One of our lifetime dreams that we finally got to see, a fantastically preserved site. We visited in November 2023 as part of our big South America tour.
Getting There
Getting here from the nearest major settlement, Cusco, takes a really long time. First a 1.5-hour bus ride to the train station at Ollantaytambo. Then a rather slow 1.5-2 hour train journey to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. From there, a 30-minute minibus ride climbing steep cliffs to the mountaintop. And even at the top, there's still a significant walk. What would normally be a simple hike becomes tiring due to the altitude, so you need to take it slow.
We did the round trip in a single day with our tour group, but if I went again I'd absolutely go independently and spend much more time. The train route itself is incredibly mystical, and people spend 4-5 days hiking the Inca Trail along this path, definitely worth considering. Ollantaytambo, on the route, is also a charming town. If I returned, I'd spend at least a day there enjoying this ancient-feel village. The bus journey to this point is also lovely. There's a viewpoint called Machuqolqa Viewpoint where you can see the Sacred Valley from above, the atmosphere is wonderful and the souvenir vendors are very cheap. The roads are all red earth beneath green-clad majestic mountains.
Where to Stay
If you've got the budget, there are incredible cliffside lodges built directly into the mountainside along the route. Staying there takes both money and courage since you're literally sleeping on a cliff face, no reception, bathroom situation questionable, but it must be an unbelievable experience.
Rather than doing a round trip from Cusco, staying one night in Aguas Calientes and visiting Machu Picchu across two consecutive days makes much more sense. One ticket allows 3 hours inside, and I can guarantee that's absolutely not enough.
What to See
Not every area is accessible with every ticket. There's a separate site called Huayna Picchu that's logistically very difficult to reach on the same day. Two separate days, one for Machu Picchu, the other for Huayna Picchu, would be the ideal approach.
A major point of confusion worth clearing up: "machu" means old and "picchu" means peak. The site sits on Machu peak, but the mountain in all those famous photos is actually Huayna Picchu (young peak). So we stand on Machu peak looking toward Huayna Picchu. All those iconic travel photos? They're actually showing Huayna Picchu.
If your budget allows, you can even stay at Machu Picchu itself, yes, they built a lodge up there. Quite expensive, but sleeping in that mystical atmosphere must be priceless.
There are a lot of hippies around. The lack of direct car access is actually a blessing, it keeps crowds manageable and the nature better preserved.
Tips & Advice
- Houses along the route all have animal figures on their roofs. These represent bulls, symbolizing fertility. The colors indicate different wishes: red for children, green for money. An Inca tradition that survives to this day.
- Due to the altitude, midday gets extremely hot when cloudless. We got sunburned on the train. Bring a layered t-shirt.
- The road up to the summit by minibus is absolutely insane. Incredibly steep, skirting precipices for about 30 minutes on narrow paths. Whoever discovered this place must have been out of their mind. A bad rainstorm would strand you on the road.
- Entry security was supposed to be strict, our guide had us worried about even insect repellent being confiscated, but nobody checked anything at the gate.
- The passport stamps aren't applied at the entrance as I'd assumed, local guides carry their own stamps. A nice idea for such a historic site, but disappointing that it's not an official thing at the gate.
Food & Drink
In the town of Aguas Calientes, we ate at Toto's House, a buffet place with live music. Really fun.
Tips & Advice
(Much of what follows comes from our local tour guide, fascinating to hear, though not all of it may be archaeologically verified.)
The site has llamas, alpacas, and viscachas (a rabbit-squirrel hybrid) roaming around. There are two sacred stones: one creates a half Inca cross through light reflection, the other projects the same pattern onto the mountain behind it on May 3rd, the Incas' most sacred day.
There's a bird called the condor that's sacred to the region (looks like a vulture). There's a rock that resembles one when viewed upside down, interpreted as being carved in its honor. Religious areas echo sound, they designed them specifically for ceremonies. Some buildings used llama fat in their construction. All house windows face east to catch the morning sun, with covers for cold nights.
The Temple of the Sun has two windows that let direct sunlight through exactly twice a year, June 1st and December 1st, allowing them to track the seasons.
As we said goodbye to our local guide, we spoke two phrases in the local language:
- Thank you, Mother Earth (for what she gave us, food and water)
- See you again, Machu Picchu (in the local language, they never say goodbye, always "until we meet again")
A magnificent experience. We left with a promise to return, particularly haunted by the Inca Trail and Huayna Picchu. Hopefully we'll get the chance.