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From Cusco to Machu Picchu

I´m absolutely sure, that if you arrived to Cusco, you want to know how to arrive to Machu Picchu… I´m not a genious of course, Cusco is a wonderful place itself, but the main reason is to visit the incredible Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Getting to Machu Picchu from Cusco is a classic doubt of the visitor to Peru. What options and alternatives exist to reach the ruins? Which is the one that best suits your needs?

Getting to Machu Picchu from Cusco

You will surely be surprised to know that there are not one, not two, or three ways to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, but four or even five options. Let’s see each of them in detail:

Reaching Machu Picchu from Cusco, via the Inca Trail

The Inca Trail is may be, the best option to live, feel and enjoy in addition to visiting Machu Picchu, the strength of the natural environment. After doing so, you won’t be surprised that the Incas worshiped nature as a divinity. The natural environment of one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World is what makes it really special. Lush jungle, rivers and also gigantic stony hills from which glaciers hang down.

The Inca Trail is the most famous trekking to reach the ruins. The route passes through a small section of the gigantic network of trails that this ancient civilization built throughout its entire empire, which extended from Ecuador to Chile. It is estimated that the trail had an extension of 30,000 kilometers.

If you are interested in this option, you should know that it has a variable duration depending on the starting point of the tour. It can last 1, 3 or 4 nights, so you can adapt the trek to your time and physical preparation. The itinerary always ends in Machu Picchu, regardless of the days you take.

It must be taken into account that, for reasons of preservation of the natural and archaeological spaces that are crossed during the route, there is a limited capacity of 500 people / day who can start the Inca Trail, in groups of a maximum of 16 people.

Visiting Machu Picchu from Cusco, via a guided tour

If you don’t want issues, you don’t have much time or money, but you want to take a guided tour of the citadel. You can leave Cusco in a tourist bus that will make stops along the Sacred Valley, one of the most valued areas of the Inca Empire . Today it is a place of incalculable archaeological and heritage value. The icing on the cake is found at the end of this route, in Ollantaytambo, a town that is still inhabited today and maintains a formidable Inca fortress. From there a picturesque train leaves for Aguas Calientes, the last town to reach Machu Picchu. The next day in the morning, a bus will drop you off at the door of the archaeological complex. Now, if you want to lower the cost of your visit to the maximum, we recommend you hire our Machu Picchu by Car tour, which replaces the train ride with a bus transfer plus a three-hour walk along the spectacular train tracks. In this walk you will get unique landscapes that you can appreciate at the speed of a walker, something impossible if you make the journey by train.

Visiting Machu Picchu from Cusco, with a combination of trekking and guided tour

A great intermediate option is to take the tour through the Sacred Valley to enjoy the periphery of Cusco and stay in Ollantaytambo. In this place you can spend the night without problems, in addition to having a very pleasant square and other archaeological sites very close, reachable on foot.

From there, instead of taking the train (it’s expensive, you can check the rates here), you can walk to Aguas Calientes. On the route there is no risk of getting lost, it is enough to follow the train tracks in a 28-kilometer walk without too much unevenness, which will take between 5 and 7 hours, depending on the pace. From Aguas Calientes, the next day you can walk to the ruins, on a demanding climb that will take you about 2 hours, or choose to take a bus

Visiting Machu Picchu from Cusco, with public transport and trekking

This is the way public transport is used and, therefore, it is the cheapest but also the most inconvenient and long. To take this option you must go to the Santiago Bus Terminal in Cusco. From there you must take a bus to Santa María ). Upon arrival, take a taxi or van to Santa Teresa. We warn that this section is very dangerous, with only one lane and with a chilling cliff. In Santa Teresa you will probably need to stay, since the daylight hours will be few. From Santa Teresa take a new taxi to Hidroeléctrica. There you must register and walk 11 kilometers (3 hours) along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. From there you can walk up to Macchu Picchu, or take the bus. Again, the cheaper option but not the most convenient.

Trains from Cusco to Machu Picchu

The trains leave for Machu Picchu mainly from 2 stations: Poroy (Cusco) and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Vally. The trains that leave from Poroy station in Cusco to Aguas Calientes take 3 hours on average. The departure frequency is not as dynamic as in the Ollantaytambo station. Both Peru Rail and Inca Rail trains carry tourists from this station.

Trains departing from Ollantaytambo station take 2 hours on average to reach Aguas Calientes. The vast majority of trains depart from this point.

Tours to visit Cusco, Machu Picchu, Puno and Titicaca Lake

We have some great programs to enjoy these amazing destinations in Peru. Take a look at one of my favorites: 555 – Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Puno, Titicaca Lake, La Paz & Uyuni

If it´s not what you´re looking for, no problem. We have many other options to enjoy Peru and South America. Check the image below to see the complete list of tours to visit Peru