The highlight of every Peru trip is of course Machu Picchu and I did not miss it either. To make it something very special, we took the famous Inca Trail and arrived through the sun gate to Machu Picchu, but that is a story of its own.
Otherwise you get to Machu Pichu by bus and train or other hiking tours. They all have in common that you get to Machu Picchu through the normal main entrance.
The regulations to visit this great Inca site are getting more and more restrictive. It’s due to the fact that the number of visitors is constantly increase. Therefore you should inform yourself beforehand how the procedure looks like in your case. While in the past you could come and go when you wanted and also get 2x access, there is now only access with a guide. The access times were later divided into mornings and afternoons, there are now fixed time slots. Guides can be found on site. But since I don’t want to tell you a lot of half-knowledge now, which might have already changed again when you read this article, you should get the latest information on Peru specific pages and in forums.
But what I can tell you is, there is nothing to buy within Machu Picchu. Now you can decide for yourself how long you can do without water at 30 degrees. So make sure you pack something to drink. On the other hand, don’t drink too much, because within the Inca city there are no toilets. You don’t want to go out again after half an hour because you have to go to the toilet.
Otherwise, enjoy the sight of this great place and keep in mind that it has been there for ages and will be there for many more years. Yes, there are people who carve things into the stones or try to break off a souvenir. So no wonder that the regulations are getting more and more restrictive. Follow the rules, stay on the paths and don’t climb over the barriers just to bother the llama to make a selfie with you. If you are lucky, it will come to you and if not, that’s life.
There are photo motives at every corner, it is just a fantastic place. Maybe you will also get a great photos with a llama. I was standing near a llama for about half an hour, which was eating comfortably and had Machu Picchu behind it. Then it finally looked into the camera and allowed me to take a great photo. As I said, there were much less restrictions at that time and I don’t know what the chances are today for such a photo.
You can find the official website for Machu Picchu , but only available in Spanish, here: https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe