Tourists on the famous Inca Trail get their first glimpse of Machu Picchu through the Intipunku. The name of this Inca construction comes from a Quechua word meaning ‘Gate of the Sun’. All tourists can visit it by making a walk of about 1 hour.
The Intipunku or Sun Gate is a name chosen arbitrarily by the discoverers of Machu Picchu who felt the need to establish a nomination to the new findings.
The truth is that this construction was the most important access gate of the Inca city. It connected Machu Picchu with the road network of the empire (qhapac ñan) currently known as the Inca Trail.
This construction is made up of enclosures with windows and doors through which the sun’s rays enter every summer solstice.
Every day many tourists make this hike to see the Inca city from the top. Visitors arriving by the Inca Trail route have their first impression of the place through this construction.