Best things to do in Machu Picchu: uncover the wonder of this lost city set high in the Andes Mountains with this travel guide.

Peru is a South American country home to rich culture, ancient history and diverse landscape including a portion of the Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city high in the Andes mountains.

Truly one of my favorite countries to explore, Peru is a land full of wonder and beauty, with its gorgeous canyons, towering mountains, rolling desert hills, incredible oases and rocky islands.

Its capital city of Lima lies on Peru’s arid Pacific coast, with a well preserved colonial center and valuable collections of pre-columbian art. And cities like Paracas, Huacachina, Arequipa and Cusco are filled with charming cobblestone streets, fresh local fish, colorfully decorated llamas and beautiful handmade textiles.

Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel that lies high in the Andes Mountains, set above the Urubamba River valley.

Built in the 15th century and later abandoned, Machu Picchu is known for its advanced stone walls that join huge blocks without the use of mortar, curious structures which play on astronomical alignments and incredible panoramic views.

Although, its exact former use still remains a mystery to this day, it could have been used as a ceremonial site, military stronghold or a retreat for nobility.

My two weeks in Peru were coming to a close after beginning my adventure with 24 hours in Lima where I met up with my Peruvian friend, Esau.

We moved on to the islands made of rock and tropical deserts of Paracas, dune buggy rides and wine tastings in Huacachina and the “White City” of Arequipa.

From Arequipa, I spent a day hiking Peru’s epic Colca Canyon and then it was on to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire, where I had a near-death experience on Rainbow Mountain, toured Sacred Valley, Peru’s Andean highlands and finally landed at the awe inspiring Machu Picchu.

Best Things to Do in Machu Picchu

Travel & Entry Into Machu Picchu

Most tourists reach Machu Picchu through Cusco. Once in Cusco, find your way to Ollantaytambo (about a 2-hour drive). From Ollantaytambo, travel to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, via train. Trains from Ollantaytambo allow you to travel the morning of your hike to Aguas Calientes or arrive the night before, waking early to climb Machu Picchu.

Either way, you’ll need to buy train tickets to Aguas Calientes, it’s really just a matter of where you’d like to stay and if you want to travel the morning of. If you’re hoping to catch sunrise at Machu Picchu you’d better stay in Aguas Calientes and hike up early. Otherwise, taking an early train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes will put you on the peak for it’s afternoon session.

My close friend, Esau, and I arranged a Sacred Valley tour from Cusco the day before our trip to Machu Picchu. Our tour spent the day visiting Pisa, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero then dropped us off near Ollantaytambo with our overnight bags. We stayed in town and caught the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes in the morning.

Train Tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (the Gateway Town to Machu Picchu)

Buy your train tickets to Aguas Calientes a few days in advance during slow season and even further out during busy season (or risk sold out tickets). Tickets are limited and can be purchased at the airport or train station in Cusco (must be bought at the station if you’re Peruvian). Tickets can also be purchased online but may not be released very far in advance.

Tip / Purchase your train tickets into Aguas Calientes in advance, especially during high season, to guarantee your spot and preferred schedule. Booking ahead through the official websites like PeruRail or Inca Rail are recommended, as buying in person at the station in Cusco is not advised due to limited availability.

As of recent years, Machu Picchu train tickets are as follows:

Ollantaytambo 8:00 a.m. - Machu Picchu 9:25 a.m.; Machu Picchu 6:20 p.m. - Ollantaytambo 8:05 p.m. $105

Urubamba 10:30 a.m. - Machu Picchu 1:34 p.m.; Machu Picchu 6:10 p.m. - Ollantaytambo 7:51 p.m. $180

Ollantaytambo 1:27 p.m. - Machu Picchu 2:50 p.m.; Machu Picchu 8:53 a.m. - Ollantaytambo 10:52 a.m. $90

Ollantaytambo 1:27 p.m. - Machu Picchu 2:50 p.m.; Machu Picchu 9:50 p.m. - Ollantaytambo 11:35 p.m. $95

Ollantaytambo 6:10 a.m. - Machu Picchu 7:40 a.m.; Machu Picchu 6:10 p.m. - Ollantaytambo 7:51 p.m. $125

Tickets to Machu Picchu

If you haven’t purchased tickets to enter Machu Picchu, make it your first stop once in Aguas Calientes. The tourist building near the town square sells tickets for 152,000 soles ($50 USD) with a choice of morning or afternoon session. Morning sessions begin at 6 a.m. and end at noon, while afternoon sessions are from noon to 5:30 p.m. There are a limited number of tickets for each session and rules state that you can’t stay past your allotted time, however, we found that it’s unlikely anyone will notice.

Tip / Pre-purchase tickets for Machu Picchu, as tickets are not sold at the entrance to the site itself. With a daily visitor limit and high demand, it’s highly recommended to book your tickets in advance. Tickets are sold for specific circuits and time slots and you can buy tickets online through one of the following methods:

Official Peruvian Government website: This is the cheapest option but the website can be difficult to navigate.
Authorized Agencies or Tour Operators: This is often a more convenient and seamless option, as they handle the booking, transportation and guides. They may, however, charge an additional service fee.

