since mountain weather is fickle, prepared for weather changes.
And, when traveling to Peru, our Peru Packing List is super helpful.
Here is our list of things to take to Machu Picchu:
- Plenty of Water!
- Sunscreen and Hat – The Andean sun is very intense. If it is sunny, it can feel very hot and you are likely to burn easily. Sunscreen AND a hat are recommended. We are partial to the Reef Repair Eco Sunscreen. For hats, we really like this one from Columbia. It has a chin strap and UVA and UVB protection.
- Insect Repellent – Since Machu Picchu is in the “Andean jungle,” there are lots of bugs. This one from Repel is good.
- Rain Poncho – Just in case, especially if you are visiting during the rainy season or one of the shoulder months. Packable rain ponchos like these are easy to carry and take up little space in your pack.
- A Great Windbreaker for Kids and Parents – We consider this an essential. Lightweight and great as a layer of protection against the cold and wind. For adults, Columbia makes a great lightweight windbreaker that comes in many colors. For kids, any of these great options would work.
- Dress in Layers – Remember that hot Andean sun? Well, if it goes behind a cloud, it can feel suddenly quite cold. A sweater, zip-up hoodie, fleece, or windbreaker is helpful to have to throw on when it starts to feel cool. Columbia makes some great hiking fleeces for men and women.
- Machu Picchu Tickets – Of course, they won’t let you in without them. Children under 18 receive a special discount when purchasing Machu Picchu tickets.
- An Empty Bladder – Sounds weird to say, but as I mentioned earlier, there are NO RESTROOMS INSIDE THE RUINS. If you have to leave the site to use the washroom, they may not let you back in. Seriously! The rules are strict these days.
- Your Passport! – Are you surprised? It’s not like you’re visiting another country, but they will use it as ID to make sure the name on your entry ticket matches. Bonus for the kids: if you want to get a cool Machu Picchu stamp in your passport, you can get it stamped in Aguas Calientes (near the Machu Picchu ticket office). This is a really fun souvenir for kids to show their classmates when they return home.
What to Leave at Home
Whether you’re traveling with kids or not, the rules for visiting Machu Picchu are very strict and fairly rigorously enforced (though it always depends on who’s there).
All of the rules have the long-term preservation of the ruins in mind. They are aimed at reducing waste and limiting things that could cause physical damage. These rules are enforced quite strictly and even randomly. My daughter was carrying a fluffy llama toy in her arms at the entry point, and they made her put it in the backpack! I don’t know what damage it was going to do, but they wanted it put away.
Here are the things you should NOT take to Machu Picchu:
- Metal-Tipped Walking Sticks
- Food and Water – It seems they are making an exception for refillable water bottles. However, plastic water bottles are strictly prohibited. Also, you didn’t hear it from me, but I’d personally wrap some snacks up for the kids in a sweater at the bottom of my bag. Of course, as you are actually breaking the rules, be sensible. Don’t feed your kids in front of the guards, and make sure you are scrupulous with your rubbish. Or, perhaps just set your kids on the guards so they, too, will agree that it’s best for everyone if they are fed!
- Big Backpacks/Rucksacks – Your backpack should not be bigger than 40 x 35 x 20 cm. If yours is bigger than that, you may be asked to store your bag at the checkpoint near the entrance to the Machu Picchu ruins.
- Other Bulky Equipment – Like tripods or large umbrellas. This also includes strollers or prams, though you will quickly realize they are impractical for Machu Picchu anyway, due to the narrow paths and steep stairs. The only way to carry a child around Machu Picchu is in a baby carrier or toddler carrier (despite the no-large-backpack rule, they seem to make an exception for these). We used the Deuter Kid Comfort 2 carrier for hiking to Machu Picchu. It was a great carrier.
Tips for Planning the Best Machu Picchu Family Vacation
Make Sure to Book your Machu Picchu Adventure Early!
We think booking any family trip early is a good idea. Not to mention that with 2500 tourists visiting it daily, things do sell out. Here are two reasons to book Machu Picchu early in particular.
Machu Picchu Tickets Can Sell Out in High Season
There are a lot of moving parts with Machu Picchu, and tickets for each of them. There are the train, the bus tickets, the entrance tickets to Machu Picchu itself, and, if you’re into hiking, Huayna Picchu tickets and Inca Trail tickets. Machu Picchu tickets were sold out a month in advance when we planned our visit in July and August 2023 (things have been worse in 2025, with most of the preferred slots sold out 2-3 months in advance)
Tickets for the Inca Trail – especially the four-day trek – will sell out 6 to 8 months in advance, depending on the dates. Huayna Picchu tickets (more on what Huayna Picchu is below and whether it’s right for you) are limited to just 200 per day and definitely sell out.
