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Choquequirao — the other Inca city, 30% excavated, and the cable car that hasn't been built
Three times the size of Machu Picchu. 30-40% excavated. Fewer than 30 visitors per day. Accessible only by a multi-day trek through the deepest canyon in the Cusco region. A cable car project has been 'about to start' for a decade. The window to experience Choquequirao as a wilderness pilgrimage rather than a day-trip destination is finite.
Getting to Cusco and Machu Picchu — the flight, the train duopoly, and the $15 backdoor
Lima to Cusco in 75 minutes for $25-150. Cusco to Aguas Calientes by train for $80-600 roundtrip, controlled by two companies. Or the Hidroeléctrica backdoor for $15-25 if you have an extra day and tolerance for walking along railway tracks. This is the transport infrastructure that determines what Machu Picchu costs.
Four routes to Machu Picchu, four different realities — and the altitude trap that ruins 30% of first days
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