This tour is firmly on my hit list for one simple reason: it’s not the traditional route. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of a scenic road trip that leads to an iconic destination, and this one has definitely nudged its way into my top-top-top travel fantasies. This is my chance to see the lesser-visited parts of the region, to truly immerse myself in the shifting topography of Peru, and to feel like a real explorer before I even get to the main event. It’s the perfect blend of adventure and accessibility, and I’m just craving that feeling of discovering a place on my own terms. I can’t wait to feel the fresh, crisp air of the Andes on my face and watch the landscape morph from mountainous to lush, tropical jungle.
This trip is a driving and walking circuit that kicks off in the city of Cusco (11,152 ft / 3,399 m) and takes you through charming towns like Ollantaytambo (9,160 ft / 2,792 m), Santa Maria (3,937 ft / 1,200 m), Santa Teresa (4,921 ft / 1,500 m), and Hidroeléctrica (6,000 ft / 1,828 m). From there, you embark on a roughly 3-hour walk along a flat, ancient trail, enveloped by vibrant vegetation and tropical landscapes, all the way to the town of Aguas Calientes (6,692 ft / 2,040 m). The next morning, you finally get to enjoy a visit to the surreal Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu.
The Machu Picchu by Car tour was created back in 1999 as a smart alternative when train services to Aguas Calientes were limited. By taking on this adventure, you’re not just seeing the sights—you’re supporting the development of the small towns you pass through along the way. Plus, you get to enjoy an impossibly beautiful landscape filled with the majestic peaks and snow-capped mountains of the Peruvian Andes.
We’ll kick things off with a pick-up from your hotel between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Our guide will give us a quick introduction and rundown of the tour before we start our drive to Hidroeléctrica at 7:00 a.m. We’ll make a short, but essential, technical stop in Ollantaytambo around 9:00 a.m. to stretch our legs before continuing the journey.
From there, we’ll start our winding ascent toward the Abra de Málaga pass, located at a staggering 14,160 ft / 4,316 m, where you’ll get to witness some of the most dramatic landscapes where mountain and jungle collide. After a quick photo stop, we’ll start our descent into the Cusco jungle, passing through different altitudinal levels that combine views of majestic snow-capped mountains and the warm, lush jungle eyebrow. The road to Santa Maria is in great condition, but that’s where the unpaved road begins, taking us to the town of Santa Teresa. We’ll finally arrive at Hidroeléctrica around 1:00 p.m., where a delicious lunch will be waiting for us before we start the trek.
After lunch, we’ll hit the trail to the train station in Hidroeléctrica and follow a picturesque path alongside the train tracks and the Urubamba River. I’m so excited to be frolicking lakeside with that jungle humidity on my skin. We’ll arrive in Aguas Calientes around 5:45 p.m., where we’ll check into our assigned hotel. You’ll have some free time to rest or visit the thermal baths in town for a relaxing soak. Around 8:00 p.m., we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner, followed by a detailed briefing with the guide about our visit to the Machu Picchu citadel the next day. We’ll spend the night at a hotel in Aguas Calientes.
You’ll have the option to hike or take a bus up to Machu Picchu. Breakfast will be served starting at 5:00 a.m. The guided tour will begin at 6:00 a.m. and will last for at least two hours. After the tour, you’ll have free time to explore the site until around 11:30 a.m., which is the recommended time to head back to the train station in Aguas Calientes to catch your return train to Hidroeléctrica at 1:30 p.m. Once we get to Hidroeléctrica, we’ll get back in our transportation and continue our journey back to Santa Teresa, where you’ll have about an hour of free time for lunch and to use the restrooms. Afterward, we’ll take the same route back to Cusco, arriving in the city center around 9:00 p.m. This is where our service ends.
A highly qualified professional with extensive experience in the art of guiding will lead your tour. They have years of dedication to nature walks, have medical certifications and an overflowing passion for leading people on unforgettable adventures.
We understand how essential a delicious hot meal is to revitalize and comfort your body after a challenging hike. Therefore, on each expedition with Ausangate Peru, you will find chefs with extensive experience in preparing meals during the hikes.
All our hiking trips offer a varied selection of delicious meals, rich in carbohydrates, proteins and essential fats. We have carefully selected foods that adapt perfectly to the natural environment.
Our experienced muleteers and their faithful horses are responsible for all our equipment and will always be available in the safe and comfortable camps, ready to receive us.
Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city located high in the Peruvian Andes. It is famous for its impressive architecture and natural beauty.
Machu Picchu is located in the Cusco region of Peru, in the Andes mountain range. It is about 80 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco.
The most common way to get to Machu Picchu is to take a train from the city of Cusco or the town of Ollantaytambo to the Aguas Calientes station, and then take a bus to the entrance of Machu Picchu.
The best time to visit Machu Picchu is during the dry season, which runs from May to October. The months of July and August are especially popular due to the pleasant weather.
It is not mandatory to have a guide to visit Machu Picchu, but it is highly recommended to hire one as they can provide valuable historical and cultural information about the site.
Most people spend at least half a day exploring Machu Picchu, but some visitors choose to stay a full day to fully enjoy the site.
Yes, you can climb Huayna Picchu mountain, which is located next to Machu Picchu, but you must obtain an additional ticket and there is a limit on visitors per day.
