Best Time to Hike the Inca Trail

The Twelve Months at a Glance

The table uses the Cusco airport figures for temperature and rain, since Cusco is the departure city for the classic trek from Km 82. Higher ground on the trail runs colder than these numbers, and Dead Woman's Pass (Warmi Wañusca) reaches about 4,215 metres, or 4,200 metres (13,780 feet) on its own page, where temperatures can drop below freezing at night in any month. The trail column notes closure, footing and crowd patterns from TreXperience's Inca Trail weather guide and the closure notices.

A useful context figure: Cusco's annual precipitation is 727.7 mm. Machu Picchu itself is far wetter, with Wikipedia giving the citadel an annual 2,010 mm of rain (its Aguas Calientes page says 2,116 mm, and Salkantay Trekking's monthly figures add up to far less) and a mean temperature near 18 C.

Reading the Table

Three things stand out. First, daytime highs barely move: every month in Cusco averages between 20.3 and 22.3 C, so the seasons are defined by rain, not warmth. Second, the lows swing hard. July's mean low is 1.2 C against January's 8.0 C, and Cusco's record low is minus 7.0 C in May and July. Pack for freezing nights whenever you trek. Third, rain flips quickly: May drops to 7.1 mm from April's 38.4 mm, and October climbs back to 54.5 mm from September's 18.0 mm.

Remember the table describes Cusco. On the trail, camps sit higher and colder, and at Machu Picchu the pattern shifts again. Wikipedia lists January at 341 mm and February at 325 mm, with May to July the driest, and Aguas Calientes averaging annual rain of about 2,116 mm with the heaviest fall from December to March. Aguas Calientes itself stays mild year round, with mean daily highs of 20 to 23 C and lows of 9 to 12 C, because it sits at about 2,040 metres, nearly 1,000 metres lower than Cusco.

The Dry Season: May to September at Its Core

TreXperience rates dry season footing from June to September as very stable, with crisp sunny days and July and August as the most stable trekking conditions with clear skies. It also calls August one of the best months as the frost fades, a useful signal if you want dry trail without the hardest nights. The trade is crowds and permits: TreXperience rates crowds as high from June to September, and peak season permits for May to September sell out fastest. On The Go Tours adds that July and August overlap with Northern Hemisphere holidays and that permits sell out months ahead.

The cost of stability is cold. Nights on the trail in June and July can reach freezing, and above 3,500 metres temperatures can drop below freezing at night in any month. Camping comfort therefore matters in the dry season. On the $1,499 Premium 4-Day Inca Trail Trek, every two hikers get a four-person tent plus both a camping mattress and an inflatable mattress. The driest single month depends on where you measure. Cusco's driest is June at 3.3 mm, and Salkantay Trekking calls June the driest month at Machu Picchu too, though it warns hailstorms are possible in July.

The Wet Season: November to March

Salkantay Trekking defines the rainy season as November to March and the dry season as April to October, and rain returns in October and November before increasing through the rainy season. Another weather summary pushes the wet season wider, to October to April, so treat October and April as months where sources disagree rather than as settled dry months. Crowds drop in the wet: TreXperience rates them low to medium from December to March.

At Machu Picchu, Salkantay Trekking's monthly figures show March as the heaviest rain month at 151 mm, and Wikipedia's citadel table puts January at 341 mm. Rain brings real trail risks in the deepest wet months. February is described as the height of the rainy season with heavy rain, landslides, fog and swollen rivers, and the trail shuts for maintenance. If you must travel in the wet season, the citadel itself stays open all year, and the short trail options, such as the $585 Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel, keep a hotel night in the mild Aguas Calientes valley instead of a high camp.

The February Closure

The Inca Trail closes each February and reopens on 1 March. The February closure covered routes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the network, and about 60 specialists and workers carried out maintenance starting from Piscacucho village in Ollantaytambo. The work includes repairing stonework, stabilising terraces, clearing vegetation and inspecting bridges. There is precedent for closures running long: the 2025 closure extended into late March because of heavy rain and natural events.

Two practical consequences follow. First, February trekkers cannot walk the classic trail at all, but Machu Picchu citadel stays open, so you can still visit Machu Picchu itself in February. Second, March fills fast: Alpaca Expeditions says March permits sell out quickly and suggests booking six months or more ahead. For the closure rules and permit quotas in depth, see the guide to Inca Trail permits, and for how closure dates interact with ticketing, the section on permits and the February closure on the homepage of this site.

Festivals and Peak Pressure

June carries the year's biggest festival. Inti Raymi is celebrated every 24 June on the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán, Wikipedia ranks it the second largest festival in South America, and it was first celebrated in 1412, banned by Spanish colonists after 1535 and revived in 1944. On The Go Tours warns that trains and hotels in Cusco book out well ahead around Inti Raymi week, which stacks on top of June already being a high-crowd, fast-selling permit month.

