Machu Picchu: The Magic of Inca City above the Clouds
Everyone has heard of the Inca city of Machu Picchu, but very few had been there before. But when, if not now? Here are the best tips for visiting Machu Picchu.
Welcome to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is an extremely extraordinary city. Even if it is only preserved in ruins today, it has not lost any of its former power. Just captivates everyone who visits it!
The city was probably built in the 15th century by the Incas, who must have made incredible efforts. After all, Machu Picchu is not just anywhere, but high in the Peruvian Andes on a ridge 2,430 meters above sea level. The unreal backdrop in the steep mountains makes the ruined city appear surreal through and through.
It goes without saying that such an extraordinary site is a major tourist attraction these days. At the latest when Machu Picchu was put on the list of world cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1983, the Inca city became one of the biggest tourist attractions during a vacation in South America. Now around 4,000 visitors come from all over the world every day, although or because the area is hardly accessible and so mysterious.
The secrets of Machu Picchu
The fact that it is even possible to visit the Inca city of Machu Picchu today is the result of a curious story of discovery in which the ghosts of the Incas are said to have their fingers in the game. The story of the discovery of Machu Picchu is in fact marked by several tragic accidents and if someone did manage to find the Inca city, it disappeared again shortly afterwards.
So there were many courageous explorers and researchers who visited the Inca city, but they were seldom found a second time. It first took cartography and enough local knowledge to be able to produce a first map in 1874, in which the exact location of the Inca city was drawn. During the following expeditions, however, mudslides, fog, storms and accidents ensured that the city was lost.
It wasn't until the Yale University expedition in 1911 that Machu Picchu was discovered by chance. The ruins had long been overgrown with plants and so the expedition leader Hiram Bingham believed that he had found the Inca city of Vilcabamba. In 1960, aerial photographs were used to reconstruct that the Binghams expedition had found Macchu Picchu in 1911. Since then one speaks retrospectively of the "year of rediscovery 1911".
Critical voices suggest, however, that Bingham's mix-up was deliberate and served to bring gold and other grave goods to the United States unnoticed. Today there are many myths and legends about Machu Picchu, which give the unusual ruined city a ghostly, mysterious aura.
How to get to Machu Picchu
If you are planning a trip to South America, you will hardly be able to miss Machu Picchu and you will want to go there yourself. However, there are neither roads into the city of the Incas, nor an airport nearby. The only way to visit the Inca City is by rail. To do this, go to Cusco, the former Inca capital. Cusco is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is well worth a visit. If you want to continue from Cusco to Machu Picchu, you can take the narrow-gauge railway to Machupicchu village, which connects the two places.
The descent is possible in Cusco or 13 kilometers west in Poroy. From there, the train journey to Machupicchu village takes around 3.5 hours. Time flies by quickly, however, as the train chugs along a spectacular route through the grandiose mountainous world of the Andes. A really breathtaking route by European standards! On the 100-kilometer journey (75 km as the crow flies) through the Urubamba, you will also experience a lot of wild nature from colorful birds to monkeys.
If the train reaches Machupicchu village, you are not there yet. The place is home to 2,000 souls and is about 2,000 meters above sea level. So it's still several hundred meters up to Macchu Picchu. Nevertheless, the local train station is called “Macchu Picchu”. Actually the route continues from here, but for tourists it is the end of the line in Machupicchu village.
Tips on Ferrocarril to Machu Picchu
- The travel time to Machu Picchu is 3.5 hours, so you should plan on catering.
- The tourist trains are run by “Peru Rail” and "IncaRail".
- A return ticket on the 100-kilometer route costs around 130 euros in the first class and around 70 euros in the wood class.
- The first trip from Cusco is at 6 am; the last return from Macchu Picchu 3 p.m.
- We recommend buying train tickets a few days in advance.
- The shuttle runs between 6:30 am and 5:30 pm for $ 24.
The remaining eight kilometers from the center in Aguas Calientes up to the Inca city can be walked or taken with a shuttle bus. In any case, you should make the decision carefully, because the footpath partly consists of steps and steep serpentines. The ascent is therefore not for inexperienced hikers. Tourists regularly underestimate the thin mountain air, the weather and the strenuous climb uphill. In any case, you should look for a hotel in Peru for a longer stay, which also ensures good weather. There are sure to be offers in the vicinity of the famous Inca city.
Best travel time for Machu Picchu
At several hundred meters above sea level, the weather is an unpredictable factor. Actually, it can be beautiful or wet at any time in Machu Picchu in Peru. Basically, the Inca city can therefore be visited all year round, you just need a little luck. The fog in particular can restrict the view, but it usually moves away as quickly as it came. Anyone who sees the mountain wrapped in clouds on arrival should remain optimistic.
The main season at Machu Picchu is from April to October, as the rainy season ends in March and the dry season is just around the corner. The probability that it will rain at Machu Picchu is 20-30% during the dry season. In October the dry season ends again and the probability of rain increases. The months of January and February are the wettest. During these months it rains almost every day and since the Peruvians have long school holidays between Christmas and February, the number of visitors increases. It is similar on Easter and on the Peruvian national holiday between July 18 and 24.
The temperatures that can be expected are between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius in the first quarter of the year. Then it gets slightly warmer. However, up to 25 degrees Celsius a day alternate with colder nights in which the temperature drops to around 10 degrees Celsius. After all, our summer in the southern hemisphere is winter.
A whole valley full of Machu Picchu
One or the other will be surprised that Machu Picchu is not the only Inca city in the area. The Urubambatal was considered a “sacred valley” by the Incas and was home to several settlements. In addition to the famous city of Machu Picchu, there are also less visited ruins in Choquequirao, Ollantaytambo, Piasac and another one in Sacsayhuamán on the outskirts of Cusco. Machu Picchu, however, has been of great public interest since National Geographic dedicated an entire magazine to the city in 1913. The (still) good state of preservation and the spectacular location are unsurpassed. When do you discover the traces of the Incas in Peru?
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