What’s the driving force behind your trip to Peru?

For many people, the reason they long to travel to the region of Cuzco is to explore the 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

Iconic the world-over, the ancient Inca city lay hidden for many years thanks to its elevated location on a 2,430-meter (7,970 ft) mountain ridge.

Machu Picchu

When the Spanish conquistadors travelled to Peru in the 1500s, they did not discover Machu Picchu as it is invisible from the valley below.

It was not until 1911 when a Yale University history lecturer named Hiram Bingham climbed to the top of a mountain ridge above what is now a town called Aguas Calientes, that he was rewarded with the most extraordinary discovery: the lost citadel of Machu Picchu.

Watch ‘Journey’ by Sol y Luna

How to get to Machu Picchu from the Sacred Valley?

We have various Machu Picchu Expeditions available for guests at Sol y Luna, our Relais & Chateaux hotel in Peru’s Sacred Valley.

The above video was filmed on our Machu Picchu Private Full Day Tour which includes transfer to and from Ollantaytambo train station, train tickets, bus tickets to and from site entrance, Machu Picchu archaeological site tickets, lunch, and a private guide.

Built into the side of the mountain, Machu Picchu is a site to behold

Hailed as one of the wonders of the modern world, Machu Picchu was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1983.

According to Unesco, Machu Picchu ‘was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments.

The wonder of visiting Machu Picchu as a child

A day to remember

We highly recommend taking the voyage to Machu Picchu during your stay with us at Sol y Luna. Entrance is split into morning and afternoon tickets, so if you opt for the afternoon ones (when there are less people), you can set off in the morning from Sol y Luna, enjoy lunch aboard the train before spending the afternoon at the ruins and returning to Sol y Luna at nightfall.

Don’t forget to leave enough time to explore the Sacred Valley and visit the Sol y Luna Foundation.

‘Although many people come to Peru to see Machu Picchu, we find that many of our guests leave saying that they adored their day at the ancient Inca city, but the thing that will stay in their hearts forever is the day they spent with the children of the Sol y Luna Foundation.’ – Petit Miribel, founder of Sol y Luna

Please contact us if you would like any further information or to start planning your trip.