Machu Picchu Machu Picchu The Ruins on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Brief Notes on the Main Archaeological Sites, with Photographs Part 4 : The Lost City of the Incas View from Intipunku, the Sun Gate. This is the first sight of Machu Picchu that hikers following the Inca Tail get. by Linda Davies "Helen had always feared that it would be an anticlimax, that something dreamed of for a lifetime would inevitably be smaller than the dream. She had lived so much of her life in the imagination that it was for her more powerful than reality. But what towered before her was greater than anything she might have conjured. Photographs were as ashes to a live body. Nothing captured Machu Picchu, a kingdom ruined but alive." "The power was not just in the configurations of stones, but in the awesome setting. A thousand feet below, the Urubamba river churned through the gorge that cut around the base of the mountain. Surrounding them a circle of snow-covered peaks and green ranges towered into a dazzling sky.

The Citadel at the centre." The quotations above, describing the goal and fitting climax of the Inca Trail hike are from Into the Fire , the thriller by Linda Davies , who lived in Peru for three years. She used her experiences, and what she learnt there, in the plot of the novel. She travelled extensively in the country and hiked the Inca Trail on various occasions. Into the Fire is now available world-wide in a new paperback edition published by Twenty First Century Publishers and may also be downloaded as an ebook from Diesel eBooks . Of course, Machu Picchu is an amazing spectacle, even if you arrive by train - the easy way! The Classic view showing the ruined city perched on a hill with the mountain Huayna Picchu in the background. Top 10 Machu Picchu Secrets -- National Geographic Top 10 Machu Picchu Secrets This ancient Inca site has centuries-old secrets trapped in its walls— and more recent ones that we spill here. View Images The summit of Huayna Picchu, also known as Wayna Picchu, gives trekkers a bird's-eye view of Machu Picchu.

Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic By Mark Adams , author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu 1. It’s not actually the Lost City of the Inca. When the explorer Hiram Bingham III encountered Machu Picchu in 1911, he was looking for a different city, known as Vilcabamba. This was a hidden capital to which the Inca had escaped after the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1532. Over time it became famous as the legendary Lost City of the Inca. Bingham spent most of his life arguing that Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba were one and the same, a theory that wasn’t proved wrong until after his death in 1956. (The real Vilcabamba is now believed to have been built in the jungle about 50 miles west of Machu Picchu.) Recent research has cast doubt on whether Machu Picchu had ever been forgotten at all. When Bingham arrived, three families of farmers were living at the site. 2. It’s no stranger to earthquakes. The stones in the most handsome buildings throughout the Inca Empire used no mortar.

These stones were cut so precisely, and wedged so closely together, that a credit card cannot be inserted between them. Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefits of this building style, there are engineering advantages. Peru is a seismically unstable country—both Lima and Cusco have been leveled by earthquakes—and Machu Picchu itself was constructed atop two fault lines. When an earthquake occurs, the stones in an Inca building are said to “dance;” that is, they bounce through the tremors and then fall back into place. Without this building method, many of the best known buildings at Machu Picchu would have collapsed long ago. 3. Much of the most impressive stuff is invisible. While the Inca are best remembered for their beautiful walls, their civil engineering projects were incredibly advanced as well. (Especially, as is often noted, for a culture that used no draft animals, iron tools, or wheels.) The site we see today had to be sculpted out of a notch between two small peaks by moving stone and earth to create a relatively flat space. The engineer Kenneth Wright has estimated that 60 percent of the construction done at Machu Picchu was underground. Much of that consists of deep building foundations and crushed rock used as drainage.

(As anyone who’s visited in the wet season can tell you, Machu Picchu receives a lot of rain.) 4. You can walk up to the ruins. A trip to Machu Picchu is many things, but cheap is not one of them. Train tickets from Cusco can run more than a hundred dollars each, and the entry fees are an additional $43. In between, a round-trip bus trip up and down the 2,000-feet-high slope atop which the Inca ruins are located costs another $14. If you don’t mind a workout, however, you can walk up and down for free. The steep path roughly follows Hiram Bingham’s 1911 route and offers extraordinary views of the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, which looks almost as it did in Bingham’s time. The climb is strenuous and takes about 90 minutes. 5. There’s a great, hidden museum that no one goes to. For visitors conditioned to the explanatory signs at national parks, one of the strangest things about Machu Picchu is that the site provides virtually no information about the ruins.

(This lack does have one advantage—the ruins remain uncluttered.) The excellent Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón ($8 entry) fills in many of the blanks about how and why Machu Picchu was built (displays are in English and Spanish), and why the Inca chose such an extraordinary natural location for the citadel. First you have to find the museum, though. It’s inconveniently tucked at the end of a long dirt road near the base of Machu Picchu, about a 30-minute walk from the town of Aguas Calientes. 6. There’s more than one peak to climb. Long before dawn, visitors eagerly queue up outside the bus depot in Aguas Calientes, hoping to be one of the first persons to enter the site. Why? Because only the first 400 people who sign in are eligible to climb Huayna Picchu (the small green peak, shaped like a rhino horn, that appears in the background of many photos of Machu Picchu.) Almost no one bothers to ascend the pinnacle that anchors the opposite end of the site, which is usually called Machu Picchu Mountain.

At 1,640 feet it is twice as tall, and the views it offers of the area surrounding the ruins—especially the white Urubamba River winding around Machu Picchu like a coiled snake—are spectacular. 7. There’s a secret temple. Should you be one of the lucky early birds who snags a spot on the guest list to Huayna Picchu, don’t just climb the mountain, snap a few photos, and leave. Take the time to follow the hair-raising trail to the Temple of the Moon, located on the far side of Huayna Picchu. Here, a ceremonial shrine of sorts has been built into a cave lined with exquisite stonework and niches that were once probably used to hold mummies. 8. There are still things to be found. Should you wander away from the central ruins at Machu Picchu, you’ll notice that occasionally side paths branch off into the thick foliage. Where do they go? Who knows. Because the cloud forest grows over quickly in the area surrounding Machu Picchu, there may be unknown trails and ruins yet to be found nearby. Several newly refurbished sets of terraces are being made available to the public for the first time this summer. 9.

It has a great sense of direction. From the moment Hiram Bingham staggered up to Machu Picchu in 1911, visitors have understood that the ruins’ natural setting is as important to the site as the buildings themselves. Recent research has shown that the site’s location, and the orientation of its most important structures, was strongly influenced by the location of nearby holy mountains, or apus. An arrow-shaped stone atop the peak of Huayna Picchu appears to point due south, directly through the famous Intihuatana Stone, to Mount Salcantay, one of the most revered apus in Inca cosmology. On important days of the Inca calendar, the sun can be seen to rise or set behind other significant peaks. 10. It may have been the end of a pilgrimage. A new theory proposed by the Italian archaeoastronomer Giulio Magli suggests that the journey to Machu Picchu from Cusco could have served a ceremonial purpose: echoing the celestial journey that, according to legend, the first Inca took when they departed the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca.

