Two short walks follow original Inca roads out of the city. Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, is the stone gateway on the ridge to the south-east where the Inca Trail crests and trekkers see Machu Picchu for the first time. The Inca Bridge lies in the opposite direction, on a path cut into a cliff.
Under the current system each is a separate route of Circuit 1, generally offered only in high season. In other months the Sun Gate is reached only by those arriving on the Inca Trail. Check the ticket guide for the present position.
Top things to do at Sun Gate & Inca Bridge
Walk up to the Sun Gate
A paved Inca path climbs gently from the upper terraces to the gate at about 2,720 m. Allow around an hour up and 45 minutes down. The view takes in the whole site, the zigzag bus road and Huayna Picchu.
See the Inca Bridge
A level path of 20–30 minutes each way leads along a sheer rock face to a point where the Incas left a gap in the stonework, spanned by tree trunks that could be removed to bar the way. You view the bridge from a barrier; crossing it is forbidden.
Arrive the way the Incas did
The most memorable way to reach the Sun Gate is at the end of the Inca Trail — after four days on the classic route, or a single day’s walk on the short Inca Trail.
How to get to Sun Gate & Inca Bridge
- Buy the matching Circuit 1 route — “Portada Intipunku” or “Puente Inka” — when it is on sale.
- Both paths start from the upper terraces near the Guardhouse; follow the signs after the main viewpoint.
- Or book an Inca Trail trek, which includes entry by the Sun Gate.
Insider tips
- The Sun Gate walk is uphill but not steep; the Inca Bridge path is flat but runs beside a big drop.
- Neither route enters the urban sector, so combine it with Circuit 2 or 3 if this is your only visit.
- Sunrise at the Sun Gate is often cloudy. The clearest views tend to come later in the morning.
Best tours & tickets for Sun Gate & Inca Bridge
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Sun Gate & Inca Bridge:
Trek Machu Picchu: 2-Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train
The last and loveliest section of the Inca Trail in a single day’s walking, then a night in a hotel and a full visit to the citadel the next morning. It needs a permit, so book ahead.
- Hike from Km 104 via Wiñay Wayna
- Reach Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate
- Hotel night in Aguas Calientes
Trek Cusco: 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The classic four-day trail from Km 82: Dead Woman’s Pass, a chain of Inca sites and the Sun Gate at dawn on the last day. Permits are limited and issued by name, so book months ahead for May to September. Closed in February.
- Inca Trail permit and Machu Picchu entry
- Guide, cook, porters and camping equipment
- Arrival through the Sun Gate
