Machu Picchu is amazing. These Incan ruins were “discovered” by Hiram Bingham in 1911. The true purpose of Machu Picchu is unknown, but the most widely accepted theory is that it was a winter retreat for Inca Pachacutec. The stone buildings an…
Huayna Picchu is the tall mountain behind Machu Picchu. You can hike to the top for a wonderful overview of Machu Picchu. The hike is strenuous with lots of stone steps and the higher altitude can cause you to lose your breath quickly. Only 300 pe…
This trail branches off from the Huayna Picchu Trail and adds another 1-2 hours of hiking. The hike descends into the jungle and then back up the mountain and then back down. The Temple of the Moon was built in a natural cave. The stones fit toget…
Unless you are hiking up to Machu Picchu, a bus ticket is needed. These are sold at the bus station for $14 US round trip. The bus station is “below the second bridge” not far from the train station. It is highly recommended to buy them the ni…
The Vistadome train has bubble windows above the regular windows so you can look up and see the tops of the mountains lining the valley. The train to Aguas Calientes, gateway to Machu Picchu, follows the Rio Urubamba through the Sacred Valley. The …
This train is a popular way for budget travelers to get from Machu Picchu to Cusco. The train is very crowded and cramped with not much leg room. There is no food or beverage service, but you can buy drinks on the train. The trip to Cusco takes 4 …
This little museum was fun and interesting. It is touted as one of best ethnographical museums in Andes by our guidebook so we decided to check it out. The exhibits were in Spanish with English translations on little paddles that you match up to th…
Pisac is known for its colorful market and is said to be the best market in Peru. The market runs every day now (I think) but is larger on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. There are tons of stalls selling t-shirts, alpaca wool garments, blankets, h…
The ruins at Ollantaytambo stretch above the city on the hillside. 200 steps take you up through the agricultural terraces to the temple of Ten Niches where large stone blocks contain knobs of unknown purpose. These terraces are taller than most In…
The archaeological site at Moray is easily accessed by taking a taxi from Urubamba (be sure to have your cab wait for you). The entrance is included in the Cusco ticket. The ruins consist of 4 circular to elliptical natural depressions that have be…
The salt mines of Salineras, located a few miles from the ruins at Moray, were not covered by the Cusco ticket but worth the S/5 entrance fee. Our driver stopped at the top so we could get a nice overview. It was amazing. A warm, salty spring come…
We stumbled into this amazing indoor local market a couple blocks from the city center. The inside was a colorful explosion of food and people. It was filled with fresh produce in sacks – potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn, squash, carrots…
Cusco is one of the highest elevation cities in the world at an elevation of about 3300m (10,000 ft). It was built by the Incas as a center of their empire. The city was laid out in a pattern to resemble a puma. Several of the original Inca walls …
The sun temple was built by the Incas and has special rooms dedicated to the moon, stars, lightning, and thunder. The building also served as a solar observatory. The south wall was covered in gold to reflect the sun to illuminate the temple and th…
We took a cab to the ruins on top of the mountain behind Cusco. These ruins are different from the others we’ve seen because they are made of HUGE stone blocks. The fortress was much larger in Incan times, but Spaniards, and later the locals, use…
The bronze Pachacutec statue is 11.5 m tall and stands on a pedestal 75 ft above the surrounding area. He’s pretty easy to find. Just head downhill along Ave El Sol to the big statue in the middle of the big roundabout. This monument is covered …
For our evening entertainment, we decided to check out the native dances at the Center of Native Art. We had a little trouble finding it – I think the address is incorrect. It was just a few buildings down from the Qorikancha museum, on the other…
This museum is located underground and has several displays of Inca pottery, metalwork, textiles, painting and other artwork. This museum was covered by our Cusco ticket, not sure what it would cost without the ticket. The museum is small and dark …
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