About Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu crowns a saddle of rock nearly eight thousand feet up in the Peruvian Andes, ringed by green peaks that fall away to the roaring Urubamba River far below. Built in the fifteenth century at the height of the Inca Empire and never found by the Spanish, the citadel lay half-swallowed by cloud forest until 1911, which is why its temples, fountains, and famous sun-catching Intihuatana stone survive almost exactly as their builders left them.
What photographs can't convey is the setting: mortarless walls fitted so tightly a knife blade can't pass between the stones, terraces hanging over sheer drops, llamas grazing the plazas, and the peak of Huayna Picchu rising behind it all like an exclamation point. Whether you arrive by the scenic rail line from the Sacred Valley or on foot over an Inca trail, the first view through the Sun Gate ranks among travel's great moments.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Machu Picchu.
Be there for first light
Early entry beats both the crowds and the clouds — watching the sun clear the peaks and pour down the terraces is the citadel at its most magical.
Walk up to the Sun Gate
The gentle climb to Inti Punku, the Inca trail's original entrance, rewards you with the classic full-city panorama — the view the Incas designed their road to deliver.
Ride the Vistadome rail
The train from the Sacred Valley threads the Urubamba gorge beneath glacier-hung peaks, with panoramic windows that turn the transfer itself into sightseeing.
Tours That Visit Machu Picchu
| Tour | Tour Partner | Days | Next Departure | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru Easygoing Walking Tour | Backroads | 7 | Mar 19, 2027 | $6,199View & Get Price |
| Peru Family Hiking & Walking Tour | Backroads | 7 | Aug 28, 2026 | $6,399View & Get Price |
| Peru Family Multi-Adventure Tour | Backroads | 8 | May 31, 2027 | $7,099View & Get Price |
| Peru Family Hiking & Walking Tour | Backroads | 7 | Call for dates | $6,749View & Get Price |
| Peru Hiking & Walking Tour | Backroads | 7 | Dec 18, 2026 | $6,299View & Get Price |
| Peru Lodge-to-Lodge Family Trekking Tour | Backroads | 9 | Dec 21, 2027 | $7,899View & Get Price |
| Peru Lodge-to-Lodge Trekking Tour | Backroads | 9 | Oct 20, 2026 | $7,899View & Get Price |
| Peru Multi-Adventure Tour | Backroads | 8 | Apr 19, 2027 | $7,299View & Get Price |
| Peru Women's Hiking & Walking Tour | Backroads | 7 | Nov 13, 2026 | $6,299View & Get Price |
| Machu Picchu to the Galapagos | Odysseys Unlimited | 17 | Sep 8, 2026 | $8,295View & Get Price |
| Treasures of Peru | Odysseys Unlimited | 11 | Sep 7, 2026 | $4,295View & Get Price |
Book any of these through Pavlus and pay less — never a service fee. Browse the full catalog → or call 800-528-9300 for your unadvertised Pavlus price.