Rather than simply following a more sensible path along the banks of the Urubamba River, the Inca built the impractical but visually stunning Inca Trail, which according to Magli, prepared pilgrims for entry into Machu Picchu. The final leg of the pilgrimage would have concluded with climbing the steps to the Intihuatana Stone, the highest spot in the main ruins. Comment on This Story © 1996-Thu Jan 12 22:23:26 EST 2017 National Geographic Society. Nat Geo Events ContemporaryNomad.com | Machu Picchu Machu Picchu 13 Comments » Machu Picchu is spectacular… so spectacular that we needed to visit the super-monument twice. The first time was in July during a visit by friends Lisa and Garrett, who pop up on this blog once or twice a year. The second time was the last day of our incredible Salkantay Lodge Trek with Mountain Lodges of Peru . In some ways, it almost feels ridiculous writing about one of the most photographed and documented places on the planet. Volumes have been written about how beautiful and mysterious the site is.

Article after article invokes images of “the lost city of the Incas,” which was never really all that lost. (Locals living in the area knew it was here.) So what is there to write? Can Thomas and I really add anything that hasn’t been said a thousand times? Perhaps. One thing we can say about the monument, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and voted one of the New World Wonders, is that the archeological site is even more beautiful than pictures can easily represent. That’s not true for every world-famous location. The classic shot over the 600-year-old ruins backed by the pyramidal peak of Huayna Picchu is certainly gorgeous. But no photograph (even 360 panoramas) can truly capture the deep valleys that plunge down beyond the terraced mountain slopes. It’s also quite hard to convey the scale, color and depth of the surrounding jungle-covered mountains. The landscape is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in other parts of the world. It’s really the natural setting that makes the monument so unique. It’s true that Inca architecture is less obviously spectacular than the constructions of Mesoamerica or ancient Egypt – but it IS very special.

Machu Picchu requires movement and exploration to fully comprehend the full extent of its beauty. Winding through the narrow streets and alleys of the ruined city, descending the massive stone staircases, and exploring the stone dwellings and temples brings the site into focus. You have to walk along the gargantuan walls examining the perfection of the jigsaw masonry. As in Cuzco and Sacsawayman , the artistry is represented in perfect seams between incomprehensibly large stone blocks rather than wall paintings or sculpture. Those blocks also add an air of mystery. Like the stone circles of Britain or the mammoth Neolithic temples of Malta, it seems impossible for ancient cultures to have moved such enormous pieces of stone. How did they do it? Many of the structures like the Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Royal Tomb can feel quite abstract at first, but the more you move through the site, the more you begin to understand the Incan aesthetic. Our Mountain Lodges of Peru guide Whilder helped us understand the subtle beauty of Inca construction. Huge pieces of stone were considered beautiful, and natural forms were often preferred to artificial forms. The shape of the stone and of the land itself WAS art.

Large boulders were often left in place and were thought to have spiritual meaning. Architecture, roads, and terracing hugged the shape of the land. In some ways, it feels like native American art and architecture in its purest form. The central ruins are the focal point of most tours, but to really appreciate Machu Picchu you need to get out and hike to the view points. With Lisa and Garrett, we hiked the precipitous path up to the top of towering Huayna Picchu which boasts a stone fortress and sky-high views over the entire archeological park. You are so high up that Machu Picchu appears to be a tiny, insignificant afterthought on the plunging slopes. The steep, exposed staircase down the back of Huayna Picchu is an adventure in itself. On our second trip to Machu Picchu, we hiked up to the Sun Gate to take in the exceptional views over the eastern side of the ruins as well as the zigzag road that leads up from Aguas Calientes. We also did a second side trip to the famous Inca Bridge which clings to a sheer cliff on the western side of the monument.

The gorgeous cobbled path leading out to the bridge features vertigo-inducing sheer stone walls. It feels like something out of The Lord of the Rings – definitely try not to miss it. It’s easy to rush around the ruins trying to see everything. Or to be so focused on historical explanations or guidebook maps that you forget to just look at the grandeur. Take a moment to watch the llamas grazing on the Central Plaza. Hike up to the classic view point near the Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock, find a stretch of stone terrace to call your own and just take it all in. The sight of the stone temples, dwellings and terraces spilling down the steep cliffs is breathtaking. It really is one of the most beautiful monuments in the world. Machu Picchu Reality Check Yes, Machu Picchu is stunning. But all this beauty combined with enormous media coverage and touristic promotion means that this New World Wonder is – putting it quite bluntly – overwhelmed. In 2011, the Peruvian government limited the number of visitors to Machu Picchu to 2,500 per day.

The popular climb up Huayna Picchu is limited to only 400 people a day. The climb up Machu Picchu Mountain behind the ruins is similarly limited. In other words, this is not a monument where you just show up last minute and expect to do whatever you want. Due to the damage caused by such large numbers of people moving through the monument, it’s also a real question how long Machu Picchu will remain this accessible. I’m afraid at some point, it may go the way of Chichen Itza and completely block entry to the ruined buildings. That would be a real loss; it’s just not the same walking along ruins looking at them from behind a barrier. I would suggest that if you have your heart set on exploring Machu Picchu, you get there as soon as possible. Disclosure: For our second trip to Machu Picchu, we were guests of Mountain Lodges of Peru . However, all of the opinions expressed here are our own. It’s Machu Picchu, people, of course we love it.

Machu Picchu - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Machu Picchu’s Inca Past Historians believe Machu Picchu was built at the height of the Inca Empire, which dominated western South America in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was abandoned an estimated 100 years after its construction, probably around the time the Spanish began their conquest of the mighty pre-Columbian civilization in the 1530s. There is no evidence that the conquistadors ever attacked or even reached the mountaintop citadel, however; for this reason, some have suggested that the residents’ desertion occurred because of a smallpox epidemic. Did You Know? Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries. Many modern-day archaeologists now believe that Machu Picchu served as a royal estate for Inca emperors and nobles. Others have theorized that it was a religious site, pointing to its proximity to mountains and other geographical features that the Incas held sacred.

