Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

The sun gate (2,720 m / 8,924 ft), is a viewpoint of Machu Picchu on one side of the Machu Picchu Mountain. It goes almost parallel to the path leading up to Machu Picchu Mountain but the good news is that it’s not as steep.

It takes approximately between 1.5 – 2 hours each way and you’ll make up around 290 m (951 ft) in altitude.

The sun gate was once the main entrance to Machu Picchu, in particular it was the primary approach from the then capitol city of Cusco to the southeast. The gate likely would have been protected by Incan military. The sun gate is dedicated to the cult of the Inti, the Sun god. Because of its location on a ridge southeast of Machu Picchu, the rising sun would pass through the Sun Gate each year on the summer solstice.