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April Smith

Professor Echols

English 1201

10-26-21

The Journey to Machu Picchu

Imagine for a moment what it must be like to sit on a throne inside an ancient temple,

looking out on the countless monuments built in the honor of your precious gods. Consider the

majesty of a city built in the clouds, one that for the longest time was only accessible by walking

on foot for more than four days. The lost city of Machu Picchu is considered one of the seven

wonders of the new world for a good reason. It is a historical site that is situated in the Peruvian

Andes mountains, where it sits at 2450 meters. It is a testament to the ancient civilization of the

Incas. Here, they built citadels, temples and many more magnificent architectural feats that are a

marvel to behold. The journey to Machu Picchu can be a rough one, as it is high on a mountain

range and has an area of more than 120 miles. There are many pros and cons to visiting the

country of Peru and the site of Machu Picchu. There is also a plethora of steps that must be taken

while planning such an engaging and demanding trip. Overall, it is a worthwhile experience with

both personal and cultural benefits to the individual.

The history of Machu Picchu is still somewhat shrouded in mystery. It was built around

1450 by a civilization of ancient Incas, but it was not discovered by modern society until 1911.

The discovery of the site is credited to Hiram Bingham, an archaeologist and historian who was

led there with the help of a local farmer who was familiar with the area (Schlecht 256). There are

many theories about the origin of this great citadel, but none have been academically or
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scientifically confirmed. For example, according to the website peru.travel, “Some argue that it

was built as a great mausoleum for the Inca Pachacútec, while others claim that it was an

important administrative and agricultural center whose cultivation areas served for the livelihood

of its inhabitants.” These are two very different theories for the same land, with one being a

monument to a single person, and the other something to benefit the society as a whole.

However, regardless of its origin, it is a monument to ancient culture and architecture. Machu

Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 and has since been inducted into

the famous “Wonders of the World” category. A visit to this site would be a once in a lifetime

opportunity.

There are many aspects that must be considered when planning a trip to Machu Picchu. It

would not be a trip to be taken lightly. Some of the best reasons to visit include the natural

beauty of the area, as well as the cultural benefit that comes with seeing a new country and its

most famous site. This includes new foods to try, new groups of people to meet, and the

historical value of seeing an ancient city with one’s own eyes. However, there are also some

negative aspects of undertaking this journey. For one, it can be a formidable expedition. If you

choose to hike the Incan trail, it will take up to four days and require on site camping. This is

made easier if you choose to utilize another mode of travel, like a train, but the site itself spans

over a hundred miles, and even the shortest trail will take time and energy to walk. There is also

the problem of the tourism industry causing damage to some of the structures within Machu

Picchu. It is dire to remember while visiting any historical site to be very respectful, and to leave

the area exactly how you found it. If, considering these issues, Machu Picchu is still the

destination for you, an itinerary should be created. The most important factors include the price,

the language barrier if applicable, and the method of travel once you arrive in Peru. One must
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also consider where to stay in Peru and how to get currency exchanged. For the current day and

age, there is also the Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions to keep in mind.

Machu Picchu, along with the country of Peru itself, is rife with environmental beauty.

Machu Picchu boasts several biomes within its borders, including wooded areas, mountains and

valleys. It is home to a plethora of different species of animals, including foxes, pumas, bears

and deer. There are also 420 different species of birds, 40 kinds of reptiles and amphibians, and

over 300 species of butterflies alone. The national animal of Peru is the vicuña, a relative to the

llama. Next to the fauna, there is the flora to consider. Machu Picchu is famous for the variety of

orchids that grow there. It is considered to be the largest collection of native orchids in the world

according to the American Orchid Society, claiming 370 separate types (peru.travel.)

(Orchids in the sanctuary, peru.travel)

One reason that, in the past, was an issue for people wanting to visit Machu Picchu was

the journey it took just to get to the location. Machu Picchu is situated in a valley between two

mountains, more than 2,000 meters above the ground. The only way to get there at one point was
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to hike for four days along a steep trail. However, that is no longer the case. Aside from the easy

train ride from the city of Cusco, there are now ways to hike the famous Inca trail without

“roughing it”. There are now many guided tours and means of lodging available in areas along

the Inca trail. For example, the company “Mountain Lodges of Peru” offer a six-day guided trek

at the cost of $2,500. For a cheaper option, there is a company called “Peru Treks” that provides

a guided camping trip up the mountain for $365 a person (Higgins). The Inca trail is by far the

most authentic way to experience Machu Picchu. If the goal is to explore all Machu Picchu has

to offer, it is paramount to include this trail. “Today the Inca Trail- which, as part of the Machu

