A visit to Machu Picchu almost always begins with a few days in the colorful Inca town of Cusco, where, with some help from the coca-leaf tea, you'll get used to the altitude. From here you'll want to make an excursion to the greatest of the Cusco ruins at Sacsayhuaman. I'd also visit the sacred ruins at Pisac.
Sure, you can spend four grueling days hiking the Inca Trail to get to Machu Picchu, but you can also go by train and bus, without so much as a crease in your Armani pants. (By the way, you don't need to spend four days on the trail; you can do the last one or two days and still have an Inca Trail experience.)
During the busy dry season between June through August up to 1,000 people arrive each day. There is nothing sadder--call it obscene, if you will--than waiting on a line with 150 other tourists to pay the admission fee into the ruins. My advice--my plea--to you is that you stay at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, at the very entrance to the site. By 3 pm, the hordes of daytrippers are back on the train to Cusco, and you'll have the ruins virtually to yourself. Reservations are hard to come by, so contact the hotel or your travel agent months ahead. If you're lucky, you'll be here under a full moon. After a small handout to the gatekeeper (well, at least that worked for me), you'll be alone in one of the most spectacular settings on earth.
Marnella Tours (866/993-0033, www.marnellatours.com) typically offers affordable package tours to Cusco and Machu Picchu from the States. For additional information on how to get there, visit our complete coverage of Peru starting here.
