From Wikitravel

Machu Picchu [1] is the site of the ruins of an ancient Inca city. It is near Cuzco, in Peru, and was discovered in the early 20th century. This is one of the most spectacular sets of ruins in the world; a visit to Peru would not be complete without seeing it.

[edit] Understand

These remarkable ruins were only rediscovered (by the English-speaking world) in 1911 by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Perched dramatically 1000 ft 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 Incans. At any given time, there were not more than 750 people living at Machu Picchu, with far less than that during the rainy season. 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, and Bingham only located the site by chance. On a wet day in 1911, he traveled up the slopes with a few companions from his expedition. On meeting local peasants, they told him about ancient ruins that covered the area. To Bingham's amazement, he had found the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu.

[edit] Get in

Visiting Machu Picchu isn't cheap. As of April 2008, the entrance fee is 122.00 soles; students with an ISIC pay 61 soles. With the train ticket to Machu Picchu Pueblo, also formerly known as Aguas Calientes and a night's accommodation it easily adds up to US$100.

Visitors to Machu Picchu leave from Cusco. From there, a visitor has the following options to reach Machu Picchu:

• Train: The most common way is to take the train to Machu Picchu in the morning, explore the ruins for a few hours and return to Cusco in the afternoon. The train terminates at Puente Ruinas station, where buses take tourists up the mountain to Machu Picchu. The Machu Picchu station is located at Aguas Calientes; this is not the station used by tourists on a day trip.

• On foot: Hiking the Inca Trail is an alternative to get in and a great way to arrive as you first see the city through the Sun Gate (instead of arriving from beneath on the bus). Both the four-day and two-day hikes are controlled by the government. Travelers should be fit enough to walk for days and sleep in tents. A hiker can also follow the train tracks all the way to Machu Picchu. There is only one track leading out of the Machu Picchu train station in Cusco, so its quite simple. It takes about four days, and you only have to pay the entrance fee.

• Bus: From Machu Picchu pueblo Aguas Calientes a traveler can take one of the frequent buses to the ruins (US$6 each way). It is also possible to walk the distance, about 2 hours (8 km).

• Helicopter: Helicopter flights direct into Machu Picchu stopped in the 1970s due to concerns about harm to the ruins. However, a helicopter service from Cusco to Aguas Calientes is available.

Rather than returning from the ruins the same day, a traveller can stay overnight near the ruins. There are many hotels at nearby Aguas Calientes, but only one hotel at Machu Picchu itself (see Sleep below). Buses run from Aguas Calientes to the ruins throughout the day, an 8 km ride up the mountain (approximately one and a half hours by walking).

Big backpacks are not allowed, but there is a luggage storage at the entrance for Inca Trailers and smallbackpacks are allowed.

Your ticket will tell you that you cannot bring food or water bottles into the site, although many people do take them anyway. Buying them at the site is expensive, and plastic bottles are not offered (glass only). Purchase food and plenty of water and bring it with you.

[edit][add listing] See

Take the time to walk around the site; 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. Also, be sure to wake up early to miss the thousands of people that visit the site each day, or stay till closing time. The first buses start running at 5:40am, which will give you an hour or two in the pleasant light of dawn but before the full force of the sun begins hammering the mountainside. (If you plan to stay past 10am, sunblock is requisite.)

• Temple of the Sun SEE IT >

- 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 SEE IT >
• Temple of the Three Windows SEE IT >
• Main Temple SEE IT >
• Condor SEE IT >- 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 walk to whip the prisoner's backs, and a scary looking pit to let the blood of prisoners drain. Clearly the condor was a symbol of cruel justice, but a santized version is told for the benefit of middle-aged tourists and their children.

The following sights involve some legwork:

• Walk back up the Inca trail away from the site and up the hill to the Sun Gate (or Inti Punku); from here you can see back down each valley offering a excellent views. It's a gentle walk (probably 45 mins tops round trip) and well worth it. If you stay in Aguas Callientes, it is possible to get here early enough to catch the sunrise from here.

