May to September is dry and the best time for treks and high hikes, but also when permits and tickets run out. The Inca Trail closes every February.
The short answer
The best time for tours from Cusco is the dry season from May to September, with April and October as quieter months with some showers. Rain is heaviest from December to March; the Inca Trail closes every February, and rain or snow can stop high day hikes like Rainbow Mountain.
For June to August, book Inca Trail permits and Machu Picchu tours months ahead.
Cusco has two seasons rather than four: a dry winter from about May to September with cold nights, and a wet summer that peaks from January to March. Which one suits you depends on the tour.
The train runs all year; the treks and high day hikes depend on the dry months.
| Photo | Tour | Best months | In February | Cancellation (listing) | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Classic Inca Trail, 4 days Alpaca Expeditions | April to October | Inca Trail closed | All sales final | ★ 5.0 (11,646) | $835 per person | Book now |
|
Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Inka Altitude | May to September | Rain and snow, closures possible | Free up to 24 hours before | ★ 4.8 (6,783) | $23 per person | Book now |
|
Classic Salkantay trek, 5 days Salkantay Trekking | May to September | Sold, but wet and snow on the pass possible | All sales final | ★ 5.0 (5,403) | $760 per person | Book now |
|
Machu Picchu day trip by train Peru Andes Top | All year; book early for June to August | Runs, with rain likely | Non-refundable | ★ 4.7 (2,394) | $332 per person | Book now |
Prices and ratings are loaded from GetYourGuide and Viator once a day; on treks the price shown is the cheapest option, which may leave out the sleeping bag, the hiking poles or the return train class you want.
Pick the day you want to go, or the first and last day you are in Cusco. We read the booking calendar of each tour and show the ones that still take bookings. For Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, book early: entry tickets, trains and trail permits are limited.
In the next 7 days, 5 of 6 tours on this page still have places.
Days: Day trip
Days: 4 days
Days: 5 days or more
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Days: Day trip
Open a card for the itinerary, the pickup, what is included and what is not, as the operator gives them.
Runs all year, train class by option, bus and entry included. About 12 hours from Cusco.
Pickup in Cusco's historic center, about 1.5 hours by tourist bus to Ollantaytambo station and about 1 hour 45 minutes by train to Aguas Calientes. A bus takes you up to the gate in about 25 minutes for a guided visit of the citadel of about 2 hours. After the bus back down there is free time for lunch on your own, then the train and the bus return you to Cusco.
The option sets the train and the route inside the citadel. The standard options travel on Expedition or Voyager, the panoramic ones on Vistadome or 360, with route 2 or 3 depending on availability. Two options with Circuit 5-1 (Expedition or Vistadome) visit the citadel from the upper part. Machu Picchu entry is included in all of them. Pickup is at 4:00, 6:00 or 8:00 am depending on the train.
Pickup from hotels in Cusco's historic center. Wait in the hotel lobby or at the agreed meeting point; on the Circuit 5-1 options be ready 10 minutes early, as drivers wait no more than 5 minutes.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
From Km 82 to the Sun Gate, three nights in tents. Not in February, when the trail is closed.
Pickup at 4:20 am, breakfast in Ollantaytambo and the start at Km 82, past Llactapata to the first camp at Ayapata. Day two climbs about 4 hours to Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m), the highest point, then crosses Runkurakay Pass to the Chaquicocha camp. Day three passes Phuyupatamarca and Intipata to Wiñay Wayna. On day four you reach the Sun Gate after about 2 hours and have a guided tour of about 2 hours, then take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and the drive to Cusco.
The title promises a Vistadome return. The included list says Vistadome for tours through January 2027 and the Expedition train from March 2027 (Vistadome then as a paid upgrade), and also lists an Expedition return. Machu Picchu entry is included. You sleep in 4-person Eureka tents used by 2, and a personal porter carries up to 7 kg. Sleeping bag, poles and air mattress are for rent, and bookings need at least 2 people.
