The Road to Machu Picchu

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Machu Picchu has long been on my bucket list.  Seriously, what is not to love about Machu Picchu?  Situated high in the Andes this beautiful ancient Inca city has all the mystery and romance a traveler could ever want.  The biggest hurdle for me has always been the 4-day hike to get there.  I love hiking but let’s be real, I’m not in that great of shape.  Day hikes are about all I can manage and still not kill my husband for talking me into a hike.  So for years, Machu Picchu was just out of my reach.  That 4-day hike was standing in my way of visiting one of my most desired bucket list destinations.

 

How to Get to Machu Picchu:

Times have changed and no one could be more excited than me.  Machu Picchu is now reachable by train.  No longer is a 4-day hike standing between me and my bucket list.  Let's pause here for a little happy dance.  (Yes, I am really dancing!  Something you really don’t want to see so don’t try to picture it.)  But what good does it do to go to Machu Picchu and not get all the wonderful stories and culture that surrounds it?  Enter G-Adventures!  This wonderful tour operator that specializes in small groups has an itinerary to die for.  I think I love learning about the places I visit as much as I love visiting them so tours are a wonderful way to get the best of both worlds.

 

Points of Interest Around Machu Picchu:

The Sacred Valley hosts more than just the incredible Machu Picchu.  In addition to this beautiful site, you get to see Cusco a UNESCO world heritage site and the staging area for tours to Machu Picchu.  Cusco is also one of Peru’s most visited cities.  From there you travel into the Sacred Valley and see such wondrous sites as the hundreds of salt evaporation ponds that have been in continuous use for 1,000 years at Maras.  Then on to the Inca ruins of Moray.  Traveling through this valley is an experience all it’s own that really shouldn’t be missed. 

 

The Train To Machu Picchu:

To actually get to Machu Picchu, you catch the train in a village called Ollantaytambo.  This village sits among two terraced Inca ruins and it’s stone streets are a thrilling example of Inca know-how and planning.  The train ride is only an hour and a half long but what a journey to Machu Picchu Pueblo (also known as Aguas Calientes) a town with no roads that sits in a deep gulch.  The final leg is actually done by bus up a winding road to the actual site.  Machu Picchu is not a site that is easy to get to and the journey there should be savored.

 

If Machu Picchu is also on your bucket list, you should contact us your Machu Picchu travel agency experts.  We can help you plan every stop along the way.  It is time to start crossing some of those bucket list destinations off.