• Walk up Waynapicchu (in Spanish Huayna Picchu); this is the "second" hill seen in the many photos. Its a steep but short walk offering very impressive views over the site. Well worth the effort! Waynapicchu also has ruins atop its peak. Two cautionary notes: The hike is somewhat strenuous and not advised for visitors who are elderly, pregnant or have heart/lung conditions. Also, the steep stairs and cliffs you must walk along at the summit can be terrifying for those who are afraid of heights. Note that the path to Waynapicchu closes at 4pm and you're not allowed to enter after 1pm. Entry is limited to 400 people per day. On busy tourist days, the limit will be reached by 10-11am. It is recommended you go straight here first thing. You will be required to sign in; remember your number (or the time you signed in) so that you can find yourself in the book to sign out again.

• If you have some time at hand or really longing for a sparkle of soltitude you can also walk to the Moon Temple (Templo de la Luna) and the Great Cave (Gran Caverne). It's a long walk and 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 Wachupichu (which includes some semi-harrowing but fun near-vertical descents) or by the split from the main Wachupichu trail (look for the sign that says Gran Carvern). Be sure to bring plenty of water for this long hike.

[edit][add listing] Buy

In Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, prices can be double of what they are in Cuzco.

[edit][add listing] Eat

It's officially not allowed to bring food into the archeological site. But if you're planning to stay the whole day, bring some snacks or sandwiches and plenty of water (just be sure not to litter). Buy them before leaving Aguas Calientes. The concession stand near the entrance of the site is pitiful in its offerings and gets very busy at lunchtime. Once in the site, it's not possible to buy food or drinks.

There is a cafeteria near the site, where the locals who work there eat. Ask one of them and if you're lucky, you'll be rewarded with a cheap, filling, and unique alternative to the expensive tourist snack-stand.

• Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant, Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, +51 84 21 1039/38, [2]. 11:30am-3:00pm. Casual lunch buffet with nice picture windows. Expensive: About $28 for buffet lunch, approximately four times that of area restaurants.

• Tampu Restaurant Bar (Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge guests only). 5:30am-9:00am, Noon-3:00pm, 6:30pm-9:30pm. Expensive, but it's at the ruins site.

Better food choices can be found by taking one of the regular buses to Aguas Calientes (the small town on the train stop to Cuzco) where there are numerous restaurants. These restaurants are not up to the standards of those in Cuzco or Lima, but are generally satisfactory. They tend to be moderately high priced. Some guidebooks report an unusually high incidence of food poisoning in the area, possibly attributable to the fairly common power outages (with loss of refrigeration). Cooked pizza and bottled beer or soft drinks are safe bets, salads and Pisco sours (made with raw egg whites) are best avoided here.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Machu Picchu is not a regular town, but a protected sanctuary where new construction is not allowed. That is why all of the places to sleep, with a single exception, are in nearby Aguas Calientes. This lively town offers a wide assortment of lodging options with choices that range from no-frills hostels for backpackers, to very sophisticated hotels. It is recommended to do a thorough hotel research before committing.

• The only hotel in Machu Picchu is the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, +51 84 21 1039/38, [3] [4]. It is considered as extraordinarily expensive; you pay a hefty premium for merely "very nice" rooms, because of the location, location, and location. Rooms do not have views of the ruins themselves. It's difficult to get a reservation unless you already have one at the same company's Hotel Monasterio in Cuzco. US$715 (double) - US$1045 (suite). Guests of this hotel can visit the ruins with the same schedule of travellers who sleep in Aguas Calientes, but can enjoy the magnificent isolation of the sanctuary.

[edit] Contact

Myths and Mountains, a custom cultural tour company can assist in organizing either a trek via Inca Trail or alternative route, as well as arrange train rides to the base of Machu Picchu.