Full-Day Machu Picchu Tour from Cusco with Scenic Train Journey

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Enjoy a picturesque train ride through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes
• 02 Explore the most important areas of the Machu Picchu citadel with a guided tour
• 03 Travel through the high Andes past villages and corn and potato fields
• 04 Visit the beautiful Inca ruins of historic Machu Picchu

Board a train from Ollantaytambo and enjoy a picturesque journey to Aguas Calientes through the high Andes, passing villages and corn and potato fields along the Sacred Valley. Reach the historic Machu Picchu and explore the beautiful Inca ruins on a guided visit covering the most important areas of the citadel before returning to Cusco.

Following the course of the river down the Sacred Valley, arrive in Aguas Calientes and head straight up to Machu Picchu for your guided tour.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 1 Day

Tour type Shared

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Not included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Cusco, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo

Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Machu Picchu by Train via Ollantaytambo

• Get picked up early in the morning from your hotel, around 03:30 am, and travel by bus for 2 hours to the village of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley.
• There, board the train at approximately 06:10 to Aguas Calientes. The beautiful scenery throughout the journey is an experience in itself.
• Following the course of the river down the Sacred Valley, arrive in Aguas Calientes and head straight up to Machu Picchu for your guided tour. The tour lasts about 2 hours, during which you will learn about the Incas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel.
• Next, take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, where you will board the train back to Ollantaytambo, approximately 2 hours.
• Then continue by bus to Cusco, another 2 hours.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Guided tour in Machu Picchu

What's Not Included

• Transportation by bus to and from Ollantaytambo
• Transportation by Expedition Train
• Entrance to Machu Picchu
• Bus between Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes

What to bring

• Original passport
• Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
• Warm jacket
• Sun hat
• Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
• Insect repellant
• Personal medication
• Camera and film
• Water and snacks

Know before you go

• While there is currently a loosely enforced time limit for tourists over the course of two daily shifts, the new Machu Picchu rules dictate that tourists will be strictly limited to four-hour stays. Most visitors do not spend more than four hours exploring the archaeological site on average. Officials need to exercise more control over the amount of foot traffic at any given time to preserve the Inca sanctuary.
• The number of people allowed to enter the citadel per shift will be limited - 600 may enter at each hourly interval, so no more than 2,400 people will be in the ruins at a given time. Besides preventing overcrowding, officials say this will help mitigate the impact of tourists on the sacred paths and stone stairs that crisscross Machu Picchu.
• Book the entrance to Machu Picchu and the train tickets in advance, as they sell out quickly.
• You must have at least the entrance to Machu Picchu and the train tickets to book a tour in Machu Picchu with me.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Your hotel in Cusco

Tour start

Cusco, Perú

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.