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I remember the first time I learned about Machu Picchu- I was sitting in a classroom in high school, watching as my history teacher pulled up a photo of Machu Picchu onto the screen. I knew right then I had to figure out how to get to Machu Picchu.

I was mind-blown. I could not believe that a city was built that high up in the mountains, in such an insanely gorgeous setting. I promised myself that one day I would make it to see Machu Picchu with my own eyes. 

This blog post will tell you everything you need to know on how to get to Machu Picchu yourself!

Disclaimer: This blog post features affiliate links. This means I get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you :))!

Machu Picchu Travel Guide – FAQ

Quick Facts

Language: Spanish

Currency: Soles- 1 Sole equals roughly .25 cents USD

Location: Peru, South America in the Andean Mountains

Machu Picchu Facts

Machu Picchu Elevation: 7,972′ ft

What Is Machu Picchu? An ancient Incan City high in the Andean Mountains of Peru.

How old is Machu Picchu? It is estimated that it dates back to 1420.

Is Machu Picchu Worth Visiting?

YES! 

Machu Picchu is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but it is also apart of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World and the list of 100 places you must see before dying. It is a stunning and historically rich destination and was awe-inspiring to see and experience in person.

Machu Picchu Location

Machu Picchu is located high in the Andes Mountains in Peru in the Urubamba province around 50 miles NE of the city of Cusco.

It sits high in the mountains (at 7,972’!!) between two peaks- Machu Picchu mountain and Huayna Picchu. Near Machu Picchu sits the town of Aguas Calientes where you will stay during your visit to Machu Picchu.

What Is Machu Picchu Famous For?

Machu Picchu- also known as the “Lost City Of The Incas” is an archeological site that has captured the attention of people worldwide.

It was “found” back in 1911 by an anthropologist and professor who catapulted the site into fame as he wanted to study it. The site was known by locals for hundreds of years prior but only entered the world stage in the early 1900’s. 

Machu Picchu is now the top tourist destination in Peru, drawing 1.5 million tourists from around the world every year. This ancient city sits high on a mountain top and showcases what is thought of as the “most spectacular urban creation of the Incan Empire” (machupicchu.org )

The city is thought to have been a center of worship, place for astronomy observation and a living space for the royal family of the Incans. “The site is made up of precincts, plazas, temples, tombs, stone canals and stairways”(machupicchu.org) 

The city now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as one of the 7 Wonders of The New World. It is truly one of the most magnificent displays of the ancient world and is a stunning achievement of architecture. 

READ MORE: Check Out these 15 Unique Things To Do In Cusco, Peru

Check Out My Peru Wall Art!

When Is The Best Time To Visit Machu Picchu?

June- Mid September

Machu Picchu Weather

There are essentially two seasons in the Andes of Peru- rainy season and dry season.  

Dry season lasts from April to October and is the best time of year to visit this region of Peru. June through mid-September tends to be the warmest and best for the treks in the region. 

I visited Machu Picchu in mid June and we got lovely weather.

Rainy Season lasts from November to April and brings with it more rain and extreme weather. While the weather isn’t constantly rainy like it may sound- it does shift quite a lot and can vary hugely in a given week. This can make treks a bit more difficult if you are looking to do that.

Check Out My Entire 3 Weeks In Peru Itinerary!

How Many Days Do You Need To Visit Machu Picchu?

I would recommend 2 days and 1 night.

Plan on exploring Machu Picchu either in the morning the day after you arrive or the evening you arrive.  

We stayed in Aguas Calientes for one night- arriving in the morning, visiting Machu Picchu that evening for sunset and then visited again in the morning and spent that time wandering through the ancient city.

We left Aguas Calientes later that afternoon. I personally enjoyed visiting in the morning more as we had more time to stroll through the ruins. 

READ MORE: Stardome- A Geodesic Dome In Peru’s Sacred Valley

How To Get To Machu Picchu

To begin your journey to Machu Picchu you will first need to make your way to Cusco, Peru. There are many international flights into Cusco every day so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the right one for you!

How To Get To Machu Picchu From Cusco?

You will begin your journey to Machu Picchu in the city of Cusco. 

From Cusco it is around a 5 hour journey by bus and train to get to your destination of Aguas Calientes ( the town you stay in while visiting Machu Picchu)

You can either take a train or bus from Cusco to the city of Ollantaytambo and then you will get on your final train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes! 

Aguas Calientes To Machu Picchu

Once you arrive in Aguas Calientes you have one more journey on a bus up to the entrance to Machu Picchu! OR if you are feeling antsy, hike up to Machu Picchu! 

The bus takes 30 mins to reach the top and costs $24 USD round trip. You can, and should buy tickets in person or online here before! Remember to bring a passport when you are boarding the bus- they will need it to confirm your reservation.

You can buy the tickets in person here: Av. Hermanos Ayar S/N, before the Puente Ruinas

READ MORE: Cusco Peru Travel Guide

Machu Picchu Train

There are two main train companies you can book with that will take you from Cusco to Aguas Calientes- Peru Rail and Inca Rail. 

We opted to go with Peru Rail and were quite happy with our decision. The trains were beautiful and they had a fun show for us during the ride

We chose a train called the “Vistadome” which gave us panoramic views through large windows so we could see the stunning views of the valley as we journeyed our way up. 

For this option we paid $77 one way for a train and bus from Cusco to Agua Calientes.

I would recommend booking at least a month in advance as train tickets do seem to sell out quite quickly- especially in the dry season! 

Quick Pro Tip!

 The trains to Machu Picchu only allow you to bring a small bag of around 10lbs so you will want to make sure you have a backpack or smaller bag handy to repack your clothes into.

