Machu Picchu
What to do Before Coming to Machu Picchu
So you have decided you want to see the most famous site in Peru, and arguably the most famous site in all of South America.
There is quite a bit of planning involved in a trip here, but don't worry, I will walk you through step by step what you need to do and how to get there. First, we will do a brief overview, and then I will go into detail.
Getting a ticket to Machu Picchu is one of the very first things you should do when planning a trip to Peru because it is recommended to buy them pretty far in advance. Machu Picchu isn't just an open park you can walk into, explore, and leave. The Peruvian government only sells a limited number of tickets per day. Even more limiting, each ticket is tied to a specific route through the ruins, so if you want the "best" circuit, you have to book pretty early. Circuit 2 is the most popular but as far as I can tell there isn't much different between 2a and 2b. Circuit 2 is also where you can the iconic "postcard shot" below.
You also need to decide how you want to get there. There are generally three main choices:
-
Stay in Cusco, leave early in the morning, and return late that same night.
-
Spend the night in Ollantaytambo and catch the train in the morning.
-
Hike the Inca Trail from Cusco. It takes four days, but I have heard it is an amazing trip.
I went with the first option, but I will go into detail on option two as well.
Can't have a page on Machu Picchu without this iconic shot
Buying Your Ticket
There is exactly one place you should use to get a ticket, and that is the HERE at the official Peru Ministry of Culture site. The ticket on the site is 152 soles ($45), You do have to pick a time, but they give you some leeway with that, just don't pick too early if your leaving from Cusco. I did 10 AM and had plenty of time. As I said above, I would plan your entire trip around this ticket.
And I mean that literally. This is the exact order I would do everything:
-
Get time off approved at work.
-
Check if a Machu Picchu ticket is available on the day you want.
-
Check if plane tickets are reasonable.
-
Buy the Machu Picchu ticket.
-
Buy plane tickets.
-
Handle everything else.
Now, they do sell last-minute, next-day tickets in Aguas Calientes, but it would be extremely stupid to do this. First, you are flying thousands of miles and making a multi-leg journey to reach this remote destination. Why the fuck would you do all that. go 99% of the way there, just to hope they are not sold out?
Second, Aguas Calientes sucks... It is a fake town with nothing to offer except tons of vendor stalls selling the exact same trinkets and overpriced food. They are also annoying as hell because they will stand right in your way trying to guide you into their restaurant. You would also have to waste a day away from Cusco and stay overnight there just because the in-person tickets are only valid for the following day.
Another option is scheduling through a travel agency once you arrive in Cusco, just like any other tour. I am not sure how that process works, whether a ticket is guaranteed, and frankly, I do not care. I would not use an agency anyway because doing it yourself is much cheaper and gets you the exact same result. If you really want a tour guide, you can just hire one at the site entrance.
I couldn't have asked for better weather
The ruins are cool but no one ever turns around and just admires the mountains.
Getting to Machu Picchu from Cusco
I may have gotten ahead of myself and mentioned Aguas Calientes before I actually explained what it was. I had never heard of it before planning my trip. Hell, I had never even heard of Cusco until I started planning a Machu Picchu trip. But essentially, it is the "city" Machu Picchu is in. I use quotes because it is really just a few roads entirely dedicated to being a tourist trap, and it isn't even a good one like Vegas or Disney. It is just junk for sale at best and flat-out scams at worst.
I went to get a burger after my trip, and I saw a place with a big sign that said "2 for 1 beers" on it. I ordered two beers, but when I got my check, I was charged for both. I pointed at the giant sign, and the guy just kept smiling and saying "no... no..." while directly acknowledging the sign existed. He smiled a lot less when I just short-paid the bill, but he didn't raise a stink.
Be warned: I have actually seen this "technique" a lot in Latin America. They seem to think you can print whatever the fuck you want on a sign just to get customers inside. Even when it isn't an outright scam, it is SUPER common to see signs advertising shit they don't even sell. I think owners just buy signs secondhand to save money instead of paying to get one made that actually fits their menu.
The town of Aguas Calientes
All aboard: Next stop Machu Picchu
Most are two-seaters but at the front and rear of the car you can get seats facing each other
Anyway, I got sidetracked. To get to Aguas Calientes, you are going to hear the term "bimodal" a lot when shopping around. That just means you take a bus to Ollantaytambo and then a train to Aguas Calientes. There are a few ways to reach Ollantaytambo, but other than a four-day hike, the train to Aguas Calientes is non-negotiable. There are no roads that lead there.
I didn't do it but if you have time, I would consider spending a night in Ollantaytambo, that way you can see both sections of the ruins there. Also by shaving half the time off the trip to Aguas Calientes, you have a few more options for Machu Picchu like sunrise tours.
