
Thinking of ever going to Machu Picchu? It’s really not as
complicated as some travel guides make it seem. This is a super concise and
simple guide for people not doing the 4 day Incan trail (which is most people).
In short, know that there are many,
many different
routes to get there, so don’t feel like you need to book something 6 months to
a year in advance. We booked our tour two days before on the most standard
passage and it worked out fine. This is how we did it:
How to Get There:
Frequent flights from Lima to Cusco are readily available
for good prices. From Cusco (the capital of the Incan Empire), you have access
to all kinds of ruins in the Sacred Valley. Cusco thrives on tourism to Machu
Picchu, so expect that everyone will know how to help you once you get here. You
can plan a trip from Cusco and expect it to be way cheaper than paying in
advance on the internet. Tour companies are ubiquitous, so you can also price
check and get a better deal somewhere.
That being said, I recommend doing a two-day tour: one day
for the Sacred Valley, which has some great locations that give context to
Machu Picchu (Pisac and Ollantaytambo have impressive ruins and markets to
visit), and then the second day at Machu Picchu. If doing the Sacred Valley
tour, you get off the bus in Ollantaytambo and catch a train to Aguas
Calientes, which is the city just outside of Machu Picchu. There are no roads to get into Machu Picchu, so the train or hiking
expeditions are your only options.
If you just want to do Machu Picchu and forgo the Sacred
Valley, you can take a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes roundtrip either really
early in the morning of or the night before, just know that the train fare will
be a bit more expensive than it would be in Ollantaytambo.
Once in Aguas Calientes, you can hike a few hours or take a
bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu. The morning (5:00-6:00 AM) is better since
it is less crowded and not as hot. You can even see the sunrise.
You don’t need a guide for Machu Picchu (although I would recommend
it for reasons below). Know that there are several hikes available inside Machu
Picchu. Some you need to pay extra for and buy in advance (like Huayna Picchu,
the famous saddle-looking mountain you see in all the pictures).
When you are done and back in Aguas Calientes (again, you
can hike or take the bus back down), take the train back to either Cusco or
Ollantaytambo. If you go back to Ollantaytambo, you can catch vans back to
Cusco for a great deal (10 soles).
Recommended Agency
and Tour Guide:

After living in Cusco for a little over a month, we had a
chance to scout out a lot of different tour agencies to figure out the best way
for us to do Machu Picchu. We were most impressed with
Moroni Tours and made friends with the director,
Javier GutiƩrrez. He can reserve any kind of tour around Cusco and into Machu
Picchu, but we took him up on the two day tour of the Sacred Valley and Machu
Picchu. He offered by far the fairest prices for this tour. This tour included
hotel pick up, the English-speaking bus tour of the Sacred Valley, lunch
buffets on both days, entrance tickets to the sites, train pickup, tours of
Pisac and Ollantaytambo, an epic tour guide for Machu Picchu, as well as all
the bus and train fares for both days. He can help you get an affordable hotel
or hostel in Aguas Calientes if you are interested as well.
Whether or not you go through Moroni Tours or decide to do
it yourself, I recommend getting Patrick Mendoza Ayala as a guide for Machu
Picchu. He was by far the most fun, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable guide I saw
on the mountain that day. His English is great, and he is a researcher putting
together his own book of Machu Picchu. His personal connection to the place
makes the tour special and unique, and I just didn’t see that kind of excitement
from the other guides. You can, however, reserve a guide last minute at the entrance
of the ruins if you decide you want one last minute. There are many waiting
outside.
Note: because Machu Picchu is so important to Peru and its
economy, there isn’t really a “cheap” way to do it. Doing it on your own will
save a few bucks, but if you are forking out a few hundred to get there, I
think it is worth it to pay a little more to at least know what you are looking
at.
Tour Contact Info:
Director: Javier GutiƩrrez Phone:
(51-84) 984 695531
Address: Av. El Sol Comercial Sol Plaza, 3rd Piso #315
Machu Picchu Guide:
Guide: Patrick Mendoza Ayala Phone
969 542118
Going Without a Tour:
I am the kind of person who passes up official tour guides
when possible to save a few bucks, but I would not recommend it in this case. That
being said, it is possible to skip a tour agency and tour guides (or to get
partial packages) and still have a great experience at Machu Picchu. Here is
how you could do it:
Book your own train fare on
Peru Rail, either roundtrip from Cusco or
from Ollantaytambo. You can easily catch a bus to Ollantaytambo and back, so if
you are looking to save money, go that route. If it makes you feel more
comfortable, you can reserve them in advance, but you can also catch them when
you get there for a cheap price.
Once you get to Aguas Calientes, you can hike or take the
bus up to Machu Picchu. Warning: you need your entrance ticket before you get
up to Machu Picchu, so get it in Aguas Calientes or Cusco.
A Few Last Important
Tips:
Spend at least a few days in Cusco to acclimate to the high
altitude (Cusco is actually higher in elevation than Machu Picchu). See if you
get altitude sickness. If you didn’t bring medication with you, try coca tea,
which is used as a natural remedy. There is plenty to see in Cusco, so feel
free to take it slow.
Bring a lot of water and snacks before getting to Aguas
Calientes, where food and drink prices are higher. Prices are even worse at
Machu Picchu, so be prepared.
Get to Machu Picchu early (6:00 or earlier) for the sunrise
and to beat the crowds. Buses run this early, and you can hike any time—even before
the buses leave.
Go just outside of high season (April-September) so you beat
the crowds but don’t get stuck in rainy, foggy weather when you can’t see the
mountain properly. Early October was perfect for us.
Don’t forget to charge your camera batteries. Bring a camera
with a wide angle lens if possible—you’ll use it.
Get plenty of sleep the night before so you have energy to
do the climbs once you get there
Try out the hot springs in Aguas Calientes if you have extra
time. It was one of the only affordable things to do there.
Take at least one of the train rides during the day when you
can see the gorgeous Andean scenery. It was one of my favorite parts of the
trip.
Bring sunscreen. It is surprisingly hot and bright,
especially if you have been used to Cusco weather.
Take a small notebook to write down information and facts
you learn from the tour—there is so much you don’t want to miss.
Remember that you can buy and reserve everything for this
trip on the fly and save big bucks once you get here