You’ll never forget the first time you see Machu Picchu. You’ve trekked for four days straight. You’ve camped, hiked and scrambled your way through ruins, villages and cloud forests. You’ve experienced scorching, freezing winds, altitude sickness and sore limbs.
The last leg – an almost vertical flight of 50 steps leading up to the final pass at Intipunku (Sun Gate) – seems near impossible at 5am.
But then you see it: the astonishing ruins of Machu Picchu, rising up through the morning mist. And it literally takes your breath away.
NEXT: What to pack for the Inca Trail
