Cusco, Peru
Sunrise at Machu Picchu
Local time now09:35
Dedicate this sunrise · from $4.99Local time at the place (America/Lima) · 13.1631° S, 72.5450° W · calculated live with the same rules as our certificates.
Machu Picchu was built by the Inca in the fifteenth century on a ridge high above the Urubamba River in the Andes of Peru. Abandoned within a hundred years, it was hidden in the cloud forest from the outside world until the early twentieth century.
The Inca built it to follow the sun. In the Temple of the Sun, a window lines up with the rising sun at the June solstice. Most mornings, clouds fill the valleys below, and the first light breaks over the peaks and burns them away to reveal the terraces.
A sunrise over Machu Picchu is a gift from the sky city of the Inca, who worshipped the sun as Inti, the giver of life.
The best season
The dry season, from May to September, brings the clearest mornings. The wet season, from November to March, is greener, with mist and cloud that often clear later in the day.
Where to watch
The Sun Gate on the Inca Trail looks down over the citadel at sunrise. Inside the site, the terraces near the guardhouse give the classic view with Huayna Picchu behind.
Give this moment
Dedicate a sunrise, sunset or full moon night at Machu Picchu to someone you love, the nearest one or on the day you choose — from $4.99. They get a gift page with a live countdown, and a certificate with the exact minute, ready right after payment.
The SunriseDedicate this sunrise
The SunsetDedicate this sunset
The Full Moon NightDedicate the full moon night
Questions
What time is sunrise at Machu Picchu today?
It changes by a minute or two every day. This page calculates today’s sunrise and sunset live for the exact point (13.1631° S, 72.5450° W), in local time (America/Lima), with the same rules as the almanacs: the moment the upper edge of the sun clears the horizon.
Can I dedicate the sunrise at Machu Picchu to someone?
Yes. Choose The Sunrise, The Sunset or The Full Moon Night with this place, the nearest one or on the day you choose: it is dedicated to the person you name, they receive a gift page with a live countdown, and the certificate with the exact minute of the moment is ready right after payment.
What if it is cloudy?
The sun rises and sets whatever the weather. The certificate records the real astronomical moment, and the gift page tells the story of the sky at that minute.
Can you see the sunrise at Machu Picchu?
The first buses arrive around sunrise; on clear days the sun rises over the eastern peaks soon after. Clouds often fill the valley first and lift as the light grows.
Is the Temple of the Sun aligned with the solstice?
Yes. One of its windows lines up with the sunrise at the June solstice.
Nearby places
- Sunrise at Iguazú Falls · Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
- Sunrise at Christ the Redeemer · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Sunrise at Ahu Tongariki · Easter Island, Chile