Machu Picchu is the reason most families go to Peru and it is completely doable with kids. The logistics are the tricky part because tickets, trains and buses all have to line up, and the altitude in Cusco has to be respected. Get those right and the day itself is easy.
Sleep low first
Cusco is at 11,000 feet. The Sacred Valley is at 9,000 and Machu Picchu itself is lower still at 8,000. So the trick is to land in Cusco and go straight down to the valley, stay in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba for two or three nights, do Machu Picchu from there, then come back up to Cusco once everyone has adjusted. Kids handle altitude fine if you go slow, drink water and skip the heavy food on day one.
Tickets
Machu Picchu tickets are sold by circuit and by time slot and they sell out weeks ahead in high season. For families, the main circuit that includes the classic overlook is the one to get. Skip the add ons that climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain unless your kids are teens and steady on steep, exposed steps. Buy through the official site or have your advisor do it. Bring passports because they check them at the gate.
The train
From Ollantaytambo the train takes about ninety minutes down the valley to Aguas Calientes. The Vistadome has panoramic windows and kids love it. Book the early train so you are at the site before the crowds and the afternoon clouds. From Aguas Calientes a bus zigzags up to the entrance in about 25 minutes.
The site
There is a fair amount of walking and steps but it is not a hike. Plan on two to three hours. Hire a guide at the gate or book one ahead. A good guide turns the stones into a story about the Inca and that is what keeps a nine year old engaged. There are no toilets inside, so go before you enter. Llamas wander the terraces and will steal the show.
Ages
From about six the day works. Under that, the travel and the walking make it a long haul. Teens can add the Inca Trail day hike that finishes through the Sun Gate, which is a superb version of the classic trek without the camping.
Timing
Dry season is May to September and it is busy. April and October are the quieter shoulders. The rainy months from December to March are green and wet and still worth it if that is when school lets out.
Planning Peru with kids? Start with the full Peru family travel guide, or send me the ages and the dates and I will come back with what is really available.
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