Machu Picchu, the Wonder of the World, offers two shifts a day to get to know it. The first one is the morning shift (from 06:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.) The second one is in the afternoon (from 12:00 p.m. to 05:30 p.m.) Most visitors do it in the early hours of the day and thus be able to be one of the first people to enter the Inca Citadel. However, there are many advantages to perform at sunset. Next, we explain the usefulness of doing it on that shift.

• You can book your ticket with greater availability
• You can rest longer
• You can take advantage of the morning to do other things
• You can choose to get on bus or on foot
• You can check in from 11:00 a.m.
• You can walk without many people touring the place
• You can take the best pictures
• You can enjoy the sunset

You can book your ticket with greater availability

As of July 1, 2017, entry to the Inca City was established in the morning and afternoon shifts. This in order to control and preserve the Inca llaqta of excessive traffic of people at certain times of the day. Only 2500 people daily can acquire the Machu Picchu Solo ticket every shift.

The vast majority of visitors to the Inca Citadel in the morning schedule. That is why the afternoon shift provides a greater availability of income for the tourist. This makes it possible to get tickets a few days in advance. However, do not rely: you carefully plan your trip especially during the peak tourist season (March to October).

You can rest longer

To access Machu Picchu in the early hours of the day you have to make long queues to access the bus. This forces visitors to get up at 4 or 5 in the morning. If I got a ticket in the afternoon shift, this is different. It is not necessary to be awake very early so you can sleep longer before visiting the Inca Citadel. This is ideal especially if traveling with children. Also the queues for the buses are not as long as the first hours of the day.

You can take advantage of the morning to do other things

The afternoon schedule allows time in the morning to do other things. If you spent the night in the town of Aguas Calientes you can enjoy a good breakfast or walk the streets of the town before going up to know the Wonder of the World. If you spent the night in Cusco, you can still know the towns of the Sacred Valley of the Incas before leaving by train to Machu Picchu. However, you must calculate your itinerary well in order to arrive with enough time to enjoy the Inca Citadel afternoon. It is possible to know the Inca llaqta in a single day by purchasing the evening ticket.

You can choose to get on bus or on foot

The ascent on foot to Machu Picchu takes an average of an hour and a half. That is why to be one of the first visitors to enter the Wonder of the World, you must necessarily take a bus, which takes a little less than half an hour. Choosing the afternoon schedule offers the possibility of choosing to make the ascent by bus or on foot. If you choose to do it walking you should wear a hat, rain poncho, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.

You can check in from 11:00 a.m.

The entrance time to Machu Picchu in the afternoon shift is 12:00 a.m. at 05:30 p.m. However, it is possible to access the Wonder of the World from 11:00 a.m. This benefits the visitors who arrive at the town of Aguas Calientes before noon. It is important to take into consideration that the tour of the Inca City with a guide is mandatory and that it lasts 2 hours on average. From the moment of entering the Inca llaqta, you can stay up to 4 hours in the archaeological site.

You can walk without many people touring the place

The vast majority of visitors visit Machu Picchu in the first hours of the morning. This makes the afternoon shift offer a smaller number of traffic in the Inca City. Walking more freely through the Wonder of the World is one of the best experiences during your visit. In high tourist season (from March to October) the attendance of people is much higher than in the low season (from October to March). To visit the Inca llaqta without much tourist traffic, the ideal is to do it in the second shift and in that part of the year.

You can take the best pictures

Machu Picchu is one of the places that most times appear on Instagram and Facebook. If you are looking for the ideal photo for your social networks, the afternoon shift is the best option. The light after noon is perfect for a better photograph of the Wonder of the World. In addition, the lower traffic of people around offers better chances of getting the best face of the place. The best images of the Inca Citadel are available in the evening hours.

You can enjoy the sunset

The reason why many visitors wish to be in Machu Picchu during the first hours of the morning is because of the sunrise. This is an important event having found the veneration that the Incas had to the sun. However, the sunset offers an equally incredible spectacle. The evening schedule is the only one that offers a glimpse of the sunset in the Wonder of the World. At that time, there are not many people in the place providing an ideal time for meditation. The whistles of the guards will signal that it is time to leave Machu Picchu. The memory of the sun hiding in the mountains will last forever.