Machu Picchu sits at 2,430 metres — high enough to notice, but not high enough to be a serious altitude problem for most visitors. The altitude test on this trip is Cusco at 3,399 m, where most travellers land.
Flying into Cusco from sea level, expect mild headache, shortness of breath on stairs, broken sleep the first night or two. The usual advice: spend two or three days at altitude before anything strenuous, drink more water than feels normal, go easy on alcohol, and keep coca tea or sorojchi pills handy. The Sacred Valley at 2,800 m is a gentler base than Cusco if you have the time.
At Machu Picchu itself the air feels noticeably easier. The ecosystem is cloud forest, not altiplano — orchids, hummingbirds, and the occasional spectacled bear. The classic Sun Gate hike adds 300 m above the citadel; Huayna Picchu adds 260 m; Machu Picchu Mountain adds 650 m. Don’t attempt any of these on your arrival day.
Peruways can sequence the trip so acclimatisation builds naturally — Sacred Valley first, Cusco second, Machu Picchu last — rather than hitting you with 3,400 m on day one.
See the options at Peruways. Give the altitude its due and the trip settles into place.
