Destination Highlight
Machu Picchu
Built as a “royal estate” for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, Machu Picchu is an astounding and perennially mysterious climax to one of the world’s most famous journeys: the Inca Trail. Perched high above a sinous bend in the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu has lured explorers, poets and pilgrims to its mist-wreathed ridgetop ever since its discovery by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in July, 1911.
No one lived here before the Incas. Those mighty empire builders from Cusco discovered this extraordinary place, finding it rich in natural features sacred to their religion.
Both inspired and humbled by its dramatic natural beauty, their answer was to create on a vast scale one of the planet’s most sensitive and harmonious works of art. The aesthetic genius of its layout and architecture coupled with the durability of its brilliant planning and engineering have given us this finest of jewels among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. LEARN MORE |
