But for those of us who didn t trek the sun gate is about a mile up from the main site of machu picchu.
Sun gate hike machu picchu.
Is one of the most important archeological constructions that connects with machu picchu is dedicated also to the cult of the inti the sun god and that s because the sun on determined.
More information photos and route maps on hiking to the sun gate can be found by clicking here.
I trekked the inca trail many years ago.
You can go with the same ticket as machu picchu without additional fee and keep in mind that it is a moderate walk that should take 2 hours round trip.
At sun gate tours we offer cost effective affordable peru tours and best trips to machu picchu as per your requirements.
It is the point where the inca trail ends and it is the entrance to the inca citadel in the fifteenth century.
Imperial guards used the sun gate to control entrance to machu picchu.
Machu picchu in the afternoon sun.
Inti punku or intipunku quechua inti sun punku door sun gate hispanicized spellings intipunco intipuncu inti puncu is an archaeological site in the cusco region of peru that was once a fortress of the sacred city machu picchu.
I will always remember arriving at the sun gate to the thrill of seeing the majestic scene below bathed in the early morning sunlight.
Excellent view of machu picchu.
However when approaching the top the slope is accentuated and the road becomes more difficult.
The inti punku sun gate is the first place where hikers on the classic inca trail can catch a full glimpse of machu picchu.
The sun gate trail is also the main entry point for hikers finishing the classic 4 days inca trail to machu picchu and if decide to trek to the sun gate before 10 am in the morning you will be sure to meet inca trail trekkers coming the other way.
The sun gate or intipunku is made of steps that makes believe that these were some kind of control gate for the people who enter and go out of the sanctuary.
Most trekkers come in through the sun gate as it is the end of the inca trail.
We actually weren t planning to walk to the sun gate on our free morning at machu picchu.
It s also a sublime place to watch the sunrise as the light floods over the surrounding peaks filling the ancient ruins and the valleys below.
Today the sun gate is where trekkers on the classic 4 day inca trail get their first well earned view of machu picchu at the end of their long hike.
The path to the sun gate is more gradual the steps ascend at an angle of 30ยบ.
Currently it is free to trek to the sun gate.
The sun gate is also the entry point for hikers who arrive after traveling the 4 days of the inca trail to machu picchu.