Picchu Historical Sanctuary, has been designated a World Heritage natural and culture site- is the

most important and most popular hiking trail in South America, followed by many thousands of

eco-tourists and modern-days pilgrims in the past 3 decades” (Schlecht 267). It is necessary to

approach this hike with utmost preparation. Firstly, in order to hike this trail, one must purchase

a ticket with an available tour company. It is illegal to walk this trail without a guide. One must

also remember that any tour guides, cooks and porters along the way will be expecting tips, as it

is their main source of income on the days they work the trails (Schlect 275). While various tour

companies will provide tourists and hikers with information on what is needed for the trip, it is

best to be personally prepared physically and mentally for the journey ahead. Most travel guides

for Machu Picchu will include what to expect while hiking the Inca trail, and the manner of

supplies that an individual should bring with them, such as a water bottle, safety equipment, first

aid kits and weather appropriate gear and clothing.

Unfortunately, there is one very valid reason to reconsider a trip to Machu Picchu. The

tourism industry is a billion dollar one, and Machu Picchu is not immune to the consequences of

hosting tourists. Every year, more than 300,000 people come to visit this acclaimed site. While
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there are many other places worth seeing in the same area in Peru, most who come visit the

country are only interested in Machu Picchu itself. According to an article shared by The

Economist, in the year 2000, “around 70% of the 1m tourists who went to Peru visited Cusco,

less than 40% visited the next places on the popularity ratings, Puno and Arequipa.” Cusco is the

city from which a train can be taken directly to Machu Picchu. This singular focus on Machu

Picchu by travelers to Peru has caused natural and structural damage, including erosion of the

famous Inca trails leading to the site, as well as trash and pollution. In recent years, there are

between two and three thousand visitors to Machu Picchu every single day. There have been

restrictions put into place because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it has been surmised that these

restrictions will remain in place even after the danger has passed, simply as a preservation tactic.

There is an easy place to start working on a plan to visit Machu Picchu. First, consider

the financial aspect of the journey. The national currency of Peru is the Peruvian Sol. 1 Sol is

approximately a quarter in US dollars. The easiest place to have your currency exchanged in a

foreign country is the airport. You may not get the best exchange rate, but it is almost always a

reputable transaction. To plan a bill for a trip to Peru and Machu Picchu, there are several

purchases to take into account. First, what will the method of travel to Peru be, assuming it is not

the country of origin? The answer to this question will likely be a flight, especially if the traveler

lives outside of northern South America. Depending on the airport the flight will leave from, this

will most likely be several hundred dollars. Next, consider where to stay. The closest city to

Machu Picchu is called Cuzco. There are many hotels and lodges to stay at in this city, and many

of them cater to Machu Picchu travelers and tourists. According to Michelle Higgins of the New

York Times, there is also a trekking company called Mountain Lodges of Peru who, in 2007,

opened four lodges around the site designed to give those who wished to hike the journey
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without having to camp out a modern housing option. If these steps seem overwhelming, there is

also the option of contacting a travel agency to book the trip instead, for a fee. This is an optimal

choice, if it’s within the budget, for first-time international tourists.

Traveling to the site of Machu Picchu has gotten much easier in recent years. It is no

longer a requirement to undertake a four-day trek on foot to witness this wonder of the modern

world. The easiest method of travel, according to Frommer’s Peru, is a train ride from the city of

Cuzco. This ride is less than four hours and can be anywhere from $48-$142 (258). There are

plenty of companies selling guided tours to the site as well. Even without a tour, there is the price

of a ticket to enter. For instance, peru.travel offers tickets for foreign adults at $70 a piece. The

price for foreign students is offered at $41. These prices are consideranly lower for Peruvian

natives. This is a reputable site to consider purchasing an entry ticket from. Without buying an

entry ticket well ahead of time, it will be difficult to enter Machu Picchu. The Covid-19

pandemic required many changes to the tourism industry, and Machu Picchu was not exempt

from this. It is explained in a CNBC travel article written by Shubhangi Goel that in order to

control the number of people inside the monument at once, tickets were sold with time slots. “‘If

you have a ticket for 10 a.m., you have to enter between 10 and 11 a.m.,” said Bastante, who

added that if travelers show up outside of their timeframe, they “cannot enter.’” It is very

important to make sure tickets are bought online before making the journey to the gates. While in

the past, tickets could be bought for full or half days on site, nowadays these are unavailable

because of the capacity limit. Those who arrive at the gates and have not purchased the

appropriate tickets have been turned away and are unable to enter the site.
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Machu Picchu was built to accommodate some 400 residents with some 1,200 additional
people during festivals, according to archaeologist Jose Miguel Bastante.
prosiaczeq | iStock Editorial | Getty Images
The national language of Peru is Spanish, although there are 47 official indigenous

languages spoken there. It is not necessary to learn these languages in order to visit Machu

