Visiting the Lost City of Incas – Machu Picchu

Like most of us you must have been really disgusted with Incas by watching Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, but their brutality is not the only aspect of that great civilization. Their architecture and the grandeur of their buildings are as much a symbol of Incas, who once ruled most of the northern part of the Latin America. At least Machu Picchu is one place that will make you change your thinking about Incas. This lost city of Incas rediscovered in 1915 is truly a remarkable feat of engineering and artisan ship. Thousands of visitors flock to Peru each year to witness this mysterious city with its stunningly beautiful surroundings.

For getting to Machu Picchu you first have to get to the capital of Peru, Lima and that’s easy. You can get a cheap flights to Lima from most of the major airports of the world. If you are travelling from Europe then you have the option of choosing from British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa and Air France. From USA you can take a direct flight to Lima with Continental or Delta Airways. You will have to take a train from Lima to Augas Calientes and then it’s either a trekking of 2 hours to the lost city or you can take the 8 kilo meters bus ride on the dirt road.

You can travel to Machu Picchu at any time of the day, but the view is most magnificent when you arrive there at the sun rise. So try this, stay at Augas Calientes for the night, for that you can book a cheap hotel room or decide to camp outside it, and then start trekking in the early hours of the next morning. We can bet you will be stunned by the view of the lost city and the Huayna Picchu Mountain looming over it.  This will be a view that you will not forget for a long time, there is another reason for choosing early hours for viewing Machu Picchu. The beauty of the place is the almost spiritual sense of being lost in this ancient city, but with more than twenty five hundred visitors arriving each day, you may miss this feeling if you are standing in the crowd in broad daylight. So arrive there early and get the best view of this magnificent city.

Most of the knowledge about the city and its history is available in the guide books so there is no need to hire a guide here during your tour. In fact it is better that you explore the city by your self. The lost city alone is not what makes this place worth visiting it’s the mix of the Huayna Picchu Mountain towering 1000 ft. right on top of the city and the mist covered Urubumba river passing swirling under the city. The place is perfect for a night stay if you have the camping equipment which you can also rent from Augas Calientes.

So if you are planning for a vacation in South America, Machu Picchu is a place that you should never miss.