Travel Guide to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is one of the most iconic archeological site in the World, and most visited tourist destination in Peru. This isolated and remote citadel is located in on 2430 m (8,000 ft) in Andes Mountain range, approx 80km (50 miles) from Cuzco, a former Inca Capitol.
Due to it’s remote location, there are only 2 ways to get to Machu Picchu, by train or by foot via Inca Trail. We decided the take most common way, by rail. The train to Agua Calientes (small town just below Machu Picchu) is very popular way for visitors, so purchasing all the tickets (train, bus and entrance) in advance is highly recommended. We stayed in Cuzco, so the closest train station is Poroy, some 25 min car ride ($10-15) from downtown, but train also stops in Ollantaytambo before arriving to Machu Picchu.
The train pickets can be purchased online at www.perurail.com (purchasing in advance is highly recommended). Once purchased, you will need to pick up your tickets (with seat assignment) at the Lima or Cuzco airports (look for Official Peru Rail ticket booth) or at the train stations. This step is mandatory to board the train. Make sure you have you passport with you. The train prices very but the most common one and least expensive is Expedition train with return price of $94 (arriving to Aguascalientes at 10am and departing at 3:00pm). These prices are as of December 2019, and may very during the busy season.
The citadel entrance ticket ($45) can be purchased online at www.machupicchu.gob.pe You can choose the time of the entrance, so make sure you have the train tickets first. The entrance is limited to number of visitors entering per hour. Make sure you bring your passport. The passport is needed to board the train, bus and citadel. For those adventurous types, there is an option of hiking Huayna Picchu but for that staying overnight in Aguas Calientes is needed. You can also visit the Machu Picchu museum if you have time before returning the Cuzco.
Once in Agua Calientes, you will take the bus to citadel at the time assigned for your Machu Picchu entrance. The bus tickets ($24) can be purchased at the ticket office located in Av. Hermanos Ayar S/N, or in Cuzco. We bought our bus tickets in Cuzco’s Interbank (Av El Sol) for $24. This is a bank, so the process is bit timely but doable. If you have a time to hike you can get to the entrance by foot for a approx an hour climbing some 400m meters.
Rain is very common at the mountain top, so bring waterproof gear or buy a rain poncho at local vendor in Aguas Calientes. The citadel offers few cool hikes, like Temple of the Sun, Inca Brigde and climb to Huayna Picchu. Make sure you have enough time to explore as this amazing site offers great photo ops.
After hours of exploring, we highly recommend Toto’s House restaurant in Aguas Calientes. It’s located right across the Machu Picchu bus drop off station. The food is amazing and restaurant has some amazing views of Urubamba River. The train station is just few minutes away, via Mercado Artesanal where you can buys some last minute souvenirs.
For any hotel info, check the booking.com listings below