What to Wear and Pack for Machu Picchu: the List Against the Gate Rules

TL;DR — Key takeaways

One small daypack per person, under 40×35×20 cm: anything bigger goes to paid storage at the gate. Inside it, everything on this list fits.
Wear layers, not a jacket: dawn at the bus stop is 5 to 12 °C, the terraces at 11:00 are 20 to 25 °C in full sun with almost no shade. Shoes with grip for wet stone stairs; no sandals, no new boots.
A rain jacket with a hood, all year, because umbrellas are on the prohibited list and the cloud forest rains in any month. Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses, also all year: the sun at 2,430 m burns in twenty minutes.
Water in a reusable bottle (single-use plastic is banned), nothing to eat inside (eating on the terraces is prohibited; snacks wait at the exit), passport in your pocket, soles in cash for the toilet (S/2) and the bus.
Leave at the hotel: tripods, selfie sticks over 20 cm, poles without rubber tips, umbrellas, drones, folding seats, flags and costumes. Rangers check at the gate and the rule is ejection, not a warning.

The bag: one daypack, under 40×35×20 cm

The official conduct rules set the limit by dimensions, 40 × 35 × 20 cm, not by litres: a slim daypack of 15 to 20 litres passes, a trekking pack does not. Bags over the limit are left at the paid storage by the entrance, which means queuing twice. Travel to the Pueblo with your suitcase if you must (the trains allow 8 kg of hand luggage; hotels keep bags), but go up to the gate with one small bag per person. Everything below fits in it with room to spare. Full rule list in the 2026 rules guide.

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What to wear: layers for two climates in one morning

Shoes with grip: The routes are stone stairs, often wet, some steep and without rails. Trail shoes or worn-in walking shoes with a real sole; trainers with smooth soles slip, sandals are a bad idea, and new boots give blisters by the Intihuatana. You do not need boots unless you are doing the Mountain or the Sun Gate.
Three thin layers: A T-shirt that dries fast, a fleece or light sweater, and a rain jacket with a hood. At the bus stop at 05:30 you wear all three; by 10:00 on the terraces you are down to the T-shirt and the other two are in the bag. One thick coat does neither job.
Long trousers that stretch: Hiking trousers or leggings, not jeans: jeans are heavy when wet and stiff on the stairs. Long rather than short because of the sun and the sandflies, which bite ankles in the lower sector in the wet months.
Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen: All year. There is almost no shade on the routes and the sun at 2,430 m burns in twenty minutes, in the cloudy months too. A hat with a brim beats a cap on the platforms.

What goes in the bag

Passport, the physical one: The ranger compares your passport with the name and number on the ticket, and a photo on the phone is not accepted. Keep it in a zipped pocket, not loose in the bag, and keep the ticket on the phone with the battery charged or printed.
A litre of water in a reusable bottle: Bottles are allowed; single-use plastic is not. There is no shop inside and the routes take two to three hours in dry air. Fill it in the Pueblo; the stands by the gate sell water at tourist prices.
Soles in cash: The toilet at the gate costs S/2 and takes coins; the bus booth takes cash and card but the queue moves faster with cash; the storage, the stands and the tips are all cash. Twenty to fifty soles in small notes per person covers the day.
Insect repellent: The sandflies of the lower sector and the Pueblo leave bites that itch for a week. Put it on at the hotel and again at the gate, ankles and wrists first.
Snacks, for after: Eating inside is prohibited and rangers do stop people on the terraces. Carry something for the exit, where you will be hungry at 11:00 with the bus queue ahead. The restaurant by the gate is expensive and slow at that hour.
Phone, charged, and a small battery: The ticket, the photos and the map are all on the phone, and there is no signal inside, which drains the battery faster. A camera is welcome; a tripod is not.
Toilet paper and hand gel: The gate toilets run out of paper by mid-morning and there are none inside. A small pack and a hand gel weigh nothing.

What to leave at the hotel

The prohibited-items list is enforced at the gate and the consequence for the serious ones is ejection without refund. Umbrellas (any size, the rain jacket is why), tripods, monopods and selfie sticks longer than 20 cm, walking sticks and poles without rubber tips (poles with rubber tips are accepted, and a cane for someone who needs one), drones anywhere in the sanctuary, folding seats, food and alcohol, single-use plastic, aerosols, flags, banners, costumes and wedding dresses, musical instruments and speakers, and anything larger than the bag limit. Our visitor tips list the rest of what rangers check.

By season: what changes

May to September, dry season: Near freezing in Cusco before dawn, 22 °C on the terraces by noon, the strongest sun of the year. The fleece matters at 05:30 and the sunscreen at 10:00; the rain jacket stays in the bag for the odd shower. Lip balm: the air is dry.
November to March, rainy season: A real rain jacket, not the plastic poncho sold at the station, which tears on the first stair; shoes with grip for wet stone; a dry T-shirt in a plastic bag; a cover or a bag liner for the daypack. Mornings are mild, around 12 °C, and the sun between showers still burns. Repellent twice.
April and October, the shoulders: Both lists at once, lighter: the jacket for a shower, the fleece for the bus stop, the sun kit for the rest. These are the months with the best balance of light and crowds; the weather by month has the numbers.

Doing the Mountain (1A) or the Sun Gate (1C)? Add a second litre of water, a snack for the summit (eating is allowed on the trails outside the citadel, not on the terraces), poles with rubber tips if your knees want them, and real walking shoes. Huayna Picchu (3A) is the same list plus gloves for the cold cable sections in the wet months.

Frequent questions about packing

What shoes should I wear to Machu Picchu?

Trail shoes or worn-in walking shoes with a grippy sole. The routes are stone stairs, often wet and without rails. No sandals, no smooth-soled trainers, no new boots. Boots only for the Mountain, the Sun Gate or Huayna Picchu.

Can I bring a backpack into Machu Picchu?

Yes, up to 40 × 35 × 20 cm, a small daypack. Anything bigger is left at the paid storage by the entrance. One small bag per person is the rule that keeps the gate quick.

Are umbrellas allowed in Machu Picchu?

No. Umbrellas are on the prohibited list in any size, which is why the rain jacket with a hood is the one item to buy before the trip. The plastic ponchos sold at the station are allowed but tear fast.

Can I bring food and water into Machu Picchu?

Water yes, in a reusable bottle; single-use plastic is banned. Food is on the prohibited list and eating on the terraces is stopped by rangers. Eat before you scan in and carry snacks for the exit.

Are walking poles allowed in Machu Picchu?

Only with rubber tips. Metal-tipped poles and walking sticks are refused at the gate; a cane for someone who needs one, with a rubber tip, is accepted.

What should I wear to Machu Picchu in the rainy season?

A real rain jacket with a hood, shoes with grip, long trousers that dry fast, a dry layer in a plastic bag and a cover for the daypack. Mornings are around 12 °C and the sun between showers still burns, so hat and sunscreen too.

Is there somewhere to leave luggage at Machu Picchu?

Paid storage by the entrance takes bags over the limit, but it means a second queue. Better to leave suitcases at the hotel in the Pueblo or in Cusco and go up with a daypack only.