Dozens of alternate hypotheses have cropped up in the years since Machu Picchu was first unveiled to the world, with scholars variously interpreting it as a prison, a trade hub, a station for testing new crops, a women’s retreat or a city devoted to the coronation of kings, among many examples. Machu Picchu’s “Discovery” by Hiram Bingham In the summer of 1911 the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham arrived in Peru with a small team of explorers hoping to find Vilcabamba, the last Inca stronghold to fall to the Spanish. Traveling on foot and by mule, Bingham and his team made their way from Cuzco into the Urubamba Valley, where a local farmer told them of some ruins located at the top of a nearby mountain. The farmer called the mountain Machu Picchu, which translates to “old peak” in the native Quechua language. On July 24, after a tough climb to the mountain’s ridge in cold and drizzly weather, Bingham met a small group of peasants who showed him the rest of the way.

Led by an 11-year-old boy, Bingham got his first glimpse of the intricate network of stone terraces marking the entrance to Machu Picchu. The excited Bingham spread the word about his discovery in a best-selling book, “The Lost City of the Incas,” sending hordes of eager tourists flocking to Peru to follow in his footsteps up the formerly obscure Inca Trail. He also excavated artifacts from Machu Picchu and took them to Yale University for further inspection, igniting a custody dispute that lasted nearly 100 years. It was not until the Peruvian government filed a lawsuit and lobbied President Barack Obama for the return of the items that Yale agreed to complete their repatriation. Although he is credited with making Machu Picchu known to the world—indeed, the highway tour buses use to reach it bears his name—it is not certain that Bingham was the first outsider to visit it. There is evidence that missionaries and other explorers reached the site during the 19th and early 20th centuries but were simply less vocal about what they uncovered there.

The Site of Machu Picchu In the midst of a tropical mountain forest on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes, Machu Picchu’s walls, terraces, stairways and ramps blend seamlessly into its natural setting. The site’s finely crafted stonework, terraced fields and sophisticated irrigation system bear witness to the Inca civilization’s architectural, agricultural and engineering prowess. Its central buildings are prime examples of a masonry technique mastered by the Incas in which stones were cut to fit together without mortar. Archaeologists have identified several distinct sectors that together comprise the city, including a farming zone, a residential neighborhood, a royal district and a sacred area. Machu Picchu’s most distinct and famous structures include the Temple of the Sun and the Intihuatana stone, a sculpted granite rock that is believed to have functioned as a solar clock or calendar. Machu Picchu Today A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and designated one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu is Peru’s most visited attraction and South America’s most famous ruins, welcoming hundreds of thousands of people a year.

Increased tourism, the development of nearby towns and environmental degradation continue to take their toll on the site, which is also home to several endangered species. As a result, the Peruvian government has taken steps to protect the ruins and prevent erosion of the mountainside in recent years. Tags Machu Picchu Tweet Machu Picchu Welcome to the mysterious ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru. Prepare yourself as you are about to embark on a virtual tour exploring one of the most intriguing destinations on the planet. Don’t worry ... you won’t need heavy hiking gear or an experienced guide to tour the spectacular views and scenery the magnificent complex has to offer. Start by viewing a virtual tour of Machu Picchu , and then follow the map on your left to continue your journey ... The New Seven Wonders The new Seven Wonders are in. Visit the links below to take virtual tours or view still images of the new 7 wonders of the world. A Brief Overview Machu Picchu 7,000 feet above sea level and nestled on a small hilltop between the Andean Mountain Range, the majestic city soars above the Urabamba Valley below.

The Incan built structure has been deemed the “Lost Cities”, unknown until its relatively recent discovery in 1911. Archaeologists estimate that approximately 1200 people could have lived in the area, though many theorize it was most likely a retreat for Incan rulers. Due to it’s isolation from the rest of Peru, living in the area full time would require traveling great distances just to reach the nearest village. Separated into three areas - agricultural, urban, and religious - the structures are arranged so that the function of the buildings matches the form of their surroundings. The agricultural terracing and aqueducts take advantage of the natural slopes; the lower areas contain buildings occupied by farmers and teachers, and the most important religious areas are located at the crest of the hill, overlooking the lush Urubamba Valley thousands of feet below. Hikers, tourists, and the early explorers describe similar emotions as they climb their way through the Inca Trail . Many call the experience magical. Glancing out from the Funerary Rock Hut on all the temples, fields, terraces, and baths seems to take you to another time.

Blending in with the hillside itself, many say the area creates a seamless and elegant green paradise, making it a must for anyone who travels to Peru. Machu Picchu and Hiram Bingham: What He Got Wrong Apic—Getty Images Yale graduate and American explorer Hiram Bingham (1875-1956) who discovered the Machu Picchu in Peru, July 24, 1911. The explorer had first reached the ancient Incan city on July 24, 1911 Until the archeologist Hiram Bingham came across it on this day, July 24, in 1911, most of the world thought the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu was lost, as was their capital Vilcabamba. As TIME reported in 1948, when Bingham returned to Peru to celebrate the opening of a road to the site, which would bear his name, he began by studying old charts and texts, until he was sure that there was an Incan capital city somewhere in the Andes that had never been found by the Spanish invaders.

He got a key tip from a local muleteer and, upon climbing Machu Picchu peak, found the lost city hidden under vines. Of course, the very fact that the muleteer had the tip to offer means that Machu Picchu was never completely lost in the first place. It was just ignored by all but the locals who lived their lives around the site. Shortly after Bingham’s death, when a plaque was dedicated to him at the site, the magazine had cause to revisit the tale: Some experts believe that parts of the city, which Bingham named Machu Picchu (Old Peak), are 60 centuries old, which would make it 1,000 years older than ancient Babylon. More recently, if its ruins are interpreted correctly, it was at once an impregnable fortress and a majestic royal capital of an exiled civilization. Built on a saddle between two peaks, Machu Picchu is surrounded by a granite wall, can be entered only by one main gate. Inside is a maze of a thousand ruined houses, temples, palaces, and staircases, all hewn from white granite and dominated by a great granite sundial.

In Quechua, language of the sun-worshipping Incas and their present-day descendants, the dial was known as Intihuatana—hitching post of the sun. By Bingham’s own reckoning, the city was actual a pre-Incan fortress that eventually became a Quechua city, where the first Incan king was born. When the Spanish arrived, Bingham said, the Incas who could fled to Machu Picchu, but the empire only lasted a few more decades before the last of their kings was killed in the 16th century. Though Machu Picchu never lost its appeal to tourists, it did turn out that Bingham’s account of what had happened there wasn’t exactly true. Modern experts argue that Machu Picchu was a mere country retreat for aristocracy—and not a major center of Incan life at all. Read more from 1948, here in the TIME Vault: Explorer’s Return Sign up for Machu Picchu -- World Heritage Site -- National Geographic Reason: Machu Picchu is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.

