HOW TO GET TO MACHU PICCHU | The Ultimate Travel Guide - Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting
Summary
TLDRThis travel guide offers an in-depth look at planning a trip to the iconic Machu Picchu. Starting with a flight to Cusco, Peru, the script details the journey to the ancient Incan city, including acclimating to the high altitude, choosing train options, and staying in Aguas Calientes. It covers the essential steps of buying Machu Picchu tickets, navigating the site, and the best times to visit. The guide also provides tips on what to bring, the hiking options, and the return journey, ensuring viewers are well-prepared for their adventure.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Machu Picchu is a must-visit location, known as the lost city of the Incan Empire and a wonder of the world.
- ✈️ To reach Machu Picchu, start with a flight to Cusco, Peru, with a likely layover in Lima, and then take a flight to Cusco which takes about an hour and a half.
- 🏙️ Cusco is a city worth exploring with many attractions and a rich cultural experience, including local foods and restaurants.
- 🚂 From Cusco, take a train to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo), choosing between Peru Rail and Inca Rail, with tickets best purchased in advance.
- 🚌 An alternative to the train is taking a Colectivo bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and then to Aguas Calientes, which might save time and money.
- 🏔️ Altitude sickness is a concern due to Cusco's high elevation, so it's advised to acclimate for a day or two before heading to Machu Picchu by drinking water or chewing coca leaves.
- 🎟️ Machu Picchu tickets must be purchased online in advance and include a strict time slot for entry, with options for additional hikes and private tours.
- 🚶♂️ There are two ways to reach the entrance of Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes: hiking the Camino Pional trail or taking a bus, with the latter being more popular.
- 🏞️ Weather can impact the Machu Picchu experience, with a wet season from late November to early April and a dry season from May to October, affecting visibility and crowd levels.
- 📚 It's important to plan your visit considering the one-way walking paths in Machu Picchu, as you cannot backtrack, and to bring essentials like bug spray, sunscreen, and a full meal before entering.
Q & A
What is the significance of Machu Picchu?
-Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incan Empire and is recognized as one of the world's wonders due to its historical and architectural significance.
How do I get to Machu Picchu?
-To reach Machu Picchu, you first need to fly to Cusco, Peru, and then take a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the town nearest to Machu Picchu.
Why is it recommended to spend time in Cusco before going to Machu Picchu?
-Spending time in Cusco allows your body to acclimatize to the high altitude, which is over 11,000 feet, to avoid altitude sickness when you visit Machu Picchu.
What are the transportation options from Cusco to Aguas Calientes?
-There are two main options: taking a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes with either Peru Rail or Inca Rail, or taking a bus known as a 'Colectivo' from Cusco directly to Ollantaytambo and then to Aguas Calientes.
Why should I buy train tickets to Aguas Calientes in advance?
-Train tickets to Aguas Calientes should be purchased in advance because they can sell out quickly, sometimes even faster than Machu Picchu entrance tickets.
What is the best time to visit Machu Picchu in terms of weather?
-The dry season from May to October is recommended for fewer crowds and better weather conditions, although the wet season from late November to early April may offer unique photographic opportunities.
How do I purchase tickets to enter Machu Picchu?
-Machu Picchu tickets must be bought online from the official site before your visit, as they are not sold at the entrance.
What is included in the general admission ticket for Machu Picchu?
-The general admission ticket for Machu Picchu includes access to the grounds and a round-trip bus ticket to get to the entrance of Machu Picchu.
Can I get my passport stamped at Machu Picchu?
-No, passport stamping at Machu Picchu does not occur at the site itself; it is available in Aguas Calientes.
What are the options to reach the entrance of Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes?
-You can either hike up the Camino Pional trail or take a bus, which is the more popular option, directly to the entrance of Machu Picchu.
What items are not allowed inside Machu Picchu?
-Items such as umbrellas, selfie sticks, strollers, tripods, drones, and food are not allowed inside Machu Picchu.
How long is the bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu?
-The bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu takes about 20 minutes.
What is the policy on staying time inside Machu Picchu with a general admission ticket?
-The general admission ticket is valid for four hours from the beginning of your time slot, but enforcement of this rule may vary.
What is the best way to navigate the artisanal market in Aguas Calientes before catching the train back to Cusco?
-It's recommended to scope out the location of the train station beforehand to avoid being in a time crunch and to plan your shopping accordingly.
