The classic citadel circuit
A guided loop through the temples, terraces and the famous view from the guardhouse — book a morning entry for the clearest light.
Machu Picchu
The cloud-city above the Urubamba
Best time
May – September
Gentle pace
2–3 slow days
Ideal for
Bucket-list families · Photographers · Hikers
Machu Picchu needs no introduction and somehow still exceeds it — a city of dry-stone terraces and temples perched on a ridge between two peaks, ringed by Andean mountains and wrapped in cloud. Rediscovered a century ago, it is the great sight of South America, and one of the few that genuinely stuns children and adults alike.
Take the morning train up from Ollantaytambo, the bus up the zig-zag to the gate, and a guided circuit to find your bearings — then wander. With older children, climb Huayna Picchu for the view that defines the citadel.
Worth lingering over
The Sun Gate at dawn
The first view of the citadel for those walking the Inca Trail — a steady climb for a sunrise you will not forget.
Aguas Calientes hot springs
Soak in the thermal pools below the mountain after a day on the citadel — a children’s reward.
Hidden gem
The climb to Huayna Picchu
The sharp peak that rises behind the citadel in every photograph can be climbed — but only four hundred permits a day are issued, and almost no casual visitor books one. A steep stone stairway of an hour leads to the top, where the entire city of Machu Picchu lies spread below your feet like a model. Book the permit the moment tickets open; it is the finest view in the Americas.