Taking the Inka Trail rather than the train to Machu Picchu affords you the opportunity to see the city first thing in the morning before the sun rises. There are also much fewer tourists hiking with you on the trail than there are on the train.

Machu Picchu was built around AD 1400 in the classical Inca style as a estate for Pachacuti, an Inca Emperor (1438-1472). The city is situated above the Urubamba Valley about 80 km (50 miles) NW of Cusco city on a mountain ridge.

Some of the features of Machu Picchu include Temple of the Sun, Temple of Three Windows, House of the High Priest, Temple of the Moon, Sacred Plaza, and the Sacred Rock.