Outlines
🗺️ Machu Picchu Travel Guide Overview
This paragraph introduces the travel guide to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incan Empire. It emphasizes the necessity of gathering comprehensive information for a successful trip to this world wonder. The narrator mentions the need to fly to Cusco, Peru, with a potential layover in Lima, and highlights the importance of acclimatizing to the high altitude to avoid altitude sickness. The paragraph also suggests exploring Cusco and provides links to related guides on the city and Peruvian cuisine. It outlines the options for reaching Machu Picchu, including train companies, ticket purchasing advice, and the decision between different departure locations.
🚂 Detailed Machu Picchu Access and Preparation
The second paragraph delves into the specifics of accessing Machu Picchu, including the train ride from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (renamed Machu Picchu town), with options for different train classes and the importance of buying tickets in advance. It discusses the scenic train journey, the possibility of taking a Colectivo bus, and the decision to stay overnight in Aguas Calientes for a more relaxed visit. The paragraph also covers the process of buying Machu Picchu entrance tickets online, the strict time slots for entry, and the consideration of weather and seasons for trip planning. It advises on the transportation options to the entrance of Machu Picchu, either by hiking or taking a bus, and the importance of preparing for the visit with the right timing and resources.
🏞️ Visiting Machu Picchu: Tips and Regulations
This paragraph provides a comprehensive guide for the actual visit to Machu Picchu. It starts with the do's and don'ts before entering, such as the prohibition of items like umbrellas, selfie sticks, and drones, and the necessity of having a passport. The paragraph also addresses the option of getting a Machu Picchu passport stamp in Aguas Calientes, the non-enforcement of mandatory guided tours, and the recommendation to bring bug spray. It discusses the one-way walking tracks within the ruins, the importance of choosing the right path, and the need to take advantage of the viewpoints early in the visit. The paragraph concludes with advice on the duration of the visit, the exit process, and the return to Aguas Calientes, including dining tips and navigating the artisanal market.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Machu Picchu
💡Cusco
💡Altitude sickness
💡Train companies
💡Aguas Calientes
💡Machu Picchu tickets
💡Inca Trail
💡Colectivo
💡Huayna Picchu
💡Bus ride to Machu Picchu
💡Accommodation in Aguas Calientes
Highlights
Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incan Empire and a wonder of the world.
To reach Machu Picchu, first fly to Cusco, Peru, with a likely layover in Lima.
Cusco is a city with much to offer, including a guide to top sights and Peruvian foods.
Taxis and Ubers are available at Cusco airport, with Ubers being affordable.
Allow one to two days in Cusco to acclimate to the high elevation before heading to Machu Picchu.
Drink water or chew on coca leaves to alleviate altitude sickness symptoms.
Trains from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (renamed Machu Picchu town) are operated by Peru Rail and Inca Rail.
Buy train tickets in advance as they can sell out quickly.
Trains have different tiers, from high-end to budget, with amenities on the cheaper options.
Choose your departure location, either San Pedro station in Cusco or the Peru station outside the city.
The train ride offers stunning views, Peruvian music, and historical landmarks.
Aguas Calientes is the town where you'll stay before visiting Machu Picchu, offering many activities.
Stay at least one night in Aguas Calientes for a more relaxed visit to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu tickets must be purchased online in advance and include a time slot.
Tickets can be strict about time slots, so plan accordingly.
Consider the weather and seasons when planning your visit, with the dry season from May to October.
To reach Machu Picchu, hike the Camino pitonal trail or take a bus from Aguas Calientes.
Bus tickets should be bought in advance and can be purchased online with Machu Picchu tickets.
Machu Picchu has one-way walking tracks, so plan your route carefully.
Some items like umbrellas, selfie sticks, and food are not allowed inside Machu Picchu.
A passport is required for entry, and the Machu Picchu stamp is available in Aguas Calientes.
Bug spray is recommended for protection against insects during your visit.
Enjoy the views from above the city early in your visit as you can't return to these spots.
Machu Picchu tickets are valid for four hours, but enforcement of this rule is unclear.
After visiting Machu Picchu, hike or take a bus back down to Aguas Calientes.
Plan to eat before leaving Aguas Calientes as the train ride back to Cusco is longer.
