Spent the night in the city of Machu Picchu after taking the Machu Picchu train from . Did so in order to go on an early tour of the archaeological site. I was overwhelmed by Machu Picchu…really incredible...well worth it. Some observations and hints: 1. Try and go on an early tour (I went for the 8:00 park entrance). Did so to avoid any rain that usually occurs in the afternoon. The buses are boarded by park entrance time…so those for the 7:00 opening go up before the those for the 8:00 opening….long lines at the bus boardings but there are a lot of buses and the line moves fast. Also some of the internal sights, like the sun dial, are only accessible in the morning. If you go for later times, you will be mixed up with those arriving before you and those coming behind, which makes it crowded. 2. Get a ticket beforehand. Walked by a long line of hikers that were waiting for same-day tickets that are very limited. My guide said that some hikers wait for several days before they give up. 3. If you are afraid of heights and are not hiking to the site, close your eyes in the bus….rather harrowing trip along steep slopes. 4. Use a guide. There were many visitors who seemed to be doing it by themselves. My guide was very informative and knew the nooks and crannies and their significance…. I saw most just walk by. 5. Be aware that the government rations the movement along different paths (circuitos). Another guide got into an argument with my guide because I was going on the upper path (and thus to see “the” view of Machu Picchu) whereas his participants were relegated to a lower path and did not see “the” view. Apparently, they were not too happy. 6. I am a healthy 71-year old. To get to the higher view one has to climb steep stairs. I rested often and was able to do it without any problems. Lots of walking on paths that are not very smooth. For those with limited mobility, stick to the lower paths.

This is one of those places that words simply do not do justice. Until you visit the energy that you feel is hard to explain. I was blessed to be able to go twice The first afternoon was with a guide, it was hot and i asked rain and within 5 mins it rained and we got to see a double rainbow, spectacular. The following morning, I was there for 7am. The sun temple is only open 7-10am so take this into account. The second time I was on my own which was great having had the guide the day before got to explore and take it all in.

This was an amazing experience, and the booking process was easy. I was helped with finding a last minute ticket to Machu Picchu and the experience was magical. I was able to find an awesome guide and just everything about this was wonderful. Highly recommend.

Machu Picchu is just like all the photos and videos you've seen. However, what you can't explain is how you feel as you are surrounded by mysterious jungle and mountains, looking out over the home of an ancient civilisation. The park itself is very well maintained, and they have worked out the best way to funnel people through - millions and millions of visitors every year. I had a solo guide booked via AirBnB Experiences and he was incredibly knowledgeable and knew how to get a good photo! There is no signage here so if you go without a guide, make sure you download an audio tour in your language first or take a guide book. Getting the ticket to Machu Picchu was not easy because I had booked the tour too late, and they weren't able to get me a ticket into the site itself. I booked a hotel in Aguas Calientes for one night and lined up at the visitor center to get my ticket. The process is not straight forward. You get a ticket with a time to return to buy your actual entrance ticket, and you need to know which route to choose in advance. This is why I recommend you book a tour or a guide who can take you through all this, or carefully research the process before going. At the entrance, there is a handy coat check where you can leave your bag as certain bags and items aren't allowed into the site. Research this before you go! The bag check is only $5 Sole (about $2 AUD). When you go in, they will also check your passport so make sure you bring your identification with you! The biggest mistake I made was not staying another night in Aguas Calientes as I had to leave Machu Picchu in a rush to get my train, then bus, back to Cusco. Another mistake was running out of time to get the cute passport stamp. Bummer. Mistakes other people made: not researching altitude sickness and how to acclimate, bringing too much stuff, not brining a hat and sunscreen, or water! (No glass allowed) A lot of people do the big walk up from Aguas Calientes, or the hike in via either the Inca Trail or the Salkantay trek via Cusco. I would say in any case, you do have to be able bodied to be able to get up all the stairs to the site and remember, it is higher altitude than many are used to so it's not easy to breathe. Despite this, I am over 40 and out of shape, plus have asthma(!!) and still made it, so give it a go!

Lifetime trip. We went 2 days. Lots of steps - maybe up to 1,600!. Plan your tickets in advance and if possible plan 2 days OR morning and afternoon. It may be foggy one of your trips and not in view. The site is now 1 way circuits -make sure to plan ahead. And you will need a guide. We were able to take water bottles in.

What to say? This place is magical, unreal. The energy, the Inca architecture, the entire experience is worth every minute of your time and every cent spent. Wander through the houses and aisles, and marvel at the incredible work of one of the most advanced civilizations, whose culture is still pretty much alive in the region. Recommend staying in Aguas Calientes and taking the bus first thing in the morning. Visited in September and the weather was perfect - not too hot and no rain. For those with mobility challenges, be careful and take your time as the walk isn't easy.

I've wanted to visit these unforgettable Inca ruins ever since I was a boy reading the fantastic Tintin adventure "The Temple of the Sun," which is clearly inspired by the real Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu, as you may know, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We've now seen six (missing the Great Wall of China), and Machu Picchu definitely deserves its place on that prestigious list. Admittedly, we didn't cry like we did when we visited the Taj Mahal (and the Great Pyramid of Giza), but we got goosebumps thinking about the organizational talent and overwhelming intelligence it took to build such a mighty city in such rugged terrain at over 2,000 meters above sea level. Without even knowing about the invention of the wheel. It's so beautiful here that you don't know where to start or end with taking photographs. A good tip: When you book your entrance ticket, choose Circuit 2, which is the most complete and will give you the most perfect photos from your visit. We couldn't get any of the early times the day we could visit Machu Picchu, so we had to choose the arrival window from 1-2 p.m. That meant we didn't have to get up in the middle of the night in Cusco to make it - and by that time, the worst crowds were out of the area, while the sun was shining perfectly for our photos.

We flew from Lima to Cusco at 5 AM, taxi transfer to Ollantaytambo train station at 6:45, arrived 8:15, took the 9:15 vista dome train to Aguas Calenties, booked into our hotel and took the 12:45 bus to the top for our 1 - 2 pm circuit 2 with Inca Bridge tour. It’s February so lots of clouds passing by and some showers here and there, but you just had to be patient for a few minutes and we’re rewarded with amazing views and pictures. Another bucket list goal completed! We did it without a tour guide so we could spend as much time as we wanted at the various key sites, no one rushing us along. The circuit path is easy to follow and there are staff along the way to answer questions.

We booked a tour through Peru for Less and our travel advisor, Eli, was fabulous from start to finish! She tailored the tour to exactly what we wanted and made excellent recommendations which really enhanced our trip. We opted to make our own air and hotel arrangements and Eli offered recommendations and advisory for air travel flights. Eli built an itinerary to include meeting and transportation at every transition point of our trip from airport to hotel to train and bus...we never had to navigate on our own! When our flight to Lima was delayed by 24hours, the Peru for Less operations center monitored our delay and rescheduled a guide to meet our delayed flight. Because of the delay, we missed our tour of Lima, but Eli provided documentation so we could submit a claim through our credit card travel insurance. Peru for Less is a travel agency but they operate like your friends welcoming you to their country. We plan to visit more of South America and will go to Peru for Less again.

From bus pick up in Agua de Calientes to return: excellent! Rain stopped when we reached the top...just magical views as sun came up and mist rose from the swirling cloud in the valleys so far below; informative and fun tour guide, but certainly, if able a must see. PS The walk was easy with stone steps to negotiate but slow paced and easily managed