What to do, see or visit when you arrive at Machu Picchu?
If visiting the imperial city is in your next plans, join us in this article where we will be mentioning what to visit in Machu Picchu once you’re there.
This archaeological complex is one of the most visited places in Cusco, thanks to its history and its natural landscapes it has become one of the favorite places for tourists.
Therefore, keep reading and do not miss our recommendations on what to see in Machu Picchu to live an incredible experience.
What should you know about Machu Picchu?
Before going on to mention the best tourist places in Machu Picchu, we are going to give you some basic information that you should take into account when traveling.
Machu Picchu is one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is part of the Sacred Valley and is one of the most visited places in Peru. It is close to the city of Cusco and is located at 2,430 meters above sea level.
Its weather is mainly divided into two seasons; the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season runs from April to October, at this time the days are mostly sunny and the temperatures are rather cold. The rainy season runs from November to March and has warmer temperatures.
During the rainy season the landscape that Machu Picchu presents is most spectacular, since thanks to the rains the green tones of the mountains look much more intense and generate incredible views.
Although during the rainy season it does not rain constantly, we must say that trekking or hiking is not recommended during the month of February, since it is the time when the rains are a little more frequent.
Regarding the clothing to travel to the Inca city, whatever the time of year, we recommend using layers of clothing to be able to remove throughout the day if the temperatures increase and always have a jacket, either to protect us from rain or cold. We also recommend having a hat, sunglasses, and comfortable shoes suitable for trekking.
The best of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is one of the most important ruins of the Inca civilization, its creation is estimated to date from the 15th century. This ancient city, in addition to being located between mountains and presenting unbeatable landscapes, is a sample of the wisdom of the Inca people and their advanced knowledge in architecture and engineering.
It is really a wonderful place full of greatness to discover, so if you want to know what to do in Machu Picchu once you are there, we are going to list the places that we most recommend visiting.
1- The Sacred Square:
The Sacred Square is located in the center of the upper area of Machu Picchu. It has a rectangular shape of approximately 400 square meters of surface.
In this important site were carried out ceremonies dedicated to the different Inca gods and to the mountains. Here we can find two of the most relevant religious sites; The Main Temple and the Temple of the Three Windows.
2- Temple of the Three Windows:
On one side of the Sacred Square is one of the places most visited by tourists, which may have been one of the most important spaces for the Incas, since everything indicates that religious ceremonies were held there.
The name comes from the fact that one of the stone walls has three windows from which you can see an incredible view of both the mountains and the Urubamba River.
The windows may have been strategically placed to allow the sun to enter the temple.
3- Huayna Picchu Mountain:
We can say that one of the most interesting things to do in Machu Picchu is to visit Huayna Picchu. This mountain has a height of 2,720 meters above sea level, and climbing it is an adventure that many travelers choose.
It must be borne in mind that access to it is from the age of 12 and it is important to always have the right footwear to do so.
Reaching the top of this mountain provides an extremely satisfying sensation, since from there you get privileged views of both the Inca city and the entire environment that surrounds it.
If you do not want to miss the opportunity to live this experience, you should know that at Guru Explorers we offer the Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu Tour, where you can tour the citadel and also live the adventure of reaching the top of Huayna Picchu.
4- Temple of the Sun:
This temple dedicated to the God of the Sun is a very striking semicircular construction. It has windows from which you can accurately see the sunrise on the summer and winter solstices. Inside the temple there are some paintings and drawings, an altar and a patio with niches. Its walls are made with large blocks of carved granite.
5- Temple of the Condor:
The Condor symbolized for the Incas fertility and power, and is part of the Condor – Puma – Serpent trilogy.
The temple dedicated to this sacred bird consists of a platform formed by huge stone blocks that represent the condor wings and another stone forms the head and neck. In this space ceremonies and sacrifices were performed, and today, from here you can see incredible views of the landscape, making it an ideal place to take pictures.
6- Intihuatana:
Another of the interesting things to see in Machu Picchu is, undoubtedly, the Intihuatana, whose name means in Quechua “place where the sun is moored”.
This carved rock had the function of being a clock and calendar for the Incas. It was of great importance, thanks to it they had a guide about the weather and the seasons of the year and it allowed them to draw conclusions about the climate.
This important rock is located on a hill, so wonderful views can also be seen from here.
7- Terraces:
In the central part of Machu Picchu we find something very interesting to know, which are its terraces or agricultural platforms.
There is a whole space for these structures, since they were a fundamental part of the Inca city. Thanks to them they could supply themselves with crops and since they were built on different levels, several microclimates were generated that allowed them to grow seeds with different temperature requirements.
8- Machu Picchu Mountain:
Another of the tourist attractions that the imperial city offers is the Machu Picchu Mountain, which is highly chosen by tourists, since its ascent is easier than climbing other mountains.
This mountain is located at 3,082 meters above sea level, and it is not necessary to reach the top to get a good view of the landscape, since throughout the walk you will be able to stop to admire incredible panoramic views. Something that greatly enriches this walk is the flora and fauna that the mountain presents.
If you want to experience this unforgettable adventure, keep in mind that Guru Explorers offers the Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain Tour, where you can venture into the hiking trails of the mountain and of course, visit the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu.
9- Fountain Stairs:
The Fountain Stairs is the name given to this aqueduct made up of 16 sources that was in charge of supplying water to the entire population of Machu Picchu.
These fountains, arranged at different levels, make a journey through channels almost 60 meters long. These channels obtain water from underground springs and rain.
Many engineers agree that this is a work of hydraulic engineering that has no comparison.
10- Inca Baths:
In the Sacred Sector of Machu Picchu, there are the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana and also the Inca Baths.
These baths are made up of several stone pools, which have thermal water of different temperatures. It is deduced that the Incas used these baths for purification rituals and perhaps also for physical conditions, since these waters have medicinal properties.
11- The Inca Bridge:
This bridge is an ancient structure built with stones and wood that was used as a trade route to move goods and food from the jungle to Machu Picchu and was probably also used as a means of escape in the event of an enemy attack.
Today, tourists can access the bridge through a challenging and rocky path.
12- Royal Palace:
Another of the most attractive points to visit in Machu Picchu is the Royal Palace, which is located to the east, in the upper part of the urban sector and close to the main temples.
This enclosure has an outstanding and large construction. It has several rooms and amenities, including a corral for raising animals and a terrace.
Due to its elegant characteristics, it is believed that this was some important person´s home of the Inca empire.
13- Putucusi Mountain:
The Putucusi Mountain, also known as «happy mountain», is located next to Machu Picchu and it is possible to access it.
Reaching its top is in a way quite challenging, since it presents some kind of difficult and demanding trails, but as a reward it offers unbeatable views from the top.
Visit Machu Picchu with us
Now that you already know what to do in this amazing archaeological complex, we must tell you that at Guru Explorers we offer the best Machu Picchu Tours so you can enjoy an incredible experience.
In addition to those already mentioned, we also offer classic tours to explore the imperial city, such as our Machu Picchu by train Full Day Tour.
We also have tours for the more adventurous, such as the Salkantay + Machu Picchu, 5 days trek Tour, where in addition to visiting the Inca citadel, you will have the opportunity to live 5 days full of adventure touring mountains and enjoying an incomparable landscape.
You know, at Guru Explorers we have a tour to suit you, so don’t miss the opportunity to discover the magic that the ancient imperial city has to offer.