* * * Machu Picchu is tangible evidence of the urban Inca Empire at the peak of its power and achievement—a citadel of cut stone fit together without mortar so tightly that its cracks still can’t be penetrated by a knife blade. The complex of palaces and plazas, temples and homes may have been built as a ceremonial site, a military stronghold, or a retreat for ruling elites—its dramatic location is certainly well suited for any of those purposes. The ruins lie on a high ridge, surrounded on three sides by the windy, turbulent Urubamba River some 2,000 feet (610 meters) below. Scholars are still striving to uncover clues to the mysteries hidden here high in the eastern slopes of the Andes, covered with tropical forests of the upper Amazon Basin. Machu Picchu appears to lie at the center of a network of related sites and trails—and many landmarks both man-made and mountainous appear to align with astronomical events like the solstice sunset. The Inca had no written language, so they left no record of why they built the site or how they used it before it was abandoned in the early 16th century. Landscape engineering skills are in strong evidence at Machu Picchu.

The site’s buildings, walls, terraces, and ramps reclaim the steep mountainous terrain and make the city blend naturally into the rock escarpments on which it is situated. The 700-plus terraces preserved soil, promoted agriculture, and served as part of an extensive water-distribution system that conserved water and limited erosion on the steep slopes. The Inca’s achievements and skills are all the more impressive in light of the knowledge they lacked. When Machu Picchu was built some 500 years ago the Inca had no iron, no steel, and no wheels. Their tremendous effort apparently benefited relatively few people—some experts maintain that fewer than a thousand individuals lived here. In 1911 a Peruvian guide led Yale professor Hiram Bingham up a steep mountainside and into the history books as the first Western scholar to lay eyes on the “lost city” of Machu Picchu. While indigenous peoples knew of the site, Peru’s Spanish conquerors never did—a fact which aided Machu Picchu’s isolation, and preservation, over the centuries. Today Machu Picchu is far from isolated.

In fact it’s a must-see for any visitor to Peru and the draw that compels many to travel to that nation. Machu Picchu’s management challenge is preservation of the site while making it accessible to all those who hope to experience an incredible part of Inca history. How to Get There On his first trip to the site Hiram Bingham walked for six days. Today many choose to follow in his footsteps by hiking to the ruins on the legendary Inca Trail. It’s an experience like no other, but one no longer necessary. Train trips from Cusco take only a few hours. When to Visit Mountain archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Johan Reinhard offered this tip on how to escape the crowds that typically fill the site by midday. “I traditionally climb to the top of a nearby peak with a pack lunch and wait till the crowds are gone,” he wrote in National Geographic Traveler. How to Visit For the fit there is simply no substitute for traveling to Machu Picchu the way the Inca themselves did—on foot. Today the Inca Trail winds through the mountains and along the path of the ancient royal highway.

More than 75,000 people make the trip each year and along the way experience some of the associated sites that were part of the Inca network in this area. It’s no longer possible to do the trek independently. Due to heavy use (and subsequent environmental impact) the trail has become heavily regulated. Visitors must sign up with an organized group to tackle either the classic four-day route or a recently added two-day option. Comment on This Story Where is Machu Picchu & how can you get there? Where is Machu Picchu & how can you get there? Where is Machu Picchu & how can you get there? Machu Picchu Ruins: map, geographical location, altitude & time zone The ruins of Machu Picchu are located on the continent of South America in the country of Peru. The ancient Inca city is positioned in the Andes Mountains on a saddle between the mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu at 2450 m/8040 ft above sea level. The ruins are located about 13 degrees south of the equator and surrounded on three sides by a loop of the Urubamba River.

Click here to see Machu Picchu packing guide Machu Picchu is in the GMT-5 time zone and located in a natural cul-de-sac about 113 Km northeast of the city of Cusco. (the same time zone as Washington DC in the US but no Daylight Savings Time) STEP 1: How to get to Machu Picchu: International gateway - Lima International flights arrive in Lima, Peru, located on the Pacific coast. Many flights arrive late evening and because there are no flights to Cusco in the evening, travelers will spend 1 night in Lima. The area around the Lima airport is not pedestrian friendly and tourists who don't stay at the Wyndham Hotel located in the airport, should arrange transfers in advance, to hotels in Miraflores, about 45 min drive from the airport. STEP 2: How to get to Machu Picchu: Secondary gateway - Cusco From Lima, several airlines offer direct 1 hour/10 min flights to Cusco, which is 11,000 ft/3400 m above sea level. Most flights are scheduled in the morning & taper off by afternoon.

It is not possible to fly to Cusco in the evening, and the return flights from Cusco to Lima end by early evening. It is not recommended to schedule the last flight of the day if you are trying to connect with an international flight on the same day, because weather in the mountains can cause flight delays or cancellations. Bus service is available, but takes more than 20 hours one way over curvy mountain roads. Need entrance tickets to Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu? Should you buy online or wait until you get there? Follow this link to get news about changes to Perurail tickets, Inca Trail tickets & Machu Picchu entry tickets What can you see & do in Cusco and Sacred Valley of the Incas? Many travelers spend a day or two checking out the historical Inca sites in Cusco while adjusting to the altitude, before heading to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

It is recommended to spend at least another day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, exploring Pisac ruins or Chinchero, Moray & Maras on the way to Ollantaytambo, 9160 ft/2790 m, the oldest occupied town in Peru. (or explore the sites on the way back to Cusco from Machu Picchu) STEP 3: How to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu There is no public transportation through the Sacred Valley, however Peru rail offers full transportation services from Poroy station, about 20 minutes from Cusco, to Aguas Calientes (the third & final gateway city to the ruins). Peru rail no longer provided transportation from Cusco to the train station in Ollantaytambo (about 1.5 hours) where they board trains for a 1.5 (sometimes 2) hour ride to the town of Aguas Calientes. Option 1: Hike to Machu Picchu on the Classic Inca Trail The other way to get to Machu Picchu is by foot on the Inca Trail.

The 45 km hike takes 4-days and is only possible by hiring a licensed tour operator to buy the hiking permits for you. (also consider the easy 1-day Inca Trail hike ) The operator provides guide, porters, equipment, meals and a tour of Machu Picchu. The price should include the return transportation to your hotel in Cusco. It is not possible to hike the official Inca Trail independently. Nor can you hike the Inca Trail backwards. Outfitter prices vary widely and there is the possibility that if the price is extremely low it is because the porters are being underpaid. This is a big problem on the Inca Trail and other trails and is reinforced by consumers who shop for hikes based on price alone. “You get what you pay for,” and so do the porters in this case. Option 2: Take train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo train station - about 2 hours drive from Cusco The first trains from Ollantaytambo depart approximately 5 am, 6 am & 7 am and arrive in Aguas Calientes 1.5 - 2 hours later.

