Machu Picchu has been rated one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World for good reason. The site is astounding and surpassed all my expectations. That said, it can be confusing to book and it can be hard to decide how to get to the base town of Aguas Calientes. Below are the top things any first-time visitor should know before planning their trip based on my experience there.
Getting Your Tickets
Before even figuring out getting to Machu Picchu you need to make sure that you’ll be able to enter the citadel! Definitely pre-book your tickets and go through the official government website (I’ve heard so many stories now of people getting scammed through 3rd party bookings). There are currently 4 different circuits (or routes) to choose from and these are being intermittently enforced inside the citadel. The circuit tickets will also definitely be checked at the entrance to the Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu hikes. This circuit system is a little confusing so here’s a quick walkthrough:
- Circuit 1 is a mid-sized route that’ll get you all the highlights but does not allow for the extra hikes up either Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu mountains. It will however include the “classic viewpoint” (looking down on the citadel with Huayna Picchu in the background) of Machu Picchu so it has a great photo op.
- Circuit 2 is the longest circuit and you’ll be able to see all of the sites you could possibly want inside the citadel including the classic viewpoint of Machu Picchu. It will not however allow for the extra hikes up the mountains.
- Circuit 3 is a shorter circuit that doesn’t include going into the upper terraces but it’s the only ticket you can purchase to add going on the hike up Machu Picchu mountain. The walk up to the entrance of Machu Picchu mountain will also take you through some of the upper terraces to get at least a couple of those views.
- Circuit 4 is another short circuit excluding the upper terraces but it’s the only ticket you can purchase to add going on the hike up Huayna Picchu mountain. This is the circuit I selected since doing the Huayna Picchu hike was a priority for me. You can also opt to buy this circuit with the Huchuy Picchu hike which is an easier hike next to Huayna Picchu.
- It now looks like the Peruvian government will add a fifth circuit. So far it’s looking like this will be an even shorter route but since it’s so new I have limited details. I’m also not yet seeing it available for purchase on the government website, only listed on their maps.
If your goal is to get the classic Machu Picchu picture and you don’t care much about hiking, I’d recommend circuit 2. They all cost the same and this gets you access to the most options while walking around Machu Picchu. If you care about doing either hike, the decision is made for you – it has to be circuit 3 or 4!
Getting to Aguas Calientes
You may already know there are a number of ways to get to Aguas Calientes, the city at the base of Machu Picchu. The most popular options (and the two I would recommend considering) are hiking or taking the train.
For hiking, it’s required to hire a guide and there are several trek options. The classic route is typically 3-5 days long so this definitely isn’t an option for those who are short on time. I’ve had several friends take this option and say it was well worth it, though.
Since I didn’t take that option, I’ll leave it to others to provide more guidance and will focus on the other popular option: the train. There are two train companies, PeruRail and Inca Rail operating rides to Aguas Calientes. Both have departures running from Ollantaytambo, which is a town in the Sacred Valley about a 1-1.5 hour drive from Cusco, but PeruRail actually operates a few trains a day that run directly from Cusco itself. Both companies are reputable, have options for trains with good viewing windows, and you can purchase tickets directly from their websites.
I opted to go with a PeruRail Expedition (the less viewing-focused cars) from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and the PeruRail Vistadome (these are their cars with larger windows) from Aguas Calientes to Cusco. Honestly, I don’t think I can recommend paying anything extra for either the Vistadome or making sure the train goes all the way to Cusco. On the way to Aguas Calientes we ended up having to drive to Ollantaytambo because strikes had blocked the Cusco to Ollantaytambo stretch. On the way back, we learned that it’s a very slow ride (about 2 hours) from Ollantaytambo to Cusco because the train has to manage a lot of switch backs going down into Cusco. If you want the experience or just really hate having to deal with taxis, go for it! But I wouldn’t pay much extra for getting all the way to Cusco.