The cost of entry to Machu Picchu varies depending on nationality and age. Prices may change over time, so it’s important to check for updated rates before your visit.
It is advisable to purchase entrance tickets in advance, especially during peak season, as Machu Picchu has a daily visitor limit.
Yes, you can bring food and water to Machu Picchu, but you must follow the park rules and take your waste with you to keep the site clean.
Once you have chosen your travel date, the most important thing is to determine how to get there, choose a hotel and what activities to do during your stay. The options are many and we will help you make the best decision: Cuscoperu.com recommends that you wake up in Machu Picchu town and have breakfast at the hot water market and then go up to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu; There are two options to get there.
The first thing you have to do is arrive in the city of Cusco by any of the known methods (see how to get to Cusco). Once there you can choose between one of the following options:
Recommended for those who want a little more adventure, it begins at KM 82 of the railway that goes from Cusco to Machu Picchu. This tour lasts 4 days and 3 nights, during which time one will be able to explore the ancient and enigmatic stone road or Inca trail. If you want to embark on this adventure, the first thing you have to do is reserve your entry ticket, which must be done at least 5 months in advance and the best way to do it is through travel agencies, which are in charge. to carry out all the corresponding procedures so that you can better enjoy your stay. Access to the Inca Trail is done in groups of no less than 10 people and accompanied by qualified guides who will help you in any event that may arise. There is also another shorter route with a duration of 2 days and 1 night, which begins at Km 104.
Another option to get to Machu Picchu is using the railways. For which, one must first purchase the train ticket one month in advance to ensure space, you can reserve it at the San Pedro train station or at the Poroy train station itself (SEE TRAIN RATES), the train part of the Poroy station , located 20 minutes from the city of Cusco, departures are also made from the Ollantaytambo station, the trip lasts approximately 4 hours, to the town of Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu town. From Machu Picchu Pueblo or Aguas Calientes there are two ways to ascend to the citadel of Machu Picchu, the first is using the buses (see bus rate) on a 20-minute journey and the second is at a walking pace that lasts approximately 1 hour. and 30 min (No cost). You may also be interested in RATES FOR ENTRANCE TO MACHU PICCHU
Being the closest enclave to the Archaeological Park, Aguas Calientes is the place chosen to spend the night. Its hotel offer is quite wide. While there are some luxury hotels, the cheaper options are considerably inferior in terms of the infrastructure and service they offer. A good alternative is to spend the night in Ollantaytambo instead of Aguas Calientes. Many visitors arrive in Peru with the dream of going to Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu, many want to return the next day because time is short to tour the entire citadel. from Machu Picchu and it is recommended to wake up in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town) and in the morning go up to the tourist complex of Machu Picchu, there are hotels for different types of budget and cuscoperu.com recommends some. Machu Picchu has hotels of different types . categories, 1 to 5 stars, all provide quality services that will help make your stay as pleasant as possible.
When planning your trip to Machu Picchu, the first thing is to check if there is availability of entry to the citadel of Machu Picchu, the maximum number of people who can enter is 2,500 and you can purchase these tickets with your travel agency or directly at: www. .machupicchu.gob.pe
Craft market$
The craft market of Machu Picchu is one of the most important and beautiful in Peru for producing decorative, luxury and utilitarian items of very high quality . In creativity, design and presentation they have an expression of Inca, colonial and contemporary art, being surprising the exhibition-sale.
These are some suggestions of what you can do in Machu Picchu.
After visiting Machu Picchu, relax in the hot springs of the town of Aguas Calientes Located 800 meters from the town center. Bring your towel and bathing clothes as there are dressing rooms where you can change.
Climb Putucusi and appreciate the citadel of Machu Picchu in a different way.
Climb Huayna Picchu and live a more complete and wonderful experience. It is a climb to the mountain that accompanies Machu Picchu, although it contains important Inca constructions, its access is not easy. Access is done in two shifts from 7am to 9am and from 10am to noon. After this time no one can access this place, due to the inclement weather that produces dense fog that makes access to this place dangerous. Here one can see from platforms built on the edge of the cliff, the famous Inca chair, passages and tunnels, carved stones, vestiges of Inkarakay (a hanging fortress in the middle of the mountain) and enjoy a wonderful view that includes the citadel, the Vilcanota river , the Canyon and the Salcantay snow-capped mountain .
Visit the Manuel Chavez site museum Ballon .- This excellent museum gives an idea of the integration between nature and archeology that characterizes the sanctuary. It can be reached by following the signposted path along the paved road where the buses circulate, passing the “Puente Ruinas”, it is about a 30-minute walk from the town of “Aguas Calientes”. This museum houses objects including artifacts, construction tools, mirrors and needles. It also shows the way in which the stone quarry was worked for the construction of the citadel. It is in this place where the pieces returned by Yale University that Hiran Bingham took should be exhibited . Here one can observe an infinity of ornamental, medicinal and food plants typical of the place. We see abundant orchids that are one of the best kept treasures of the sanctuary, here there are more than 350 species among which the wakankis , the zapatito de reyna and the wiñay stand out. wayna .
5 (12 reviews)
5 (12 reviews)
5 (12 reviews)
5 (12 reviews)
5 (12 reviews)
5 (12 reviews)
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