Machu Picchu
Peru
Few things can prepare you for your arrival at Machu Picchu - the fabled "Lost City of the Incas". First you take the local narrow gauge railway VistaDome train from nearby Ollanta station in the Sacred Valley or direct from Cusco and marvel as it hugs the river bank through gorges several thousand feet high. At Km 104 there is an additional cost option to leave the train and walk the last 7 miles of the Inca Trail to arrive in Machu Picchu by the original Inca Sun Gate. Alternatively, stay on the train to arrive at the bustling village of Aguas Calientes - some 2000 feet below the ancient citadel and take the motor coach up the twisty Hiram Bingham access road.
All our visits to Machu Picchu are accompanied by an experienced local guide. They will take you around the vast citadel allowing you to both experience and understand why this place was so important to the Incas. Was it simply a working town which the Spanish Conquistadors never found, was it some sort of agricultural research area or was it some mystical place where the sun god ruled and communicated with his followers? You may never know, but you will leave as awestruck as those who have come before you and with probably more questions than answers.
Machu Picchu is probably the reason why you decided to come to Peru so we are always surprised how visitors try to cram a visit into just a few hours. We recommend at least a one night stay at either the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Hotel (5 Star) adjoining the entrance to the citadel or the Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel (4 Star) in Aguas Calientes. This will enable you to experience the citadel at several different times of the day and in peace and quiet after the day trippers have left. We heartily recommend an early start to see the sunrise over the Sun Gate and complete some of the surrounding walks.