If you like to travel on your own and plan your trip yourself. Then you have come to the right place. I have gathered all the information you need to plan your trip to experience the magic of Machu Picchu, in your own time and with no extra costs.
First I will say that there is no off the beaten track path for you to take to Machu Picchu. It is one of the seven wonders of the world and is visited by thousands every day. But there are several ways for you to plan your trip yourself, save money and without needing to travel with strangers on a tour.
Every place mentioned in this post is marked on a map that you will find on the buttom of this page.
When is the best time to go?
This is a very hard question to answer. Depends on what you are after. During summer in the nordic hemisphere (june-august) it is crowded in Cusco. A lot of tourists. Another popular time is around new years. To visit Machu Picchu during the Summer and Winter solstice is also very popular so book your tickets way in advance.
The number of persons entering the citadel is monitored by the hour. Which means that it is never going to be too much people.
I would advice you to book the earliest entry (6 am), not a lot of people do this even if you will experience the sun rise over the mountains and the sun gate. You will experience the best light and a minimum amount of people. Even though many guidebooks and bloggers give this tip, not many follow it. Day tours to the Citadel from around the valley won’t be there that early so you will only have to share Machu Picchu with a maximum of 300 people that have made the effort and stayed in Aguas Caliente for one night or walked the Inca trails.
How to get there?
I started my journey in Peru in Cusco so I will explain your way from there. But it is possible to get there from other places in the Sacred valley as well because of the train, more on that later.
There are two train companies that can get you to Aguas Caliente (also known as Machu Picchu pueblo):
All tickets can be booked online. It is really just to choose what company fits your time, date and budget.
- If you book with Inca Rail (I did because it was the cheapest option) you will go by minibus from Avenida de Sol in Cusco to the city of Ollantaytambo in about 2 hours. There you follow the staff from the company to the train and board by stating your name. Even In the cheap seats you will have entertainment by the crew telling the story of an Inca prince while the train starts the 1,5 hour ride to Aguas Caliente. Then it is just for you to sit back and enjoy the beautiful views of mountains, river and trees.
- If you book Peru Rail pay attention to the name of the station on your ticket. Maybe you have to take a taxi if the station is a bit outside of the city centre. You can also book a bus and train combo. This bus ride is a little bit shorter and you will travel with train from the area called Wanchaq in Cusco to Ollantaytambo. There you will change train and go to Aguas Caliente. This trip also has entertainment onboard. With Peru rails you can also book train rides to go to other places in the valley. Great way to explore the valley if you got the time.
You can’t bring a lot of luggage on the trains. You can only bring a bag with a maximum of 8 kg (17,5 lbs) per person on Inca rail and even less on Peru Rail. Inca Rail offers baggage storage in Ollantaytambo or Cusco.
How to reach the citadel?
To reach the citadel you have two options. Pay for the 20 minute bus or walk for around 2 hours up to the entrance. Most people choose the bus because you have a 2-4 hours walk waiting for you inside the citadel. You can buy the bus tickets the day before at the office (see the map below) for a hassle free early morning. It is a fixed price so no haggling.
If you choose to walk up to the citadel just follow the only road out from the village and after a while take a left to cross the bridge. From here it is just to start your climb. You can use the stairs which connects with the serpentine buss road.
How do I get the tickets?
Usually I really don’t like to book too much in advance. But if you are traveling to Machu Picchu I would suggest that you book your tickets. All time slots have a limit and if you are too spontaneous you can find yourself in Aguas Caliente with a sold out citadel. You can book your tickets at the culture centre in Aguas Calientes or in Cusco. But the easiest way I found was to book online. Just be prepared to have google translate nearby if you don’t speak Spanish. Because after you enter the booking part of the otherwise English website everything is in Spanish. But google translate exists and it is the cheapest and most secure option to book an entrance ticket.
Follow this link >> and good luck 🙂
The circuits should just be ignored. Once you are in you can walk whatever circuit you want but only in one direction! You can never go back and look at something again. Just keep moving forward. But do not ignore what’s on your tickets if you want to climb any of the two mountains. First, Montaña Waynapiccu, meaning young mountain (the peak you see behind the citadel in all the pictures). There are ruins on top of this mountain as well. Second, Montaña Machupicchu is a higher mountain and a longer climb which will give you a true birds eye view of the citadel. Recently they have also opened a new path up to Huchuy Picchu, it is a smaller summit than its big brother Waynapiccu, but it will still give you a great view with less effort. Stay updated here >>
Do I need a guide?
If you ask me I would highly recommend it. There are a lot of really talented local, bilingual guides that will enhance your experience enormous. To be frank, the citadel is just a ruin sitting between two beautiful mountains. Having someone telling the history, myths or theories when you are there is hard to beat!
Hire a private guide to tailor the experience to your liking. It is not an expensive investment (the entrance tickets are more expensive) and my tip is to ask your hotel or airbnb to get you in contact with a local guide so you can plan and discuss beforehand what kind of experience you want. If you want a English/Spanish speaking guide you can also contact ”Ludovico” on Whats app +51 987 758 057. He was my guide and did a very good job so I asked if I could share his number with you guys and he was just happy if I did.
Where to stay?
Aguas Caliente is built to accommodate a vast number of people even if it is a small village. You may not find a luxurious resort but good for your buck hostels/hotels are everywhere. You can even camp by the river outside the village for an early start if you plan to walk up to the citadel.
I can recommend staying at the Tree house. You will get your own cosy tree house with a balcony overlooking the mountains, friendly staff and a nice breakfast. They even made a breakfast package for me to eat at the entrance of the citadel because of my early start.
Where to eat?
Be prepare to pay more for less, quality wise, when it comes to food in Aguas Caliente compared to other villages and cities in the sacred Valley.
- Green House – Bohemian looking place with vegetarian local foods and for some reason pizza and veggie-burgers as well. One of the better restaurants in the village.
- Govinda Restaurant – More vegan options and a lot of local foods.
- Coffee Trotter Perú – Good coffee, smoothies and other savoury snacks. Nice place to rewind after your day at the citadel or waiting for your train to depart.
What you may not know about Aguas Caliente
- There are no proper roads leading to the village, only train tracks.
- For a small fee you can swim in the hot springs (that gave the village its name). They are made out as swimming pools and there are changing rooms so do not forget to pack your swimsuit. Don’t miss experiencing the waterfall as well, since you have already paid the entrance fee.
- You can go on shorter hikes on the different Inca trails around the village, taking the time to enjoy the jungle and local wildlife. Ask in the Centro Cultural for more information on specific routes.
- The village is build just where the Aguas Caliente river mets the magnificent Urubama river. The same river Hiran Bingham followed when he ”discovered” Machu Picchu in 1911 (local farmers had known about the site for a long time). A professor at Yale University. Getting serious Indiana Jones vibes.
Enter fullscreen at the right hand corner of the map to get a better overview.
Travel through my camera 