Machu Picchu : A Place of Peace and Power

Machu Picchu, located in Peru, is a place of peace and power that you must visit at least once in your lifetime. It ranks high among the many tourist destinations acclaimed globally. It has historic ruins that explain a huge account of Peru’s evolution and it will interest you and many other tourists. For all that you want to know about Peru and its evolution history, make sure you visit Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu hovers over the Urabamba Valley and was largely unknown to many people until it was discovered in 1911. This attraction sight rises over 7,000 feet above the sea level sitting on a hill top of Andean Mountain Range.

Accessing Machu Picchu

There are multiple ways through which you will be able to gain entry into Machu Picchu so you can choose the best method that suits you. The most common are by bus, walking the main road or hiking along the Inca Trail.

By bus you can hop on at Aguas Calientes where there is a departure point. Most of the buses that depart for Machu Picchu charge $19 for two people with a one-way ticket and $10 for one person with a similar ticket. These charges apply to adults who are tourists from foreign countries. Make sure you are at the departure point by 05:30 or earlier since there are always many people lining up. The buses are driven slowly to allow tourists to sample the landscape and normally take less than an hour.

You can as well access the place by foot which is a stretch of 8 km from Aguas Calientes. It is the similar route followed by buses and takes about two hours to reach the ruins. Alternatively, you can hike the Inca Trail and reach Machu Picchu by foot. The hikes can take two or four days and are well controlled by the authorities. There are many treks that you can explore to get to these ruins.

What to do at Machu Picchu

You cannot get bored at Machu Picchu since there are many things to do. Temple of the Sun (shown above) is one key attraction sight which is built in a circular shape and sits on a granite slab. It is the home to the famed Intiwatana.

Temple of the Three Windows (shown above) is located to the western side of the square and regarded as a sacred place. It has very big walls with three windows that are trapezoidal-shaped which is the source of the name. The windows are illuminated by the sun to give out fantastic views of the square and it is something that you should enjoy personally.

You can also visit the Ruins of Intipata which have been discovered in the recent past to have agricultural terraces. Records show that inhabitants of this place used the terraces for commuting purposes to reach Machu Picchu. Wayna Picchu is another key attraction but has restrictions on the number of people who can climb up. It is normally 400 people per day that are divided into two equal groups. It is only open for climbing between 7am and 8am as well as 10am and 11am. Other attractions in Machu Picchu include Gate of the Sun, Inca Trail, Temple of Condor and Intihutana Stone among many others.

Entrance Tickets

A 50 percent discount on entrance fees is given to all students as long as they show their ISIC cards. Tickets to Machu Picchu are divided into three main categories; MP entrance, MP entrance and climbing Huayana Picchu and the third one is MP entrance and climbing up climbing Cerro Machu Picchu.