Tip / Tickets can sell out months in advance, especially during the high season (May to September) and for popular routes. It’s generally recommended to book:

2 to 3 months in advance for most tickets.
3 to 6 months in advance for an Inca Trail permit.

A limited number of tickets may be released for purchase in person at the Ministry of Culture office in Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes), but this can be a risky option. Since I was traveling with my Peruvian friend at the time who is intimately familiar with Machu Picchu, this was the option we selected and had no issues.

Circuits | Huayna Picchu & Machu Picchu

There are two trails or “circuits” with varying difficulty levels. Machu Picchu is the most famous route lying 7,970 feet high, while Huayna Picchu is the taller of the two peaks standing 8,835 feet. Huayna Picchu is the large mountain directly behind Machu Picchu and offers a more difficult climb. Be aware Huayna Picchu climbs begin very early in the morning.

Entry & Reentry (No Restrooms Inside)

Some sites say you can only enter Machu Picchu with a licensed guide but we didn’t find that to be the case and entered alone. A maximum of 4 hours is allowed inside Machu Picchu and monitored with colored bracelets according to your session but no one appeared to be enforcing this rule.

Tip / Rules state that you cannot reenter once you leave even though restrooms are just outside the entrance. However, staff was kind enough to allow us back in after using the washrooms. Just make sure to ask before you step out.

Catch a Ride to Ollantaytambo

Our train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes was set to leave at 9 a.m. Esau and I arrived thirty minutes early just to be safe. He would be riding a cheaper local train and I’d be on the fancy “tourist” train, costing quite a bit more (and for good reason).

On the way to the station, we picked up breakfast from a street vendor - a warm quinoa drink and avocado sandwiches, plus extra snacks for inside Machu Picchu (no food or drinks are sold inside). Just before 9 a.m. my train took off from the station and slowly rode through the jungle for an hour and a half. The ride was so relaxing, fulls of mountains, trees, flowers and waterfalls that flew by the windows and glass rooftop. Staff served drinks and carrot cake.

Once the train arrived in Aguas Calientes everyone emptied into a small station which spilled into a huge market. For a moment I panicked and wasn’t able to find my my friend in all the commotion but eventually, we connected. The market was massive and full of blankets, scarves, bags and so many other beautiful souvenirs but we continued on.

Esau and I crossed the bridge and made our way to the tourist building near town square for entrance tickets ($50 USD). With tickets in hand we decided not to waste time hiking but would rather catch a bus to the top. The bus station near the bridge sells tickets for the ride up, as well as the return ($24 USD for foreigners & $15 USD for locals). Make sure to buy round trip tickets if you’d like a ride back down the mountain.

Buses are scheduled often and take 25-30 minutes to reach the top but be warned, the ride up the mountain is terrifying. The dirt road is a single lane even though huge buses pass one another heading in opposite directions. It was bumpy, muddy and slippery. Round and round and round we went until we reached the top of the peak. Relieved and anxious, everyone spilled out.

Enter Machu Picchu

Here we entered Machu Picchu through a security checkpoint and climbed up a number of steps until reaching a clearing in the brush. The pathway was marked for tourists to find their way and security constantly watched, so no one was able to stray.

Tip / Don’t try to bring a tripod into the site; they are not allowed.

Once the brush opened, the views of Machu Picchu were everything I had imagined. The site was much larger than I originally pictured in my mind, almost maze-like with paths and viewpoints around every corner. The mountain was incredibly busy and tough to get a photo without a million people in the background but definitely possible with a little patience.

There were also early glimpses of llamas grazing on the grassy steps of the fortress.

Because we visited during rainy season it was super cloudy and a bit wet. The peaks are so high up that the clouds move swiftly through the air, almost as if they’re on fast forward.

Traverse the Terraces of Machu Picchu

We found ourselves exploring every corner of the peak and soon learned Machu Picchu only has one way in and one way out. It took some time to discover the loop or “path” which leads through the ruins.

Initially, everyone enters the peak from above, overlooking the mountain, and then makes their way down through the ruins and out toward the bottom right-hand side. It was so interesting to notice the views change as we circled round the peak.

It truly felt like we were on top of the world and at any moment we could tip off tumbling thousands of feet below. It was tremendous, so incredibly magical.

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the eastern mountain range of southern Peru. The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through the mountain range creating a canyon with a tropical mountain climate. From some vantage points we were able to see the Urubamba River way down below.

The Incas, in contrast to the Mayans, had no written language and Europeans did not visit the site until the 19th century, as far as we know. Therefore, there are no written records of the site while it was in use. The names of the buildings, their uses and inhabitants are all attributed to modern archeologists, on the basis of physical evidence such as tombs at the site.

