Hi

All we are starting to plan our trip to Peru - The main attraction is hiking the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu. We are planning for sometime after April - is May or June a better time. It did seem like it would be interesting during the Inti Raimi, but is the place just overrun with tourists during that time?

Would appreciate any info. We are only starting to put this together and will undoubtedly have dozens of questions. Thanks all

ttt

I'd say if you could make the trip in May, that would be an ideal time. The dry season will have started in the highlands, but the high tourist season will not have begun. The weather in April can still be pretty dicey, although not as rainy as January-March. And then once you get into June, the place is pretty overrun with tourists.

Thanks Jeff...we will probably make our reservations this week after convincing our bosses

Hi indie,

Jeff is probably right about it being less crowded in May. (I don't have personal experience to make a comparison.)

We did a Peru trip in 1999 so we could do Inti Raymi and be at Machu Picchu for winter solstice (June 21). If you are into archeoastronomy June is a very special time to be at Machu Picchu and the surrounding Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley.

We also love festivals. It was wonderful to watch the practice sessions and festivities around the Plaza de Armas in Cusco leading up to Inti Raymi; as well as all the whitewashing and planting. I very much enjoyed having the festival as an added bonus.

I have the feeling that since 1999, Peru is becoming more and more a popular tourist destination. I say this because we are making a trip to Bolivia & Peru in Feb 2005 and reading through the current Peru travel guides I have noticed a much greater number of guidebooks available, along with descriptions of more hotels and services in Cusco. So, my family's 1999 experience may not be at all what you would find six years later.

By the way, I would not suggest Feb for a best time of year. As Jeff says, rainy season is an issue. We are going at this time of year for two big reasons: The carnival at Oruro, Bolivia and to see the Salar de Uyuni (a giant salt plain in Bolivia) during the rainy season when it turns into a giant mirror.

-Sharon