There is no airport & there are no roads to Aguas Calientes. There are no cars, taxis or motorized transportation in the village, except for the 20 tour buses that shuttle people back and forth between 5:30 am – 3 pm, in 10 minutes intervals (or when buses are full), between the town and the main entry to the Machu Picchu National Park. Option 3: Take train to Machu Picchu from Poroy Train Station - about 30 min drive from Cusco The Poroy station is located on the outskirts of Cusco and can be reached by taxi. While the majority of trains depart from Ollantaytambo, 1 train each Expedition & Vistadome depart early from Poroy, followed by 1 luxury train Hiram Bingham departing around 9 am. All the trains offer some level of service but HB serves a complete meal en route to Aguas Calientes, arrives around 12:30 pm and then departs Aguas Calientes for Cusco about 6:30 pm. A full 4-course dinner (with wine!) is served before arriving in Poroy at 10 pm.

Taxis will be waiting to take travelers to their hotels in Cusco. If you are not taking the luxury train, your tour operator will arrange private transportation for you between Cusco & the train station in Ollantaytambo. If you are traveling on your own, ask your hotel to assist you with arrangements for the train. What about my luggage? Besides there not being baggage cars on the train, there is no way to transport luggage between the train and the hotels in Aguas Calientes other than by hand-carry. (some hotels will send staff to meet your train & carry your bags) A good reason to pack lightly when you visit the ruins, even if you plan to stay overnight. Hotels in Cusco & Ollantaytambo will store your luggage in locked rooms until you return. Click here to see our comprehensive Machu Picchu packing guide. Where do I get Machu Picchu entry tickets? If you booked your tour through an operator, they will arrange all your transportation and train tickets as well as the shuttle to/from the entry to the ruins.

While it is possible to go from Cusco to Machu Picchu in one day, it is better to break up the journey with at least one overnight in Aguas Calientes or Ollantaytambo, either on the way to the ruins or on the way back to Cusco. Machu Picchu entry tickets can no longer be purchased at the main entry. Visitors are limited to 2500 people per day and all tickets must be pre-purchased in Cusco or Aguas Calientes. Due to credit card fraud, It is sometimes difficult for travelers to pay for Machu Picchu tickets online. We can purchase your tickets in advance. You can check on availability at the Machu Picchu website or we will do it for you. Machu Picchu travel guide - Wikitravel 10 Get out Machu Picchu is the site of an ancient Inca city, high in the Andes of Peru . Located at 2,430m (8,000 ft), this UNESCO World Heritage site is often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas".

It's one of the most familiar symbols of the Incan Empire and also one of the most famous and spectacular sets of ruins in the world. A visit to Peru would not be complete without seeing it, but this can be very expensive and crowded. History[ edit ] These remarkable ruins became known to the scientific world in 1911, after the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham was led to the site by locals. Perched dramatically 1000 feet above the Urubamba river, Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site . It is also the end point of the most popular hike in South America , the Inca Trail . The story of Machu Picchu is quite a remarkable one; it is still unknown exactly what the site was in terms of its place in Inca life. Current researchers tend to believe that Machu Picchu was a country resort for elite Incas. At any given time, there were no more than 750 people living at Machu Picchu, with far fewer than that during the rainy season.

The Incas started building it around 1430AD, but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. One thing that is clear is that it was a remarkably well hidden place, and well protected. Located far up in the mountains of Peru, visitors had to travel up long valleys littered with Inca check points and watch towers. Remarkably, the Spanish conquistadors missed the site. However, many people are said to have knowledge of the ancient city as it was referred to in some text found in the 20th century; even so, it was not until Bingham that Machu Picchu was scientifically discovered (he was on a trip sponsored by the Yale University, actually looking for Vilcabamba, the last Inca hideout). The ruins viewed from the Guardian's Hut Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artefacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early twentieth century. Landscape[ edit ] Flora and fauna[ edit ] Both are abundant and varied. Typical plant life in the historic reserve of Machu Picchu includes pisonayes, q'eofias, alisos, puya palm trees, ferns and more than 90 species of orchids. The fauna in the reserve includes the spectacled bear, cock-of-the-rocks or "tunqui", tankas, wildcats and an impressive variety of butterflies and insects unique in the region. The lay of the land, the natural surroundings and the strategic location of Machu Picchu lend this monument a fusion of beauty, harmony and balance between the work of the ancient Peruvians and the whims of nature.

Get in[ edit ] Machu Picchu is located on a mountain ledge, a couple of hundred metres above the valley and river. There is no direct way to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, and you will have to use a combination of transport to get there, unless you walk the entire way. There is a road as far as Ollantaytambo from Cusco, and a railway from Poroy (near Cusco) via Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes . Machu Picchu then lies at the top of the mountain above Aguas Calientes (now officially called Machu Picchu Pueblo). A road goes up the mountain from Aguas Calientes. There is no public road access to Aguas Calientes from Cusco or Ollantaytambo. There are a few ways to reach Machu Picchu. Most tourists either hike the Inca Trail, or use the train & bus combo via Ollantaytambo/Aguas Calientes: - Hike the Inca Trail (you need to book months in advance in high season, there are only 500 spaces available per day.

- Hike another trail—for example, the Salkantay trek that finishes in Hidroelectrica or Santa Teresa (see below), or the Choquequirao trek (from Choquequirao to Santa Teresa). - There are tour operator agencies to organise an adrenaline trip to Machu Picchu: biking, rafting, hiking and zip lining. This is usually marketed as the Inka Jungle trek to Machu Picchu . - The Lares Trek is cultural and tradicional Andean trek. - Cachiccata Trek is the best alternative treks to Machu Picchu, you can see Inca Trail original, mummies, Intipunko (Sun Door), Inca water fall and ruins. - Train from Cuzco or Ollantaytambo . See below - Minibus to Hidroelectrica through Santa Maria and Santa Teresa (altogether around PEN40 one way, allow 6-7 hours, you might have to change in Santa Maria and/or Santa Teresa). Then you can walk along the railway from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes (free, 2.5-3h) or take the train (USD28 one way).

If you go for this option, ask around agencies in Cuzco as it might be cheaper to buy a package that includes the trains to and from Hidroelectrica, buses from Aguas Calientes to MP, minibuses between Hidroelectrica and Cuzco, accommodation in Aguas Calientes and the ticket to MP. The package might be cheaper than going independently, although you will be less flexible once you buy the package. The wet season in Peru is from November (often only really taking off in December) until the end of March, so then it is best to include a few extra days for flexibly dealing with delays. From Aguas Calientes, there are two ways to reach the ruins: by bus (USD 24 for a return ticket, with each leg taking 20 minutes) or walking (free steep hike), as described below. Depending on when you arrive, the site may be quite crowded or nearly deserted. The busiest periods are in the dry season (June-August), with the slowest being in February, the height of the rainy season, when the Inca Trail is closed.

