Machu Picchu Sanctuary
The famous Inca mountaintop city has captured the world’s attention. In 2007 Machu Picchu was elected one of the new 7 wonders of the world in a global poll. With its majestic architecture, intricate stone walls, esplanades, and platforms, the city is marvelously adapted to the mountain escarpment it sits on. The city lies at 2,430 meters above sea level, immersed in mountain forests and surrounded by an extraordinary landscape. Building started at Machu Picchu around 1430 AD but it was abandoned at the time of the Spanish conquest, and was not discovered by the Conquistadors. The sanctuary of Machu Picchu is divided into two large sectors — one an agricultural area, the other the urban area or citadel. The first surrounds the second. The peak of Wayna Picchu is often considered a third sector, offering a different perspective on the monument from above. The sanctuary is also characterized by great tropical biodiversity, with dozens of endemic species in an area covering 37,320 hectares. The entire complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
[/symple_accordion_section][symple_accordion_section title=”Logistics”]Location Access
Province: Urubamba
District: Machu Picchu
Local Reference: Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu Pueblo
Distance: 112 kilometers from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, 97 kilometers from Cusco to Ollantaytambo / 44 kilometers from
Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, 8 kilometers from Aguas Calientes train station to the Sanctuary
Time: 3 hours 30 minutes by train from Cusco, 2 hours by car from Cusco to Ollantaytambo / 1 hour 30 minutes by train from
Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Site Details
Entrance Fee:
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:00 – 17:00
Museum & Other Services: Site museum in Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes) Aguas Calientes offers a range of services:
Restaurants, Hotels (Cuzco Hotel), Hostels, ATMs, stores, security, Internet