SherryStay Destination Guide
Machu Picchu
The lost Inca city in the clouds — and how to do it without the chaos.
About Machu Picchu
Imagine walking in the footsteps of an ancient empire that ruled the Andes. More than 500 years ago, where the earth meets the sky, an Inca emperor chose to build a secret city — one hidden so well in the wild jungle that even when the Spanish conquistadors destroyed the empire, they never found it. For centuries it stayed there, silent, guarded by the clouds and the mountains, until a single explorer forced his way through the undergrowth and revealed it to the world again. But this is not just history — it is the experience you are about to have. The journey begins long before the summit: reclining in the carriage of a panoramic train with wide windows as rushing rivers, green valleys and authentic villages of Peru slide past. Then you climb to the lookout — the air clear and cool, the morning mist slowly lifting — and suddenly it is revealed in full glory: the lost citadel, an entire city built from immense stones cut with impossible precision, floating at the edge of an abyss. No photograph can prepare you for the force of standing before it. And here you are not just a tourist come to peek: on foot you walk the paths where Inca priests once trod, touch stones that hold astronomical secrets, and absorb the mystical energy of the place at your own pace. Machu Picchu is not a destination you tick off and move on from — it is a journey that shifts your perspective, a moment when you stand before one of the seven wonders of the world and realise you are part of something far greater.
Book your timed entry ticket AND the bus up the mountain weeks ahead — both sell out, and there is no walk-up. Sleep one night in Aguas Calientes so you can be on the FIRST bus at 5:30am and have the citadel almost to yourself before the day-trippers arrive from Cusco.
Best For
Where to Stay
Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)
Base town at the foot of the ruins, first-bus access, hot springs
Cusco
Inca capital, gateway city, acclimatise here first
Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo / Urubamba)
Lower altitude, ruins, the train departure point
Money-Saving Tips
- 1The train (PeruRail / IncaRail) is the only way in — book the cheaper Expedition/Voyager class early; Vistadome is double the price for the same arrival time.
- 2Acclimatise 2 nights in the Sacred Valley (2,800m) rather than Cusco (3,400m) — it is lower, calmer and cheaper.
- 3Buy water and snacks in Cusco — everything in Aguas Calientes is marked up 2–3×.
Getting Around
- 1There is no road to Machu Picchu — it is train to Aguas Calientes, then a 25-min shuttle bus (or a steep 1.5h walk) up to the gate.
- 2Trains leave from Ollantaytambo (most) or Poroy/Cusco; build in the ~2h transfer from Cusco to Ollantaytambo.
- 3Cusco airport connects to Lima in ~1h20 — fly in a day early; mountain flights are often delayed by morning fog.
Most Common Mistake
Trying to see Machu Picchu as a single day trip from Cusco — it is a 4-hour each-way journey, so you arrive tired at the most crowded time. Stay the night at the base.
2–4 nights
- • Cusco (3.5h by train + transfer)
- • Sacred Valley (1.5h)
- • Rainbow Mountain (day trip from Cusco)
