Attractions within Machu Picchu

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What you should see when visiting Machu Picchu...

Machu Picchu holds many unique architectural wonders that you must know exactly if you're planning to travel there. Some people overlook important parts of the city because they didn't know what was there...

"Machu Picchu", (meaning "Old Peak" in Quechuan) is on UNESCO's World Heritage List since the year 1983.

When in Machu Picchu, take a slow walk between the buildings and you'll find yourself back in time...

You'll love to see the huge terraced are created for plantations and you'll be astonished that the ancient Inca-built waterways are still working today!

If you have a strong body, don't miss the trek up to Huayna Picchu, which means "Young Peak", another magic place, right on top of the high cliff seen behind in the background on this image!

Temples, a guard hut, mysterious stone objects, park-like open spaces, crystal-clear water fountains, houses, strong walls... The view over the nearby mountains and the Urubamba Valley is simply fantastic!

Feel the magic of the hidden city, it can't get any more dreamlike than this! The talented creators of Machu Picchu had the best "recipe" for hidden, mysterious, magic, sacred and most important of all, beautiful!  

This part of our site takes you through just about any important attractions within the "Old Peak".

The structure of the ancient Inca city       

To know where to go and what to see, you must first have an image (like a simple map) in your mind about the structure of the city.

Machu Picchu can be divided into 2 main areas: the Agricultural and the Urban Sector.

The districts must not be confused with the sectors. When we say "sector", we think about a large area of the city, while "district" is smaller, meaning a sub segment of the city. In other words, sectors include multiple districts.

Machu Picchu's Agricultural Sector consists of agricultural terraces and several huts. The stepped cultivation places areas can be seen across the Urubamba Valley and in other parts of Peru.

The Urban Sector includes is where the people lived. This is where the houses and temples are. Of course, many terraces have been created between buildings and also on the edges of the Urban Sector.

The Agricultural Sector

Observe the image on the left, which was taken from Huayna Picchu.

You can see that the upper left corner of the construction is the agricultural part, the lower right is the actual city.

The Agricultural Sector is located on the southeastern part of Machu Picchu, the Urban Sector is in the Northeast.

As you observe in the image, the Agricultural Sector has an upper and a lower part, the 2 are separated by a path, which is the continuing line if the Inca Trail. The upper agricultural part has about 40 terraces, the lower section has about 80.

The height of the terraces varies, but they reach heights of up to 4 m, don't try jumping up and down on them! Not only that it's forbidden, but you might also break your neck.

The terraces are built on the sides rather, fewer are on the top of the mountain.

In some parts of the Agricultural Sector, huts can be found, which were most probably used as storehouses, where crops were stored, for example.

The Guard House and the Funeral Rock are located in the Agricultural Sector as well.

Inti Punku (Sun Gate)

It's a place that offers a splendid view over the Urubamba Valley. The view is very beautiful when the Sun comes up in the morning. This is the entrance which the hikers enter, arriving from a 4 day-long Inca Trail trek.

Main entrance

You can see the greenish flat modern building on the image above. That's a luxury hotel and restaurant. In front of it, towards Machu Picchu is the actual entrance. Here's where most travelers enter, after the bus takes them up the mountain.

Watchman's Hut (Casa Del Vigilante)/Guard House

It's located before the main gate and consists of a 3-walled building with windows. From this structure, most of the urban and agricultural parts of the city could be viewed by the observer, guard. The place offers a splendid view over the city and the deep green Urubamba Valley.

If you're looking for a good place to take photographs of Machu Picchu and the Urubamba Valley, then the Guard House is one of the best places.

The Funeral Rock

Located in the Agricultural Sector, near the Watchman's Hut, you can't miss it, it's a huge stone.

Human remains have been found near it, which proves that burials were made there.

Some stones found nearby it contain grooves, which could mean that they were (probably) used in sacrifices. Some specialists consider that the forms carved into certain stones were made to better accommodate a reclining human body.   

The Urban Sector's districts  

The Urban Sector is divided into 3 districts (sub-sectors), which are known to archaeologists as the 3 sectors of Machu Picchu: Sacred District, the Popular District and the District of the Priests And Nobility (or Royal District). Sometimes you may find sources that call the districts "sectors", improper, because the sectors (as explained above) are large portions of the city, the Agricultural and the Urban. Districts are these sub-parts.

Let's take a deeper look at them, why the residential area was split this way and what these parts include...

The Popular District (Residential District)

Even though it's not the only residential area, it's often called "The Residential District". This is the place where most of the population, the "ordinary", low class people have lived.

The Popular District has simple houses and storage buildings.

The Sacred District (Religious District)   

Here's where you'll find the Intihuatana (Intiwatana) Stone, the Temple of the Sun and The Temple of the 3 Windows. The Intihuatana Stone and the 2 structures were dedicated to the Sun God, Inti, the greatest deity of the Incas.

The creation of the Sacred District was religiously motivated. This is the place where Incas came for gatherings, ceremonies, now tourists flock the area, the crowds being sometimes so large that you can hardly see the walls of buildings.

