Top Peru Attractions-Machu Picchu

Built by the Incas over 500 years ago, Machu Picchu is Peru’s most visited tourist attraction with over 500,000 people each year, and a U.N. Heritage site.

Machu Picchu is a glorious man-made city sitting in the middle of a tropical mountain forest. Perched high above the clouds at 7,000 feet above sea level, the city remains quite intact with giant stone walls, old temples, and luscious green terraces. Located about 75 miles from Cuzco, Machu Picchu overlooks a canyon on the Urubamba river and the Andes mountains, as well as lots of greenery from the Amazon basin.

This colossal work of architecture is an incredible achievement for such a primitive culture. The stonemasonry and engineering are near construction perfection, remaining intact for centuries. Wandering through this ancient citadel, you will find a maze of temples and palaces reserved for the top Incan royalty. Two must-see temples are the Temple of the Sun--a circular tower with the best stonework, and Temple of the Moon with carved structures on boulders.

If you have the time, you can climb Huayna Picchu—the mountain overlooking Machu Picchu (where the Temple of the Moon is located). It is about an hour climb on the original Inca path; the view from the top is worth it, as you can see the entire Machu Picchu and its valley.

Be prepared for a long travel to get here. There are only two ways: by rail and by foot. By rail, you must leave from Cuzco. Trains leave only early in the morning and you return the same day. Be prepared for a long trip, the train is about 4 ½ hours to Machu Picchu and 5 to 5 ½ hours return. You will start about 6:00 am and return to Cuzco around 9:30 at night. Pack food for the train—there is not much available. This is not the entire trip, once you get off the train, you take a bus ride for 30 minutes to the top, then hike the rest of the way. The train and the bus trip do have quite severe switchbacks, so take motion sickness pills if this will cause you pain. There are backpacker’s services available for this trip. You will not receive a tour guide, as many tourists prefer. The cost for the backpacker’s service is around US $35.00. This does not include entrance into Machu Picchu itself.

By foot, you can actually hike the Inca trail. This takes about 3-5 full days of hiking. Be sure to bring some sleeping/camping equipment with you. Many tourists do this and it is so popular, you must make reservations for the hike beforehand.

Many websites offer travel deals for the hike, which include tour guides.

Regular adult fare for entrance is US $20. Bring your International Student ID card for discounts. The park will close at dusk, but plenty of hostels and hotels will accommodate you if you decide to stay an extra day.