Your best two options are PeruRail or Inca Rail. (There is a third option called the Hiram Bingham, which sounds expensive and costs a shitload. I barely even glanced at their website.) The prices and services for PeruRail and Inca Rail are similar, and they run on the exact same tracks. Unfortunately, unlike most transit through Latin America, this ride is not inexpensive. Round-trip train tickets will likely cost three or four times what your entrance ticket cost. They vary a bit based on times and services, but I'd plan on spending $200-$300 there and back.
You can buy the bus and train combo right through their websites, which is what I did. They will offer a few options for seat upgrades. I took the cheapest option on the way there, and honestly, that is what I recommend for both legs. The standard seat was comfortable (it is actually the exact same seat as the upgrades) and the views along the valley are great.
If you do want to splurge on an upgrade, I recommend doing it on the way back, and here is why: On the way there, it is broad daylight. If you pick a window seat, you will have great views, so you do not need the fancier cars with glass ceilings. On the way back, it is pitch black, so you cannot see anything out the side windows anyway.
The upgraded return ride I took actually included a live performance. The website photos made it look like the performers walked down the aisle, but they actually lead groups of passengers into a special lounge car. They split the train into two groups so everyone gets about half the ride in the lounge car. It had room to walk around, open access to look out the back of the train, and let you feel the night air in the jungle.
So, my advice: take the cheap train there during the day to enjoy the views. Then on the way back, either splurge on the upgraded car for the show, or just take the cheap train back and sleep.
View from the train
Aguas Calientes train station
Arriving in Aguas Calientes
So you have made it across the world and deep into the Andes. Now you simply cross the street, hand the ticket taker your Machu Picchu ticket, and enjoy a wonder of the world.
Haha, you wish. More hurry up and wait. You still need a ticket for the bus that takes you from Aguas Calientes up to the actual entrance.
I am going to give you a very important pro-tip here: these bus tickets can be bought in advance online HERE. I have no idea why everyone doesn't do this, but it appeared almost no one did when I was there. When you step out of the train station, it is just a madhouse of long lines to buy tickets and long lines to get on the buses. You don't have to worry too much about missing your entry window, though, because staff members organize the lines by what time your entrance ticket is scheduled for rather than strictly first-come, first-served.
The bus ride is $12 up and $12 down with no discount for a round-trip. It takes about 25 minutes to reach the top, but it is not as far as it sounds. The bus just moves slowly while navigating steep switchbacks.
If you think you are up to it, you can walk, but it is an incredibly strenuous hike. I took the bus up and walked back down, which took me about an hour to get back into town. Even the hike down is tough because the stone stairs are uneven and in many spots about a foot high. You need to be in peak shape to do the hike up. If you decide to hike up and then don't feel like walking down, don't worry, you can buy a return bus ticket at the top.
While it was challenging, anyone with a reasonable fitness level can handle the walk down, and I would recommend it. You are still in the jungle surrounded by mountains, and the whole area is beautiful. Also, you will likely have planned way too much time to see the ruins, so it gives you a great way to kill a couple of hours.
The bus takes the back and forth line. Hikers pretty much go straight up.
Here you can see how high and steep it is. At the very top of that mountain you can barely make out the ruins
The road back to Agua Calientes
The line is a little rough here but it does start to get less congested as people spread out and go on their different circuits
Just past the entrance and I already got some breathing room.
Final Thoughts on Machu Picchu
I finally crossed this off my bucket list. Was it worth it? Fuck yeah it was. A thousand times yes. I had a trip planned here back before I became a nomad in April of 2020, but COVID made me cancel those plans.
I know I did not get much into which specific circuit to pick, but since I am not an expert on all of them, I would just be copying info straight from the Peru tourism page anyway. When you buy your ticket, the site gives a pretty detailed description of what each circuit consists of. Frankly, I have never heard of anyone being disappointed regardless of which one they got. They all allow you to see plenty. Even if your circuit does not let you enter one particular building, you still get all the photo ops you need. If you REALLY want to and plan your timing well, you can buy two different tickets for different times and do two circuits in one day. You will probably only spend about 90 to 120 minutes on each route anyway.
I do not want to spoil it too much with photos, plus you already know what you are coming here to see. But I have to show a few, so before you head back to Cusco, here is a small gallery of some of my favorite shots from that day.
They have done a great job of keeping these ruins in good shape despite how many travelers come through.
See, the herd does thin out a bit. After a while it isn't hard to get pics with no people in them.
It looks like you are on top of the world but you are actually a few thousand feet lower than Cusco
If you zoom in you can see another set of ruins over there. I THINK you can see those if you do the Inca trail hike.
This is from that famous spot. The only place that is really crowded for photos
A view of the road and the journey to get down