13 Years On, Experiencing Machu Picchu from a Fresh Perspective

As we approached the daunting “Oh My God” stairs—the final 30 or so stone steps leading up to the Sun Gate and the conclusion of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu—our group had scattered, each of us tackling the hike at our own speed. Thankfully, there were only a handful of fellow trekkers around to hear the colorful expletives escaping my lips as I prepared for this last push. Let’s just say, “Oh my god” was my attempt at politeness.

Our guide, Juan Carlos “JC” Yañez, had certainly given us a heads-up. His playful warning had been one of the first things he shared as we embarked on our “short” day hike of the Inca Trail, which started about 2,000 feet lower and seven miles back that morning.

My calves ached and my lungs burned while sweat dripped down my back as I scrambled up the nearly vertical steps, each one feeling steeper and more uneven than the last. Those Incas really knew how to joke around 600 years ago. Finally reaching the top and stepping through the Sun Gate, I was greeted by the sight of Machu Picchu: the clouds parted, and sunlight illuminated the 15th-century Inca citadel nestled below us. I felt immense relief and a profound sense of achievement. Then there was the other Yañez brother—Juan Manuel, or “Manny”—cheering me on with the enthusiasm of a roaring crowd for finishing the trek.

When I hiked the Inca Trail with the Yañez brothers in May, they shared that they had done this trek—along with the traditional four-day, three-night hike starting from the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, about 25 miles away—“hundreds” of times in over 20 years of guiding in their native Peru. Their extensive knowledge was evident as they effortlessly identified every species of orchid and hummingbird I inquired about, along with practical tips like “bring two shirts on the Inca Trail to switch halfway if you sweat through one.” (Brilliant!) When I expressed concern about my fingers feeling tingly and shaky, Manny quickly reassured me that it was a common side effect of altitude sickness medication (especially if you take too many at once, oops).

During my seven-day, six-night adventure in Peru with Modern Adventure, the Yañez brothers, our enthusiastic local guides in the Sacred Valley, shared their deep passion for the region. It struck me how little I had truly experienced during my first visit to Peru.

Back in 2009, during my senior year at NYU, I embarked on a similar journey to the one I took in 2022. For nine days, four college friends and I navigated the Sacred Valley after a grueling 24-hour bus ride along the Andean cliffs from Lima to Cusco. This time, I opted for the ease and safety of a one-hour flight to Cusco. The accommodations and dining experiences from the Modern Adventure itinerary were a significant upgrade from the hostels and makeshift meals I had as a student. Yet, 13 years later, revisiting landmarks like the Cusco Cathedral revealed that Machu Picchu has changed little—aside from a more structured route for visitors due to its growing fame. However, the experience felt entirely new, thanks to the insightful guidance from our local experts.

Modern Adventure is renowned for its collaboration with local guides you’d want to praise from the highest peaks. The real allure of their trips lies in the unique access to renowned chefs and other influential figures who will feel like old friends by the end of your week-long journey.

Before embarking on this journey with Chef Neal Fraser of Redbird, a trendy modern American restaurant housed in a former church in Downtown Los Angeles, I imagined the tastemaker would act as the primary tour guide, meticulously crafting the itinerary through his connections. In reality, it was the Modern Adventure team that handled all the logistics, with local guides and a Modern Adventure staff member managing the on-the-ground experience, leaving the tastemaker mostly as a fellow guest.

"I’m the bait," Fraser joked over drinks at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu, where our group of 20 travelers began to disperse after touring the archaeological site. His personal interests certainly influenced the trip. On our first day in Lima, Chef Ignacio Barrios guided us through a local market, with Fraser there to clarify the identity of unusual ingredients. When I was captivated by a saffron-orange orb the size of a golf ball hanging from a raw chicken, he revealed it was an embryonic egg developing inside. He later purchased it and prepared it during a cooking class at Barrios’s Urban Kitchen cooking school. (For those curious: the cooked embryonic egg resembles a bland omelet, while the developing bird inside has a pleasantly chewy texture. Adventurous eaters welcome.)

By engaging with local guides and opting for locally owned boutique hotels when feasible—such as Inkaterra properties in Machu Picchu and Urubamba, as well as the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco—and by organizing meals with Indigenous communities, Modern Adventure has achieved B Corp certification. This designation highlights their commitment to both environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism, ensuring that financial benefits remain within the local communities they visit.

"Income is sustainability," Jan Brack, our guide at Mil Centro, emphasized during our farm tour before we enjoyed a meal at chef Virgilio Martínez’s restaurant, perched 11,000 feet above sea level near the Moray archaeological site. Consistently recognized as one of Latin America’s best restaurants, Mil Centro operates on land owned by Indigenous farmers, who retain 50 percent of their harvest for their families and sell the remainder to the restaurant. Prior to our eight-course lunch featuring local ingredients like alpaca, black quinoa, and airampo cactus fruit, we were treated to a weaving demonstration where Indigenous women showcased the process of dyeing alpaca wool with foraged botanicals such as chilca leaves. The yarn produced is sold in the restaurant’s gift shop, providing additional income for these women.

Who are Modern Adventure trips designed for?

Due to the unique format of Modern Adventure trips that include a tastemaker, most participants signed up primarily to travel with the chef rather than for the communal experience of the tour. Considerations before joining a group tour: it may not suit you if you prefer to set your own daily itinerary and require ample downtime for relaxation or spa visits. While guides strive to ensure a rewarding experience, schedules can shift, leading to changes or omissions in the itinerary. A mindset of curiosity is more beneficial than having rigid expectations.

At our final dinner at MAP Café in Cusco, Fraser shared, "My vacation preferences differ significantly from my wife's. I want to return from a trip feeling worn out, while she prefers to come back never wanting to see another piña colada—so this definitely aligns more with my vacation style."

Modern Adventure typically avoids repeating the same itineraries with the same tastemakers, so you might not visit the same locations as I did on my trip. However, there are five upcoming tours to Peru planned from later this month through May 2023, featuring chef Traci des Jardins and mixologist Enrique Sanchez from San Francisco’s Jardinière and Yellow Moto, along with chef Andrew Black of Oklahoma City’s Grey Sweater and Black Walnut.

If you do visit, please send my regards to Manny and JC.