You can leave the rest of your luggage at your hotel in Cusco where they will store it for you or they have luggage storage at the train station in Ollantaytambo.

Machu Picchu Tickets

To get into Machu Picchu you will need to purchase entrance tickets. There are five different types of tickets you can purchase- which I will explain below. 

The main thing you need to know is that you are essentially purchasing an entrance time slot.

You can pick between 9 different time slots throughout the day- starting at 6am and ending at 3pm. After you enter the park you have 4-7 hours (depending on your ticket) to explore the different areas. 

Different Ticket Types: 

1. Machu Picchu Inca City 
2. Machu Picchu Inca City + Huayna Picchu Mountain
3. Machu Picchu Inca City + Machu Picchu Mountain 
4. Machu Picchu Inca City + Huchuy Picchu
5. Machu Picchu Inca City + Inca Bridge Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu Ticket Prices:

When I was there in 2022 a basic ticket to just the Machu Picchu city was $40 per person and a ticket to Machu Picchu city + Machu Picchu Mountain Hike was $56. 

Purchase Machu Picchu Tickets Online Here.

READ MORE: Explore Peru’s Secret Desert Oasis: Huacachina Peru

 Machu Picchu Hikes

If you decide to purchase one of the tickets with access to one of the hikes you are in for a treat! 

There are 4 hikes to choose from, three hikes access summits of the mountains surrounding Machu Picchu and one accesses a little known Inca bridge. 

Huayna Picchu Hike

This is probably the most popular of the hikes. Huayna Picchu is the mountain right behind the Incan city of Machu Picchu, it is the one you see in all of the pictures of Machu Picchu! This is considered one of the most amazing walks in the world and takes you up to the summit. For this ticket you get 6 hours to enjoy Machu Picchu.

Huayna Picchu Length

The hike gains around 1,000 ft in just under 1.55 miles one way or 3.1 miles round trip. It generally takes around an hour to complete and is quite steep and narrow. It follows an ancient incan trail up. 

Machu Picchu Mountain

If Huayna Picchu is sold out you can take a look at doing Machu Picchu mountain! This mountain is in front of the city of Machu Picchu and overlooks the city and Huayna Picchu Mountain. It is has stunning views of the classic image everyone loves to take! For this ticket you get 7 hours to enjoy Machu Picchu. 

Machu Picchu Mountain Length

Machu Picchu Mountain is a longer and higher climb than Huayna Picchu mountain with an elevation gain of 2,139 feet and a length of 2.42 miles one way or 4.84 miles round trip. This hike is a bit more leisurely than Huayna Picchu as the trail is wider, and longer! 

Many people leave an hour and a half to get up to the summit and an hour to get down. 

Huchuy Picchu Mountain

This is the most recent trail to open in Machu Picchu- it opened in 2021! This is also the shortest and easiest hike in Machu Picchu. The elevation gain is only 180 ft and the length is 1.2 miles round trip. This trail follows steep steps up to a beautiful lookout. For this ticket you get 6 hours to stay and enjoy Machu Picchu. 

Inca Bridge Hike

To see the Inca Bridge you will take a hiking trail 1.2 miles round-trip. This is a short but beautiful hike to a lesser known spot at Machu Picchu. 

MUST READ: Layering for Hiking

Machu Picchu Treks

Inca Trail

This is the classic trek to Machu Picchu.

It takes 4 days and 3 nights of trekking to go from 40 mins outside of Ollantaytmbo in a lush valley to Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate.

If you don’t want to do the entire Inca Trail there are tours that will take you on a smaller section of the trail so you can do it in a shorter amount of time. 

Salkantay Trek

An alternative to the Inca trail is the Salkantay trail.

On this trek you start near Humantay Lake and hike through the Andean mountains and into the jungle, arriving at Machu Picchu on the fourth day. You can check out Salkantay Tours if you want to learn more about this trek! 

READ MORE: Check out the 5 Day Ausangate Trek we did while in Cusco!

Machu Picchu Tours

There are tons of tour companies out there who will set up your entire trip to Machu Picchu!

You can pick from a range of options out there but I really trust and love Salkantay Trekking– whom we went with when we did the Ausangate Trek!

Do I Need A Guide To Visit Machu Picchu?

While a tour may be nice if you don’t want to have to deal with all of the details of visiting Machu Picchu, if you are not much of a tour person (this is me lol) then you are more than welcome to visit Machu Picchu without a guide! 

The only thing I missed out on a bit with not having a guide was hearing more about the history through a locals eyes.

I do think if you are a history buff it is worth having a guide but for someone who is more interested in taking images and exploring on their own then a guide may not be necessary.

READ MORE: Humantay Lake Day Trip

Machu Picchu Packing List

Since Machu Picchu is so high up in the Andes mountains weather can change here quite quickly. As a general rule I would suggest bringing a variety of layers! Below I have included some must-haves you may not initially think about when packing for Machu Picchu.

• Good Walking shoes
• A Hat or Sunglasses
• Camera 
• Bug spray 
• Sunscreen
• Passport
• Money 
• Water bottle
• Swim suit if you want to use the hot springs
• A rain jacket

Things To Do In Aguas Calientes

• Explore The Market
• Go Crystal Shopping
• Soak In The Hot Springs

MUST READ:15 Unique Things To Do In Cusco Peru

Conclusion

 Seeing Machu Picchu with my own eyes was a bucket list moment for me. There really is nothing as surreal as wandering through the ancient Incan city and marvelling at the surrounding mountains.

I hope this guide helped you understand all the ways to get to Machu Picchu!

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