An essential part of planning your trek to Machu Picchu is taking the Inca Trail weather into consideration.
You want to give yourself the best chance of sunny days and clear skies.
To select the best time, you need to look at how Inca Trail weather patterns change over the year.
In this article, you will find information on annual rainfall, temperatures, and a month-by-month breakdown of weather on the Inca Trail.
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Weather on the Inca Trail
Before planning a hike along the Inca Trail, it's best to consider all the relevant factors related to the weather and climate in Peru.
Some of these factors are overall temperatures at varying altitudes and transitions in weather conditions during the day and at night.
Weather Forecasts for the Inca Trail
When searching the weather forecast for the Inca Trail, you will not find an exact match. Your best bet is to look at the forecasts of Cusco and Aguas Calientes. This will give you a good idea of weather conditions on the trail.
Also, keep in mind that the pathway is through different habitats and changing altitudes. On a single day of hiking, you can go from hot and humid jungles to icy cold mountain passes.
Looking for a day tour? Here are my 5 favourite day tours around Cusco:
- Rainbow Mountain day trip (with meals)
- Moray and Salt Mines Quad Bike Tour
- Sacred Valley day tour
- Humantay Lake day tour
- Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu entrance tickets
See more Cusco day trips.
Luckily for your planning, there is a clear dry and wet season on the Inca trail. We will talk about this in more detail in our article on the best time to hike the Inca Trail.
There are also many different microclimates to factor in. It is impossible to get a weather prediction that is 100% accurate. You may experience clear and sunny days hiking in December or get caught in the rain in July.
Fast Tip: Bring wet weather gear no matter when your hike is planned.
Rainfall On the Inca Trail
The wet season in the Cusco or Aguas Calientes region is between November and March.
If you can, it is best to avoid hiking the Inca Trail over this time. December, January, and February are the wettest months. In fact, the Classic Inca Trail and Salkantay/Inca Trail Combo are closed for maintenance in February.
In winter, (May-September) the days are cool with a low chance of precipitation. This makes May-September a great time to hike the Inca trail.
The chart below shows the average monthly rainfall for the Inca trail:
Please Note: It is possible to trek the Short Inca Trail or any of the alternative treks to Machu Picchu during February.
Temperatures On the Inca Trail
Temperatures in the region are fairly consistent throughout the year. Days reach into higher temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius (70-80 degrees Fahrenheit) and drop into the low digits. Campsites on mountain passes are especially cold. You may experience sub-zero temperatures at night and in the early mornings.
Temperature fluctuations are common as you ascend high passes or drop into sun-exposed valleys. During the evenings, temperatures regularly hover around the zero- degree Celsius mark.
Fast Tip: It is important that you take layered clothing to adjust comfort levels as temperatures fluctuate throughout the day. You will find that you strip off or add layers as you cross different levels of altitude. See our full Inca trail equipment list.
Inca Trail Weather by Month
The tables below give average temperatures, rainfall, and hiking conditions for each month.
Please Note: This is only a guideline based on historic climate patterns. There's no way to guarantee ideal hiking conditions.
Inca Trail Weather in January
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Poor |
Average Daytime Temperature | 66°F (19°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 45°F (7°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 154 |
Number Of Rain Days | 18 |
Notes | Warm with lots of rain |
Inca Trail Weather in February
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Terrible |
Average Daytime Temperature | 63°F (17°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 42°F (5°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 119 |
Number Of Rain Days | 13 |
Notes | Inca Trail is closed |
Inca Trail Weather in March
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Poor |
Average Daytime Temperature | 64°F (18°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 43°F (6°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 109 |
Number Of Rain Days | 11 |
Notes | Views covered by clouds |
Inca Trail Weather in April
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Good |
Average Daytime Temperature | 67°F (19°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 44°F (7°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 41 |
Number Of Rain Days | 8 |
Notes | Shoulder season Some rain but good visibility |
Inca Trail Weather in May
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Excellent |
Average Daytime Temperature | 65°F (18°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 38°F (3°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 9 |
Number Of Rain Days | 3 |
Notes | Dry days and cold nights |
Inca Trail Weather in June
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Excellent |
Average Daytime Temperature | 62°F (16°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 38°F (1°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 18 |
Number Of Rain Days | 2 |
Notes | Lots of sunshine but cold temperatures |
Inca Trail Weather in July
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Excellent |
Average Daytime Temperature | 60°F (15°C) |
Low / Nighttime Temperature | 34°F (1°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 8 |
Number Of Rain Days | 2 |
Notes | Icy evenings but clear dry weather |
Inca Trail Weather in August
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Perfect |
Average Daytime Temperature | 64°F (18°C) |
Average Nighttime Temperature | 39°F (4°C) |
Rainfall (mm) | 10 |
Number Of Rainy Days | 2 |
Notes | Icy evenings but warm, dry days and clear skies |
Inca Trail Weather in September
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Good |
Average Daytime Temperature | 73°F (22°C) |
Average Nighttime Temperature | 50°F (10°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 14 |
Number Of Rain Days | 7 |
Notes | Clear skies and warm weather |
Inca Trail Weather in October
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Good |
Average Daytime Temperature | 74°F (23°C) |
Average Nighttime Temperature | 52°F (11°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 47 |
Number Of Rain Days | 8 |
Notes | Warmer days with some showers |
Inca Trail Weather in November
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Fair |
Average Daytime Temperature | 70°F (21°C) |
Average Nighttime Temperature | 43°F (6°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 77 |
Number Of Rain Days | 12 |
Notes | Warm to hot days with a good chance of rain |
Inca Trail Weather in December
Weather Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
Trekking Conditions | Poor |
Average Daytime Temperature | 68°F (20°C) |
Average Nighttime Temperature | 45°F (7°C) |
Average Rainfall (mm) | 119 |
Number Of Rain Days | 16 |
Notes | Strong probability of sudden downpours |