Most visitors arrive on package tours and are in the park between 10:00 and 14:00. All visitors must leave Machu Picchu by 17:00 To access the site, you must have a ticket (128 sol / 65 sol for students with ISIC card) for Machu Picchu - which are available online in advance (see Fees/Permits below for more details) or from various ticket offices described on that website, including one across from the town hall in Aguas Calientes. Machu Picchu tickets are NOT sold at the entrance gate and are limited to 2500 per day, with entrance to Huayna Picchu and Montana Machu Picchu each being further limited to 400. During peak times of the year, tickets can sell out days in advance. By train to Aguas Calientes[ edit ] There are 2 train companies operating to Aguas Calientes , the end of the line, most trains start from Ollantaytambo. The two rail options are: PeruRail [1] : 1.

Four daily trains from Poroy Station (near Cusco) all departing between 5 and 9 AM, arriving at AguasCalientes before 1 PM - The earlier return train is at 3:20 PM. The entire trip is almost 4 hours. There are 3 classes of trains: Expedition (Starting at USD 160 R/T), Vistadome (glass top) and the Hiram Bingham exclusive train (over USD 700 R/T, this service is timed to offer day trips from Cusco.). 2. There are more than 10 daily trains from Ollantaytambo to AguasCalientes (90-minute ride) starting at 108 USD round trip. Hiram Bingham train not available on this route. IncaRail [2] : 1. One daily train from Poroy Station (near Cusco) departing at 5:55 AM, arriving at AguasCalientes at 8:48 AM - The return train is at 16:12 PM, arriving Poroy-Cusco at 19:38 (Only Premium economy class available, for around USD 160 R/T). 2.

There are 6 daily trains from Ollantaytambo to AguasCalientes starting at USD 100 round-trip. There are 3 classes of trains: Premium, Executive and First Class. An IncaRail exclusive chartered service carriage can be added to any train, upon request. If you are travelling from Cusco, you have 3 options for the combination BUS/TRAIN: 1) Take a minibus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (roughly 90 minutes), stay the night, then take a morning train to Aguas Calientes, arriving in Machu Picchu relatively early (around 9am). 2) Take the minibus to Ollantaytambo, and get straight on a train to Aguas Calientes, and stay the night there. In the morning you can get an early bus up to Macchu Pichu avoiding the later crowds. 3) You can also do a (long) daytrip from Cusco, but getting a very early bus to Ollantaytambo, then a train to Aguas Calientes around 9am. You’ll arrive in Macchu Pichhu around 12 noon.

You can then either get a late train back, then minibus to Cusco, or stay in Aguas Calientes or Ollantaytambo. Overnighting allows you to visit the park early or late in the day and avoid the worst of the crowds, and on sunny days, gives you a nice window of reprieve from the beating sun. However, it can be quite foggy in the morning, especially in the rainy season. Ollantaytambo is small, and a good option for a night before an early train. Aguas Calientes is larger, busier and noiser, but also have a larger range of hotels and restaurants. Train tickets are probably the most expensive in the world (by distance). A one-way ticket from Ollantaytambo will set you back USD 50-80 and from Cuzco even more. Peru Rail (Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes) is a concession run by foreign investors, so much of the money does not stay in Peru (Some people take this into account when they choose their way to get to Machu Picchu).

Inca Rail (Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes) is a concession run by Peruvian investors. Advance train bookings are recommended, as trains are often sold-out, particularly return trains (since many IncaTrail walkers return via rail) but you can typically get a last minute booking on the extremely early morning train. The final train of the day from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo arrives around 11pm. There are normally plenty of taxis and minibuses waiting for customers to drive back to Cusco, where you’ll arrive around 1am. Make sure you don’t take too long to get off the train, as there is normally a mad scramble to get going ASAP. Alternatively stay in Ollantaytambo. Several years ago there used to be - currently closed - a train station in downtown Cusco which ran through crowded streets. Today all trains have the final stop at Poroy (12 km from downtown Cusco), the 30 min ride by taxi will cost you around 20 soles, remember to pre-arrange the price before you board. The station in Poroy is comfortable with clean restrooms and has a small cafeteria.

The immediate area outside the gate is poor and probably not safe. Many taxis wait for passengers outside the station. Whilst train fares are high, service is generally good both at offices and on-board. Even the cheapest class of train includes a drink and snack, and the trains are clean and comfortable. Whilst at the stations, you may see less comfortable and very busy trains full of people. These are for Peruvians only (mostly workers in Aguas Calientes). The fares are tiny in comparison to the tourist trains, but without a Peruvian ID card, you won’t be sold a ticket, or be allowed on board. There are ID checks for all passengers on all trains when boarding. In Aguas Calientes, make sure you proceed through the manned gate to the tourist waiting room, and not to stop or join the queue for the locals train to your left when entering the station. By bus from Aguas Calientes[ edit ] Most people will choose to take the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, as the walk is long and hard, and seldom with good views.

If arriving by train into Aguas Calientes, walk out of the station and keep going roughly straight through the warren of handicraft stalls and over a foot bridge to the bus departure area. Frequent buses leave to the ruins (USD12 one-way or USD24 for a return tickets for adult foreigners, have your passport handy) starting at 05:30. There's often a queue, so if you're intent on being on the first bus up, you should arrive at least 90 minutes early. There are two selling booths open from 5 AM until 9 PM located on the sidewalk by the river, very near the bus stop. Only accept cash (either USD or Sol) and MasterCard / American Express (2% surcharge) and need to see ID even if paying cash. The journey takes around 30 minutes to slowly wind around the switchbacks and up to the park. Buses depart when full, which typically means they run quite regularly. At popular times, there may be a lengthy queue for the buses and a lengthy queue to buy bus tickets, so plan the return trip accordingly in order not to miss train departures.

On foot from Aguas Calientes[ edit ] From Aguas Calientes to get to the ruins themselves it is also possible to walk along a similar 8km route that the buses run, which will take about 1-2 hours up, and around an hour back down. This route is mainly stairs, connecting the switchbacks that the buses take. It is a strenuous and long hike but is very rewarding, recommended to start around 05:00 when the gate at the bridge opens (it takes around 20 minutes to walk from Aguas Calientes to the bridge (where a checkpoint is in place to verify that hikers already have entrance tickets), so there is little use in starting from Aguas Calientes earlier than 04.40), to make it to the top before sunrise. The descent is fairly easy, just take care when the steps are wet. Keep alert for the bus drivers that rarely brake for pedestrians. On foot via the Inca Trail[ edit ] Hiking the Inca Trail is a great way to arrive as you first see the city through the Sun Gate (instead of arriving from below as you do from Aguas Calientes). Both the four-day and two-day hikes are controlled by the government.

