Getting to Machu Picchu

Basic facts about Machu Picchu

Let's start this guide of Machu Picchu with its location and weather. The Inca citadel is located 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cusco city. It is on top of a mountain at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above sea level and on its foothills is the town of Aguas Calientes (a.k.a. Machu Picchu town). The weather is humid and temperatures are mild ranging from 8ºC (48ºF) at night to 30ºC (86ºF) on sunny days. It rains from November to April, February being the worst.

How to get to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu cannot be reached by plane (the closest airport is in Cusco) and there is no road connecting Cusco and the inca city. The most common way of getting to Machu Picchu is by train. There are trains from dawn till dusk to Machu Picchu. Another option is to take a bus from Cusco to Santa Teresa and then a train. The later is a rougher journey that takes more time but it is cheaper. Finally, the last alternative to reach Machu Picchu is hiking the Inca Trails or its alternative, the Salkantay Trek.

Hiking to Machu Picchu

As mentioned before if you prefer your feet than the train or bus, then you have the option to hike the famous Inca Trail which is a 4 days hike with 3 nights camping, or its shorter version of 1 day and no camping. Nonetheless, due to its popularity and restrictions on the number of hikers imposed by the authorities, you have to book it 3 or 4 months in advance. For the travellers late with their bookings there is an alternative trek that follows a different path which is known as Salkantay trek. There are no restrictions for this hike up to now, but the authorities want to impose also limits and an entrance fee of course.

Trains to Machu Picchu

There are three train companies getting tourists to Machu Picchu: Peru Rail, Inca Rail and Machu Picchu Trains (a.k.a. Andean Railways). Peru Rail is the only one leaving from Cusco city - actually from Poroy train station which is just outside of the city. The other two leave from and return to Ollantaytambo town (midway between Cusco city and Machu Picchu). Peru Rail also offers different trains for different budgets, from its exclusive "Hiram Bigham" to its price-oriented "Backpacker" train. There are trains as early as 6 am for the travelers who visit Machu Picchu for just one day or as late as 11 pm for the ones who plan to spend the night there.

Hotels in Machu Picchu

In regard to accommodation in Machu Picchu, there are multiple options for all budgets. From the exclusive "Sanctuary Lodge" located at the entrance of the Inca ruins or the idyllic "Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel" to the camp site just outside of Machu Picchu town (a.k.a. Aguas Calientes). Most of the visitors do not stay in Machu Picchu town or Aguas Calientes for the night nevertheless, it is highly recommended because in this way the tourists can reach the Inca site as early as 6 am when it opens thus avoiding the crowds arriving later with the early trains. On the other hand, staying in Cusco or Ollantaytambo is less harmful to the environment because it reduces the human impact on the surroundings of Machu Picchu.