Hiking Machu Picchu’s New Huchuy Picchu
The new Huchuy Picchu is a fun extra hike from the main area of Machu Picchu that gives you fantastic views down onto the ruins.
It’s not every year that Machu Picchu has something new to offer. Huchuy Picchu is a much easier hike than Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain and still offers great views.
For the new 2024 website for buying Machu Picchu tickets click here.
Check out my recent blog on Machu Picchu’s 2023 regulations for information about other hikes and what to expect this year.
Lots of visitors want something extra after visiting the main part of the Machu Picchu ruins, called the “llaqta” in Quechua and the “citadel” in English. Most Spanish speakers use llaqta rather than pueblo to refer to the archeological site because the town of Aguas Calientes has tried to rebrand itself as Machu Picchu Pueblo.
The most popular extra option is Huayna Picchu, which is a narrow trail with a lot of exposure that can be dangerously slippery when it rains. Machu Picchu Mountain is a safer trail, but much longer, which takes over two hours, round trip. Huchuy Picchu’s trail is shorter, safer, and still gives hikers great views of the llaqta. In my humble opinion, that makes this new hike one of the best things to do at Machu Picchu.
I’ll admit I prejudged Huchuy Picchu. I thought it was a very insignificant hill, especially next to Huayna Picchu. I’ve already visited Machu Picchu many times and thought I could picture what the view would be.
I was totally wrong.
Huchuy Picchu vs. Huayna Picchu
The small hill behind me is Huchuy Picchu. The peak mostly hidden in the fog is Huayna Picchu. This is pretty typical for a cloudy day. While Huchuy Picchu is rarely covered by fog, Huayna Picchu is often a whiteout, even if only for a few minutes at a time.
The Huchuy Picchu trail is just as short and easy as I expected, it took me only 15 minutes hiking up and about 10 minutes hiking down. There are a couple steep sections of the trail where I was happy to use the cables installed as handrails. It’s not the sort of trail that you can walk with your camera in your hand the whole way. Still, the parts where I needed my hands for either balance or to hang onto the cables were short and few.
You walk by some terraces, but there aren’t any major archeological sites on this hill.
It's the view I was wrong about.
I expected to have a good view over the section of the llaqta that includes the Intihuatana and the storage buildings on the lower part of the ruins. There is certainly a good view of those spots, but I wasn’t expecting such an expansive view of the whole llaqta and up to Machu Picchu Mountain.
I spent about half an hour at the top, taking photos and chatting with the only other two hikers I saw, and their guide. They had just hiked the Inca Trail from km 82 and had tickets for Huayna Picchu. When they got to Machu Picchu, they told their guide that they were too tired to do Huayna. He suggested that they at least try Huchuy Picchu, since the trail starts at the same place, and it would be easier. They were both very happy with the compromise. They got the view of the llaqta that they wanted but didn’t have to hike all the way up Huayna.
Machu Picchu Mountain
The peak that’s mostly hidden in the clouds is Machu Picchu Mountain. It’s the other extra hike that people used to do when Huayna Picchu was sold out and they wanted something extra.
It is a much longer hike that Huayna Picchu and MUCH longer than Huchuy Picchu. Personally, I like the view more because I like seeing Huayna Picchu behind the llaqta, but it takes well over an hour to get to the top. Also, on cloudy days it’s more likely to be a whiteout than the other hikes.
Advantages to hiking Huchuy Picchu
The hike is relatively short and easy. The trail is slippery when wet, but if you fall you don’t risk launching out into space and falling hundreds of feet like you could at Huayna Picchu.
You’re likely to have the hilltop to yourself, at least for now until people realize what a great hike it is.
As previously mentioned, you get a great view of the llaqta.
It’s less often covered by clouds than Huayna Picchu. It’s not uncommon for people to hike up Huayna Picchu and find themselves in a whiteout without any view of the llaqta. Since Huchuy is lower, being in a fog like that is much less likely.
It doesn’t cost any extra. There are extra fees for both Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain.
A note on Quechua spellings
Most of these place names are Quechua. Picchu means mountain and you should pronounce the two C’s separately: peek-chu. Machu means old. Huayna means young and is also spelled wayna. Huchuy means little. Llaqta means town. Sometimes Machu Picchu is written as one word: Machupicchu, which is also correct.
The European/Spanish alphabet doesn’t have all the letters needed to properly express Quechua sounds, which is why there is still academic disagreement about “correct” spelling. Quechua was not written before the Spanish invasion, so there is currently no other alternative.
Huchuy Picchu and Huchu’ypicchu are both correct. For the linguists out there, the apostrophe is a glottal stop.
The trail to Huchuy Picchu
The trail is partly ancient stairs next to Inca terraces and partly new trail. The steep bits have cables to hold on to, which you can see on the left. The guys above are park rangers. I didn’t see any other hikers while I was on the trail. Mostly hidden in the fog, you can barely see the top of Huayna Picchu.
Disadvantages to hiking Huchuy Picchu
First, if you hike Huchuy Picchu you are limited to Circuit 4. That means you enter Machu Picchu through what’s usually the exit and can only visit the lower part of the llaqta. You don’t get to visit the upper terraces where most people take the iconic selfies and group pics with all of Machu Picchu spread out below you. You also don’t get to see the main temple area with the Temple of Three Windows.
Read my blog about new 2023 Machu Picchu info for descriptions of the circuits.
Second, you aren’t high enough to see the plaza of the main temple area and the Temple of Three Windows because the hilltop that the Intihuatana is on blocks the view.
Also check out my guide How to Get to Machu Picchu published by Horizon Guides.
I love being wrong sometimes
Huchuy Picchu exceeded my expectations in almost every way. I’m not always in the mood for a long hike and was happy that this little hike had such big views!
Circuit 4
This is the biggest disadvantage to hiking Huchuy Picchu. You have you take this route through the lower parts of the llaqta and don’t get to see the upper terraces or the main temple area.
Recommended guides for Machu Picchu
I’ve visited enough times to have a good list of experienced guides who gave me fantastic tours of the archeological site. Below are the guides I recommend who wanted me to publish their contact information. You can call their phone numbers with an international call to Peru or for free on WhatsApp. (The country code for Peru is +51). They’re in order of the guide I visited Machu Picchu with longest ago to most recent.
They are all highly professional and speak great English.
Gaspar Sihue: gasparsihue@hotmail.com +51 993 482 153
Carlos Ccolcca Huamán: carlos1985cusco@gmail.com +51 955 706 432
Dayvit Vizcarra Huacac: Instagram @dvhlucas +51 974 620 446
Henry Quintano: Henryquintanoloayza@gmail.com + 51 974 376 970
Auqui Yucra: auqui.tourguide@gmail.com +51 984 799 508
Rebeka Huarca Huillca: Instagram @rhh_2015 +51 984 011 998
Three of them have recently created their own travel agencies, based in Cusco.
Responsible Treks Peru by Auqui
VIP Peru Expeditions by Carlos
Samin Travel by Henry (website in progress)
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