The Inca stronghold of Machu Picchu has astounded and confounded visitors since it was unveiled to ... high-altitude agriculture, and an ... and an 1874 map with references to Machu Picchu ...

Since Cusco (just above 11,000 feet) sits at a higher altitude than Machu Picchu (nearly 8,000 feet), it's recommended to travel down into the Sacred Valley (around 9,000 feet) ...

To adjust to the altitude more slowly, I recommend my clients first stay overnight in the Sacred Valley of the Incas instead, which is a stretch of rural land between Cusco and Machu Picchu that ...