Machu Picchu is a completely worthwhile day trip from the Sacred Valley but it does require some logistics! There are no roads that go to Machu Picchu (and unfortunately, that means no direct taxi service from Cusco!); you have to take a train ride to Aguas Calientes from Ollantaytambo train station. You can totally handle navigating to this world wonder without a pre-paid tour guide, who generally offer expensive, upcharge tickets!
PRE-WORK TO TRAVEL TO MACHU PICCHU
We recommend doing the pre-work steps listed below at least a week in advance; of course availability is completely determined by Machu Picchu’s daily capacity, which is set by the government. We recommend visiting in the summer, the wet season, which is generally from November – April, to avoid the crowds – just be sure to bring a rain poncho.
1. Buy tickets for Machu Picchu through the Government Website
We recommend you to get tickets for 9 AM – 12 PM slot to Machu Picchu and get on the earliest train you can to get there on time. The train from Ollantaytambo, which is on the east side of the Sacred Valley, will take about 1 hour 45 minutes to get to Aguas Calientes, the town that is at the base of the peaks of the llaqta de Machu Picchu. You will want to give yourself at least an hour between your entrance time and your arrival in Aguas Calientes to navigate the town and bus, which will ultimately take you all the way to the top of the mountain.
2. Purchase appropriate Peru Rail train tickets to Augas Calientes
Be sure to line up your departure & arrival times with your Machu Picchu entrance ticket times; buy your ticket from the Government Website first. This will avoid all of the unnecessary markups charged by tour companies for purchasing this same ticket on your behalf!
The train ride from Ollantaytambo is about 1.5 hours to Augas Calientes. If you want to arrive by 10 AM to Machu Picchu (which is the latest we recommend you arrive), buy your train ticket for between 6-7 AM. Buy your return ticket about 6 hours after your arrival time if you plan to return that night to the Sacred Valley.
3. Store digital versions or print out all tickets, bring your passport!
You will need your passport to get on the train and into the park. Be sure you have copies of both tickets you purchased above either on your phone or printed out for easy access.
4. Book a Taxi for your trip to Ollantaytambo
This taxi drive is about an 1.5 hours from Pisac or 20 minutes from Urubamba; a taxi from Cusco will take a solid 2 hours (all the more reason to stay in the beautiful Sacred Valley!) Give yourself a half an hour buffer as to when your train departs from the station to get there and get coffee from Cafe Mayu which is right on the train platform for easy access.
5. Consider lodging & food options.
Note that any food you’re going to find in Aguas Calientes is significantly more expensive than the rest of Peru – and often charged in dollars! They also don’t like you eating on the mountain (though the best of us have snuck it in before!) Consider bringing your own snacks and lunch.
You can stay in Aguas Calientes of course (usually for a very inflated price!). In our experience, it’s not a very nice place to stay. We much prefer the hostels and cobbled streets of Ollantaytambo, or even accommodations in other towns in the Valley. Here’s a few of our favorites:
- El Albergue (Ollantaytambo)
- Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness (Huayllabamba, Urubamba)
- Kinsapacha Eco Lodge Farm (Urubamba)
- StarLodge (Urubamba)
- InkaTerra Hacienda (Urubamba)
- Melissa Wasi (Pisac)
6. Make it a multi-day experience with hot springs!
If you really want a full day of hiking and you have some Spanish under your belt to help you navigate, we also recommend doing the hike to Santa Teresa and staying at one of the ecolodges there. In order to get to Santa Teresa, you would need to walk along the train tracks from Aguas Calientes about 12 kilometers to the town. If you do the Machu Picchu/train ticket timing we recommend above, you will likely arrive to Santa Teresa around 7 PM, in time for dinner. The biggest gem and reason to do the extra hike is the Colcamyu hot springs that you will find in Santa Teresa.
YOUR DAY AT MACHU PICCHU
1. Take a taxi to Ollantaytambo Train Station by booking a ride with us. Drink coffee. Bring your passport and tickets!
2. Take the train ride to Aguas Calientes & hire a (cheaper!) guide if you’d like. At this point, finding a guide is easy – there will be tons of guides just waiting for tourists to get off of the train. Find one you like, negotiate a deal and you’ll be paying a lot less than booking with someone in advance! Shop around to get a few quotes for fair prices.
3. Navigate finding the bus station once you arrive — there will be obvious signs for the bus to follow. It’s a small town and they won’t let you get lost!
4. Purchase bus tickets that will take you from Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu entrance. These tickets will cost, on-site, approximately $12 USD for a round trip (as of 2023). Bring cash if you can (dollars or soles are accepted). You will again need your passport. Please note you cannot buy these tickets in advance; any tour company you hire would need to purchase these for you on-site anyway, so why not try it yourself?
5. Take the bus to Macchu Picchu! There’s a reason it’s one of the seven wonders of the world. Disfruta! There’s only one way to go; we promise they won’t let you get lost, even if you don’t have someone showing you around. They try to move folks through Macchu Picchu in a maximum of about 3 hours for the normal circuit, so don’t expect to be up on the mountain for more than 4-6 hours depending on if you would like to grab a bite to eat at the top. There are also additional more extended circuits for a more extended adventure if you’d like a longer trip.
6. Do it all in reverse. Book with us to pick you up from the train station in Ollantaytambo; the number one taxi service in the Cusco region will be waiting to take you safely to your final destination.
