Hiking Huayna Picchu – what is it ACTUALLY like?

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Hiking Huayna Picchu (also known as Wayna Picchu) is an option that you can do while visiting Machu Picchu. For those that don’t know, Huayna Picchu is the mountain that is directly behind Machu Picchu, and it is in all of those Machu Picchus pictures that you see.

Before the trip, I was scared to hike up Huayna Picchu.  The trail looked SO steep, and the path looked SO narrow that I was scared that I would fall off.  When we hiked up Huayna Picchu, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be it.  It was actually one of my favourite hikes!  (Read about our hike to Machu Picchu here)

About to start climbing up Huayna Picchu!
What time to go

There are two different times you can hike up Huayna Picchu:  8:00am and 10:00am.

Each time has it’s pros and cons.  If you go at 8:00am, there is the risk that you won’t see the views while you’re hiking up because of the fog.   But at the top it will be less busy because you will be one of the first to hike up.

We did the 10:00AM hike.   The clouds had cleared off by then so we could see the view below.   Also, while we were hiking up to the top, we ran into the 8:00AM people hiking down.  If you go up at 10:00AM, you don’t run into anyone while you’re hiking back down!

If you decide to hike up Huayna Picchu, buy your tickets in advance.  Only 400 people are allowed to hike Huayna Picchu each day (200 at 8:00AM, and 200 at 10:00AM).

The clouds have disappeared. Enjoying the view from the trail (while we are in the shade!)
The Trail:  What to Expect

The first half of the trail is pretty flat, and then quickly turns into what feels like endless switchbacks.  The majority of the path is walking in the shade back and forth on an uneven trail, which wasn’t as narrow as I thought they would be.  It was shady almost the entire time, thankfully, which made it easier.  It takes about an hour to reach the top.

Closer to the top of the trail, the path becomes narrow in a few places.  There are also small and uneven stairs.   You luckily don’t run into anyone coming from the opposite direction because the path splits off closer to the top into a loop.

Sometimes if it looks like a steep drop there’s lots of  grassy platforms below.  If you take your time, watch where you step, and have hiked before, then you will be fine.

This is what the first 45 minutes of the trail looked like. Nice and shady, going back and forth.
Getting closer to the top of the trail the path sometimes gets a bit more rough, but nothing scary!
Closer to the top the stairs get more narrow. But look at all of those platforms next to them!
The Trail:  What Surprised Me The Most

What surprised me the most about the trail was how many pictures I saw which made it look SO scary.  One picture I saw SO many times of Huayna Picchu were the ‘Stairs of Death’.  Before hiking Huayna Picchu,  I thought for sure that I would have to try and climb up these stairs.  The good news is – YOU DON’T!!  The stairs are roped off!  NONE of the stairs you climb up Huayna Picchu look like this.

These are the “Stairs of Death” that are roped off. So no worries – you NEVER climb stairs that look like this while you are climbing up Wayna Picchu!

I also saw a few videos and pictures of this view below before the hike.  These are what gave me nightmares, thinking I would trip and fall for about a hundred years before finally hitting the ground.  What you DON’T see in the picture is all of the grassy platforms next to the stairs.   When I was there, I felt a lot more safe than what I was expecting (thanks grassy platforms!).

Is it steep? Yes. But there are loads of flat and wide grassy platforms next to the stairs so it doesn’t feel as narrow and close to the edge as what it looks like.
Would I hike Huayna Picchu again?

I would definitely go up Huayna Picchu again!  It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.  The views from so high up were incredible.  You could see all of the Machu Picchu ruins, the Sun Gate, and the bus road up to Machu Picchu.

I did the 2 day & 1 night hike to Machu Picchu (with an organized tour company) and I found that the first half of the Machu Picchu trek was more challenging than hiking up Huayna Picchu!  The only reason why is because Huayna Picchu was in the shade which helped me stay cool, and I wasn’t hiking with a large group of people feeling like I had to keep up with them.

When you get to the top, take your time and enjoy the scenery.  You deserved it!

The view from the top of Wayna Picchu. In the distance you can see the Machu Picchu ruins and the bus road to get to them. If you look closely, you can also see the trail leading to the Sun Gate AND the Sun Gate itself! The people in the photo show how steep it is, but if you look closely you will see all of the platforms everywhere so it’s not like a sudden drop-off.

Have you been to Wayna Picchu before?  Let me know about your experience in the comments below!

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6 thoughts on “Hiking Huayna Picchu – what is it ACTUALLY like?”

  1. I did this hike last year and it was by far the highlight of my visit to Machu Pichu! So amazing to be so high up, especially when you’re the one who’s walked all the way there! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂

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  2. Enjoyed reading about your experience. Glad and relieved to read about the ‘death stairs’ that those are not a part of the trail. phew! That was my concern. Did you ever feel unsafe or afraid of falling while negotiating the steep steps?

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  3. Thanks for this blog. I was super scared too. I’m headed there in April 2022 (as long as it’s open) and I have reserved a ticket for Huayna Picchu. I feel better having read this.

    Reply

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