Ascending to the Sun Temple and agricultural terraces at Machu Picchu

Stone stairways and narrow paths take you up through the upper part of Machu Picchu to the Sun Temple and the agricultural terraces set step by step into the slope. The green ridges of the Andes fall away below, and the way Inca builders worked with the mountain, not against it, becomes easy to read.

The climb is moderately demanding and some steps are steep. Wear shoes with a good grip, dress in layers and carry water. Mist often fills the valley in the morning, so photographers tend to like the early hours.