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Machu Picchu [1] is the site of the ruins of an ancient Inca city. It is near Cuzco, in Peru, and was discovered in the early 20th century. This is one of the most spectacular sets of ruins in the world; a visit to Peru would not be complete without seeing it.
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SEE EAT
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 SEE
Take the time to walk around the site; there are many places to see and explore. Although it is not necessary, taking a guided tour does provide a deeper insight into the ancient city, its uses, and information on the geography of it. Also, be sure to wake up early to miss the thousands of people that visit the site each day, or stay till closing time. The first buses start running at 5:40am, which will give you an hour or two in the pleasant light of dawn but before the full force of the sun begins hammering the mountainside. (If you plan to stay past 10am, sunblock is requisite.)
- Temple of the Sun - Near the summit of the main city, the stonework on the temple is incredible. Look closely and you will see that there are a variety of stone walls throughout the city. Most are rough stones held together with mud, the common stone walls found throughout the world. But many buildings or parts of buildings are done with the more distinctive and impressive closely-fit stonework. The temple is the absolute pinnacle of this technology. Observe it from the side, descending the stone staircase in the main plaza.
- Intiwatana
- Temple of the Three Windows
- Main Temple
- Condor - The tour guides will try to tell you that this was a temple, but look closely: between the wings of the condor is a chamber with grooves cut in the stone to secure manacles, a walkway behind where a torturer may walk to whip the prisoner's backs, and a scary looking pit to let the blood of prisoners drain. Clearly the condor was a symbol of cruel justice, but a santized version is told for the benefit of middle-aged tourists and their children.
The following sights involve some legwork:
- Walk back up the Inca trail away from the site and up the hill to the Sun Gate (or Inti Punku); from here you can see back down each valley offering a excellent views. It's a gentle walk (probably 45 mins tops round trip) and well worth it. If you stay in Aguas Callientes, it is possible to get here early enough to catch the sunrise from here.
- Walk up Waynapicchu (in Spanish Huayna Picchu); this is the "second" hill seen in the many photos. Its a steep but short walk offering very impressive views over the site. Well worth the effort! Waynapicchu also has ruins atop its peak. Two cautionary notes: The hike is somewhat strenuous and not advised for visitors who are elderly, pregnant or have heart/lung conditions. Also, the steep stairs and cliffs you must walk along at the summit can be terrifying for those who are afraid of heights. Note that the path to Waynapicchu closes at 4pm and you're not allowed to enter after 1pm. Entry is limited to 400 people per day. On busy tourist days, the limit will be reached by 10-11am. It is recommended you go straight here first thing. You will be required to sign in; remember your number (or the time you signed in) so that you can find yourself in the book to sign out again.
- If you have some time at hand or really longing for a sparkle of soltitude you can also walk to the Moon Temple (Templo de la Luna) and the Great Cave (Gran Caverne). It's a long walk and the sites aren't really rewarding, but unexpected wildlife can be seen (wild spectacled bears have been reported). This hike is also quite interesting because partway through you leave behind the mountain terrain and enter a more conventional forest. The caves can be reached either by hiking down the trail from the peak of Wachupichu (which includes some semi-harrowing but fun near-vertical descents) or by the split from the main Wachupichu trail (look for the sign that says Gran Carvern). Be sure to bring plenty of water for this long hike.
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EAT
It's officially not allowed to bring food into the archeological site. But if you're planning to stay the whole day, bring some snacks or sandwiches and plenty of water (just be sure not to litter). Buy them before leaving Aguas Calientes. The concession stand near the entrance of the site is pitiful in its offerings and gets very busy at lunchtime. Once in the site, it's not possible to buy food or drinks.
There is a cafeteria near the site, where the locals who work there eat. Ask one of them and if you're lucky, you'll be rewarded with a cheap, filling, and unique alternative to the expensive tourist snack-stand.
- Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant, Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, +51 84 21 1039/38, [2]. 11:30am-3:00pm. Casual lunch buffet with nice picture windows. Expensive: About $28 for buffet lunch, approximately four times that of area restaurants.
- Tampu Restaurant Bar (Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge guests only). 5:30am-9:00am, Noon-3:00pm, 6:30pm-9:30pm. Expensive, but it's at the ruins site.
Better food choices can be found by taking one of the regular buses to Aguas Calientes (the small town on the train stop to Cuzco) where there are numerous restaurants. These restaurants are not up to the standards of those in Cuzco or Lima, but are generally satisfactory. They tend to be moderately high priced. Some guidebooks report an unusually high incidence of food poisoning in the area, possibly attributable to the fairly common power outages (with loss of refrigeration). Cooked pizza and bottled beer or soft drinks are safe bets, salads and Pisco sours (made with raw egg whites) are best avoided here.
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