Travellers should be fit enough to walk for days and sleep in tents. Every traveller needs to travel with a tour agency because of the rules and regulations of entering the park. Some of these approved tour agencies: Tierras Vivas , Cusi Travel , Llama Path, Adventure Life. Alternative treks to Machu Picchu[ edit ] There are also other options available for hiking to Machu Picchu. This is important to know as the Inca Trail hike is limited in the amount of people that can go on it each day, including porters. As such, there is a much steeper price on that trek and it is necessary to book far in advance to get a place on the dates you will be there. Two other optional trek options, but equally as good, are the Salkantay trek and the Inka Jungle trek to Machu Picchu . Most, if not all, tour agencies in Cuzco offer these. The Salkantay trek is a 4-5 day trek through the Salkantay Mountain Pass (4600m, mind the altitude!) and can also be done independently if you have the gear and some experience.

The scenery is amazing and if you go in the rainy season you will be rewarded with dozens of waterfalls. Though, at the same time, you will be wet for the most part anyways. The Inka Jungle trek to Machu Picchu is an alternative and adrenaline hike to Machu Picchu. The Lares Trek is a high altitude trek, you will appreciate the Andean Lifestyle, the classic colourful ponchos, Llamas, Alpacas and stone thatched houses. If you don't have much time to hike the Inca Trail 4 days and there aren't any spaces available now they are 200 spaces per day for the 2 day inca trail and they don't sell out completely. Other alternative trip to Machu Picchu is by car, but the "backdoor" route they use is also an option for independent travellers wishing to go-it-alone. Minivans and buses are cheap (PEN15-30) from "Terminal Santiago" in Cusco and take you to either Santa Maria or Santa Teresa. Santa Maria is further away from Aguas Calientes than Santa Teresa but is a nice option for those wishing to hike an alternative Inca trail used locally.

The walk takes you through the mountains and tiny villages, even people's farms and offers impressive views of the valley. You can end up in Santa Teresa the same day and there are villages, such as Huacayupana and Quellomayo en route which offer an alternative view of local life and accommodation if you don't make it to Santa Teresa that day. Walking on from here to Santa Teresa is along the river (May - November) and by road during rainy season, although it is advisable to get advice before taking this route between November and April due to severe weather, but be very careful. From Santa Teresa to Hidroelectrica is a 25 minute taxi or minibus ride and from here you can walk 3 hour flattish trek to Aguas Calientes which is one of the nicest parts of the journey. The Peruvian government has imposed a 500 person pass limit per day on Inca Trail traffic. Passes do sell out far in advance, particularly for the high season. Travellers must have a valid passport in order to purchase a pass at the time of reservation. Many local tour operators have since opened up alternate trekking options that allow for similar trekking opportunities in the area.

Most visit other Inca ruins, not as well excavated, and finish with the train trip up to see Machu Picchu at the end. One such option is the Choquequirao Trek, which starts in Cacharo and ends in Los Loros or the Cachiccata Trek which starts in Racca and ends in Cachiccata. Fees/Permits[ edit ] There are three types of tickets: Machu Picchu (MP) entrance only. s/128 as of Nov 2016 for foreigners, with discounts for children and students with an ISIC card (s65. All non ISIC cards will be refused). MP entrance + climbing Cerro Machu Picchu (also known as Montaña) s/142. MP entrance + climbing Huayna Picchu. s/152pp. Peruvians and citizens of neighbour Andean countries pay less. To buy your tickets: The current fee schedule and online tickets should be available at the official government website and from ticket offices listed on that website. It is a 3 step process: Reservation, payment then ticketing.

Unfortunately, the reservation page only works properly in Spanish (not in English) so make sure you click on the Espanol flag before you click Step 3. Online payment can only be made using VISA (not MasterCard) and has a processing fee of 4.2% (around s5) but you can pay at a Banco de la Nacion branch with no processing fee. All you have to do is show the teller your reservation, your passport and hand over the cash. They will give you a receipt but the website should update automatically confirming your payment. You must pay within 3 hours of making the reservation. Once you have made payment you then go back to the website and click Check-in to print your ticket. You can also buy and pay your ticket directly at the ticket office in Aguas Calientes (open 05:30 - 20:30) or Cusco (as of March 2016 the office is located next to the Plaza Regocijo, at the corner of the street Garcilaso, in front of the Choco museum. Closes around 19:30) but NEVER at the Machu Picchu entrance.

Only 2,500 people are allowed to enter Machu Picchu each day. The government website ( ) lists how many tickets are available for each day. In the low season it should not be a problem and you should be able to buy your ticket at the last minute. During high season it fills up quickly and you might need to buy your ticket in advance. Both, the park entrance and the bus ticket, display your name and ID so they are not interchangeable with other people. The number of visitors climbing each of the mountains is restricted to 400 a day. Huayna Picchu is not as high and easier and therefore more popular. Tickets for it might sell out more than a week in advance in high season. Montaña is higher and more difficult, but the views are actually better. Tickets for it sometimes sell out. You can check the availability for any, at any time on the website. When preparing your budget, do not forget to include train tickets (at least USD 100 per passenger) and bus tickets (USD 24 per person). Officially, you are not allowed to bring food inside, but no one checks backpacks.

If you bring it in a transparent plastic bag, they will ask you to store it at the entrance. Officially, disposable plastic bottles are not allowed either, but no one seems to care about this. Again, it is best to carry everything in the backpack. In the rush at the entrance they don't have time to check everyone. There are no trashcans inside the park, only at the gate. Students get a 50% discount of all entrance tickets. You need to show an ISIC card. Non ISIC cards are usually refused. You can try to argue but good luck, they don't really care! - the staff, especially at the ticket office in Aguas Calientes, can be quite arrogant and they really want your money anyway. Most hostels can sell entry permits and bus tickets. Don´t buy them at the travel agency at the Ollantytambo train station, as they don´t actually sell you tickets, but a receipt that you need to give to a person to get your tickets, you´ll end up running all around Aguas Calientes looking for this person. Be sure to bring your passport, as it is requested upon entry.

There's a popular stamp booth as you exit where you can prove to your friends you've been there, although it is technically illegal for the citizens of many countries to mark their own passports. Only small packs are allowed in the park (no more than 20L), but there is a luggage storage at the entrance mostly used by Inca Trailers , fee s/3. Get around[ edit ] There are no vehicles of any kind in the park, bring some comfortable walking shoes, especially if you plan to do any of the hikes such as Wayna Picchu. No walking sticks are allowed, but this rule is rarely enforced. The main ruins are fairly compact and easily walkable. Panorama of Machu Picchu buildings Machu Picchu Take your time walking around the site, as there are many places to see and explore. Although it is not necessary, taking a guided tour does provide a deeper insight into the ancient city, its uses, and information on the geography of it. Keep in mind that relatively little is known about the history and use of the ruins, and some of the stories told by the guides are based on little more than imaginative hearsay. Guides always wait at the entrance and cost PEN120 for a group.