Picchu, but it could come in handy. This is especially true if the trip includes some time spent in

the cities of Cuzco or Aguas Calientes, a nearby well-known village. There are many methods to

learning conversational travel phrases in Spanish. If money is not an issue, there are phrasebooks

available at local bookstores or online. There are also programs such as Rosetta Stone and

Babbel that boast learning a new language quickly. There are many free opportunities for lingual

knowledge, as well, like the company “DuoLingo,” which has an app that is completely free to

use, and a paid version with extra benefits. That being said, Machu Picchu is one of the most

well-known architectural structures in the world. The capacity at which tourists from all over the

world visit this historical site means that the ticket counters, tour guides, and even the local

restaurants are equipped to communicate with English speakers, as well as many other languages
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foreign to Peru. The prospect of a language barrier should not dissuade an individual from

experiencing the amazing opportunity to visit Machu Picchu, or any of the other cultural

experiences available in countries all over the world.

Once you arrive in Machu Picchu, there is no shortage of things to see. In the “Places of

Interest in Machu Picchu” section on the website peru.travel, it is stated that there are 196 tourist

spots within the citadel including temples, fountains, residences, courtyards and much more.

Many of the locations of interest inside Machu Picchu are named and will be easily located on a

map. One of the great things about visiting this site is how clearly it is laid out for ease of

exploration. There is so much to see and take in, from Funerary Rock, where you can see over

most of the site and get the most breathtaking photos, to the Temple of the Three Widows, where

you will have an amazing view of the Andes Mountains (Schlect 262). Tourists can also visit the

living quarters of Machu Picchu, including the Royal Residence. This area houses the most

interesting attractions the site has to offer. The Temple of the Sun, for instance, was a sacred

building used by priests for worshipping the sun. There is also the Temple of Condor, where one

can get priceless photos of a rock shaped like a large Andean condor, the Sacred Rock, which is

a monolithic rock that was used to study the stars, and Intihuatana Pyramid, where a great solar

clock was built. After all the planning, traveling and hiking is done, there is nothing to be found

but pure awe at the site of Machu Picchu.

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[Intihuatana, the best-known monolithic sculpture in Machu Picchu and the most
impressive due to its purpose. It is a large solar clock that, through its shadows, was used as an
astronomical calendar to measure time and define the beginning and end of the seasons of the
year (peru.travel).]
A visit to Machu Picchu could be life-changing for those inspired by culture, architecture,

and the wonders and mysteries of ancient civilizations. While there are environmental and

cultural setbacks to tourism, especially to sacred sites being worn down by the tourism industry,

making the trip is a worthy desire. It is an affordable experience, but without a significant

financial cushion, the journey can be arduous. The benefits must also be weighed against the

potential, in this modern-day pandemic, of being exposed to Covid-19 by the crowds of tourists.

It is certainly not an experience for everyone. However, at the end of the day, it is a beautiful

location filled with magnificent flora and fauna, educational opportunities and historical awe.

The benefits and rewards for making this journey far outweigh the costs.

Works Cited
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Goel, Shubhangi. “Machu Picchu's Strict Pandemic Rules May Be Here to Stay.” CNBC, CNBC,

7 Sept. 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/06/what-to-know-about-planning-a-trip-to-

machu-picchu-after-the-pandemic.html. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

Higgins, Michelle. "Machu Picchu, Without Roughing It." New York Times, 12 Aug. 2007, p.

TR6(L). Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A167483928/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=e4f2af81. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

Peru.Travel, https://www.peru.travel/en/attractions/machu-picchu#general-information.

Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

"Road to ruin; Tourism in Peru." The Economist, vol. 360, no. 8231, 21 July 2001. Gale In

Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A78405868/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=27bed111. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

Schlecht, Neil Edward. Frommer's Peru. 4th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2008.