I don’t remember when exactly I heard the name Machu Picchu for the first time but somehow then, I knew I wanted to go there, an ancient place with a mysterious rhythmic name. Machu Picchu, the 600 years old citadel, a marvel of Inca engineering, was abandoned and hidden in the remotes of the Peruvian Andes for almost 400 years. Covered in Jungle this ancient Incan citadel waited to be reintroduced again to the outside world in the beginning of 20th Century.
In1983, Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and by 2007, it entered the list of seven wonders of the modern world. Now these stunning ancient ruins, the lost city of the Incas, get almost 1 million tourists per year from all over the world.
How to Reach:
There is no non-stop flight from any Indian city to Lima, the capital of Peru, but there are several one-stop and two-stop flights to Lima and connecting flights to Cusco. Cusco is the nearest international airport to Machu Picchu ruins. There are also buses available from Lima to Cusco, a very long journey though, takes almost a whole day.
Visa:
We, Indian passport holders, need visa for Peru and it’s available from Peru embassy in New Delhi. Till now there are no E-visa or Visa for arrival options for Indian Citizens but visa is exempted for Indian passport holders if they have a valid US Visa.
When to go:
- May to October is the best time to visit Machu Picchu, a dry season with a clear blue sky.
- Most of the trekking routes are open, so for trekkers this is almost the only season.
November to April is the rainy season and most of the trek routes are closed. Definitely, it is not a season for trekkers, but non-trekkers can reach there by bus and train. Its less crowded, cheaper and if fortunate enough, then this season can give you the chance to witness some stunning sunrises and sunsets and incredible cloud covered Peruvian Andes. I went there in March. As a tropical country person who did not mind bit of a rain had a great experience.
How Many days are needed to visit Machu Picchu:
Someone can do a day trip to Machu Picchu ruins from one of the nearby towns by bus and train but covering the total sacred valley region will take around four days.
There are several trekking options for adventure lovers. Different routes will take different number of days. Most popular one is the classic Inca trail which takes around 4 days and 3 nights.
Where to stay to visit Machu Picchu:
There are mostly 3-4 places where someone can stay to visit Machu Picchu. Each place has its unique character, distinct advantages, and disadvantages, depending on the time and budget constraints, the traveller needs to decide where to stay.
- Cusco: The most popular place to stay for Machu Picchu is Cusco. This very high-altitude city itself is one of the most important tourist places for history lovers. This ancient Incan capital offers a mix of Incan and colonial architecture. The city is well connected with rest of the Peru and also has an international airport, with varied stay and food options, has numerous tour agencies for later arrangements and with good medical facilities. If you are someone like me who does not mind touristic crowd, loves strolling around the cities with multiple historical layers, wants to take separate day trips to Machu Picchu and sacred valley and other places around, have time and budget constraint then definitely Cusco is your place to stay. Also, for the trekkers who need some days to prepare themselves for high altitude trek, Cusco is the place.
- Ollantaytambo: A tiny quiet ancient town with old Incan architecture, situated in the lower altitude andis part of the sacred valley. This town get little less tourists, have much less stay and food options and not too costly. This is probably one of the most stunning Incan town surrounded by mountains, ancient ruins and set on the river Urubamba. The train to Machu Picchu leaves from Ollantaytambo, so if you want to catch the first train to Machu Pichu and delve in to remote Incan culture and want to stay in a lesser altitude place then this is a great option. This place is connected to Cusco by buses and taxis.
- Aguas Calientes: This is the nearest settlement to Machu Picchu ruins, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. Machu Picchu is just a 20-minute bus ride from the settlement. Situated in the Urubamba River valley, this tiny town is accessible only by train from Ollantaytambo or trek, which makes everything a bit costlier here. But if someone wants to spend more than one day in Machu Picchu and wants several trips to Machu Pichu then this is the only place to stay.
- Urubamba: This is the largest town in the sacred valley region, a bit big and crowded city but comes with lesser altitude, several stay and food options and well connected with other places. If someone wants the city facilities and want to avoid staying at too high altitude then Urubamba is an option but not so popular.
Visiting Machu Picchu:
Reaching the Machu Picchu ruins is a complex process. As mentioned earlier, the nearest settlement is Aguas Calientes and its only accessible by train or trek, not by bus or car. The train leaves from Ollantaytambo station, journeys through a magical scenic route, takes around one and a half hours to reach Aguas Calientes and from there its 20 minutes bus journey to Machu Picchu. Buses and Taxis are available from very early morning to reach Ollantaytambo station from Cusco or Urubamba. All the return tickets have to be bought in advance. During peak season, it’s an absolute necessity and during shoulder season it is highly advisable.
The tour inside the Machu Picchu is divided in three main circuits and each circuit has more than one route. These routes keep on changing each year. One ticket to Machu Picchu covers only one distinct route of one circuit. Each ticket gives access to a single one-way path and it’s designed to manage crowd and to protect this ancient site. Circuits and current route descriptions are available in official Machu Picchu website and several other websites, it is very important to decide upon the Circuit before buying tickets. Each Circuit has limited number of tickets, so it’s necessary to buy tickets in advance. Each route has easy to moderately difficult level of hiking, depending on the circuit and takes around 3 to 5 hours.
If someone wants to cover more than one circuit, then they have to stay in Aguas Calientes and spend at least two days in the Machu Picchu ruins.
Some important tips:
- It’s a high altitude area and several tourists suffer from high altitude sickness. Take precautions, every hotel and tour buses and train carry small oxygen cylinders thus do not hesitate to ask.
- Peak season will be very cold and the rainy season may have lots of rain, prepare accordingly. It’s better to have basic hiking shoes with good grip.
- There are several tour agencies in Cusco who arrange trips to Machu Picchu and take care of all kind of tickets booking. It is advisable to get in touch with them in advance, especially for peak season at least three to four months in advance. I found them very honest and helpful.
- As language can be an issue so its advisable to have an English speaking guide at least inside Machu Picchu.
- There is lots of walking involved in visiting Machu Picchu ruins and most of it is not accessible by wheelchair.
BY Mitasha Chatterjee