What happens with train tickets? If you wait too long to book your train, you may run out of options. There are only two trains a day between Cusco and Aguas Calientes. So, if that’s your plan, you need to book this train really early.
Alternatively, you can take public or private transit to Ollantaytambo and take the train from there. (Reputable travel agencies and operators include this in your package) This gives you a lot more options, but the best timetables still sell out early. Even if you can still find seats available, the longer you wait to book, the more expensive the train ride will become.
Reduce Your Stress
Booking early will give you some peace of mind. If you start planning months in advance, you can take your time to do your research. Be choosy about where you stay and avoid the pressure of booking deadlines.
Plan Extra Time to Acclimatize
Altitude sickness is no fun, especially for children. It affects everyone differently and is impossible to predict. The best way to deal with the altitude is to make sure you schedule time at the beginning of your trip to rest and acclimatize.
If you’re not planning on doing any serious hiking, then spending a day or three in the Sacred Valley (which is lower than Cusco) before going to Machu Picchu with your kids is a good idea. (Even though Machu Picchu is not especially high altitude)
There are lots of great tours in the Sacred Valley geared to families that can help get your kids ready for their visit to Machu Picchu.
Read about Fun Things to do in the Sacred Valley for Families and Tips For Acclimating To Altitude With Kids for in-depth info.
If you are thinking of hiking with your kids, you will need to plan even further ahead. Before you even leave for Peru, take your family out trekking for a full day. See if your kids are physically and mentally able to walk for 5 hours straight.
If at first you don’t succeed, then try again! Don’t book your trip until the kids can do a full day’s hike.
Once you get to Cusco, plan on spending several days at altitude. Three days is a good average for adults. 4 or 5 days (or more) is better for children.
This will give you enough time to see how the altitude affects you and to recover from any symptoms.
Can my kids drink Coca Tea?
Coca tea is an herbal remedy that’s safe for the whole family. However, as always you decide what’s right for you and your family.
Coca tea is pretty weak, but it did help me keep altitude sickness symptoms at bay. There are some fairly vile coca candies which I found to be more effective than tea. They are sweet, but the flavor is more like a lozenge than actual candy.
Spend Two Days at Machu Picchu and Take Your Time
If you are going to travel all the way to Peru to see Machu Picchu, don’t cut yourself short by allowing just one day to visit the famous lost city.
As our number one tip for a successful Machu Picchu family tour, we strongly recommend allowing two days, especially if you have younger kids. Also, consider Machu Picchu private tours.
Reasons to spend two days at Machu Picchu with your kids:
- Two chances for a great visit. If the weather is overcast or rainy on the first day, you will have a second chance to visit under better conditions. (note you will need to buy two entries in advance, which also means twice the price!)
- See the Machu Picchu ruins in a different light, especially if you or your kids are into photography. Being able to see Machu Picchu in a range of different lights is a dream. The crisp, morning light hits the iconic mountain backdrop, or the soft afternoon glow bathes the ruins. Each time of day brings out something different in Machu Picchu.
- Escape (some of) the crowds. The afternoon is generally less busy than the morning. So, the second tour might let you experience some of the ruins again with fewer people around.
- See everything Machu Picchu has to offer. In 2019, the government of Peru further tightened the rules for visiting Machu Picchu. Now there are four distinct circuits around Machu Picchu, and you must be accompanied by a guide at all times. If you want to see everything, you might want to talk to a specialist travel agency such as Apus Peru.
- Visit the ruins in chunks. It can be a lot for a kid to spend hours walking through ruins, even some as cool as Machu Picchu. If you break the visit up into more manageable chunks (even as little as an hour or two) over the course of two days, you can still see a lot while keeping your kids happy.
- If you are traveling with teens, they might want to climb up Huayna Picchu (Minimum 12 years of age plus) or Machu Picchu mountain (old Mountain). Huayna Picchu mountain has many steep sections with no guard rails and is difficult for many adults, let alone kids. If you have any concerns that your child doesn’t like heights, is not super fit, or might not listen to instructions, then Huayna Picchu is NOT for your child! Machu Picchu mountain is not as challenging because it doesn’t have the steep precipices, but it is still very hard. I have a couple of friends who are huge fans of Machu Picchu Mountain as it’s less busy and it “completes” the mystery of Machu Picchu – you can see it all!
Manage Your Kids’ (and Your!) Expectations
The clouds dramatically drifted apart, opening the sky to reveal the famous lost city of Machu Picchu. Filled with the wonder of this perfect moment, I turned to my 5-year-old daughter with an expectant smile on my face.
“So, this is Machu Picchu! What do you think?”
She frowned. “Where are the Incas? There are no Incas”! More petulance, “I thought that there would be people dressed up as Incas”.
Don’t set your own expectations too high, either, as far as how much history you’ll be able to soak up when visiting Machu Picchu with kids in tow.
