Day Trip to Machu Picchu from Cusco (By Train)

Day 1: Cusco – Machu Picchu – Cusco

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco between 03:40 and 04:00 in the morning and head to the Ollantaytambo train station, the departure point for Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly Aguas Calientes).

The train journey ahead is a very special route, as it travels through one of the most spectacular railways in the world. You will cross unforgettable landscapes, which you will be able to admire better thanks to the train’s glass ceiling. After an hour and a half, you will arrive in Machu Picchu Pueblo.

Once in Machu Picchu Pueblo, our guide will meet you and assist with your bus transfer to the entrance of the Machu Picchu citadel.

In Machu Picchu, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of approximately two and a half hours, visiting the Guardian’s House, the Temple of the Sun, the Three Windows, the Intihuatana, the Acllahuasi, the Temple of the Condor, and the water fountains. After the tour, you will have the option to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if you’ve booked in advance. Then, we’ll take the bus back to Machu Picchu Pueblo.

Before returning by train to Ollantaytambo, you will have five hours of free time to eat and explore Machu Picchu Pueblo. At the agreed time, we’ll meet at the train station and start the journey back to Ollantaytambo. There, our representative will meet you and organize your bus transfer back to Cusco.

At the end of the tour, the bus will drop you off three blocks from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.

Included

• Pick-up from your hotel: Hotel pick-ups start from 3:30 AM. Pick-up times can be arranged.
• Transportation from Cusco City to the Ollantaytambo train station, and vice versa on the return trip.
• Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo, round-trip (Expedition or The Voyager, subject to availability) (You can upgrade your train experience to the Vistadome or 360 train by adding $60.00 USD per trip).
• Professional and experienced guide, licensed in Tourism (Spanish, English, or Portuguese).
• Bus service from Machu Picchu Pueblo to Machu Picchu (round-trip).
• Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu (circuit 2 or 3, subject to availability).

It is recommended that travelers book at least 3 months in advance to enjoy the Machu Picchu route 2, which allows for 2.5 hours of exploration, a visit to the agricultural sector (where you can take some of the best photos), and a chance to take the classic postcard photo from the Guardian’s House. Booking in advance also helps secure a train ticket with a better schedule and view.

No Included

• Access to Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu Mountain (additional $60.00 USD, subject to space availability). If you would like a guide to accompany you to Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu Mountain, you must add $60.00 USD for each group of 1 to 10 people who wish to climb the mountain).
• Vistadome train upgrade ($60.00 USD per trip).
• Breakfast, lunch, or drinks (After visiting Machu Picchu, you can choose to have lunch in Machu Picchu Pueblo.)
• Snacks
• Tips (optional)

We Recommend You Bring

• Passport, ID card, or DNI (for Peruvians).

It is necessary to bring identification documents to enter Machu Picchu.

• Train ticket, entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
• Sunglasses, sunscreen
• 1 personal backpack
• Cash for personal expenses
• Appropriate clothing: If it’s cold and windy, we recommend bringing a jacket, long-sleeve shirt, and long pants.
• Insect repellent
• Good walking shoes
• 1 water bottle
• Soles (cash)

Cultural Facts

• Machu Picchu is one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a Historical Sanctuary of Peru, and probably the most important archaeological site in Latin America.
• Its majestic and ingenious architecture includes 140 structures throughout the citadel.
• Machu Picchu was built by the Inca Pachacútec and his people around the year 1460.
• After being forgotten for many years, in 1911, American Hiram Bingham reached Machu Picchu on an expedition and brought the site to worldwide attention.
• The most important structures in Machu Picchu are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Three Windows.
• In 1913, Machu Picchu gained global attention when the National Geographic Society dedicated the entire April issue to the newly discovered city.