Transcripts
We're at Machu Picchu and today we're going to tell you everything you need
to know to get here and how to maximize your time here
Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incan Empire and it's no surprise how it gained its title as a
wonder of the world but it can be challenging to piece together all of the info that's needed to
reach this magical place and have a successful Machu Picchu trip so in this travel guide we're
going to walk you through everything you need to know about planning a trip to Machu Picchu okay
in order to get to Machu Picchu you'll first need to catch a flight to Cusco Peru the Cusco
airport is small and you'll probably have a layover in Lima to get here there are plenty
of flights from Lima to Cusco and the flight time is about an hour and a half each way we
actually love the city of Cusco and there's so much to do while here we have a video it's a
complete guide of the top things you need to see while in Cusco as well as a video covering the
top Peruvian foods and restaurants you need to try in Cusco as well so be sure to check those
out right the poison the poison for cusca the poison chosen specially to kill Cusco cusco's
poison when you land in Cusco there are taxis available at the airport or you can take an
Uber Ubers are plentiful and affordable in Cusco and that's always a great option so you know your
price before you get in the cap given cusco's elevation is a little over 11 000 feet or over
double the elevation of Denver you want to give your body a day or two to become acclimated to
the elevation before heading to Machu Picchu to avoid altitude sickness you should drink
lots of water or do as the locals do and purchase cocoa Leaf to chew on to alleviate the symptoms
now that you're in Cusco in order to reach Machu Picchu you're going to have to take a train from
Cusco to the town of August Calientes or as it's been renamed the town of Machu Picchu you'll have
a few different options to get here for starters there are two different train companies to take
you there Peru Rail and Inca rail both of these companies offer near identical rides and operate
on the exact same train tracks so just do your homework to see which one is most affordable for
your travel dates you're going to want to buy these train tickets in advance as we have heard
that they can sell out even quicker than Machu Picchu tickets both train companies have different
tiers of train cars ranging from extremely high end to more Budget Travel we opted for Peru girls
cheapest car and the amenities were plenty nice we paid 130 each for our round trip tickets from
Cusco to Machu Picchu on Peru rail but these prices vary from year to year and also with the
seasons you'll also need to choose your departure location you can either depart from the San Pedro
station located right by the San Pedro Market in the historic Center of kusio Peru where you can
depart from the Peru station which is a 30 minute taxi ride from Cusco we opted to depart from the
San Pedro station as it was right near the hostel we stayed at which we'll link below plus it makes
sure you get to see way more Peruvian puppies along the way the other thing that's been so
enjoyable about this train ride so far is all the dogs you see along the way I swear every dog in
Cusco has come out to take a look or park at the train so I think we've probably seen close to a
hundred dogs just in probably the 30 minutes we've been on the train so far another option
and from there catch a train ride to Machu Picchu from Cusco you can take one of these buses called
a Colectivo from Cusco directly to oleante tombow and there are a couple of different
spots to catch these collectivos around Cusco opting to take a Colectivo May save you a little
bit of time and money but we decided to take the train directly from Cusco to Aguas galantes to
simplify our journey the train ride to August Calientes is extremely enjoyable with stunning
views and overhead speakers playing authentic Peruvian music and announcing historical and
environmental landmarks and facts along the way when you arrive in August Calientes you might
be dropped off in the train station or right in the heart of downtown on the train tracks it's
important to note that you're going to have to catch your train back at the train station even
if you're dropped off in the downtown area so be sure to pay attention to the later section
of this video where we talk about returning to Cusco after Machu Picchu so you don't miss your
train ride home of course you can also hike to Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail which is a four
day three-night hike from right outside of oleante tombow but this definitely takes a bit more prep
work we'll have some resources listed below if this is something that interests you but
if you're like most Travelers and take the train all the way to Aguas Calientes this is the town
where you'll stay before visiting Machu Picchu there's actually tons to do in this cute little
River Town it's got a great adventure Vibe and whether you're looking to rejuvenate from hiking
in the world's most scenic hot springs or get your passport stamp to prove you made it to
Machu Picchu we'll have a video coming out shortly walking through the top things you need to do in
Aguas Calientes we'll cover all the details and Insider tricks to Aguas Calientes there so be
sure to check that out to maximize your time in Aguas Calientes we'd recommend staying at least
one night in this town instead of trying to do the round trip train ride in one day we really enjoyed
our time in this magical little town we opted to stay the night here head to Machu Picchu the next
morning and then catch a train ride back to Cusco in the afternoon and this worked out really well
for us we were also expecting this town to be very expensive in touristy but we found it to be pretty
reasonable again keep an eye out for our Aguas Calientes video if you're interested in where
