Hidden from the world until the American explorer Hiram Bingham stumbled across the ruins in 1911, this magnificent citadel is one of South America’s most famous sights.
Machu Picchu rests on a saddle between two lushly forested peaks, and its inaccessible location only heightens its impressiveness.
Well preserved and largely intact, as you walk between these imposing palaces, temples, houses and storerooms it is easy to imagine the city at the height of the Inca Empire.
Reaching Machu Picchu
You reach the site by train from Cuzco or the Sacred Valley which delivers you into the valley below, and then a bus journey up the windy road cut into the side of the mountain (unless you have walked all or part of the Inca Trail).
Once at the site, our guides will ensure you thoroughly explore and will share some of the many theories expounding the positioning and function of Machu Picchu.
An overnight stay at Machu Picchu or Aguas Calientes is highly recommended, allowing you time to return to the site early in the morning before the day trippers arrive, and the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu for a breathless but wonderful alternative view, or walk out to the Inca Bridge or up to the Sun Gate.