Machu Picchu, the long way
The citadel, the Sacred Valley, and Cusco, taken slowly and in order.
Machu Picchu is best earned over a few days. This is Cusco and the Sacred Valley first, to settle into the altitude and the history, then the early bus up to the citadel itself, with the famous climbs for whoever wants them.
Machu Picchu is the headline, but the days around it are the trip.
You come in through Cusco and the Sacred Valley, climbing slowly toward the citadel through old towns, terraced hillsides, and markets that have run for centuries. Give the altitude a day or two before you ask anything of your legs.
Bring people who will get up for a sunrise once and forgive you for it. The first bus up, in the dark, is the part you will keep.
Where to eat
Long Cusco dinners and a calm last meal in the town below the citadel.
Cicciolina
Best for A standout Cusco dinner
A long-running favorite above the San Blas streets, mixing Andean ingredients with a Mediterranean hand. Book a table for dinner, or grab a stool at the tapas bar up front and graze with a pisco sour.
Chicha por Gaston Acurio
Best for Refined regional cooking
Gaston Acurio's room on the Plaza Regocijo, putting a polished spin on Cusco cooking with alpaca, cuy, and river trout. A safe bet for a special meal, with a view over the square if you ask.
Morena Peruvian Kitchen
Best for An easy group lunch
A bright, casual spot a block off the Plaza de Armas doing generous Peruvian plates and good ceviche. Easy for a group that cannot agree, and welcome after a long day in the ruins.
PACHAPAPA cocina cusqueña y más
Best for Andean comfort food
A courtyard restaurant in San Blas built for a long, slow dinner of Andean classics cooked in clay ovens. Order the stuffed peppers or the oven-roasted lamb and let the evening stretch out.
Restaurant Bistro Bar Indio Feliz
Best for Dinner before the climb
The reliable kitchen in the town below Machu Picchu, a French-Peruvian spot that has fed hikers for years. Book ahead for the night before your early entry and order the trout or the set menu.
Tree House Restaurant
Best for A quiet last dinner
A cozy, low-key room in Aguas Calientes with a short, careful menu and a quiet mood. A good calm dinner the night you arrive, before the very early start up to the citadel.
What to see
The citadel and the climbs, plus the Inca stonework around Cusco.
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
Best for The reason you came
The Inca citadel on its ridge in the cloud forest, and it earns every superlative. Buy a timed ticket far in advance, take the first bus up from Aguas Calientes in the dark, and hire a guide at the gate for the first hour.
Huayna Picchu
Best for The big climb
The steep peak behind the classic view, with stairs cut into the rock and a small, timed quota of climbers. Add it to your ticket months ahead if your knees are willing. The view straight down is the reward.
Sun Gate
Best for The arrival view
The pass where the Inca Trail arrives and the citadel first comes into view. Even without the trail, the walk up from the ruins is gradual and gives you the postcard angle with far fewer people.
Ollantaytambo
Best for Sacred Valley ruins
A living Inca town in the Sacred Valley with a steep terraced fortress above it and the train to Machu Picchu leaving from below. Climb the terraces late in the day, then stay the night to break up the trip.
Saqsaywaman
Best for Monumental Inca stonework
The vast stone fortress above Cusco, its walls built from boulders fitted so tightly a blade will not slip between them. A short ride or a stiff walk up from the plaza, best in late afternoon light.
Qorikancha
Best for Inca and colonial layered
The Inca Temple of the Sun, once sheathed in gold, with a Spanish convent built directly on top. The clash of the two is the whole story of Cusco in one building, and the curved Inca wall is flawless.
Where to wander
The Sacred Valley by day and the old quarter of Cusco on foot.
Salt Mine of Maras
Best for A striking morning stop
Thousands of salt pans stepping down a hillside, worked by the same families for generations and fed by a salty spring. Go in the morning light, walk the paths between the pools, and buy a bag of the pink salt on the way out.
Zona Arqueologica Moray
Best for Inca engineering
Concentric Inca terraces sunk into the earth like an amphitheater, thought to have been a farming laboratory. An easy add-on to the salt pans, and the scale only really lands once you are standing at the rim.
Mercado de artesanías
Best for Market and ruins
The Sacred Valley's best-known market, busiest and best on Sunday, with textiles, produce, and the ruins on the hill above. Come early, haggle gently, then climb to the terraces before the heat.
Plazoleta de San Blas
Best for The prettiest wander
The artists' quarter climbing the hill above the center, all white walls, blue doors, and little workshops. Wander the steep lanes in the afternoon and stop at the small plaza for a coffee and the view.
Where to slow down
A first day for the altitude, and a quiet night before the climb.
Plaza de Armas
Best for Easing into the altitude
The heart of Cusco, ringed by arcades and two great churches and lit up at night. Take an easy first day here to let the altitude settle, sit on a balcony with a drink, and watch the square fill and empty.
Aguas Calientes
Best for Basing for an early start
The small town in the gorge below the citadel, the launch point for the morning bus. There is not much to it, and that is fine. Arrive the day before, sleep early, and let the thermal baths take the edge off.
Plan your Machu Picchu, Peru trip with Varde.
Free for everyday trips. Every place in this guide can be added to your itinerary with a single tap.