Great Cave/Moon Temple

This trail branches off from the Huayna Picchu Trail and adds another 1-2 hours of hiking. The hike descends into the jungle and then back up the mountain and then back down. The Temple of the Moon was built in a natural cave. The stones fit together to form rooms with doors and windows – only they are blocked, maybe not really rooms. A large stone has been carved into a place to sit, perfect for resting after the long hike.

There is another, smaller cave slightly farther down. There is supposed to be a trail that comes off the back side of Huayna Picchu but we couldn’t find it. The trail we took that branched off the main trail is longer than this hidden trail.

Make sure you have enough water here because it is warmer and stickier in this lower elevation. It’s also a good idea to have eaten before you do this hike and the Huayna Picchu hike. This temple was really neat to see even though it was a lot of work hiking this trail immediately after Huayna Picchu without water or food.