Don’t Skip These Stops On Your Machu Picchu Vacation
In 2007, Machu Picchu was named one of the new seven wonders of the world, but it’s history began many centuries prior. For hundreds of years, this place has grown, seen troubles and been restored over and over again. Today, travelers gather in Peru for a taste of Machu Picchu that gives them a peek into the past while absorbing the beauty of the present.
A Machu Picchu vacation is far from a simple stop where you can look out onto a distant land. It’s an interactive realm, where you can explore valleys, trek mountains and converse with locals from surrounding areas along the way. When planning your tour through Peru’s Machu Picchu, there are some stops you won’t want to skip, and we want to dish them all.
Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes is a small town situated at Machu Picchu’s base. It’s a few hours from the city of Cusco and harbors a quiet, backcountry feel. Surrounded by massive Andes peaks in the distance, it features the rushing Urubamba River and colorful, quaint architecture.
This town is known as the gateway to Machu Picchu, but it’s more than just a passageway to elsewhere. It’s a scenic place where travelers and locals alike can take a load off, taste some delectable cuisine and dabble in artisanal, handmade crafts. Really, it’s the seat of a larger-than-life experience. We recommend nothing more than enjoying the town of Aguas Calientes while you’re there.
This Machu Picchu vacation package grants a generous four hours in Aguas Calientes before the bus ride up. We encourage guests to explore the region to their heart’s content, snap pictures and enjoy the presence of birds, orchids and hot springs alike.
Winya Wayna
Tourists trekking along the Inca Trail have the ultimate goal of reaching Machu Picchu. While they could have gotten a more direct route, these travelers are ones who recognize the power of the journey. Winay Wayna is another set of ruins that lies along the trail, and it’s one that’s definitely worth making a detour to see.
The best Machu Picchu tour companies that explore the Inca Trail will wind up at Winay Wayna, its own Incan ruin site. Old stones overlook majestic mountains for an all-encompassing view. Waterfalls rush down, creating a feeling of liveliness in the air. Fog rises over the peaks to make up an ideal moment.
At an altitude of nearly 2,700 meters, it only makes sense that this site would provide indelible overlooks. With grassy stairs and ever-aging history, there is no way to share the truth of Winay Wayna other than to experience it yourself.
Maras
Sometimes, traveling leads us to surreal sites beyond our comprehension. Maras just so happens to be one of those places. A town within Peru’s Sacred Valley, Maras is known for its beautiful salt mines and surreal Andes backdrop.
Should you find a Machu Picchu vacation package that takes you to Maras, it’s wise to jump on the thrilling opportunity. Once there, you’ll be a first-hand witness to thousands of pools of salt, all of which sprawl across an idyllic hill.
Like the ruins of Machu Picchu, the salt pools of Maras don’t live in a vacuum. They exist in the present day, but tell tales of an ancient Inca population and the work they procured. With a combination of natural resources, culture and landscape, this stop surely elevates a Machu Picchu vacation.
Moray
Sometimes, venturing into Peru can feel like stepping back in time. With such a plethora of archaeological ruins freckling the land, it just goes to show how long cultures have been thriving here. Moray is yet another site showcasing this wonder.
Within the Cusco region, Moray is one of the best stops you can take on your Machu Picchu vacation. It’s defined by a number of circular steps, which depress deep into the land. It’s even equipped with a functioning irrigation system, which just goes to show how advanced the people of the past really were (and how futile the modern human’s idea of progress is).
At the bottom of the Moray ruins, the air is measurably cooler than the top. You can feel a difference of as much as 15 degrees Celsius. Moray is a wonder in more ways than one, and you surely won’t regret taking a detour during your Peru tour to witness it.
Salkantay
For some, the great outdoors are what brought them on a Machu Picchu vacation in the first place. Fortunately, this wonder of the world just so happens to be surrounded by majestic peaks and bits of earth just waiting to be discovered. Salkantay is undoubtedly one of them.
Salkantay is unapologetically the highest peak of the Vilcambamba mountain range within the Peruvian Andes. Travelers can trek through Salkantay on their way to Machu Picchu, squeezing in as much exploration as one can handle in a single Peru vacation.
Only the best Machu Picchu tour companies will know the way through Salkantay, including ideal places to stop for snow-capped vistas. It’s an invigorating and affordable alternative to the notorious and populated Inca Trail, and one we surely can get behind.
Lares Valley
There’s no shortage of Machu Picchu vacation packages on the market. That doesn’t mean all are worth your time. However, if you see a reliable journey heading for Lares Valley, you may want to dig a little deeper.
Combining your Machu Picchu vacation with a trip to Lares is bound to be an enriching experience. This is yet another trek that will eventually lead you to Machu Picchu, but not before showing you a unique, sprawling landscape all its own.
This place offers more than just a trek. The surrounding area is teeming with culture, with locals who weave and cook their days away. It’s a fantastic way to peer into a life different from your own, if only for the time being.
Urubamba River
The Urubamba River is a trademark of the Cusco region of Peru, sprawling a massive 650 kilometers through the Sacred Valley and beyond. This river is special, and definitely something you’re going to want to see on your travels.
In certain sections of the Urubamba River, adrenaline-seeking travelers raft with the current. It’s a way to see the countryside from an utterly thrilling vantage point.
You can raft down the river if you want, but that’s not the only option. Feel free to enjoy it from the base of Machu Picchu—the town of Aguas Calientes—or elsewhere on your journey. As always, there’s more than one way to do Peru.
Cusco City
We know that rural, mountainous areas have their appeal, but cities can be a ton of fun, too! Whether at the start or end of your Machu Picchu vacation, you should definitely spend some time in Cusco city itself. This urban area has no shortage of authentic Peruvian culture that you can see, feel and taste your way through.
From its Incan roots to colonial influence, Cusco is as diverse as it is welcoming. Sites like Sacsayhuaman, the Cathedral, the Temple of Qoricancha and Qenqo the Labyrinth all make the city unique. You could easily spend multiple days just checking sites off your bucket list without leaving Cusco.
It’d be sacrilegious to talk about Cusco without referring to the cuisine. Peruvian street food and restaurant dining alike are splendid bar none. Adobo, puchero, huatia and tamales all don plates throughout the city. What you choose to savor is on you.
Why Machu Picchu Makes for a Memorable Vacation
It’s not every day you get to stand in the same place and look out on the same view that an Incan saw. It’s not every day you can soak up knowledge dating back centuries while simultaneously learning the ways of a modern population. But then again, it’s not every day you get to go to Machu Picchu.
Peru has a way of showing people how to appreciate the present and the past alike. Through the famous Machu Picchu and its surrounding towns, mountains and rivers, travelers are able to see a comprehensive picture of a story that’s long since been written in stone.
And maybe, just maybe, by taking a Peru Machu Picchu tour, you can write yourself into that story in the smallest way possible.
Machu Picchu: Check!
By the time you’re done with your Machu Picchu tour, you’ll realize there’s more to this land than just a postcard-worthy scene. You’ll be well-versed on all things Inca, with more knowledge about the ways of today’s Peruvian people than you’ve ever had before.
Make sure you stop at our favorite points throughout the Machu Picchu region, if only for a moment. Trust us; it’ll enrich your Machu Picchu vacation beyond your wildest dreams.
You can also read: 10 Things Before Your Machu Picchu Hike
