Following our day hiking the Inca Trail, Tim and I spent one day exploring Machu Picchu. We spent the night in the town of Aguas Calientes, located in the river valley a half an hour away from Machu Picchu. At 5:30 am we were winding our way back up the mountain, excited for the day ahead.
Here is our experience and Machu Picchu in photos.
Machu Picchu in Photos
Walking into Machu Picchu was amazing. It is such a beautiful place. Tim and I had several minutes to go exploring before walking up to the “postcard spot” for views over Machu Picchu at sunrise.
After watching the sun rise, Kenny, our Inca Trail guide, gave us an hour and half tour of Machu Picchu. This was the summer home of the Incan elite. It was built by the Incan ruler Pachacuti in the 1400’s as a royal retreat. Incans lived here for 100 years until they were conquered by the Spanish. Centuries of overgrowth by the rainforest enveloped Machu Picchu and it wasn’t until 1911 when Hiram Bingham “rediscovered” this place.
After our tour of Machu Picchu Tim and I had an hour to explore on our own before our climb up Huayna Picchu, the peak that forms the backdrop of all of the photos of Machu Picchu.
Tim and I ate our lunch (even though it was only 9:30) and then used the bathrooms. The only bathrooms are located outside of the park entrance, about a fifteen minute walk from the main part of Machu Picchu. Plus, we had to pass through a checkpoint to show our passports which made it an even bigger headache. This is not the most convenient set up. The lesson here: don’t drink too much while visiting Machu Picchu!
Our climb up Huayna Picchu never did happen. Our tour operator failed to purchase our tickets for the climb. Only 400 people are allowed to climb per day and these tickets sell out days in advance. Our guide, Kenny, tried to do what he could to get us on the climb but there was nothing he could do. Tim and I spoke with the administration but they were not making any exceptions.
This was a huge disappointment for us. Climbing Huayna Picchu was one of the top things we wanted to do while in Peru. But we did our best to get over our disappointment and get the most out of the day.
It started drizzling and we found a viewpoint that was amazing. Tim and I watched as clouds of mist swirled up out of the valley and around Machu Picchu. It was incredibly beautiful and very mystical. Tim loved it.
We later found out from Lies and Mauro, who climbed Huayna Picchu, that they could not see anything from the top because of the fog and mist. So Tim and I like to believe that it worked out for the best: we got to watch as Machu Picchu really put on a show for us.
Tim and walked to the Inca Bridge, the old gateway into Machu Picchu. Afterwards, we ate our second lunch of the day at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. It was a buffet lunch and the food was surprisingly good. By now it was 2 pm and tourists were beginning to leave Machu Picchu. We spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring.
For a little while we chilled out on a terrace overlooking the river valley. It was wonderful to have some time alone away from the crowds of people.
Later in the afternoon Tim and I found a nice spot to look out over Machu Picchu (and do some people watching). This has been one of the few places we have visited that I have been happy to just sit and enjoy where we are.
At 4:30 Tim and I said goodbye to Machu Picchu. Will we ever be here again? I certainly hope so. We spent a magical, memorable day here and this would be a great place to return to with Tyler and Kara someday.
Important Things to Know
Starting in 2024, there is a new ticketing system for visiting Machu Picchu. The website Machu Picchu Gateway has an excellent article about the new rules and regulations.
More Information about Peru
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