A 22 year old woman was left horrified by the view after travelling for over 30 hours to see the historic World Heritage site, Machu Picchu – and others were just as disappointed by their visits
Set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, you’ll find the majestic Machu Picchu. Built in the fifteenth century, it was abandoned when the Incan Empire was conquered by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. It wasn’t until 1911 that the archaeological complex was made known to the outside world.
As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was selected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. This ramped up the number of tourists who visit – and the Incan citadel attracts around 1.6 million visitors a year.
One of the many tourists who has visited the historic site is globe-trotter Leonie, who took to her TikTok page to share a video of herself after reaching Machu Picchu. She travelled for around 30 hours to get there, so was expecting big things.
However, she seemed pretty underwhelmed when she saw the view. In an online post, she said: “Seeing one of Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu. Did 8 hours plane, 17 hours of bus, biking and rafting, 5 hours of hiking for this view.”
Leonie posed with her hands over her mouth in dismay, before turning the camera to show how cloudy it was on site. Instead of seeing the historic houses and buildings, the view was concealed by a thick, grey fog that made the whole mountain look eerily creepy.
According to Exploor Peru, Machu Picchu is often covered in fog, especially in the early mornings, due to its high altitude and proximity to the Amazon rainforest. The fog can be quite dense, particularly during the rainy season (November to March), and can obscure views of the ruins and surrounding peaks.
However, the fog often clears out as the day progresses, and sunny periods can follow, revealing the stunning landscape.
Several people soon took to the comment section of Leonie’s video, which has been viewed more than 8.8 million times. It turns out, Leonie wasn’t the only one who had been left underwhelmed by her visit.
“Machu Picchu was so disappointing when I went in January,” one person commented.
Meanwhile, a second viewer wrote: “I’d stay there for days waiting to clear out – no way.”
Another person said: “Bruh this is why I’m avoiding planning a trip to see Machu Picchu or the Northern Lights – I couldn’t deal with the disappointment.”
However, on the bright side, another viewer wrote: “You know it’s about the journey, not always the destination.”