Machu Picchu is considered the most famous tourist attraction that Peru has to offer. However, getting there and planning the details can be seemingly overwhelming tasks. Here are a few helpful tips to take the mystery out of vacation planning to Machu Picchu and to help you find what will work best for your budget and travelling style:
When to visit
The best time to visit Machu Picchu and the surrounding area is between May and October. This is the peak season to visit, with the most tourists, but the weather is best for sight-seeing then. The rainy season starts around November and lasts until March, and sometimes into April. In fact, over the past two years, access to Machu Picchu via train has been temporarily closed due to flooding and damage by rains. February is usually the month with the most rain for this area, so you may like to avoid these times in case of unexpected cancellations or delays in your trip.
How to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco
First, consider your preferred mode of travel: Train or bus? The train can be booked ahead of time for your planning, but often costs more than taking a bus or walking part of the Inca Trail. You can prebook your train/bus ticket with Perurail, or a combined trip of combi and train can be arranged at a lower price in the following manner:
- Weeks or days before: Prebook your train ticket and return from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The further ahead of time you do this, the more likely you will be assured of a seat on the train. You can do this online, or go to the ticket office in the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. Be sure that you select your departure times according to when you will be arriving in Ollantaytambo. Leaving a cushion of a couple hours between your arrival and your departure train is a good idea, and it allows you time to catch a lunch after you arrive in Ollantaytambo.
- Day of travel to Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes: Leave any extra baggage at your hotel in Cusco for them to store. Get a taxi from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco to the street called Calle Pavitos (cost is around four soles for the taxi). On this street, there are "combies", which are basically vans, that travel from Cusco to the Ollantaytambo train station for 10 soles a person. Verify the cost before agreeing to their service. The taxi driver who is driving you to meet the combi may offer to take you to Ollantaytambo directly for an increased price. If you are considering this option, only secure taxis are recommended. Travel takes about one and a half hours by combi or taxi to arrive to the train station. For instance, arriving at 9:00 a.m. at Calle Pavitos should get you to Ollantaytambo by between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m., depending upon when the combi is full and departs for your trip.
- From Ollantaytambo, take the train to Aguas Calientes, where you can stay the night. You may like to prebook your hostel or decide where to stay when you get there.
- When you arrive in Aguas Calientes, you can buy your bus ticket for Machu Picchu for the following day (closes at 6:00 p.m.). You may like to buy this ticket by the day before so that you will have your transportation arranged for the following day. However, the ticket booth does open at 5:00 a.m.
- After receiving your bus ticket, head from there to the INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura) to purchase your entrance tickets to Machu Picchu. It closes at 9:00 p.m. The official Tourist Information and Assistance office for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu is located right beside the INC, and can be recognized with a blue letter "i" in a blue circle.
- Day of visiting Machu Picchu: Wake up around 3:30 a.m. to get in line as soon as possible for the bus if you are considering the hike up Huaynapicchu (also spelled, "Waynapicchu"). They only accept 400 tourists a day to hike up Huaynapicchu, so first come, first served. This is why it's handy to have your tickets already. Buses start loading passengers by 5:30 a.m.
- When arriving at Machu Picchu, get in line, and have your entrance ticket stamped with the entrance time to Huaynapicchu if you will be doing the hike up the mountain. It is suggested to choose the 7:00 a.m. time as opposed to the 10:00 a.m. time, as it will be cooler with more cloud cover, making a hike easier up the big mountain.
- After Huaynapicchu, enjoy touring Machu Picchu. Guides are available in Spanish for approximately 20 to 25 soles a person, and in English from 30 to 40 soles a person, plus a tip. Although many recommend a guide, it is not obligatory.
- Take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, have lunch, and pack up for your train ride home. Or, you may choose to have a soak in the hot springs at the top of the main street for 10 soles per person. It's another hike up the hill, though, so be prepared for exerting yourself a bit more.
- After arriving by train at the Ollantaytambo train station, you can look for another combi going to Cusco where you disembark or in the train station parking lot. Just inquire about their destination and what the cost is, usually 10 soles per person. As an adventurous alternative, you may like to stay a day or two in Ollantaytambo. There are many activities and ruins to see there, some of which you might even be able to see from your hotel room.
Alternative budget route to Machu Picchu by bus
Travelling by bus from Cusco can get you most of the way to Machu Picchu. The Official Tourist Information Office in Cusco has a great map and can help you determine the route by bus for those who are adventurous, not on too much of a time limit and want to save some cash. The first bus or vans will start near Avenida Antonio Lorena or Quillabamba in Cusco, and range in price from 15 to 30 soles per person. These will take you to Santa Maria or Santa Teresa, where you can meet up with another bus or two taking you as far as the Hydro Electric Station. The second bus ranges in price from 10 to 15 soles per person. From the Hydro Electric Station, it is a two to three hour hike to Machu Picchu.
More travelling tips can be found at in the articles "Helpful Tips for Visiting Cusco, Peru and the Machu Picchu Area" and "Top Two Modern Sites in Lima, Peru in One Day."
After considering this information, hopefully you will have a better idea of how to plan your unforgettable trip in your own travelling style to the famous Machu Picchu for enjoyable, long-lasting memories.
Sources:
- Ana Piscoya, Machu Picchu official Tourist Information and Assistance office. Interviewed by author. June 3, 2011.
- Lennin Charalla, Cusco official Tourist Information and Assistance office. Interviewed by author. June 6, 2011.
- iperu Tourist Information and Assistance
Brandy Pearce - As a seasoned traveler, dental professional, educator and jewelry designer, Brandy's articles are insightful, interesting, and full of ...