we stayed and what we ate now that you've made it to Aguas Calientes it's time to talk about buying
your Machu Picchu tickets Machu Picchu does not sell any tickets at the entrance so you need to
buy them online before you go this process is pretty simple you'll need to go to the official
site which we'll link below and select a time slot there are options here to add on Private
Tours and additional hikes but we didn't feel the need to add that to our ticket there are a couple
of different tickets that you can buy whenever you come into the Machu Picchu we opted for just
the general admission ticket and it looks like that's going to grant us access to all of the
grounds that we're really interested in there are also a couple tickets where you can add on Hikes
one of them is the Hawaii new Pichu hike I think I said that correctly and you can see that behind
me it's the little Mound next to the larger Hill and we can actually see people hiking that right
now we paid about 97 each for our entry tickets and this included a round-trip bus ticket to get
to the entrance of Machu Picchu which we'll talk about later in this video to buy these tickets
you'll have to go to the website and select a time slot and note that they're pretty strict about not
allowing you in before your time we arrived at the ticket Checker three minutes before a time
slot and he made us wait until exactly 9am to enter they're pretty strict about not letting
you in after your time slot as well if you buy your tickets for 6am you're allowed to enter Machu
Picchu between 6am and 7 A.M we've heard that if you're a bit late they will usually still let you
in but if you're significantly late you'll have to go back down to Aguas Calientes and buy a new
ticket for a later time slot we opted for a time slot at 9am and this worked really well for us we
were told by a couple of locals that the prettiest time to see Machu Picchu was at 10 am due to how
the Sun is striking the mountains during this time so you might want to keep this in mind try to book
these Machu Picchu entrance tickets hand in hand with your train journey because both of these sell
out months in advance another thing you need to consider when planning your Machu Picchu trip
is the weather Machu Picchu is open year round but you may want to plan your travels around the
wet season which occurs between late November and early April since tourism isn't as high during the
wet season it may be a great opportunity to score some deals at Machu Picchu nearly to yourself and
get some cool Moody cloudy pictures but there is a chance that the cloud coverage during this time is
so significant that it covers the mountains entirely so that's something to take into
consideration as well the dry season for Machu Picchu goes from May until October we visited
in May 2022 in a beautiful weather with minimal crowds we're so thankful we got the blue skies
that we did right now we can see the clouds are starting to come in still definitely nice here but
it's definitely nicer one there's a little bit of sun peeking through yeah and we actually wanted to
see it a little bit cloudy just because it gives it really cool mysterious feel with the clouds
rolling in but we're glad we have the sunshine in the morning it was expected to be rainy the entire
day of our visit according to our Google searches the night before but we were surprisingly met with
a gorgeous sunny day we were told by locals it is typically sunny in the morning and the rain
tends to come in the afternoon which is exactly what we experienced with our visit so that may
be something to consider when booking your time slot for Machu Picchu okay when it comes to your
Machu Picchu day you have two main options to get to the entry of Machu Picchu the first is to hike
up the mountain on the Camino pitonal hiking trail this is a path with a whole lot of stairs and it's
quite strenuous given the 1279 feet of elevation gain and this takes about two to three hours to
hike if you have an early morning ticket chances are you'll be starting this hike very early before
the sun rises so keep that in mind the more popular option to reach the top is to take a
bus and this is what we did this bus ride offers you a direct drive right to the entrance of Machu
Picchu you can buy bus tickets in August Calientes but we recommend buying them online in advance you
can do this on the same site where you bought your Machu Picchu tickets which really simplifies the
process we recommend printing out paper copies of these tickets and bringing them the date of
in addition to your digital copies we saw some people using digital tickets on their phone with
no problem but we have heard of some visitors having a hard time without a paper ticket so
it's best to play it safe when it comes time to board your bus be sure to get to the bus stop
on the earlier side good morning guys we are in there's Calientes right now in line for yeah the
line looks a little long but there seems to be a lot of buses stacked up so it seems to be moving
pretty quick we got here around 7 15 for our 8 o'clock time slot the line for us seems long but
it moved pretty quickly and we were boarded within 20 minutes the buses run from 5 30 a.m to 6 p.m so
keep this in mind when you're booking your time slot into Machu Picchu it was about a 20 minute
bus ride or so not bad at all and we're just fees the whole way up so we're just waiting in
line right now to get our tickets checked and our passport checked yeah and one thing to note with
the bus line was there were constantly people over the front of the line throwing up there's like two
or four fingers and they were looking for pairs or quadruples that had extra seats in the buses so we
were actually able to sneak up a little further in line because there's just two of us yeah it looks
like most people here in larger groups going in down here you can see the switchbacks that
we actually took the bus up on it was very windy but it was really Pleasant ride when you arrive at
the top and hop off the bus there'll actually be another line you need to stand in to enter