Hotel pickup in Cusco at 4:20 am.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
The high trek without a permit, pass at 4,630 m, best in the dry months.
Pickup around 5 am, breakfast in Mollepata and the start at Challacancha (3,800 m), then about 7 km to the Sky Camp at Soraypampa (3,900 m) and a round trip to Humantay Lake (4,200 m). Day two crosses Salkantay Pass (4,630 m), the highest point, and descends to Collpapampa (2,850 m). Day three runs through the Santa Teresa valley, with a vehicle to La Playa and a coffee farm, to the domes at Lucmabamba (2,000 m). Day four climbs an Inca path to Llactapata (2,700 m), drops to Hidroeléctrica and continues on foot along the tracks, or by paid train, to a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes. Day five is a 2-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu, then the train to Ollantaytambo and transport to Cusco.
Machu Picchu entry is included (Circuit 2 if you book 5 months ahead, otherwise 3, then 1), as is the bus up, but not the bus down. The return is on the Expedition or Voyager train. Options add a Machu Picchu Mountain, Huayna Picchu or Huchuy Picchu ticket. Horse rides on days one and two cost extra. The listing admits children from 12 with an adult, while the booking data only has an adult band from 18.
Hotel pickup in Cusco between 4:30 and 5 am; the operator recommends a hotel in the center.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Up to 5,010 m and back in a day, free cancellation up to 24 hours before for a change of weather.
Pickup in Cusco's historic center between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m., or you wait at a fixed meeting point. After 2 hours by van you stop in Cusipata for breakfast and can buy water and snacks. One more hour brings you to the trailhead at 4,850 m, where the 3.5 km hike over flat and uphill ground leads to the top at 5,010 m with free time for photos. The walk down takes about an hour, then you drive back to Cusipata for a buffet lunch and reach Cusco between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.
The title names the Red Valley, but the listing treats it as optional with its own entrance fee, paid in cash. The Rainbow Mountain entrance fee is not included either and is also paid in cash in soles. Options are a fixed meeting point, hotel pickup in the historic center (no Airbnbs or private residences) or a private tour. Horses can be rented locally; the operator does not manage these rentals.
Fixed meeting point option: wait next to the door of Hotel Casa Andina, Calle Espinar 142, where the guide calls your name. Pickup option: hotels in the historic center; collecting the whole group can take 30 minutes. Drop-off at San Bernardo 132 or in the historic center.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
The lake at 4,200 m, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Pickup from hotels, hostels and homestays in Cusco's historic center between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m., or wait at a fixed meeting point. After 2 hours you stop in Mollepata for breakfast and can buy water and snacks, then drive one more hour to Soraypampa, with views of Salkantay (6,230 m) and Humantay (5,250 m). The steep 2-hour climb of about 3 km leads to the lake, and you can walk a little higher on either side for a wider view. About an hour down, then lunch in Mollepata and arrival in Cusco between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. near the Plaza de Armas.
The listing says the tour reaches 4,200 m. The lake entrance fee is not included and is paid in cash in local currency. Horses can be rented locally; the operator does not manage them. Options are the fixed meeting point, hotel pickup or a private tour.
Fixed meeting point option: next to the door of Hotel San Pedro Plaza, where the guide calls your name. Pickup option: hotels in the historic center; collecting the group can take 30 to 45 minutes. Drop-off near the Plaza de Armas.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, lower than Cusco and a good choice in any month.
The group meets at Plaza Regocijo in Cusco between 7:45 and 8:00 am. After a valley viewpoint, you spend about 45 minutes at the Pisac ruins (about 3,300 m), visit a silver and gold workshop, have a buffet lunch at a restaurant in Urubamba, and tour the Ollantaytambo ruins. The tour ends in Ollantaytambo between 5:00 and 5:30 pm; the return transfer leaves at 5:45 pm and reaches Cusco at about 7 pm.
