Machu Picchu

Travel Guide
Machu Picchu featuring mist or fog and a ruin
Machu Picchu showing building ruins
Cusco featuring heritage architecture, a house and a ruin
Machu Picchu featuring building ruins, mountains and mist or fog
Machu Picchu showing mist or fog and building ruins
The sacred Inca city, built high in the Andes and hidden for centuries, is now one of Peru’s most spectacular and popular tourist destinations. 

Machu Picchu is a terraced citadel with remains of temples, palaces, fountain and altars. The fabled “Lost City of the Incas” is thought to have been constructed by the Incas around 1450 and is an architectural marvel.

The citadel sits 7,970 feet (2,430 metres) above sea level in the Sacred Valley northwest of Cusco. It remains a mystery what purpose Machu Picchu served and why it was abandoned. In the centuries that followed its abandonment, the jungle hid the isolated city from sight until it was uncovered in 1911.

Walk up to the Guardhouse and Funeral Rock to get the full overview of the mystical city with its comical free-roaming llamas. Visit the semicircular Temple of the Sun, the Palace of the Princess and the Temple of the Three Windows. Don’t miss the Intihuatana, a carved stone marking the winter solstice.

Due to the thin air and humidity, it is a good idea to pace yourself as you explore the sacred buildings. Notice how, without the aid of advanced tools, the Incas cut and stacked the huge stone blocks to fit precisely.

Make sure to plan ahead to visit the world-famous city in the sky, as there is only a limited amount of visitors allowed on-site and getting there takes 3 to 4 hours. Take the train to Aguas Calientes from Poroy, a small village near Cusco, or from Ollantaytambo further down the line. The luxury option is to take a one-day package tour from Cusco with a guide. Purchase your Machu Picchu entrance ticket in Aguas Calientes before you take the bus or hike up the mountain. If you also want to climb Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain, book special tickets through the government website for Machu Picchu. Students receive a discount.

Bring lunch, water and an information booklet, as there are few facilities on the mountain. Aim to arrive just before sunrise to see Machu Picchu lit in full glory.

Taypikala Boutique Machupicchu
Taypikala Boutique Machupicchu
4 out of 5
Av. Pachacutec #808, Machu Picchu, Cusco
The price is S$197 per night from 24 Dec to 25 Dec
S$197
includes taxes & fees
24 Dec - 25 Dec
Stay at this 4-star hotel in Machu Picchu. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in our ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (940 reviews)
"Really clean and nice place"

Reviewed on 8 Dec,2024

Taypikala Boutique Machupicchu
Tierra Viva Machu Picchu
Tierra Viva Machu Picchu
3.5 out of 5
Av. Hermanos Ayar 401, Machu Picchu, Cusco
The price is S$176 per night from 23 Dec to 24 Dec
S$176
includes taxes & fees
23 Dec - 24 Dec
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Machu Picchu. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free train station pick-up. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (999 reviews)
"Great location, quiet, clean,"

Reviewed on 6 Dec,2024

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu
Santuario Machupicchu
Santuario Machupicchu
3 out of 5
Avenida Hermanos Ayar, Machu Picchu, Cuzco
The price is S$129 per night from 23 Dec to 24 Dec
S$129
includes taxes & fees
23 Dec - 24 Dec
Stay at this 3-star hotel in Machu Picchu. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (71 reviews)
"Everything was excellent overall, but our room wasn’t ready on time. They said they would clean it while we were out, but when we returned, it still hadn’t been cleaned."

Reviewed on 27 Nov,2024

Santuario Machupicchu
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Suites Machupicchu
Suites Machupicchu
2.5 out of 5
Calle Wiracocha, 205, Machu Picchu, Machupicchu
Stay at this aparthotel in Machu Picchu. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and onsite spa services. Popular attractions Aguas Calientes Hot Springs and Manco ...
4.8/10 (7 reviews)
"Joan picked us up from the training station and showed us to our room. The room was huge, 3 king beds the shower and jacuzzi facility was good, cant beat the price for the size. Not all of the functions of the shower worked like the side shower but the main one worked. The jacuzzi also worked well. ..."

Reviewed on 30 May,2024

Suites Machupicchu
Soraypampa Hostel
Soraypampa Hostel
2.5 out of 5
Soraypampa, camino inca Salkantay, s/n, Mollepata, Cuzco
Stay at this cabin in Mollepata. Enjoy free WiFi, daily housekeeping, and rainfall showerheads.
10/10 Exceptional! (1 review)
"Very helpful with coordinating transportation to/from Cusco"

Reviewed on 11 Mar,2024

Soraypampa Hostel
Rustica hoteles URUBAMBA
Rustica hoteles URUBAMBA
3 out of 5
OTR. PARCELA MZA. B LOTE. 24, Maras 08655, Maras, Cuzco
Stay at this 3-star spa cabin in Maras. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Popular attractions Salt Mines of Maras and Ñaupa Iglesia are ...
Rustica hoteles URUBAMBA
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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Reviews of Machu Picchu

4.6
Top destination
5 - Excellent
6
" "5 - Excellent 75%
4 - Good
1
" "4 - Good 13%
3 - Okay
1
" "3 - Okay 13%
2 - Disappointing
0
" "2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
" "1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

One of those places that cannot be over-hyped, it's just incredible. Get there when it opens at 6am and avoid the crowds and day trippers. Highly recommend getting a guide (my hotel organised a very good guide for me, his name was Wagner).

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Exceeded expectation...wonderful place.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

One of the wonders of the world, a must see. Take a guide, you understand so much more than wandering around.