Machu Picchu: the Cloud City at First Light

Machu Picchu (2,430 m) sits on a saddle ridge between the peaks of Machu Picchu (3,061 m) and Huayna Picchu (2,693 m) in a bend of the Urubamba River, 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco. The site faces east and northeast; sunrise comes from the Inti Punku (Sun Gate) direction to the southeast. The morning cloud sea fills the Urubamba Valley below until about 9am, and the citadel emerges from the mist as the sun clears the eastern ridge: the first 30 minutes of direct light on the granite terraces before the cloud sea dissipates is the defining photographic moment. The Sun Gate (2,720 m), 4 kilometers southeast on the Inca Trail, gives an elevated view above the cloud layer with the citadel below. At -13.2°S, golden hour lasts 22 minutes. Entrance is timed-ticket only; book the earliest entry (6am) for sunrise conditions.