This tour does not include Moray, Maras or Chinchero. The entrance to Pisac and Ollantaytambo is extra and paid in cash; the Boleto Turístico covers it if you already have one. You can stay in Ollantaytambo to catch a train to Aguas Calientes. The group options are English only or Spanish and Portuguese; the private option adds hotel pickup in central Cusco. One option text mentions shared hotel transfers for the English group, while the meeting point is given as Plaza Regocijo.
Plaza Regocijo in Cusco, by the fountain, between 7:45 and 8:00 am. Late arrival counts as a no-show without refund. The private option picks up from hotels in central Cusco. The Ollantaytambo drop-off is about 5 minutes on foot from the train station.
Taken from the tour listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 12 November 2026. What a tour includes, above all the Machu Picchu entry and the train class, can depend on the option, so read the option text before you book.
| Months | Rain at Cusco airport | What it means for tours |
|---|---|---|
| May to August | About 3 to 7 mm a month | Dry, clear and busy. Days around 20 °C, nights near freezing in July. Inca Trail permits and Machu Picchu tickets go first. |
| April, September and October | About 18 to 55 mm | Mostly dry with some showers, especially in October. Good months for treks. |
| November and December | About 77 to 125 mm | Rain becomes regular. Trails get muddy; the train runs as usual. |
| January to March | About 106 to 153 mm | The wettest months. Inca Trail closed in February; landslides and snow can stop treks and high day hikes. |
Rainfall from the long-term averages for Cusco airport (1991 to 2020). Tour listings put the rainy season at December to March and call the rest of the year dry; the averages show November is already wet.
The Inca Trail network closes every February for maintenance and repairs after the heaviest rain. In 2026 it closed on 31 January and reopened on 1 March. No four-day or short Inca Trail runs in that month. Other treks are still sold, and Machu Picchu itself can be reached by train; see Machu Picchu by train and the alternatives when the Inca Trail is full.
The wet season hits the high day hikes and the routes through the valleys below Machu Picchu hardest. In January 2026 the authorities discussed restricting access to Humantay Lake from Soraypampa and the road via Santa María, Santa Teresa and Hidroeléctrica that Inca Jungle and Salkantay groups use, after landslides and a rain warning. In February 2026 the regional government weighed closing Rainbow Mountain because of heavy rain and snowfall. The Palcoyo listing warns of rain, fog, hail, snow and low temperatures that can change the schedule on the day.
If you travel between December and March, book Humantay Lake or Rainbow Mountain on a tour you can cancel. Several of the day hikes allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which lets you move the date when the forecast is bad; most treks and Machu Picchu tours do not.
The dry winter months fall in the summer holidays of the northern hemisphere. Machu Picchu allows more visitors on high-season days: in 2026 the cap was 5,600 a day from 19 June to 2 November, against 4,500 on other days. Even so, in late May 2025 the culture office in Cusco said online tickets were sold out until mid-August. Inca Trail permits can go up to six months ahead. For a trip in the dry season, book the trek or the Machu Picchu tour first and build the rest of the stay around it. The time slots are explained under Machu Picchu circuits.
Which trek is open when, and how high each goes: treks compared.
Roughly from November or December to March, with the most rain in January. Tour listings give December to March; the long-term averages show November is already wet.
No. It closes every February for maintenance. In 2026 it was closed from 31 January and reopened on 1 March.
Yes, the trains and the site run all year. Bring rain gear; the tour listings ask for it in the rainy months.
As early as possible. Inca Trail permits can sell out up to six months ahead, and in 2025 online Machu Picchu tickets were sold out until mid-August by late May.
It can in the rainy season. In February 2026 the regional government considered closing access because of heavy rain and snowfall.
Days are around 20 °C, nights about 1 °C on average at Cusco airport. Treks and high day hikes are colder.
What to book when the permits for your dates are gone.
The train option that also works in February.
Time slots and routes at the site, and why they sell out.
Which tour on which day after you arrive.
Vinicunca and Palcoyo, with the weather notes of each tour.
Which treks are open in February and how high they go.
Two questions, and the finder suggests a tour from Cusco with two alternatives.
Find your tour