If you’re like I was, visiting Machu Picchu is on your bucket list. One way to make a once-in-a-lifetime trip even more incredible is to visit Machu Picchu on a solstice. That’s just what I did last year: For my sister’s 40^th birthday, we watched the sun rise at Machu Picchu on the winter solstice, June 21, the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

The winter solstice is a sacred day among the Inca, who built Machu Picchu around 1450 AD. The ancient ruins were designed in part to celebrate the once-a-year event, when the southern hemisphere is farthest from the sun.

If you’re thinking about visiting Machu Picchu on the winter solstice, read on to learn how to plan your trip—and how to make the most of your visit to the ancient Incan city once you’re there.

How to visit Machu Picchu on the winter solstice

Exploring Machu Picchu on the winter solstice was one of the most phenomenal travel experiences of my life. If you’re planning a trip to Peru—or are dreaming of this bucket list destination—here’s what you need to know.

Planning a winter solstice trip to Machu Picchu

Looking for all the tips to plan your Machu Picchu trips? You’ve come to the right place.

Plan at least 6 months in advance

If you’re going to Machu Picchu any time, you need to plan well in advance. Yes, plane tickets, train tickets and hotels fill up. More importantly, the limited number of tickets to enter Machu Picchu must be reserved on a specific day, and they sell out early.

The same goes for Machu Picchu on the solstice but even more so. Many visitors want to visit the Incan city on this sacred day, so you’ll have to book your trip early—6 months out at the very least.

Reserve the morning entry to Machu Picchu

Sunrise on the winter solstice is the most sacred time of the shortest day of the year, so reserve your Machu Picchu entry for the morning. (There are two waves of entry into the monument: at sunrise and at noon. Visitors must choose one or the other when reserving their entries.)

Sunrise is also the time when certain features of Machu Picchu can be seen—at this time and no other. See below for some of the highlights of sunrise at Machu Picchu on the winter solstice.

Preparing a winter solstice trip to Machu Picchu

Buses leave from Aguas Calientes, the city nearest Machu Picchu and where you’ll leave from to go to the ruins (unless you’re hiking in), early. If you want to arrive at Machu Picchu in time for sunrise, you’ll need to get in line for the buses by 4:30am at the latest.

Lines for the bus snake around the streets of Aguas Calientes, so you’ll be in good company. You’ll be able to find a few cafes open to buy a coffee, tea or breakfast sandwich.

Level 10 travel tip: To see sunrise at Machu Picchu, you’ll need to leave your hotel much before their typical breakfast offering. Many hotels provide a to-go breakfast, though; ask the night before. They’ll have a to-go breakfast waiting for you before you leave in the morning.

Dress in layers

Temperatures fluctuate drastically on Machu Picchu, especially on the winter solstice, which remember is the shortest day of the year. So dress in many layers.

When we went, I wore a tank top, long sleeved shirt with heat-conserving technology, a fleece, leg warmers, a hat and gloves. I was still chilly in the morning! But by midday, we were all sweating. So you’ll want to be able to put on or take off layers to keep comfortable.

Machu Picchu on the winter solstice: Inside the Incan city

Prepare for crowds

Because there are a limited number of entries to this Incan city every day, there won’t be more people in Machu Picchu on the winter solstice as on any other day. That said, there will be more people in the ruins at sunrise, since other visitors want to be on-site for this special moment. So know, then, that there may be an even greater number of people within the Incan city when you’re there.

Decide where you want to watch sunrise in Machu Picchu

Everywhere inside Machu Picchu is special, but several spots are particularly outstanding to watch sunrise on the winter solstice. Make a plan for where you’ll watch it before you enter the park so you know where to go.

We watched the sunrise from the Sacred Plaza. Here, we saw the sun peek through the bottom of a “V” where two hills meet. It’s astounding that the Incas designed Machu Picchu with such an exact understanding of the movement of the sun.

