Machu Picchu sits at an elevation of 7,970 feet above sea level near the top of a mountain in the Vilcanota Valley. This photograph shows the Intipunku (Sun Gate) entrance which hikers on the Inca Trail can use to enter the ruins. Temperatures were in the upper 60's on this overcast afternoon with intermittent rain. We walked halfway up to this gate on the eastern face. Machu Picchu was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and declared one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World. Interest in visiting Machu Picchu's continues to grow, as does the number of people who want to visit the ruins. During high season, from May to October, Machu Picchu hosts as many as 5,000 visitors a day. That amounts to nearly 1 million people visiting yearly. Read more at: Attractions in Machu Picchu at Frommer's