Expert Tips For Taking The Best Machu Picchu Photos (For Every Season)

How To Take The Very Best Machu Picchu Photos

Setup Your Phone Or Camera For Success

If you have a professional DSLR or high quality camera, then you’ll already know what you’re doing. However those with a phone do not be deterred! It’s very much possible to take incredible photos even without a top-of-the-range phone. Just make sure your phone and camera have its settings maximised ready – for example with an iPhone, you’ll want to make sure that it’s on auto-HDR within the settings. Aside from the settings itself, make sure it’s fully-charged as the battery can drop quickly after a few hours of exploring here!

Consider The Time Of Day For The Very Best Machu Picchu Photos

Without at all being biased, Machu Picchu has incredible photo opportunities regardless of the time of day given its epic scenery – and even a lower quality phone can still make heads turn. However the early morning and late afternoon are best for increased sunlight effects, and especially in the morning (which both has golden hour, as well as few people to block your way). The peak times of 10:00am until 3:00pm are still fine – just you’ll need to be quick and take your shot when you see gaps in the crowds.

Focus On Bulk Quantity, Then Review Later

Like with any unforgettable photo opportunity, the best photos don’t come in single attempts. The best strategy here is to take lots of photos (30-50+), and then sift through them for the very best one. Although this seems a given usually, remember that this site can get busy so it can be hard to find opportunities to get so many. The answer? Have your photographer rapid-shooting the capture button – and also keep your eyes peeled for any openings with the famous ruins behind you (again another brilliant reason to head on an early entrance Machu Picchu overnight tour).

How To Plan For Different Seasons When Taking Machu Picchu Photos 

Winter Machu Picchu Photos (June – August)

The most popular period to visit Machu Picchu, the winter season is also arguably the easiest for taking photos. We can expect clear blue skies most days, so lighting conditions are more or less easy to predict. What we do need to consider is that the ruins are very popular and can become very crowded – so try to make your way here in the early morning between 6:00am and 9:00am.

Spring Machu Picchu Photos (September – November)

Spring is a great time to visit Machu Picchu and take great photos. The high tourist season begins to fall in early September, so you won’t need to jostle and pounce for your own photos. Do bear in mind that November marks the beginning of the wet season, and although rainfall is still very light, it’s worth taking that into account if visiting that month. Mists most likely won’t be an issue – however just to be safe you’ll want to visit in the early to late afternoon in the final stages of Spring.

Summer Machu Picchu Photos (December – February)

The summer season for Machu Picchu coincides directly with the wet season – which can bring its own challenges. Intermittent showers and heavy mists can often rise up out of nowhere, so having a solid poncho and umbrella handy are musts. Now if there are lots of mists then don’t fret – mists by the ruins make for more mysterious and character-filled photos, whilst mists blocking your view will pass as long as your patient.

Autumn Machu Picchu Photos (March – May)

It’s a similar case for the early months of Autumn like with what we had in winter (until early April), so patience and an open-mind are necessary. However April begins to see a drop-off of rain, so it can be a great time to visit for good photos and less crowds around. May marks the start of the dry season so we’ll have better weather, and also an easier time taking photos before the crowds arrive in masses as we reach June.

Overview Of How To Take The Best Machu Picchu Photos

And that’s all for this guide on how to take the very best Machu Picchu photos.

With such a surreal and breathtaking set of ruins and scenery, getting a good Machu Picchu photo is simple. However if you want that “unforgettable” and impressive shot, there’s definitely a few tricks you can have up your sleeve. From picking the right time of day to having a trigger-happy companion ready to mass shoot photos within seconds, all tips mentioned in this guide will help you get those breathtaking shots.

Looking for the very best Machu Picchu Tour? Here at AB Expeditions we visit Machu Picchu before the crowds on Our Overnight Machu Picchu Tour From Cusco – ensuring both an expert guide experience and the very best photo opportunities.