How to Get to Machu Picchu

There's no road to Machu Picchu from the outside world. Every trip ends with a train or a walk to Aguas Calientes (officially Machu Picchu Pueblo), then a bus or a climb to the gate. Here's how the pieces fit.

Flying into Cusco

Cusco's airport has frequent flights from Lima, taking a little over an hour, plus a few from other Peruvian cities and neighbouring countries. International travellers almost always connect in Lima. Many people go straight from Cusco airport down to the Sacred Valley, which is lower and a gentler place to spend the first night.

The train

Two companies run the line along the Urubamba River: PeruRail and Inca Rail. Both offer several classes, from standard carriages to glass-roofed observation cars. The busiest boarding point is Ollantaytambo, about an hour and a half by road from Cusco, and the ride to Aguas Calientes takes around one and a half to two hours.

Services from Cusco itself are less simple. In the drier months some trains start at Poroy station, about half an hour outside the city. In the rainy season, roughly January to April, departures from Cusco usually become bus-plus-train combinations, with the change in the valley. The operators adjust these patterns every year, so read the details on your booking carefully.

Luggage allowances on board are small. Leave your big bags at your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley and travel with a day pack.

The bus up to the gate

Shuttle buses leave from the main street in Aguas Calientes and take around 25 minutes up the Hiram Bingham road, a set of tight switchbacks. Consettur has run the service for decades. In 2025 a second company won a concession and the arrangement has been disputed since, so check who is operating and where tickets are sold before you travel. Morning queues start well before dawn, so allow plenty of time before your entry slot.

Walking up

A stone staircase climbs from the Puente Ruinas bridge, just outside town, to the entrance. Expect about an hour and a half of steep steps for a fit adult, in humid air. Walking down after your visit is much easier and saves a bus ticket.

The budget route

Minivans run from Cusco to Hidroeléctrica, a hydroelectric station on the far side of the mountain, in roughly six hours of winding road. From there you walk about three hours along the railway track to Aguas Calientes. It's cheap and scenic, but long and tiring, and landslides close it in the wet season.

On foot

The classic Inca Trail takes four days and ends at the Sun Gate. The one-day version starts near the railway and passes the terraces of Wiñay Wayna. Both need permits sold through licensed operators. Our Inca Trail guide covers the options, and the tickets guide explains the entry side.