Machu Picchu

Introduction

Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca lost city, rides an Andean ridge about 80 km northwest of Cusco, Peru, at roughly 2,430 metres, wrapped in cloud forest. The city follows the mountain's contours: temples of mortarless masonry — the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana and the Temple of the Three Windows — have survived centuries of earthquakes without a crack, and more than 200 structures spread across terraces and stairways until the outside world rediscovered it in 1911. On clear mornings, when the mist lifts, the whole stone city seems to float above the Urubamba river gorge. A New Seven Wonders site and UNESCO jewel, it enforces named, time-slotted entry with daily caps — book tickets and trains weeks ahead.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info