Machu Picchu Tourist Information- a guide to Machu Picchu - "the lost city of the Incas", Peru

13 Mar 12

Miguel Hernandez

machu picchu guide

Optional: Staying an Extra night

If you want longer at the ruins or want to see them at sunrise when the light is more gentle and there are fewer visitors then you'll have to stay the night. You can stay at the super expensive US$900 a night Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, which is the only hotel adjacent to Machu Picchu ruins, or you can spend the night in one of the many hotels in Aguas Calientes.

There's not a great deal to do in Aguas Calientes - it doesn't rate as a particularly pretty town being built mostly of concrete, much of which looks half finished, but I think visitors will agree that it does have its own individual charm and character. There's a feel of a frontier town about it, with the railway forming the high street and the steamy jungle-clad mountains closing in on all sides.

There are plenty of restaurants and hotels in the town and its main attraction are the thermal springs which gives Aguas (waters) Calientes (hot) its name. The outdoor springs are situated 15 minutes walk up from the town centre. They are fairly basic, with facilities to change and shower, and are used by the locals as much as the tourists, but it's a great place to relax, buy a beer, and enjoy the views.
Taking the easy option - buying a tour

There are hundreds of tour companies in Cusco and Lima queuing up to sell you a space on their tours to Machu Picchu, as well as specialist (and not so specialist) international tour operators. Most local operators offer a simple one day excursion from Cusco to Machu Picchu including all transport and a professional guide (check to see if the guide speaks good English). It is also worth checking to see what is the maximum number of people in the group. A group of up to 16 persons is easily manageable for a tour guide but more than 20 becomes difficult. I've seen plenty of guides in Machu Picchu with groups as big as 40 people trailing after them so make sure the maximum group size is put in writing when you sign up. Also make sure that everything included in the price is clearly listed. Consider items such as the transfer from you hotel, train tickets to Aguas Calientes (service and departure times), bus tickets between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu entrance fees, guide (is the tour in English only), any meals etc. You'll usually have about 4 hours at the ruins themselves

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09 Mar 12

Ana Rios-Murphy

24 Aug 11

gloria brushwyler

macchupicchu

06 Mar 11

Aidan Corcoran

peru

How to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco
Tickets to enter Machu Picchu can no longer be bought at the entrance to Machu Picchu itself. You now have to buy the entrance tickets at the Machu Picchu Cultural Centre in Aguas Calientes (10m from the main Plaza, opens at 5:15am). The entrance fee in 2010 is 126 Peruvian Soles (which is approximately US$45)
It is also worth checking to see what is the maximum number of people in the group
Consider items such as the transfer from you hotel, train tickets to Aguas Calientes (service and departure times), bus tickets between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu entrance fees, guide (is the tour in English only), any meals etc. You'll usually have about 4 hours at the ruins themselves

2 more annotations...

06 Feb 11

Sandra Rivera

cusco

Why do so many people want to get to Machu Picchu by 6am in the morning? Climbing Huayna Picchu.

A few years ago you could wake up in Aguas Calientes, have breakfast and stroll down to where the buses depart, buy your ticket, have another coffee and easily get on the first bus at 6:30am arriving at Machu Picchu for just before 7am. You'd be one of the first people there. The next bus wouldn't arrive for another 20 minutes. Although officially sun rise at Machu Picchu is at about 5:30am the sun doesn't actually start to break out from behind the mountains until about 7:20am (give or take 10 minutes due to variations throughout the year). So arriving at Machu Picchu for about 7am in the morning is ideal as it takes about 10 minutes to walk up to the Watchman's Hut which offers the best views over Machu Picchu.

As from May 2007 the government has put a limit of 400 on the number of people who can climb Huayna Picchu, the mountain that you see rising up behind Machu Picchu. This means that during the peak season if you really want to be among the lucky (or mad!) 400 you really have to make the effort to get up early. As soon as you enter Machu Picchu its recommended that you make your way over to the base of Huayna Picchu where you'll find a small hut handing out the tickets to climb. The tickets are free. The first 200 people can climb Huayna Picchu straight away, however they all have to be back down by 10am when the 2nd group of 200 can make the climb. It takes about an hour to reach the top climbing slowly - not recommended for sufferers of vertigo. The narrow trail can be quite dangerous at times after wet weather. Unfortunately if you are arriving by the Inca Trail or by train the same day then it is becoming increasingly difficult (in fact almost impossible in the peak months) to climb Huayna Picchu the same day. You'll just have to spend the night in Aguas Calientes and return early the following morning.