Other places to watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu on the winter solstice:

• Temple of the Sun: At sunrise, light streams through the temple’s window and falls directly onto a ceremonial stone within the room.
• Terraces around the Guardhouse: From the highest point within Machu Picchu, you’ll be able to see sunrise on the winter solstice shed light on the entire ruins.
• Intihuatana: The enormous ceremonial stone aligns with the sun on the winter solstice to cast no shadow. Intihuatana is now cracked, unfortunately, after a Peruvian beer company filmed a commercial here and the crane cracked the sacred stone.

Understand the meaning of the winter solstice for the Incas

Vistiting Machu Picchu with even zero context for the ruins is worthwhile, but your trip will be so much more enriching if you know about this ancient culture first. That’s even more true for visiting Machu Picchu on the winter solstice.

The shortest day of the year was hugely important for the Incas who built on this dramatic landscape in Peru. The winter solstice was the least amount of time Inti, or Sun Father, had on earth. The solstice coincided with important rites performed by spiritual leaders. They would light a ceremonial fire, which symbolized the start of a new year.

Respect visitors’ spiritual practices

Although Incan civilization might seem like ancient history to you, much of its culture survives today—and some people continue its spiritual practices. That means that some visitors to Machu Picchu on the winter solstice aren’t tourists; they’re making a spiritual pilgrimage on one of the most sacred days of the calendar.

I’m sure you want to respect their spirituality, but it can be easy to accidentally be insensitive. For example, when we went to Machu Picchu, a woman had set up crystals and personally important items to receive the sun’s energy when it rose. Then a tourist who wasn’t paying attention actually sat his backpack on top of these items.

When you visit Machu Picchu on the winter solstice, be extra-aware of the others around you. Standing directly in front of someone puts them in your shadow—and might block what they believe to be vital spiritual energy during the darkest day of the year.

Along those lines, watch where you stand: Some of the special mini-events of the winter solstice happen literally underfoot. Take, for instance, the Andean cross perfectly formed by its shadow only on the winter solstice. Stand in the wrong place and you’ll be stepping directly on this marvel of 15th century construction.

Know your priorities

Several events are unique to Machu Picchu on the winter solstice—but that doesn’t mean you have to try to see every one of them. To me, seeing the shadows cast wasn’t terribly important, and it takes time to wait in order to see the event. I preferred to see Machu Picchu on my own itinerary rather than “check off” the singular events the guidebooks talk about.

Put down your camera

At Machu Picchu, so many people visiting see the sunrise through their phone: They’re so busy trying to get a perfect photo that they always have a barrier between themselves and the wonderous view in front of them.

So take a few photos, then turn your camera off for a bit. Stand with your eyes closed and feel the warmth of the sun. What are you grateful for? Chances are, you’ll remember that moment more than you’ll appreciate a hundred snaps of a sunrise.

When to visit Machu Picchu

If you’re reading this post on visiting Machu Picchu on the winter solstice, you might be researching the best time to visit Machu Picchu. I am confident that you now know a whole lot more about exploring Machu Picchu on the shortest day of the year.

No matter when you visit Machu Picchu, though, I hope you have as meaningful and memorable a time as I did. I will never forget exploring the ruins, shockingly intact after all these centuries. I’ll always remember standing in the first rays of the sunrise on the darkest day of the year, appreciating both the warmth and my good fortune for being able to visit Machu Picchu.

I know you’ll feel the same, too.

If you are planning (or hoping for!) a trip, I’d love for you to pin this post for later. Thank you!

PS – If you’re traveling to Peru, chances are you’ll spend at least a few days in Lima. Be sure to check out my post about the best things about Miraflores, one of the city’s upscale and cultural hotspot neighborhoods. And if you’re traveling throughout Peru, read my unbiased and unsponsored review of Peru Hop, the budget bus that takes travelers throughout Peru and South America. Finally, you’ll also want to read my post on everything you need to know about Huacachina, the stunning desert oasis set among towering sand dunes in Peru!