Machu Picchu, Peru, Cusco Luxury Tour Tips

Machu Picchu is well known as one of the most famous and impressive of the world's historical sites. It has recently been listed as one of the new world's seven wonders and it has been a UNESC World Heritag Site since 1983. There is such good tourism infrastructure in place around the site and the surrounding area of Peru, that Machu Picchu luxury tours help you to see the location in true style.

Machu Picchu is one of the most famous and best preserved of all the Incan buildings and monuments. While the engineering and design that created the buildings that you see today was impressive in its own right, when it is coupled with the spectacular geographical location of the mountain setting, you have a destination that is truly breathtaking.

The citadel rests at the top of a 2430 meter mountain and is surrounded by other impressive jungle covered peaks. When you see the location it is clear why the Incas believed that the site had a special spiritual power. The location held religious significance for the Incas who were sun worshipers, as the site aligns well with the sun during the summer and winter solstices.

Over time there have been many theories about who constructed it and what it was used for. The exact origins of the site remain a mystery since the Incas did not have written records and the Spanish never visited or knew about it. However, it is generally thought that it was constructed sometime between 1400 and 1450 by the Inca Pachacuti.

The site was built between 1400 and 1450, which corresponds with the reign of Pachacuti between 1438 and 1472. It was most likely used by succeeding Incas, but was abandoned around 1532, just prior to the arrival of the Spanish in Peru. It is thought that the citadel may have been abandoned with succession battles among the royal class emptying the coffers and making upkeep of the site too difficult. There is another theory that the citadel was wiped out by small pox.

Once the site was abandoned it was left to the jungle for several centuries. Local farmers and shepherds knew of the site, but to the outside world it did not exist. That is until in 1911 an American explorer named Hiram Bingham located the ruins in the thick jungle and announced his find to the world. Bingham stayed to assist with the restoration work on the great Incan citadel.

Today Machu Picchu is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year who come to marvel at its location and construction. There are a few different choices available to you when visiting - you can hike the Inca trail and spend up to five days hiking along the old roads used 600 years ago, you can arrive by train to Aguas Calientes or you can choose to stay in accommodation close to the site.

A Machu Picchu luxury tour will help you to get the very best from your visit and enjoy every single moment of your memorable trip. Find out more about visiting this must see Latin American pre-Columbian marvel today.

Tracy Narvaez - About Author:
Avid travelers, you can get Machu Picchu luxury travel ideas and more information about a reputable travel firm at http://www.aracari.com/destinations/cuzco-the-sacred-valley-the-machu-picchu-historic-sanctuary.html now.

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