Similarly for Vistadome, I think it was a cool experience but in reality the windows on the Expedition train show plenty. Vistadome also includes some bonus features like a Peruvian dance display and a fashion show of PeruRail’s line of alpaca clothing but I found those more odd than beneficial. Also, I believe pre-pandemic Vistadome tickets included other extras like food but this no longer appears to be the case.
There are additional non-train options like taking a bus or taxi the whole way, but my recommendation based on my experience is to take an uber to and from Ollantaytambo and take either PeruRail Expedition or Inca Rail the rest of the way!
Enjoying Aguas Calientes
Many people who take the train to Aguas Calientes choose to make this a day trip, which is definitely doable with the PeruRail and Inca Rail train schedules! However, if you plan to do the Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu hikes you’ll likely have too early an entry time to make this feasible so you’ll want to plan for 1 night in Aguas Calientes.
Aguas Calientes is a relatively small town, but it has a couple museums and some excellent restaurants for those that need to kill some time the day before their Machu Picchu visit. I especially enjoyed the Mariposario of Machu Picchu, which is a beautiful butterfly research center not far along the road from town to Machu Picchu. There the researchers will teach you about their efforts to repopulate the diverse butterfly population in the area, show you a number of chrysalises and caterpillars, and let you wander their butterfly garden. It was really educational and worth the stop.
Additional options for killing the time include browsing the Mercado de Artesanias for souvenirs (pro-tip: this is also where you’ll walk through to catch the train back so on the way out is a great time for souvenirs – basically exit through the gift shop!), checking out the hot springs, or having a couple local beers at Mapacho Craft Beer Resaurant. I’d also recommend taking some of this time to buy your bus tickets up the mountain in advance if you plan to take the bus up. There is a place to purchase them right in town near the bus stop and this will save you a lot of time the next morning.
Enjoying Machu Picchu
Before you can finally enjoy Machu Picchu, you must make the short final bus ride up from Aguas Calientes or hike up. The hike up is about 90 minutes long while the bus ride takes about 30 minutes and should cost about $24 round trip (as of 2022). Both are solid options, but be careful to make sure you allot time appropriately based on your ticket’s entry time. I took the bus since I knew I’d be hiking later and the bus journey is an experience of it’s own with hairpin turns and two way traffic on a narrow road!
If you choose to wait for a bus, you’ll likely also be approached by various guides for tours of Machu Picchu. This can be annoying but, if you haven’t hired a guide by this point, I would consider haggling with some of the guides offering and seeing if you can find you’d want to hire before boarding the bus. I believe there used to be guides offering the same at the top, but when I was there I only saw opportunities to hire a guide at the bus stop at the bottom. All guides should have official ID from the Peruvian government on display and a private guide should cost around 140 soles (although as is typical for me, I overpaid because I’m a terrible haggler). You can also hire a guide in advance online. Either way, I’d really recommend finding some form of guide before going in! There are no informational signs inside the citadel so you’ll get so much more out of it with a professional to provide context and point out key sites.
At the top of the bus ride or hike, you’ll be asked to present your passport and ticket and then you’re in (sidenote: DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSPORT)! Inside the citadel you’ll be able to follow your selected circuit using signposts and enjoy taking a million pictures of the incredible archeological site. It’s truly a world wonder for a reason.
After enjoying the views inside the citadel, you’ll then be able to continue on to your hike if you’ve elected to do either Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu hikes. Both of these hikes will offer great views of the citadel from above and are relatively challenging, with Machu Picchu being the higher and longer of the two. Huayna Picchu is the more popular hike and is famous for its “Stairs of Death”, which is a steep stone stairway built by the Incans that you must climb to reach the top.
Personally, I chose Huayna Picchu because I wanted to continue seeing Incan ruins as I climbed (this hike goes up to the Temple of the Moon) and climb the infamous stairs but both hikes are great options for anyone up for some cardio and amazing views. It’s a great way to complete your trip to this amazing site.
The Wandering Hart 
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