Machu Picchu

Perched high upon a ridge, 300 m / 1000 ft above the Urubamba River, is the majestic Inca City of Machu Picchu. Almost as impressive as the ruins themselves is the incredible landscape surrounding them. Standing near the caretaker's hut looking out over Machu Picchu, the jungle covered mountains, and the river far below, it is not hard to imagine why the Incas chose this place to build their city.

Hiram Bingham, an archeologist and adventurer from the United States came to Peru in search of the legendary "Lost City of the Incas", known as Vilcabamba. It had been documented by Spanish soldiers in the 1500s but never seen again. In 1911 Bingham came across the ruins of Machu Picchu and assumed this was in fact the lost city, something he always maintained. However, historians believe the real lost city of the Incas was at Espíritu Pampa, a ruin Bingham knew of but discounted as being insignificant. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts up to 2,000 visitors a day in the high season. Needless to say, the site can be very busy at times. The best times to visit the site are in the morning or late afternoon, either before the trains arrive from Cusco or after they have left. From 10:00 to 3:00 is the busiest time of day. The high season is June to August due to the better weather conditions. However, the two months prior to this and the two months following this also see good weather and the site is less crowded, making it more enjoyable.

Getting to Machu Picchu involves taking a train from either Cusco, Ollantaytambo, or Urbamba to Aguas Calientes. From Aguas Caleintes, at the base of Machu Picchu there is a bus that will take visitors up to Machu Picchu, which is about a 20 minute drive. Alternatively, it is possible to walk up this road to the site but keep in mind that this is a long uphill walk.