Tour Location: Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, Peru.
Type Tour: Day tour.
Tour Duration: All day.
Start/End Tour: Pick up from your hotel and drop off after.
Advice: Comfortable shoes, hat, warm cloth, raincoat(for rainy season).
Highlights: Citadel of Machu Picchu.
Overview
According to scientists, the Incas built Machu Picchu in the 15th century. Its real purpose is still a mystery. It is also proved that it was a rather lively city. There lived mainly representatives of the nobility, priests, and “akyas” – “priestesses of the Sun”. This ancient city was inhabited only until 1532. Then the Incas mysteriously disappeared. It is assumed that this happened because Machu Picchu depended on food supplies from Cusco, and after the capture of the capital of the Inca Empire by the Spanish conquerors, these supplies ceased. On the other hand, there is an assumption that ordinary people went to fight against the Spanish, and the nobility with treasures escaped to the city of Vilcabamba.
The famous explorer Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu in 1911. The day he entered the citadel, it was fully covered with a grand amount of vegetation. As well, two families lived there and used its buildings and terraces for their needs.
The interesting thing is that Hiram was not the first entered to Machu Picchu. Agustin Lizarraga entered here and left his sign with a date in 1902.
The guided tour in Machu Picchu takes approx 2 hours, during which you will visit the main points of the citadel.
If you will make an upgrade by visiting Huayna Picchu or Huchu Picchu, the tour will extend 1.5 – 2 hours more.