Peru: Machu Picchu

The lost Inca city of Machu Picchu is definitely one of the highlights of any trip to Peru, as well as all of South America. Not much is known about the origins of the site and it wasn’t discovered until 1911. Regardless of its background, the high quality of the stonework leads scholars to believe that it was once a ceremonial center. The site consists of many well-preserved structures and allows one to wander and climb up above it all for the classic photo shoot.

We visited Machu Picchu as a day trip from Cuzco, taking a train for four hours in each direction. Once in Aguas Calientes, the village below the site, a bus is boarded to go up the dirt switchback road to the lost city. We spent quite a bit of time above the site taking many pictures before walking down and into the actual structures. Even though it was crowded on the day we were there, there was still a feeling of intimacy as we wandered around. Machu Picchu is a very special place was a “must see” on our trip.

Watch an overview of our time in Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

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