Recent archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti from 1438 to 1472 while new radiocarbon dating confirms it was occupied from 1420 to 1532. After building the fortress, the Incas abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style with polished dry stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. Many of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed to give guests a better idea of how they originally stood, and much restoration still continues.

Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. It was also voted as one of the Seven Wonders of the World in a 2007 worldwide internet poll.

Often mistakenly referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization and I sure can see why (the true lost city is called Paititi).

Get Up Close & Personal with Llamas

Llamas were hard to avoid and they had no problem getting up close and personal. Some would even snoop through your bag (one tried to steal my banana).

Tip / Take care with the llamas as they can be fairly aggressive, especially with snacks.

The llamas seemed very curious and were most interested in eating everything in sight.

Each and every corner of the mountain offered something new. We climbed up to the highest point and looked deep into the valley on the left, revealing an incredible view of the Urubamba River along with the train moving passengers back and forth.

In the late afternoon, Esau and I took a moment to eat our snacks and drink the water we brought into the site with us. Thank goodness we did, because there’s nothing whatsoever sold inside Machu Picchu.

Tip / Nothing is sold inside Machu Picchu, so be sure to bring along snacks and drinks.

We tried to be silly taking photos but security wasn’t happy with us jumping around and scolded us. No one is allowed to jump or climb on any of the ruins which makes sense.

Tip / Do not jump or climb anything at the site; you’ll get yelled at by security.

Descend Into Machu Picchu’s Sacred Plaza

From above, we took some much needed rest, just sitting and observing the ruins in silence. The day before, I had gone on a tour and almost didn’t make it back. My Near-Death Experience on Rainbow Mountain had really put everything into perspective.

In the late afternoon, the sun finally poked out from behind the clouds for a few moments. It was absolutely breathtaking and comforting to feel the sun on our cheeks. We descended the steep slopes into the main square of Machu Picchu called the Sacred Plaza or Plaza Principal.

A central ceremonial and social hub of the Inca city, it’s located in the Urban Sector, between the residential and agricultural areas, and is surrounded by important buildings like the Main Temple and the Temple of the Three Windows. The plaza was a strategic location for astronomical and religious practices, with terraces and structures built to house large gatherings and facilitate rituals.

The Sacred Plaza had several key features such as its location, architectural importance, ceremonial function, surrounding structures, terraces and mysterious stones. The plaza acts as a structural divider between the upper and lower portions of the city and acts as the main architectural joint of the city, with important buildings flanking it. The area around the plaza is made up of terraces that provide views of the surrounding mountains and could have held large numbers of people for ceremonies. The plaza features several mysterious stones, including a flat stone likely used as an altar and a rhombus-shaped stone with corners pointing to the cardinal directions.

Depart the Most Spectacular Urban Creation of the Inca Empire

Near the end of the afternoon session, we followed the trail toward the exit and said our final good byes. This was one of those moments I’ll never forget and a lifelong dream come true.

And we finally got some clear views into the valley below where the Urubamba River snaked though the mountains. Also known as the Vilcanota River, the Urubamba River flows through the Sacred Valley, an important area for the Inca civilization that includes Machu Picchu, Pisac and Ollantaytambo.

The river runs along the northern side of the Machu Picchu archaeological site and is a major feature of the surrounding landscape. The Incas considered the river sacred and believed it mirrored the Milky Way, connecting the earth and the heavens. Today, the river is a popular destination for tourism, particularly for scenic train rides to Aguas Calientes and for adventure sports like rafting and kayaking, especially during the rainy season from December to April.

On the way out, we observed the sheer volume and massive footprint of the terraces surrounding the site (if you squint, you can see tiny visitors walking along the terraces). The terraces are a series of wide, stone-stepped platforms on the mountainside used for containment, agriculture and ceremonial purposes. They were a feat of engineering, built with layers of gravel, sand, and soil to prevent erosion, manage water and allow for the cultivation of crops like potatoes and corn.

Most importantly, the terraces helped prevent landslides and erosion on the steep mountain slopes and they created flat, arable land for farming. The layering of materials in the terraces, along with the site's climate, created fertile growing conditions. They also served as part of the city's ceremonial and administrative areas.

The terraces included an internal drainage system with three layers: a bottom layer of gravel, a middle layer of sand and a top layer of mulch or soil. Fertile soil was brought from other areas of the empire to fill the terraces, creating a variety of microclimates for different crops.

Circuit 2B is a popular route that includes the lower terraces and provides a classic view of the city, while other routes, like Circuit 1-B, provide access to the upper terraces, which offer a different perspective.

After exiting, we jumped on the bus back down the mountain toward Aguas Calientes and finally took a moment to relax even though the ride down was no less terrifying than the one up.

Back in town with a little time to spare we ate at an open-air food market above the shops, then boarded our trains to Ollantaytambo (not as nice as the way there). When the trains arrived in Ollantaytambo after dark, hundreds of people unloaded; it was utter chaos. Esau and I were able to agree on a price of 10 soles for a collectivo back to Cusco. The drive was nearly two hours. What an incredible day!

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