Machu Picchu

About Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, the legendary 15th-century Inca citadel perched at 2,430 meters above sea level in the cloud forests of the Peruvian Andes, is one of the most iconic, mysterious, and profoundly moving travel destinations in the entire world — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and quite simply one of the greatest human achievements in history. Hidden from the Spanish conquistadors and known to the outside world only since its dramatic 'rediscovery' by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu was built by the Inca emperor Pachacuti around 1450 and served as a royal estate and sacred religious site before being mysteriously abandoned less than a century later. The citadel's extraordinary stonework — thousands of precisely fitted granite blocks assembled without mortar into temples, palaces, agricultural terraces, and astronomical observatories with an accuracy that defies explanation given the technology of the era — continues to astonish archaeologists and visitors alike. The most famous approach to Machu Picchu is the legendary Inca Trail, a challenging four-day, 43-kilometer trek through cloud forest, high mountain passes, and a series of lesser-known Inca sites culminating in the unforgettable arrival through the Sun Gate at dawn, with Machu Picchu emerging from the mountain mist below — widely considered one of the greatest trekking experiences in the world. For those seeking a shorter route, the spectacular Salkantay Trek, the Lares Valley trek, and the train journey from Cusco through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes all deliver their own extraordinary perspectives on the Andean landscape. Sunrise at Machu Picchu, when low clouds fill the valley below the citadel and the rising sun illuminates the ancient stone terraces in warm golden light as condors circle overhead, is an experience that remains with travelers for the rest of their lives. Combined with the imperial Inca capital of Cusco, the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca, and the Amazon Basin, Machu Picchu forms the beating heart of one of the world's greatest multi-destination travel adventures.

Highlights