The Magical Ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is one of those ‘must see in your life time’ places and there are many different ways in which to experience it.

My personal pick of the bunch is the 4 day jungle Inca Trek, which sounds arduous but really isn’t; it all depends on how you feel. You actually have many options, i.e. you can take it easy - riding on rooftops and sleeping in, or you can do it like the Incas and sweat. Machu Picchu is a place that has lived in my imagination for my whole life, so I decided to save all my energy for the ruins themselves.

The boys on tour...A hot and humid day

The tour I decided on incorporated one day on the Inca trail which was perfect, walking at our own pace and taking in the incredibly beautiful views. We saw loads of “hard core trekkers” pass us by, puffing and panting, looking at their feet the whole time, moving way to quickly to soak in the surroundings. I guess it’s all down to a matter of preference, with people having many different goals, but for me the tour I choose contained excitement, leisure, exploration, a physical challenge and many other factors that appealed to me.

Tip: You can book this tour in Cusco at all travel agencies for around $165 USD; don’t go for much less than this, as the quality goes with the price, but don’t pay to much more, and it’s better to buy your tour through a licensed tour operator!

The tour involves a scenic drive to the top of the Abra de Malaga pass, then a leisurely ride for kilometres down the other side. The ride is awesome, you drop around 1000 m in altitude, along a twisty little road, taking you from the rugged mountainous peaks down to a dense tropical rainforest. Beautiful stuff!

By the afternoon you arrive at the tiny little town of Santa Maria, where you can have a relaxing beer, a decent feed and a sleep. The accommodation is basic but good, double beds are available on request.

My second tip: but make sure you press the point that you’d like a double bed, not only with the agent but also with your guide, as these things tend to slip their minds.

The famous steps of the Inca Trail

The second day involves a reasonably mellow hike that follows the river up into the mountains, stopping at a little spot along the way to grab a drink or snack before hitting the Inca trail. This portion of the Inca trail is absolutely beautiful, traversing along a steep gorge that intersects a surreal landscape of tall green mountains that fall away into the valley below, with only the sound of the river and tropical birds echoing all around you.

After the gorge, you make your way down to a lunch stop. Here you can relax your feet and get a good feed, readying yourself for the walk to the ‘well deserved’ hot springs. The hot springs are a group of large thermal pools, resembling large hot swimming pools in a luxurious resort with mood lights set in amongst the broad leaved tropical lilies.

Tip number 3: Definitely experience the hot springs….It costs 10 Soles to enter, but after a full days walk you would dish out 20 dollars to get into those hot springs, they have showers, changing rooms and a safe storage area for your gear.

As the sun sets over the mountains you can either walk up the dusty dirt road, competing with small busses for life, or you can sit in the thermal pools a little longer, with a cold beer and catch one of those crazy busses up to your accommodation, for a whole two Soles where a fulfilling dinner awaits in the town of Santa Teresa. A tough decision!

Absolutely breathtakingly majestic!!

On the third day you have the option of walking the morning along another dusty track or spend time exploring Santa Teresa with a lay in after a night on the town. I recommend you do what we did: request an exhilarating ride on top of a van for some amazing scenery, arriving at our lunch stop relaxed with a camera full of awesome photos. Again though, it’s all a matter of preference.

After lunch you walk along a railway track for quite a way, there you get your first glimpse of Machu Picchu, high up on a mountain peak. You then make your way out of the relaxed surroundings into tourist central; ritzy hotels and hawkers. Aguas Calliente a grounding moment, but really what can you expect!

The last day is the day you’ve been waiting for, the ruins of Machu Picchu! You get up early and either walk an hour in the dark up the mountain to the main gate, or catch the bus for 7USD. Once again for me, not such a tough decision! The bus was a little windy but looking at the others who had walked the dark mountain, puffing and panting, I’m glad I took the bus!!!

Your guide takes you on a walk through the ruins to get a ticket for Waynapicchu the opposing ruins on top of another small mountain.

Tip 4: You need to get a ticket for this if you want to climb up the other side, which is also a must. From here you get stunning views of Machu Picchu from a different angle while having a look at some more amazing ruins. Tickets for this are free but with limited numbers.

After you get your ticket your guide will give you a full tour of Machu Picchu for a couple of hours, then leave you to explore one of the most amazing places in the world. With a little extra effort you can walk down to the temple of the moon on the other side of Waynapicchu. This is something most tourists don’t see as most people don’t realise it’s there! A little temple tucked away, it’s a bit of a hike but the lack of people and the amazing track taking you there is worth the challenge.

The Moon Temple is well worth the trek!

Summing up, the guides are pretty good, coming from me, a tour guide of twelve years with highly critical views when it comes to other guides. The accommodation is as to be expected on a trek, comfortable but basic. The food was also reasonably decent, but I recommend you take a decent amount of water and some snacks. Things like snacks and water are available along the way but you end up paying top dollar for them. So all round a great tour and one of the best trips I’ve done, so pack your bag and have a good time! I definitely recommend this tour for people who like to have a little fun whilst taking in some amazing scenery and learn about a fantastic place and its mysterious people!

Final Tip: don’t forget to check the weather forecast before you go, you want a sunny Machu Picchu!!