Peru
Machu Picchu in December
🌧️ Rainy seasonPleasant and very wet.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why December scores 8.6What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.8
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (21°C highs / 12°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 11.7°C)
- !Wet: ~275 mm rain, ~6 heavy-rain days
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~4 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards9.5
- !Flood: ~6 heavy-rain days in an average December
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | Jun | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.6 Excellent | 9.4 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | 🌤️ Cool dry season |
| High / low | 21° / 12° | 22° / 10° |
| Rain | 275 mm | 51 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 12° | dew pt 10° |
| PM2.5 | 4 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Machu Picchu weather-station normals. Rainfall: Machu Picchu weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Christmas Day 25–27 Dec · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Immaculate Conception (8 Dec) · Battle of Ayacucho Day (9 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore Machu PicchuEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA 15th-century Inca citadel high in the Peruvian Andes, reached by train or the Inca Trail via Aguas Calientes.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
Corpus Christi in CuscoDate variesUsually late May or June
Statues of saints from Cusco's parishes are paraded to the cathedral.
Why go: Try chiriuchu, the cold festive dish sold on the day.
Where: Cusco
Inti RaymiEvery year24 June every year
A large reenactment of the Inca festival of the sun at the winter solstice.
Why go: Cusco is packed; book accommodation and Machu Picchu tickets well ahead.
Where: Cusco and Sacsayhuamán
Machu Picchu citadel
The terraces, temples and plazas of the Inca site.
💡 Entry is by timed ticket on set circuits; tickets sell out in high season.
Huayna Picchu
A steep peak overlooking the site.
💡 Requires a separate ticket with limited numbers.
Inca Trail
The classic multi-day trek to the site.
💡 Permits are limited and sell out months ahead; the trail closes every February for maintenance.
Machu Picchu Mountain
A higher, longer hike with wide views.
Aguas Calientes
The town below the site with hot springs.
Sacred Valley
A valley of Inca sites and villages between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Cuy
Roast guinea pig, an Andean traditional dish.
💡 Restaurants in Cusco and the Sacred Valley
Alpaca steak
Lean grilled alpaca meat, served in many highland restaurants.
💡 Restaurants in Cusco
Trucha (trout)
Trout farmed in Andean rivers and lakes, usually fried or grilled.
💡 Restaurants in Aguas Calientes and the Sacred Valley
Sopa de quinua
A warming quinoa and vegetable soup common in the highlands.
💡 Local restaurants
Chicha morada
A sweet, spiced drink made from purple corn.
💡 Restaurants and markets
Alpaca textiles
Sweaters, scarves and blankets made from alpaca wool.
💡 Aguas Calientes craft market and Cusco
Andean weavings
Hand-woven textiles made with natural dyes.
💡 Weaving cooperatives in Chinchero
Ceramics
Painted pottery and ceramic beads.
💡 Pisac market