The District of the Priests And Nobility (Royal District)

Also known as the "Royalty Zone" or "Royal Sector", was reserved to the higher class: the rich, leaders, priests.

The sector is located between the baths and the Temple of the Sun, close to the Sacred Plaza. Some archaeologists believe that the leader (highest-ranked Inca of the city) lived in this sector.

The houses within this district are located in rows over a slope. The Residence of Wise Persons (The Residence of the Amautas) has distinguishable reddish walls. The zone of the Ñustas (princesses) has trapezoid-shaped rooms. 

The jail is also located in this sector. Prisoners were punished inside rock niches.

The Royal Sector has larger, roomier structures, compared to those in the Popular Districts, where the "common/normal" people, lower class lived.

The main building has some kind of a large stone object in its center, perhaps it served as a table or an altar. It is not known for sure.

Rites and sacrifices were at the Monumental Mausoleum, which is a stone block with carved walls and vaulted interior.

What to see in the Urban Sector (attractions)  

Main Temple

It can be found north of the Sacred Plaza, close to the Three-Windowed Temple (Temple With Three Windows). 

The Temple of the Tree Windows is a Wayrana-type temple (or Huayrana), this means that is has only 3 walls, built with rectangular stones. In the temple, there are 7 trapeze-shaped niches on the central wall and 5 on each side of the wall.

Chamber Of Ornaments

This is a small room located behind the Main Temple. Scientists say that the Chamber Of Ornaments was a complementary building to the Main Temple.

A platform can be found at the bottom of the black wall. This platform looks like a stone seat or stone bed, that is considered to be "the sacristy" of the Main Temple.

Sacred Plaza

It is located on top of a hill, on it you'll find the famous Intihuatana Stone.

Buildings nearby have the finest carved stones and are carefully put together.

Religious rituals took place on the Sacred Plaza and the surrounding buildings hosted the high level people (priests, rich Incas).

The Incas have placed the Sacred Plaza on top of a natural hill and have just slightly modified it. One can clearly observe the rocky sides that were left untouched. The rest of the hillsides are covered by terraces. 

Many tourists climb the stairs up and when they reach the Intihuatana, they put their hands on it, hoping to receive some energy from it. Some believe that this stone is a power-emitting source, of course, this is rather typical tourist superstition.  

 The hill is one of the highest points in the city and offers a beautiful panorama.

Intihuatana (Intiwatana) Stone

Its exact purpose is unknown. It must have been some sort of an astronomical or archaeological object. Some scientists think it was used for determining the solstices by tracking the sun rays and reflecting them in various ways.

The Incas had lots of special stones with special purposes, but unfortunately almost all have been lost in conflicts with the invading Spaniards. The Machu Picchu Intihuatana is one of the very few that has survived.

Unknown what exactly it was used for, the Intihuatana captures the attention of tourists, who often believe that the stone possesses magical powers.    

The stone, like many others in the complex, is surrounded by a rope fence, pointing out to the fact that it's not allowed to step on it or sit on it. However, many visitors put their hands on it.

During the filming of a a beer commercial, the Intihuatana was damaged, part of it was broken down.    

It is the only complete Intihuatana, that's why it is unimaginable how the authorities allowed it to be used in an irresponsible filming act.      

It's good that it's almost perfect, the damage was minimal.

Temple of the Three Windows (Three-Windowed Temple)

This is an interesting building with 3 trapezoidal windows, located near the hill where the Sacred Plaza lies. It is 11 m long and 8 m wide.

It has no roof and doesn't show sign that it has ever had any.

The Temple of the Tree Windows is a Wayrana-type temple (or Huayrana), this means that is has only 3 walls, built with rectangular stones. In the temple, there are 7 trapeze-shaped niches on the central wall and 5 on each side of the wall.

The Temple of the Three Windows is a relatively simple structure, perhaps it wasn't finished.

Some specialists speculate over the fact that certain buildings seem unfinished, because the inhabitants of Machu Picchu have left in a rush.

The rope fence blocks visitors from running around wildly and putting their heads out the three windows. These fences are everywhere in Machu Picchu to protect the archaeological values from the destructive effect of tourist flocks.  

The view from up there is spectacular, you can stare towards the lower parts of the city,  admire the buildings from above.

A good place for taking photos from, indeed.

Temple of the Sun (Sun Temple)

This is a semi-circular building, located on the lower part of a hill, where houses of the high level people are located.

At the Temple of the Sun, you'll find a fountain, water coming out of the stone structure.

Recently, archaeologists have pointed out to the importance of this building in the complex, they believe it is an astronomical observatory.

The Sun Temple's exact reason for building remains unknown, this means that we don't know what gods were worshiped or what activities actually took place in it. According to some scientists, the worshiped deity could have been Wiracocha, the supreme god of the Incas. But this is just an assumption.  