Machu Picchu however before you you jump right into the line consider if you need to use the
bathroom before entering there are no bathrooms inside the ruins of Machu Picchu so if you think
that you'll need to go there are bathrooms by the snack bar outside it costs two soles to use the
bathroom but that peace of mind can be totally worth it another thing you'll want to consider
before entering Machu Picchu is you'll definitely need to eat a big meal beforehand we stayed at a
hostel with free breakfast and we honestly tried to eat as much as possible before we left for
the day also be sure to wear your sunscreen the elevation is no joke now let's talk about some
things you're not allowed to bring into Machu Picchu like umbrellas selfie sticks strollers
tripods drones and food while we can't recommend breaking any rules we saw plenty of people with
water bottles and sneaking granola bars so use that as a guideline on how strictly the food
and drink rolls are in force another thing you absolutely need to enter Machu Picchu is your
passport this one's pretty simple you just won't be allowed in without it and you should have this
on you at all times anyway you may have heard that you can actually get your passport stamped with
the Machu Picchu stamp something we didn't realize until the day of is that they don't actually stamp
your passport at Machu Picchu the place where this gets stamped is actually down in August Calientes
this spot was kind of hard to find but we're going to outline exactly how to get there in our agua
scalances video another thing you might want to note is that technically you need to hire a tour
guide inside of Machu Picchu to escort you around during your stay but this rule is not enforced
personally we did not hire a tour guide and we enjoyed being able to take things at our own
pace but we did see plenty of people with a tour guide and they seemed informative and helpful some
something that you're going to want to bring in with you to Machu Picchu is bug spray I brought
some bug spray in with me but I may have applied it just a little bit too late because I still got
some pretty significant Sandfly bites that took pretty long to heal we've heard the mosquitoes are
pretty bad on some of the hikes too so take this precaution if you get bit up like crazy like me
wear your bug spray kids these bites are gnarly once you actually are inside Machu Picchu this
is where you have some serious decisions to make the walking tracks of Machu Picchu are one way
meaning that you can't walk backwards and given that there are many different Trails it leads
you to different parts of the ruins you're going to want to do some research on which route makes
the most sense to you as you can't walk backwards to see sights on other paths that you missed it's
almost like a Choose Your Own Adventure game in a way where once you choose a path you're on it
until another Fork presents itself so definitely do your research before you go to decide which
path works best for you and that you see all the sights you want to see and one more thing about
not being able to walk backwards some of the most picturesque places to take in the mountains and
the City from above are early in your journey and as you descend into the ruins you won't get those
fantastic viewpoints and backdrops so be sure to take your time while you're above the city
because you can't go back there later on also be mindful as you go because the nearest llamas
may be above you in truth be told we actually broke this don't walk backwards rule once when
we were told that we missed some llamas that were just behind us when we certainly don't
recommend breaking any rules we don't regret it technically your Machu Picchu ticket is valid for
four hours from the beginning of your time slot but I will say that we don't really know how they
enforce this role as we didn't see anybody checking tickets after you were inside Machu
Picchu we ended up staying from 9am to 1pm and we thought four hours was the perfect amount of
time and believe me we took our darn time walking through those ruins when it comes time to leave
Machu Picchu you can either hike down that same Trail we talked about or take the bus there'll
be a queue formed for the bus at the top so just wait in line for your spot we visited in May and
waited about 10 minutes to board a bus back down again it's best to have your tickets in advance
but there is a ticket office at the top for you to buy bus ticket once you're back in August
Calientes you'll probably want to grab some food and head to the train station to catch your train
out we'd love the lasagna from this restaurant and the vegetarian pizza from this one with the pizza
place being pretty close to the train station we highly recommend filling your bellies beforehand
as the train ride back is slightly longer than the train ride in as the train needs to
chug uphill and speaking of the train station you can find it just on the other side of the
artisanal Market in Aguas Calientes this Market is actually pretty massive so if you're tight on time
you'll need to navigate the sprawl of shops rather quickly but if you do have time to burn it's a
great spot to shop for some souvenirs or pick up some last minute snacks we recommend scoping out
the location of the departing train station before you're in a time crunch so be sure to
plan ahead let us know in the comments below if you're planning on visiting Machu Picchu or if
you have any other questions that we can help answer seriously guys we love hearing from you
and those comments mean a lot to us also be sure to like this video And subscribe to our
channel to see more of our adventures ahead and we have a very exciting Vlog coming up from our day
in Machu Picchu that has some incredibly exciting news for us so stay tuned for that as well thanks
everyone we'll see you in the next one adios right from outside of alital Ali Ali Tay Tambo Dumbo
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