For almost every traveller to Peru, a visit to the mythic Inca city of Machu Picchu is a must. Are you planning to visit the ruins? Make sure your ticket includes the entrance to Machu Picchu mountain, the little hidden gem of the most popular archeological site of the continent. It´s from there you will get the most spectacular views.

View from Machu Picchu montana: the ruins and on the left Huayna Picchu!

Make it happen: climb Machu Picchu moNtanA

Machu Picchu site is surrounded by several peaks. Two of them, facing each other, are open for visitors to climb: Huayna (Wayna) Picchu and Machu Picchu. The first one is really popular and the 400 daily tickets to access it are sold out every single day, several weeks in advance. The second one, –also with 400 daily permits– is surprisingly unknown. The day of our visit, only 200 people climbed the mountain, making it the perfect deal for last minute bookers.

True, there are no ruins up there whereas Huayna Pichu is home of the temple of the Moon. But the summit is a fantastic spot that will give you a breathtaking views -literally, as you have to conquer 600m of elevation to get there. The thing is, Machu Picchu montana (literally “old mountain”) is twice as tall as its neighbor, which name means “young mountain”. From up there, at 3082m, you feel like you just jumped out of an helicopter.

Trust me, when buying your Machu Picchu ticket, choose the Machu Picchu Montaña permit.