An Inca royal estate above the clouds — built without mortar, abandoned for centuries, untouched by Spain.
Built in the mid-15th century by the Inca emperor Pachacuti as a royal estate, Machu Picchu sits 2,430 metres above sea level on a saddle between two Andean peaks. Its terraced fields, temples and houses were constructed entirely from precisely-cut stone — fitted so tightly that no mortar was used.
Abandoned a century later during the Spanish conquest and never discovered by the colonists, the city was reintroduced to the world by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Today it is the most visited archaeological site in South America.
Entry tickets must be reserved in advance through the Peruvian Ministry of Culture. Trains run daily from Cusco and Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes; the four-day Inca Trail is the alternative.
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