There's a good reason Machu Picchu remains one of the highest rated World Heritage Sites -- this Inca city is spectacularly and photogenically set atop a mountain ridge in the Andes northwest of Cusco. Machu Picchu symbolizes adventure and discovery of the unknown, and it has become a mecca for intrepid travelers from around the world.

I arrived at Machu Picchu in the fall of 2018 at the end of a four day hike along the Inca Trail. Not only is hiking the Inca Trail a great introduction to the network of Inca fortresses and settlements remaining in the Andes, but it also makes Machu Picchu that much more memorable when first viewed from the Temple of the Sun at the end of a trek. And what a sight it is from the temple -- the emerald lawns, the terraced buildings, and the backdrop of Huayna Picchu's peak are absolutely stunning. If your afternoon is clear and sunny like ours was, this is where you can find some iconic views of Machu Picchu. Hiking the Inca Trail with a tour company provided the advantage that we were able to walk through Machu Picchu to the exit as the culmination of our trek, and then return the next day with our ticketed time to see the site again at a more leisurely pace.

On my return the next morning, my group wandered with a guide through the buildings, learning about Inca astronomy, agriculture, and architecture. We also hiked up Huayna Picchu for another perspective of the city. Machu Picchu is in the transition zone between the Andes and the Amazon Basin, and its setting in this locale with flora and fauna such as orchids and the Cock-of-the-rock contribute to Machu Picchu's World Heritage Site inscription as a mixed site. Because of the moist climate of the transition zone, the morning was an amazing way to see another iconic image of Machu Picchu -- the stone ruins and mountain peaks ethereally shrouded in mist as clouds rose from the valley below. Machu Picchu truly is unforgettable and well worth the visit.

Logistics: Tour companies can arrange treks along the Inca Trail, but daily admission to the site is ticketed and must be purchased in advance; at the time I visited in 2018, the tickets were for morning and afternoon entry, for approximately four hours. Passports were required, and there was an extra fee to hike Huayna Picchu.