The Inca Bridge trail at Machu Picchu is a 30-minute side walk from the main citadel plaza, along a narrow stone path cut 600 metres into the face of a cliff. At the end of the trail: a 20-foot gap in the path, originally crossed on removable wooden planks that the Incas pulled to block access from the north.
It was the citadel’s back door — a defensive secondary route that could be sealed off at a moment’s notice. The planks are gone, you cannot cross the bridge any more, but you can walk to the viewing point at the end of the trail and photograph the gap from the stone platform.
The trail also gives you one of the better angles on the citadel itself — the complex in profile from the north-west, instead of the standard postcard view with Huayna Picchu behind.
Access is included on Circuit 2 and 3 Machu Picchu tickets. PeruWays bundles the entry with the train, bus and licensed Peruvian guide.
