What is Machu Picchu Like for Female Travel?
“What is Machu Picchu like for female travel?”
This was a question I asked myself A LOT, prior to visiting Machu Picchu, one of the Wonders of the World, located in the stunning Andes Mountains of Peru. And in particular ~ I wondered what it would be like to travel there as a woman. One of my girlfriends & I were scheduled to fly into Peru on Christmas Day of 2015, then acclimate for a few days in Cusco, at well above 10,000 feet! Then, once our lungs had adjusted to the altitude, we would make our long-dreamed-of journey to….Machu Picchu.
Just two girls at the entrance to Machu Picchu…a place we had longed to go to for years.
What is Machu Picchu Like for Female Travel?
If you’ve arrived at this article because you’re a woman traveling to Peru soon, & you’ve got concerns about your trip (I was up late at night researching Google prior to our trip) ~ I want to include this video right up front, as a way to reassure you. In less than three minutes, it gives you a complete overview of our journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu. What would take me pages of description to tell you ~ can instead easily be shown with this short video.
Click PLAY below to watch the epic journey to Machu Picchu…
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Our Machu Picchu Trip Details
Here are the details of our trip, to give you an overview of costs & accommodations:
- Dates Traveled = December 2015 – January 2016. We actually hiked Machu Picchu on December 30th, 2015, & were back in Cusco for New Year’s Eve (they wear yellow underwear & flock to the town square for NYE, FYI!!).
- Who I Traveled With = My friend “Zsa Zsa” (a nickname, obviously ; ); aka two female travelers.
- Cost of Tour = $250, including entrance to Machu Picchu, accommodations, mountain biking, zip-lining, & all transport & train rides. Some food was included as well (not dinners).
- Route Taken to Machu Picchu = Inca Jungle Trek ~ 3 days, 2 nights. This is one of the quickest ways to get to Machu Picchu: much quicker than the famous 4-day route on the Inca Trail, or the beautiful but lesser-known Salkantay Trek. The first day involved waking up at 6AM, & getting picked up by our tour guide in a large van. We then spent about about an hour picking up the rest of our tour mates, before heading into the Andes. Activities on the Trek included: downhill mountain biking, white water rafting, zip-lining, hiking, hot springs, & a final train ride into Aguas Calientes ~ the town at the base of Machu Picchu.
- Accommodations on the Inca Jungle Trek = Very basic hostels in Santa Maria, Santa Theresa, & Aguas Calientes.
- Hike Shown in Video = Machu Picchu Mountain. There’s an extra cost to do this hike, & you must purchase tickets in advance, which gives you admission for a specific time-slot. The hike is steep & crowded ~ but worth it. You’ll climb high above Machu Picchu & get incredible views. Other hike at Machu Picchu = Huayna Picchu, the iconic mountain seen behind Machu Picchu in nearly all photos. Note: this hike sells out WAY in advance, & is for experienced hikers only with good knees ~ it’s VERY steep!
- Why We Chose this Tour = Because it took less time than the Inca Trail or Salkantay Trek (my friend only had 10 days in Peru). We also wanted more variety than just hiking.
- Choose this Tour to Machu Picchu if… You don’t have much time in Peru, & you like adventurous activities. If you’re looking for luxury accommodations or would rather camp & hike ~ this is NOT the trek for you.
If I could give you just ONE tip for your trip to Peru and Machu Picchu, it would be: bring sunscreen! Altitudes here are 9,000 feet & above, & I cannot emphasize how STRONG the sun is in Peru ~ you’re close to the equator, which makes the sun especially strong. DON’T forget to bring sunscreen!!!
What is Machu Picchu Like for Female Travel?
Fore more articles on this gorgeous country, read about solo female travel in Peru ~ or why Cusco is still one of my favorite cities in the world. Because of the high altitudes in Peru, your digestion can take a back seat & constipation can get real: read about safe ways to stay regular on the road!
xoxo Noelia
Read Next: Best Luxury Hotels by Machu Picchu
Found your Machu Picchu video through YouTube & LOVE it!! Like you, I was visiting Peru with a group of girl friends, & didn’t know what to expect. Coming from America, you hear horror stories sometimes about “third-world” travel. BuT WOW!! Just watching the video reassured me so much, it seems so much brighter & friendlier than I would have thought. Thanks for creating the video & this site!
Hi Lizzy! Thanks so much for the feedback! That is exactly why I created this site, to dispel so many of the false things you read & hear about supposedly “third-world” countries. That’s a huge motivating factor for me. Cheers to South American travel!! xoxo Noelia
I love the video footage you captured of Machu Picchu. It reminds me of our trip there, and of the absolute beauty of the Andes Mountains. Peru is such an amazing country. Because I traveled there with my husband, I can’t speak to what it would be like to travel to Machu Picchu as a female traveler. Did you ever feel uncomfortable during your time in Peru, as a female traveler? And in Cusco and Machu Picchu, specifically? Thanks, I love your website, Ruth
Hi Ruth! Thanks for your lovely comment. You know, I’m racking my brain trying to think of a time when I felt truly “unsafe” ~ but nothing in particular comes to mind. I had been warned about Lima, but my time there was fairly limited, & in the Miraflores neighborhood I had no incidents. In Pisac, some travel guides at the ruins were overly flirtatious ~ but it felt more harmless than predatory. One thing to watch out for though, in Peru, is so-called “shamans” leading informal Ayahuasca ceremonies: some shamans are the real deal, but I’ve also heard many reports of “fake” ones who take advantage of girls while they’re “out of it,” during an Ayahuasca ceremony. So, anyone who wants to come to Peru specifically to do Ayahuasca, particularly as a female ~ needs to VERY carefully vet the people/shaman who’s putting on the ceremony. Hope that answers your question, Ruth! xoxo Noelia