No trip to Peru would be complete without a visit to the ‘lost city’ of Machu Picchu, and there are quite a few wonderful hikes and other things to do in Machu Picchu if you have the time. This 15th century citadel of the Inca Empire is as fascinating as it is photogenic, and it’s still hard to believe people once lived in such an amazing place. After snapping some photos at the iconic viewpoint, it’s well worth your time to tour the ancient ruins, meet the friendly llamas, and hike some of the spectacular mountain trails surrounding the Machu Picchu citadel. When you arrive at the entrance to Machu Picchu, the first order of business is to see the iconic viewpoint at the Guardian’s House!
This is the first and best view anywhere in the Machu Picchu complex, and it’s where all of the amazing postcard photos are taken. From the edge of the terrace, you have a perfect panoramic view of the Machu Picchu ruins and the mountains in the background. It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture of Machu Picchu here. If there happens to be fog or rain when you arrive, just wait awhile, because this is common early in the day and it usually clears up later in the morning.
Naturally this spot gets very crowded with tourists throughout the day, but there’s a lot of standing room on the terrace, so you usually won’t have to wait for photos. By afternoon, most of the tourist herds have thinned out. The Guardian’s House is a modest little stone shack with a thatch roof, and like the name implies, it once served as a lookout post above the Inca citadel in ancient times.
No trip to Peru would be complete without a visit to the ‘lost city’ of Machu Picchu, and there are quite a few wonderful hikes and other things to do in Machu Picchu if you have the time. This 15th century citadel of the Inca Empire is as fascinating as it is photogenic, and it’s still hard to believe people once lived in such an amazing place.
After snapping some photos at the iconic viewpoint, it’s well worth your time to tour the ancient ruins, meet the friendly llamas, and hike some of the spectacular mountain trails surrounding the Machu Picchu citadel.
When you arrive at the entrance to Machu Picchu, the first order of business is to see the iconic viewpoint at the Guardian’s House!
This is the first and best view anywhere in the Machu Picchu complex, and it’s where all of the amazing postcard photos are taken. From the edge of the terrace, you have a perfect panoramic view of the Machu Picchu ruins and the mountains in the background.
It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture of Machu Picchu here. If there happens to be fog or rain when you arrive, just wait awhile, because this is common early in the day and it usually clears up later in the morning.
Naturally this spot gets very crowded with tourists throughout the day, but there’s a lot of standing room on the terrace, so you usually won’t have to wait for photos. By afternoon, most of the tourist herds have thinned out.
The Guardian’s House is a modest little stone shack with a thatch roof, and like the name implies, it once served as a lookout post above the Inca citadel in ancient times.