During our 2025 Peru adventure Winnie and I had a three-hour guided tour of the world heritage site of Machu Picchu. We arrived here after hiking the last 7.4 miles of the Inca Trail, and a good night’s sleep at a hotel in the town.
View of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate
The first view of Machu Picchu when arriving at the Sun Gate, traveling from Cuzco.
View of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate
The first view of Machu Picchu when arriving at the Sun Gate, traveling from Cuzco.
A Late Afternoon View of Machu Picchu
A view of Machu Picchu from below the Sun Gate in late afternoon.
At the Entrance to Machu Picchu
Once past the Sun Gate, the road leads to an entrance into Machu Picchu. This is the view of the city from the upper entrance, taken in late afternoon.
The Sun Gate Guarding Machu Picchu
The Sun Gate, as seen from the Inca trail leading into Machu Picchu. When Machu Picchu was a living city, this gate was the guard post protecting the city. The Inca Trail leading from Cuzco was the only access into and out of Machu Picchu.
Storage Room in Machu Picchu
The Incas used natural stone formations as part of their constructions. This is a storage room using a natural stone formation as the upper section.
A View of Machu Picchu Agricultural Terraces
A View of some of the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu.
Roof Supports of a Building in Machu Picchu
This shows the upper section of a building, with the stone roof supports clearly visible. The Incas would shape stone supports into the walls of their buildings that supported roof trusses.
A Mix of Farming Terraces and Buildings of Machu Picchu
Showing a mix of buildings and farming terraces of Machu Picchu. This also shows some of the "catwalks" (protected walkways) created by the government to control and direct visitors. to this site. One item I found interesting was that these walkways have perforated plastic "floors" that allow grass to grow through them, but prevent ruts being worn from constant foot traffic.
A Combination of Natural and Constructed Stone in Machu Picchu
The Incas used natural stone formations as part of their constructions. This wall combines a natural stone formation with shaped stone to create a wall of a building.
Residential Courtyard in Machu Picchu
A courtyard in what was once a residential area of Machu Picchu. The tree was planted in 1979 and now has gained protected status as one of the living icons of Machu Picchu.
Window in A Wall in Machu Picchu
A window in what was once the wall of an enclosed building.
A Round Building of Machu Picchu
One of the few buildings in Machu Picchu with curved walls. The type of stone construction indicates this building was for high-ranking people.
A Building for Important People in Machu Picchu
A building showing the typical trapezoid doorway and a window. The type of masonry construction indicates this building was for high-ranking people.
A Typical Trapezoid Doorway in Machu Picchu
An example of a typical Incan doorway, seen throughout many archeological sites. The type of stone construction indicates this building was for high-ranking government or religious people. The two holes on either side were once used to tie a rope across the door. The Incas had no hinged doors in their structures. If they wanted privacy, they would tie a rope across the doorway opening.
Reconstructed Roof Showing Stonework Details in Machu Picchu
A reconstructed roof showing how stone was incorporated into the building structure. As the building walls were erected, stone was carved to create anchors for the future roof beams. The beams were tied onto the stone anchor points.
Stonework Details in Machu Picchu
This stone detail was used to create an anchor point for the roof beams (trusses) of the building. Once stonework construction was completed the roof beams were tied onto the stone anchor points.
A Building on Top of a Terraced Slope in Machu Picchu
Not all hillside terraces were for agriculture. Some terraces were designed as reinforcements to support a building on the top of the slope. This is one example of a civil reinforcing terrace.
A Tree Grows in Machu Picchu
In 1979 a local Peruvian planted a tree in a courtyard of Machu Picchu. It grew and today has gained protected status as one of the "icons" of this archeological site.
View of Machu Picchu
A view of Machu Picchu looking up a hillside.
For more information on this site, visit the Wikipedia Page on Machu Picchu.
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