Question 1

Machu Picchu on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Visiting Machu Picchu independently means a long transfer: a train from Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then the bus up to the gate, with your entry ticket, train and bus all booked ahead. Most visitors arrive on package tours, and on a cruise-tour your operator usually handles the timing. Tickets first: Entry tickets are not sold at the gate. Each one is for a single route on one of three circuits, daily numbers are capped, and online tickets are usually sold out for the month ahead. Bring your passport, which is checked at the entrance. The bus: Buses climb the switchbacks from Aguas Calientes in about 30 minutes. There can be long queues at busy times, so leave plenty of time to get back down for your train. Walking up instead takes about an hour and a half to two hours, mostly on stairs. What you can bring: The site's rules ban bags larger than 40 by 35 by 20 cm, food, walking sticks, umbrellas, tripods, strollers, high heels and hard-soled shoes. Check the current rules before you go. Toilets: There are none inside the site, only by the entrance, and your ticket does not let you leave and come back in. In Aguas Calientes: The town's hot baths, which gave it its name, are up the hill from the center, and a large craft market faces the station. Keep to your tour's times: Protests can disrupt trains with little warning, so follow your tour's guidance.

Question 2

Tipping in Peru

Accepted Answer

In basic and mid-range Peruvian restaurants tipping is not very common, but 10 percent is a polite tip for good service. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped. Peru's currency is the sol. US dollars are less widely accepted than in some neighboring countries, though crisp new 10 or 20 dollar notes can help.

Question 3

The Site and Its Setting

Accepted Answer

Machu Picchu is built in the classic Inca style, with finely fitted stone at its main buildings, and its names come from Quechua, the language of the Inca. The mountains around it are a protected sanctuary rich in birds, orchids and cloud forest. In Quechua, machu means old and pikchu means peak, so Machu Picchu is usually translated as "old peak". Huayna Picchu, the steep summit behind the ruins, means "young peak". The Intihuatana is a carved stone that casts particular shadows at dawn on certain days and served as a kind of sundial. Its name joins the Quechua words for sun and for grasping. The Temple of the Sun has the most finely fitted stonework on the site; most other walls are rough stones set in mud. Spring-fed stone fountains built by the Inca still run. The sanctuary is home to more than 420 bird species, including the cock-of-the-rock and the Andean condor, and to more than 90 species of orchid.

Question 4

History

Accepted Answer

Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century and lived in for less than a hundred years. Local people knew of it, and an American expedition in 1911 brought it to the world's attention. An emperor's estate: Construction is traditionally dated to about 1450, and the site is believed to have been an estate of the Inca ruler Pachacuti, though no written records from the time confirm it. Radiocarbon dates: A 2021 study led from Yale University dated human remains at the site and concluded that it was occupied from about 1420 to 1530. Abandoned: The site was used for about 80 years and seems to have been abandoned as the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire. It is possible that most of its people died of smallpox, carried by travelers before the Spanish themselves reached the area. Known locally: The Peruvian explorer Agustín Lizárraga reached the site in the early 20th century, and in 1911 two Quechua farmers, Richarte and Alvarez, were working some of its old terraces. The 1911 expedition: On July 24, 1911, an 11-year-old boy named Pablito led Hiram Bingham, a lecturer at Yale, along the ridge to the main ruins. Bingham returned in 1912 to clear and excavate the site. The railway town: Aguas Calientes grew from a camp for the workers who built the railway, which was completed in 1931. Protection: Peru declared Machu Picchu a National Historic Sanctuary in 1981, and UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1983. Returning the finds: In 2007 Peru and Yale University reached an agreement on returning the artifacts Bingham had taken away. To learn more ashore: The site museum and botanical garden stand across the bridge from Aguas Calientes, at the foot of the path up to Machu Picchu.

Question 5

Machu Picchu with Children

Accepted Answer

Machu Picchu suits children who can walk for a few hours on uneven stone steps at altitude. Strollers are not allowed on the site, and food cannot be taken in, so feed everyone before you enter. Younger children: Choose a short route, such as the panoramic circuit's viewing platforms, and keep the visit brief. Expect even adults to be out of breath on the climbs until they are used to the altitude. School age: Give them things to find: the Intihuatana sun stone, the stone fountains that still run after 500 years and the terraces where Inca farmers grew crops. Teenagers: Fit, acclimatized teenagers can add a climb such as Machu Picchu Mountain, sold as a separate route, with a long path of steep steps. Routes and add-ons change, so check before you go.

Question 6

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Machu Picchu is hard going for anyone with limited mobility: the paths are uneven stone steps, many run one way only, and no vehicles are allowed inside the site. Some wheelchair users do see a large part of it on tours arranged in advance through private operators. The steps are uneven throughout, and the altitude leaves most visitors short of breath on any climb. Many paths are one-way, so you cannot easily turn back to see something you missed. Toilets are only at the entrance, and you cannot leave and re-enter on the same ticket. Walking sticks are on the site's list of banned items. If you rely on one, confirm the current rules with your tour operator before you travel. The bus from Aguas Calientes reaches the entrance; the walking route up is mostly stairs.

Machu Picchu

Good to know

Getting There

Machu Picchu on Your Own

Tipping in Peru

The Site and Its Setting

History

Machu Picchu with Children

Accessibility

Port crowds

Photos from travelers

Traveler reviews