MACHU PICCHU

What a journey its been to get here! 2 flights, 4- hour train ride, and a 30-minute bus to this destination that felt like a dream. Expect to be completely mesmerized taking in the immense scale of this location. The ruins of this imperial city are perched high upon a ridge, surrounded by steep mountains, deep canyons, and dense sub-tropical forest.

It’s crazy to think how crowded this sacred place was pre- covid (more than 2,500 visitors a day) and how grateful I am to learn and experience one of the wonders of the world in a setting like this.

My Journey to Machu Picchu

There does not exist a more iconic way how to get there than by train (the only other way is to hike, literally). But this train ride is so worth it! There are 2 to choose from (PeruRail and Inca Rail) but there’s no real difference between the two. I hopped on PeruRail—offering stunning views, sneaking through valleys, Peruvian specialties, and traditional music played by the locals. This journey adds a traditional Peruvian atmosphere that train traveling in other parts of the world can’t compare.

Helpful Tip: You will need to wear two masks + a face shield before boarding your train. They will not let you on if you don’t have those items. Also, there are no bad seats on the train— comfortable rows of seating with large panoramic windows inside!

Departing from stations in Cusco, trains en route to Machu Pichhu go through a narrow gorge before dropping down to the Sacred Valley. The last stop for MP is Aguas Calientes. Once you get off the train, you have to go through a big market area which can get confusing but just follow the rest of the crowd and you’ll be fine. It was a little bit of a walk so definitely pack light! We checked into the hotel, Casa Del Sol, but since it was during COVID, we literally were the only ones that checked in for the day. Kind of eerie in my opinion. But the room was clean and comfortable so that’s all that matters!

Pro tip: Buy your MP and Bus tickets for the following morning— many people try and get off the train and head to Machu Picchu that same day but it gets way too crowded by the afternoon, in my opinion not worth it.

Woke up early in the morning, had breakfast, and headed to the bus stop before 8:00am. Perfect timing since there wasn’t much of a line to wait in. The tour guide was booked through the hotel which I would recommend because it’s easier to navigate and even translate everything, not to mention the learning experience was unforgettable.

The journey to the top was amazing, such beautiful scenery and that first glimpse of MP as you round a corner was unbelievable. Helpful tip: If you’re thinking about hiking up to MP or taking the bus, here’s what I realized: the bus takes you up the mountain on a switchback road which is essentially the same route as the hikers. Since the hiking route is more or less the same route as the bus, the decision for me was to get to the top and have more time exploring.

A dream city in the clouds! Spent the day learning about the Incas and hiking around these beautiful ancient ruins. To know the Incas built their cities as high in the sky as possible to be closer to their gods was so fascinating to me. Everything they built was impeccable, and the knowledge they had of the stars, sun and architecture was astonishing. It was hard to believe that all they accomplished was even possible at that point in time (1438-1472)! Imagine what accidentally stumbling upon this lost city must have been like!

Helpful Tip: they don’t allow you to eat inside but there is a little cafe with good food like sandwiches, water, coffee right by the entrance. I recommend getting a bite to eat after you’re done, taking in those last moments of this incredible view.