STEP 03: Entrance to Machu Picchu

IMPORTANT NOTE: Tickets to enter Machu Picchu can no longer be bought at the entrance to Machu Picchu itself. You now have to buy the entrance tickets at the Machu Picchu Cultural Centre in Aguas Calientes (10m from the main Plaza, opens at 5:15am). The entrance fee in 2010 is 126 Peruvian Soles (which is approximately US$45). There is a 50% discount for students with a valid ISIC card. The people who work in the Cultural Centre can be a complete pain in the ****. They only accept payment in Peruvian Soles and rarely have any change so make sure that you take the exact amount. If you don't they'll just tell you to come back when you have the correct change - which can be difficult at 5:15am !! If you can, best to buy the entrance tickets the day before. Alternatively you can buy the tickets in Cusco at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) offices which can be found at Calle San Bernado a few blocks from the main Plaza de Armas). The tickets are valid for 3 days from the day of purchase which means you have time to travel to Aguas Calientes, stay the night and enter Machu Picchu the following morning. However once you enter Machu Picchu they are only valid for that day. If you want to return to Machu Picchu the following day then you have to buy another ticket!!

17 Dec 10

Alison Slack

Travel

25 Jan 10

Julie Rutledge

Travel info for arriving and departing.

travel guide South America peru MachuPicchu incas

The bus from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu takes about 20 minutes and costs US$7 each way (US$14 return).
you can see splashes of pink and orange flowers growing on the slopes - these are actually the orchid Wiñay Wayna which can be commonly seen throughout the region.
if you really want to get to Machu Picchu early I would recommend arriving by about 5:00am since during the peak season there can be quite a queue by 5:15am!! It speeds things up if you buy your bus ticket in advance, either from the ticket office in Aguas Calientes the night before
The last buses depart Machu Picchu at about 5:30pm, be sure to check the time of the last bus as it can be a long walk back to Aguas Calientes if you miss it (well about 1 hour if you follow the more direct route rather than follow the road)
Why do so many people want to get to Machu Picchu by 6am in the morning? Climbing Huayna Picchu.
As from May 2007 the government has put a limit of 400 on the number of people who can climb Huayna Picchu, the mountain that you see rising up behind Machu Picchu.
As soon as you enter Machu Picchu its recommended that you make your way over to the base of Huayna Picchu where you'll find a small hut handing out the tickets to climb. The tickets are free. The first 200 people can climb Huayna Picchu straight away, however they all have to be back down by 10am
It takes about an hour to reach the top climbing slowly - not recommended for sufferers of vertigo.
Unfortunately if you are arriving by the Inca Trail or by train the same day then it is becoming increasingly difficult (in fact almost impossible in the peak months) to climb Huayna Picchu the same day. You'll just have to spend the night in Aguas Calientes and return early the following morning.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Tickets to enter Machu Picchu can no longer be bought at the entrance to Machu Picchu itself. You now have to buy the entrance tickets at the Machu Picchu Cultural Centre in Aguas Calientes (10m from the main Plaza, opens at 5:15am). The entrance fee in 2010 is 126 Peruvian Soles (which is approximately US$44).
hey only accept payment in Peruvian Soles and rarely have any change so make sure that you take the exact amount.
If you can, best to buy the entrance tickets the day before. Alternatively you can buy the tickets in Cusco at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) offices which can be found at Calle San Bernado a few blocks from the main Plaza de Armas). The tickets are valid for 3 days from the day of purchase which means you have time to travel to Aguas Calientes, stay the night and enter Machu Picchu the following morning. However once you enter Machu Picchu they are only valid for that day. If you want to return to Machu Picchu the following day then you have to buy another ticket!!
Machu Picchu opens at 6am and stays open until 6pm. You can take small bags into the ruins but anything larger must be left at the luggage store near the entrance for 4 Peruvian Soles a piece (about 1.5USD) - remember to take exact change!.