The Temple of the Sun is a remarkable creation, but here you will notice stones that are held together by mud, not just "stale" constructions (because, as we know, in general, the Incas did not use any sort of mortar to stick the stones together).  

You will find many images of this building, it is one of the most unique structures within the complex, perhaps because it is the only round one, the construction must have been very difficult.    

The best way to immortalize it to photograph it from above.  

The Rock Quarry

The quarry is located on a high hill, in the center of the city.

Stones used to build the structures were extracted and cut here. Of course, there are only speculations and possible theories about how the immense blocks were cut. 

The fact that there still is an unexploited stone quarry in the middle of the city, according to some specialists, proves the fact that the Incas have left the city in a hurry.

Everything is simply perfect in Machu Picchu, but the quarry was left there, like a rock formation in the middle of the city.

The fountains

The fountains ensured clean water to the population of the city.

The are located near some stars and are in a cascade position, the water was running down and this way filling them.

Temple of the Condor (Condor Temple)               

The Temple of the Condor, according to some specialists might actually be a torture chamber. Tourists are told by guides that it's a "temple".

Between the "wings of the condor", there is a chamber with grooves, that's the place where prisoners were tortured (or could have been tortured), there's also a pit that was created to drain the blood of the victim.

To the Incas, the condor was a symbol of cruel justice.  

Monumental Mausoleum

The Monumental Mausoleum is a stone block with a vaulted interior and carved walls. It was used for rites or sacrifices.

Huayna Picchu (Wayna Picchu or Waynapicchu)  

Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu (or Waynapicchu) is the high peak behind Machu Picchu, seen on most photographs.

Most images of Machu Picchu are taken by visitors from the high parts of the Agricultural Sector and from the high hilltops within the Urban Sector.

Huayna Picchu is about 400 m higher than the rest of the city, so if you want to climb it, you have to do it before 1 PM. Because, at that time, they close the way. There are so many tourists visiting Machu Picchu (around 2.000 per day) that such measures had to be taken to better preserve the site.

The number of visitors to Huayna Picchu is limited to 400 per day. You'd have to get there long before 1 PM to get a glimpse at the magic city. On a busy tourist day, the limit of 400 will be reached much before 1 PM, often by 9-10 AM, so if you want to see it, climb up hours before. (In fact, 1 PM is the time of closing the entry, but the 400 person limit is what has to be taken into account, if that number is reached, the access is stopped). Also, those up on the peak will have to leave at 4 PM. So, the best thing to do is to get to the city early in the morning, to catch the sunrise, before the large crowd of tourists (this means, well before the trains and buses arrive), then climb up to Huayna Picchu (or Waynapicchu, as the local signs say), early in the morning. The trip is long, hard, so take plenty of water with you, otherwise, you might not be able to make it.

It's a hard walk up to the top, because of the distance, the thin air and the difficult terrain (steps are steeper and rougher than elsewhere in the city). 

The steep walk up to Huayna Picchu is worth the effort, if you're the energic type. You can never see a better view of Machu Picchu than that from this high peak.

It's good to go to Huayna Picchu first, then visit the rest of the city. You can enter at 7 AM, but not earlier, unfortunately, this is the earliest moment you can get in, this is when they open it to visitors.

Then, you'll have about 3-4 hours to enjoy. The walk usually takes 1 hour for trained travelers and up to 3 hours (or more) for the weaker ones.

Climbing up to Huayna Picchu, you'll find a difficult steep path, but it's in relatively good conditions, considering its age. Then, the last 20 meters are probably the hardest, you have to climb a steep rock stab with a ladder and a rope.

Huayna Picchu also has terraces, like the Agricultural Sector of Machu Picchu.

You'll find buildings right on the edge of the cliff and will probably wonder, how could the Incas do that, you'll wonder how many workers fell of the cliff until these structures were finished. If you're not careful and wonder yourself to the edge of rocks, structures, stairs, you can fall into the deep Valley of Urubamba.

When climbing, don't stand close to others right in front of you, as if they fall, they'll drag you down with them. Breaking bones in Machu Picchu or getting some nasty injury can ruin your trip. There's no nearby hospital.

Downward from Huayna Picchu, you might find the road a bit more scary, make sure you don't slip!

Temple of the Moon

This structure is located on Huayna Picchu (Waynapicchu).

Behind the summit, you'll find a route to the Temple of the Moon (in Spanish, Templo De La Luna), which is quite different in shape and style from the Temple of the Sun (which is below in central Machu Picchu).

The Temple of the Moon is a natural cave, so it is a darker place than the Temple of the Sun.

Visiting the Temple of the Moon takes about 1 hour. It's not on top of Huayna Picchu, but slightly downwards and one has to climb down to it after climbing up for a while. There are 2 ways down: a steeper, scarier one and a longer, but less interesting one.

The Great Cave

It can be reached from Huayna Picchu, by descent. It can be a difficult hike, through a deep forest, abrupt road.

Bring plenty of water on this hike.

Plaques, signs saying "Gran Caverne" show the way to it.