Machu Picchu

Overview

Machu Picchu is the ruined citadel of the Inca empire, set high in the Andes and known as the lost city of the Incas. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

History

Machu Picchu was built around 1450 by the Inca emperor Pachacuti as a royal estate and religious sanctuary. The complex contains some 200 buildings on a ridge at 2,430 metres, famous for precision dry-stone masonry that holds together without mortar. American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to Western attention in 1911. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Highlights

• •The silhouette of the Inca city emerging through cloud
• •The astronomically precise stonework of the Temple of the Sun
• •Sweeping views from the summit of Huayna Picchu
• •Arriving as a pilgrim at the end of the Inca Trail
• •Alpacas grazing among the terraces

Practical tips

• •Book tickets and train seats months in advance
• •Allow time to acclimatise to the altitude

Practical information

Best time

May to September

Tickets

About PEN 152, roughly USD 42, for adults; online booking required and daily visitor numbers are limited

Opening hours

6:00–17:30 with timed entry and a daily visitor cap

Local food

Roast guinea pig, quinoa soup and purple corn drink

Getting around

Machu Picchu is reached by train to Aguas Calientes; book tickets and entry in advance

Visa

A tourist visa is required; holders of a valid US, Schengen or UK visa may enter visa-free, subject to Peruvian immigration announcements.

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