Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is the most famous archaeological site in the Americas, a breathtaking Inca citadel of finely cut stone temples, palaces and agricultural terraces perched on a saddle high in the Andes, ringed by cloud-wreathed jungle peaks. Built in the fifteenth century and never found by the Spanish, it was revealed to the wider world in 1911. A UNESCO site and one of the New Seven Wonders, it is astonishing in both setting and craft.

What you actually see

• The citadel - the temples, terraces and stone buildings of the lost city.
• The classic viewpoint - the postcard panorama from the guardhouse.
• Huayna Picchu - the peak behind for a steep climb and aerial view.
• The Inca stonework - the precise, mortarless masonry of the temples.

When to go

May to September, the dry season, for the clearest weather, though cloud and mist can roll in any time; go early for the best light and thinner crowds. Tickets are timed and limited, so book well ahead, especially for the peak Huayna Picchu climb.

Honest expectations

Visitor numbers are strictly capped with timed tickets and set circuits, so book well ahead, as it sells out; there is no walk-up. Reaching it means a train and bus or a multi-day trek, and the town below, Aguas Calientes, is touristy. The altitude and steep terraces demand some fitness, and rain and mist are common.

Nearby

Cusco and the Sacred Valley are the gateways; the Inca Trail leads here on foot.