With a 5-year-old and a 22-month-old, we enjoyed the ruins and the experience, but truly didn’t get much of the history. If this is important to you, consider taking turns caring for the kids with your partner!
The nature of visiting Machu Picchu can be overwhelming for younger or more demanding children, too. Our 22-month-old became frustrated by the constant stream of people looking at him, the many stone walls, and the painstaking slowness of the climb.
Normally, if he gets frustrated with the backpack, I can divert him by jumping, playing, and moving, but this is not feasible at relatively crowded Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu Tours with Kids: I Highly Recommend!
When booking your Machu Picchu tours with kids, consider asking a travel agent for help with some of the logistics. Apus Peru Adventure Travel Specialists have plenty of experience in offering treks and Machu Picchu tours with young people!
They will be able to work with you regarding the entry times and make sure that it works well for you.
Get Excellent Travel Insurance
While Machu Picchu is visited by thousands of people each year, it is still quite remote. If you or one of your kids gets sick, you want the peace of mind that you can get yourself to a doctor as quickly as possible, and that the cost does not matter.
That’s why not only should you get travel insurance, you should make sure it includes medical treatment and evacuation, as well as theft and trip cancellation. This covers all the ins and outs of why you should buy Travel insurance for Peru.
Llamas and Alpacas … Oh My!
One of the coolest things about Machu Picchu for kids is that there are llamas and alpacas all over the place, grazing freely. Our kids really enjoyed them. For them, the llamas were the most exciting thing there!
Don’t be like some of those less well-informed visitors, though, poking a range of different foods and snacks at the llamas while trying to get selfies.
Consider another Splurge: The Tinkuy Restaurant at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge
Conveniently located right outside the entrance of Machu Picchu, the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge offers the utmost in luxury. It also features a buffet-style restaurant which offers a fantastic range of food and drinks.
We really enjoyed this meal as there was so much variety. Also, the restaurant has bathrooms, a vital piece of info for families traveling with children! There are no restrooms inside Machu Picchu itself, which can be inconvenient when you have small kids.
After this break, we returned to the closer sector of the ruins and were able to enjoy another hour at Machu Picchu. Nowadays, this requires a second Machu Picchu ticket. Today, we would probably aim to have lunch here right after a morning visit, or right before an afternoon visit.
You can view the restaurant on TripAdvisor here >>>
Be inspired by this guide to foods to eat in Peru or learn more with these Peru food facts.
The History of Machu Picchu In Brief
Machu Picchu sits on a high mountain ridge above the tiny town of Aguas Calientes, which is also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. Machu Picchu is an Incan archaeological site. It is located in the Andes Mountains, on the edge of the Andean jungle in Peru.
Once an important religious and agricultural site for the Inca ruling class, it was abandoned around the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru.
It is not known definitively what role the Inca Citadel played in the Inca Empire. Another theory is that it was a royal estate or resort where the nobility could relax. If you are inspired to learn more, why not look at these facts about Machu Picchu for kids or discover these astonishing facts about the Incas for kids?
Machu Picchu became a worldwide fascination thanks to Hiram Bingham III. He was an American explorer from Yale University who rediscovered the site in 1911 while searching for the Last City of the Incas (which turned out to be much further down in the jungle at Espiritu Pampa). He was guided to the site by a local farmer and his son, who farmed the terraces. The historic site was never discovered by the Spanish conquistadors. This means that the ruins were untouched, except for the ravages of time and nature.
Machu Picchu definitely has its place among the world’s most well-known landmarks. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. While not an ancient wonder of the world, in 2007, the world voted Machu Picchu one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is now one of two wonders in South America.
These days, it is visited by some 2500 tourists every single day. That’s a lot! Because of that, there are lots of rules and regulations that govern a visit, including entry tickets and logistics.
Understanding the rules and knowing the best strategies for planning your trip are key when exploring Machu Picchu with kids!
Read our South America travel tips with more tips and travel inspiration.
More Resources on Machu Picchu with Kids!
Getting excited about planning your family holidays to Machu Picchu now? Here are a few more resources we think you’ll want to check out!
- The Best Kid-Friendly Places to Eat in Peru
- Best Books About Machu Picchu
- Best Peruvian Children’s Books
- Best Peru Itineraries for Children
- How to Visit Cusco with Kids
- The Best Kid-Friendly Places to Eat in Peru
Classic Machu Picchu Photos
The Verdict – Machu Picchu with Kids
Thanks for joining us on this journey to the top of a mountain, Machu Picchu Mountain that is! This is one of the most fascinating things about ancient ruins you might see in a long time! You want to make your Machu Picchu vacation as enjoyable as possible and get it right!
View the best family friendly tours of Peru here (including the best Machu Picchu options).
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