Machu Picchu

insights you can trust

Why
Machu Picchu
is special

Most seasoned travelers agree that Machu Picchu in Peru is the world's most dramatic ruins. It sits boldly perched on a steep sided mountain saddle far above the partially encircling Urubamba River gorge.

What remains of the precision stonework of the pre-Colombian Inca temples and palaces clearly reveals how exalted Machu Picchu was in its glory days.

Birthplace of
Hillman Wonders

My Wonders of the World list officially began in earnest during my 1968 trip to Machu Picchu. Click the link below for details:

How Hillman Wonders began in 1968

Best and worst times
to visit Machu Picchu -
The two tourism seasons

May to September

This is the best period. May is the prettiest month (the dense, subtropical mountain forests are exceptionally green) while August is the best all around month.

October to April

The is the rainy season and therefore the least desirable period.

Lost City
of the Incas

Mysteriously abandoned

Just before the Spanish conquest, Machu Picchu was mysteriously abandoned - and this was when it was still in its golden age.

Unknown to the Spaniards

The conquering Spanish were unaware of Machu Picchu. Its existence was known only by local insiders.

Discovery

Machu Picchu lay buried under dense mountainous vegetation until 1911 when Yale University explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it and began the reclamation process.