Machu Picchu with bad knees?
 

Hi. My wife and I are considering a trip to MP but are worried that her knee and back problems will prevent us from enjoying the trip. She is in her 50's and does not hike at all. Should we just pick another destination or will we still enjoy MP?

I would not go there with bad knees, you need to walk, to climb, to hike... uhmmmm, definitelly NO.
But you could come to the NW of Argentina, see the wonderful sceneries in the area and the indian ruins,...
Flintstones....

I was there about 3 weeks ago and I saw several people who had difficulty with stairs. Nevertheless they seemed to be enjoying their day and they were as much in awe of MP as the rest of us. If stairs are a problem then she will miss seeing some sites up close at MP, but I still think MP is worth a visit. If she sees just some parts fo MP, even from a distance then I think she'll be glad she did it. MP is one of the greatest sights I've ever seen and I hope you will go.

I wouldn't worry about it, if she can walk up a a couple flights of stairs then she'll be fine. While I was there I saw several 70+ year old people who seemed to have little or no trouble. It's not like a typical hike at all, just some stairs, and plenty of places to sit and take a deep breath.

Thanks for the responses. Keep the opinions coming...we haven't decided yet.

As I recall, you can walk out to see the site without stairs (or without many, anyway). At that point, it's up to you how much exploring you want to do and how many stairs. It's such a fabulous place - definitely worth seeing.

I was just at MP a few weeks ago and, yes, there are about 6-10 stairs just as you enter, but they are basic easy stairs. Even though it is true in order to see everything, one would have to climb stairs, MP is worth it even if you move really slowly and stay on the flat parts. I saw several older travelers with walking sticks -- I would inquire about that bc there was a sign saying they weren't allowed for everyone. Definitely the site can be appreciated without any treacheroius walking or climbing. It's also an easy place to go at your own pace and to take breaks as you wish.

I agree that MP is defintiely a must see. Once in MP you are walking, not hiking. There are areas with steps to climb, but you can avoid them. One can walk and see parts of it without climbing or excessive steps. Just to see it without exploring it would be worth it to me. As others have said there were many people there with walking sticks and elderly and seemed to be taking it slowly and doing ok. The altitude slows u down anyway.

I also have knee problems and was concerned about MP, but had no problems at all when we were there in May. I strongly recommend very good walking shoes, a walking stick with rubber tip (we got folding used ones on ebay), and just taking your time. There are lots of steps there but you can choose exactly how much you want to climb. When you enter, you'll go down a small flight of stairs and then you can fan out in different directions. Do NOT let knee worries keep you from MP!

Thanks to everyone for the imput. We are still debating but now have a clearer picture and feel better about our chance of enjoying the trip. Thanks again.

She should have no problems at all. very few steps at the start and then you have this beautiful view..she could just sit on a wall and take it all in without any walking.