Sun Gate (Inti Punku) – if you've just arrived via the Inka Trail, this will be your first experience of the ruins. Others can backtrack from the ruins along the trail and up the hill. From here you can see back down each valley offering excellent views. It's a fairly strenuous hike (probably 1-1.5 hours each way) but well worth it. If you catch the first bus from Aguas Calientes and head straight here you may be able to reach it in time for sun to peek over the mountain and through the gate. Temple of the Sun – Near the summit of the main city, the stonework on the temple is incredible. Look closely and you will see that there are a variety of stone walls throughout the city. Most are rough stones held together with mud, the common stone walls found throughout the world. But many buildings or parts of buildings are done with the more distinctive and impressive closely-fit stonework. The temple is the absolute pinnacle of this technology. Observe it from the side, descending the stone staircase in the main plaza. Intihuatana – A stone carved so that on certain days, at dawn, the sun makes a certain shadow, thus working as a sun dial.

From Quechua: Inti = sun, huatana = to take, grab: thus grabbing (measuring) the sun. (pronounce 'intiwatana') Temple of the Three Windows &ndash and Main Temple &ndash: are thought to be the main ceremonial sites in the old citadel. They are quite central and fairly well preserved. Temple of the Condor – The tour guides will try to tell you that this was a temple, but look closely: between the wings of the condor is a chamber with grooves cut in the stone to secure manacles, a walkway behind where a torturer may have walked to whip the prisoners' backs, and a scary looking pit to let the blood of prisoners drain. Clearly the condor was a symbol of cruel justice, but a sanitized version is told for the benefit of middle-aged tourists and their children. Do[ edit ][ add listing ] If you have some energy in you, there are a few great hikes involving a bit of legwork. Do make sure that you've taken the time to acclimate to the elevation either in Cuzco or Aguas Calientes for a couple days before exerting yourself too much, especially on Wayna Picchu.

Wayna Picchu. Towering above the south end of Machu Picchu is this steep mountain, often the backdrop to many photos of the ruins. It looks a bit daunting from below, but while steep, it's not an unusually difficult ascent, and most reasonably fit persons shouldn't have a problem. Stone steps are laid along most of the path, and in the steeper sections steel cables provide a supporting handrail. That said, expect to be out of breath, and take care in the steeper portions, especially when wet, as it can become dangerous quickly. There's a tiny cave near the top that must be passed through, it is quite low and a rather tight squeeze. Take care at the peak, it can be somewhat precarious, and those afraid of heights may want to hang out just below. The entire walk is through beautiful landscape, and the views from the top are stunning, including birds eye views over the whole site. There's also a few ruins near the top. If visiting these ruins, you'll see a second way to start making your descent down the mountain, along some very steep and shallow steps.... these steps are a bit dangerous if wet, but the hike may be well worthwhile.

This hike is one of your best bets for getting away from Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu crowds. Note 1: you need a specific, more expensove ticket to climb it. Note 2: Only 400 people allowed per day to climb the mountain, split into two groups. Group one enters 07:00-08:00 and is told to be back by 11:00. Group 2 enters around 9-10am edit If you have some time at hand, or long for a sparkle of solitude, you can also walk to the Moon Temple (Templo de la Luna) and the Great Cave (Gran Caverne). It's a long walk and adventurous hike involving several ladders. Some may find that the sites aren't really rewarding, but unexpected wildlife can be seen (wild spectacled bears have been reported). This hike is also quite interesting because partway through you leave behind the mountain terrain and enter a more conventional forest.

The caves can be reached either by hiking down the trail from the peak of Waynapicchu (which includes some semi-harrowing but fun near-vertical descents) or by the split from the main Waynapicchu trail (look for the sign that says Gran Carern). Remember that it is much easier to descend from Waynapicchu than to ascend from these temples. Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks for this long hike. The hike from the summit to the caves and back to the checkpoint takes about two more hours. Eat[ edit ][ add listing ] Officially, you are not allowed to bring any food or plastic bottles into the park, and must check these in at the luggage storage at the entrance. In practice, however, bags are rarely searched, and most people have no problem getting a bottle of water and some snacks in with them, which you'll definitely want, especially if you're planning to stray from the central set of ruins. Buy these beforehand, as they're much more expensive at the site itself. Don't even think of leaving a shred of trash behind you. The concession stand near the entrance of the site is appropriately overpriced given their captive audience.

Once in the site, there are no food or drinks for sale, though it is possible to leave and return. Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant, Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, ☎ +51 84 21 1039/38, [3] . 11:30-15:00. A casual lunch buffet. The food is decent and the restaurant quite busy at peak times. A discounted train + buffet ticket is available on certain trains from Peru Rail. USD40. edit Tampu Restaurant Bar, Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. 05:30-09:00, 12:00-15:00, 18:30-21:30. Open to hotel guests only, also expensive prices. edit Sleep[ edit ][ add listing ] Due to the fact that this is a protected park, further construction in the area is nearly impossible. Thus, there is currently only one expensive hotel at the site itself. Almost everyone who wants to stay overnight near Machu Picchu books a hotel in nearby Aguas Calientes .

Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, ☎ +51 84 21 1039/38 ( res-mapi@peruorientexpress.com.pe ), [4] . This superbly over-priced hotel is the only option for sleeping at the park. There are two restaurants on site, and 2 suites that have partial views of the ruins. It's located just outside the ticket booth. Prices vary from USD500 to over USD900 per night, and includes all full 3 meals, internet and TV. edit Alternative Treks to Machu Picchu[ edit ] Machu Picchu is a world heritage site, very popular, very well marketed and indeed situated in a place of exceptional natural beauty. This is where the good news end. On the other hand, it can be extremely expensive to visit (most of the time you will be treated as a walking ATM), it can be very crowded, very touristy, much of the staff around the site and in Aguas Calientes look like it's a long time since they last smiled and they can be very arrogant. Many people therefore choose not to visit. Below are some alternatives.

If you are interested in Inca ruins, try those around Cuzco , Ollantaytambo and the excellent Choquequirao . If you still go to Aguas Calientes, but decide not to pay for the entrance to Machu Picchu, you can climb Cerro Putukusi (highly recommended even if you visit MP), right next to Aguas Calientes (1-2h up, 1h down) to get fantastic views of the site and the surrounding nature. Also, the branch of the Salkantay trek that ends in Hidroelectrica, has good views of MP from further away and some ruins, where you can camp and enjoy the view to MP.[ [5] ]

Question: In which country would you find the ruined city of Machu Pichu?
Answer: PERU