First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. Sorry we have been neglectful of our blog, but we were busy securing all our permits for 2014 and doing a little travelling ourselves. As man you are booking your treks and visits to Machu Picchu now, many people wonder about hiking Huaynapicchu and why there are two prices for this trek.
I will begin with, can you hike Huaynpicchu…OF COURSE YES!!! While Huaynapicchu is limited to 400 hikers a day, if you plan early and book this extra hike at least 2 months in advance, we will definitely purchase your permit for the hike.
The permits are given for a window of time, either from 7-8AM or 10-11AM. This is when you need to start the hike. It takes approximately 45 minutes to the top, snap some photos, and then another 45 minutes down.
We purchase the second time slot for all our travelers, the 10-11AM time slot, so that you can enjoy your tour of Machu Picchu with your guide first. Once your tour of the ruins are over, your guide will show you where you begin this hike. This is usually done on your own, but if you need your guide to join you, please let the office know and we will arrange beforehand.
just let us know if you want the permit for Huaynapicchu. The permit is $25 per person to hike UNLESS you are doing one of our Inca Trail treks. Unfortunately if you are trekking the Inca Trail, no matter how long of a trek you chose, it will be $75 per person to climb Huaynapicchu. Why so much more for Inca Trail trekkers?
So when we purchase your permit for the Inca Trail, the permit includes entry to Machu Picchu. You don’t need a physical ticket into the Lost City of the Incas. But when you climb Huaynapicchu you need a permit for the hike, plus a physical entrance ticket to Machu Picchu. This is something required by the Park office and not something done by Alpaca.
When choosing to purchase this extra hike please remember that it is challenging, quite steep. While the views are extraordinary, they are similar to the Sun Gate which is free to access and it does get crowded. But if you choose to do this hike, you will have your facebook profile photo for life – the views are incredible.
Please let us know if you have any further questions about Huaynapicchu, Machu Picchu mountain or the Sun Gate.