The other pressure comes from school holidays. On The Go Tours says July and August overlap with Northern Hemisphere holidays and that Inca Trail permits sell out months ahead in that window. If you want to avoid the July and August holiday crush, October is the nearest alternative, with 54.5 mm of rain at Cusco as the rain returns.

How the Cap Works

The Inca Trail issues 500 permits per day. About 200 go to trekkers and the remaining 300 go to guides, porters and support staff. Each permit is tied to one passport and is non-transferable and non-refundable.

Independent hiking is not allowed, so you book through a Ministry of Culture authorised agency. The mechanics of quotas and release dates sit on the Inca Trail permits page, which owns that topic in depth.

Which Months Sell Out First

Peak season permits for May to September sell out fastest. TreXperience rates crowds as high from June to September and low to medium from December to March. Alpaca Expeditions says March permits also sell out quickly after the trail reopens.

For the 2026 season, Ministry of Culture sales opened on 27 October for January treks at 9:00 a.m. Peru time, March opened on 28 October, April on 29 October, May on 30 October and June on 31 October. July opened on 3 November and August to December opened on 4 November.

Festivals Push Demand Up

Inti Raymi runs every 24 June on the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán in Cusco. Wikipedia ranks it the second largest festival in South America. On The Go Tours says trains and hotels in Cusco book out well ahead around Inti Raymi week, and that July and August permits sell out months ahead because of Northern Hemisphere holidays.

If you want June, book the moment permits open. The 4-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train at $835 per person includes the guide taking all entry fees, but permits still go through the same capped pool.

• Inti Raymi falls on 24 June each year
• Cusco trains and hotels book out early that week
• May to September permits sell out fastest

The February Closure

The trail network closes every February and reopens on 1 March. The closure covers routes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the network. February is the height of the rainy season with heavy rain, landslides, fog and swollen rivers.

About 60 specialists and workers do maintenance from Piscacucho village in Ollantaytambo, repairing stonework, stabilising terraces, clearing vegetation and inspecting bridges. The 2025 closure ran to late March because of heavy rain, so the reopening date can slip. The Machu Picchu citadel itself stays open all year, so you can still visit in February without the trail.

For the Most Stable Weather

TreXperience rates July and August as the most stable trekking conditions with clear skies, and rates June to September footing as very stable. Cusco airport records give July a mean low of 1.2 C with just 5.9 mm of rain, and August 6.6 mm. The tradeoff is cold: nights in June and July can reach freezing at camp, and Cusco's record low is minus 7.0 C. Pack for frost if you camp in these months.

For the Best Balance

April and May are the shoulder months TreXperience rates as balanced, with fewer crowds than peak season. May sits just 7.1 mm of rain at Cusco against 38.4 mm in April, with a mean low of 3.6 C. Peak season permits for May also sell out fastest. September also works well: 18.0 mm of rain, a mean high of 21.7 C, and TreXperience still rates crowds as high through September.

For Fewer People

December to March brings low to medium crowds, but also the rain. January sees 153.4 mm of rain at Cusco and the trail shuts entirely in February. November sits in between with 77.3 mm and a mean high of 22.3 C. If you want the trail experience without the deepest rain, early November or late March after reopening are the practical choices, and you should book six months or more ahead for March because permits there sell out quickly.

• November: 77.3 mm of rain, warm days
• March: heavy rain but the trail reopens on 1 March
• February: trail closed, citadel open

Pick by Traveller Type

Families and first-timers get the easiest conditions in May or September, when the trail is dry but the nights are less brutal than in June. Photographers chasing clear views of Dead Woman's Pass at about 4,215 metres (4,200 on some sources) should take July or August and accept freezing camps. Travellers who want milder nights than June to August can look at late September, when Cusco's mean low is 5.0 C and rain is 18.0 mm.

If you cannot take four days off, the Short Inca Trail with 4-Star Hotel at $585 per person runs the same dry-season logic over two days with a hotel night instead of a tent.

Match the Month to the Trek

The 4-Day Inca Trail with Panoramic Train at $798 per person supplies a sleeping pad, pillow and rain poncho, useful in any month but essential for the freezing June and July camps. For deep dry-season comfort with a private group, the Luxury 4-Day Inca Trail at $6,222 per person adds massage therapists at every camp, which matters after a 4 to 5 hour climb to Dead Woman's Pass. Whichever you choose, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu route guide explains what each day demands.

• May and September: easiest all-round conditions
• June to August: clearest skies, hardest bookings, coldest nights
• October: warming nights, returning rain
• November to March: quietest, wettest, February closed