At a height of almost 8,000 feet above sea level, the historic Incan stronghold of Machu Picchu is situated atop a mountain in the Peruvian Andes.
The vast natural environment, which is connected to Machu Picchu’s architecture through irrigation canals, agricultural terraces, and other features, is home to diverse wildlife beyond the 200 buildings that comprise the citadel.
You may visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site on a long day journey from the larger city of Cusco, but it’s advisable to spend the nights in neighboring Aguas Calientes to acclimate to the region’s altitude. The citadel can then be reached by either an early morning transport or a difficult two-hour hike. Keep in mind that purchasing tickets well in advance of your trip is recommended. Climbing to the heights of Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu, which offer more breathtaking vistas, comes with extra costs and a limited number of permits.
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Situated at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) on a mountain ridge in southern Peru’s Eastern Cordillera, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca stronghold.
It is located around 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cusco in the Machupicchu District of Urubamba Province, above the Sacred Valley and beside the Urubamba River, which forms a deep canyon with a subtropical highland environment.
Known as the “Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu is a significant archeological site in the Americas and one of the most recognizable representations of the Inca civilization. Although there are no contemporary written records to support this, it is thought that the Inca monarch Pachacuti used it as an estate when it was constructed in 1450. About a century later, the location was abandoned, most likely during the Spanish conquest. According to contemporary radiocarbon dating, it was occupied between roughly 1420 and 1530.
Machu Picchu has exquisitely sculpted dry-stone walls and was built in the traditional Inca style. The Intihuatana ritual stone, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Three Windows are notable buildings. In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham III brought the site to the attention of the world, despite the fact that it was known locally and had been visited by Peruvian explorer Agustín Lizárraga in the early 20th century. Huayna Picchu, after the mountain on which a portion of the complex is located, may have been the site’s original Inca name.
In addition to being named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu was recognized as a National Historic Sanctuary by Peru in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. With more than 1.5 million visits each year as of 2024, the site is Peru’s most popular foreign tourism destination.
