ANDENES DEL INCA HOTEL ITS THE #1 HOTEL IN OLLANTAYTAMBO WITH DRY SAUNA, SPA, HEATED JACUZZI POOL AND RESTAURANT, ALSO OFFERS GREAT TOUR TO MACHU PICCHU AND AROUND.
Information about Machu Picchu (Most Updated):
What the Overseas agencies DON’T tell you! We have the most detailed guide ever written with tours, trekking, and train options explained in full! Machu Picchu has been voted one of the new 7 Wonders of the World and is a must-visit for all travelers in South America! These majestic ruins were built by the Inca Empire and are located in the scenic Andean mountain range, surrounded by beautiful cloud forests and mountain scenery. Machu Picchu is ONLY accessible from Cusco City, which you can reach by bus or air travel. Traveling by Bus to Cusco: Peru Hop, Cruz del Sur, Oltursa, Tepsa are the best option, they have buses in all directions to and from Cusco allowing you to Discover the Real Peru along the way. Traveling by Air to Cusco: Latam Airlines, Viva Air, Avianca are the best option. Make the most of any stopover in Lima with a day trip from Lima to discover some hidden gems of Peru.
QUICK TIP
Machu Picchu Travel guide makes it easy to add a Machu Pichu trip to any pass that stops in Cusco.
Machu Picchu is the site of an ancient Inca city, high in the Andes of Peru. Located at 2430m, the site is often referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas”. It’s one of the most famous and spectacular sets of ruins in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, Machu Picchu receives over one million visitors per year and is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World since 2007.
WHERE IS MACHU PICCHU LOCATED?
Cusco is the main access point for Machu Picchu. From Cusco, you need to reach Aguas Calientes and its can be reached ONLY via train, trek, or else a combination of bus and walking. Once you get to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu lies at the top of the mountain above the small town called Aguas Calientes.
Getting from Cusco to Aguas Calientes
There are 3 options for you to choose from
Getting From Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
Note:
If you book a tour to Machu Picchu (via a trek or train), most companies will have a local guide assisting you with getting from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and then up to Machu Picchu.
IMPORTANT:
To access Machu Picchu, you MUST have an entrance ticket purchased in advance…they are NOT sold at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Tickets are usually included as part of any tour or trek to Machu Picchu. Tickets are limited, so it is recommended to book a tour or trek at least a week in advance.
It is NOT recommended to buy your own ticket and make your own way to Machu Picchu, as it will end up probably costing more money and being a lot of hassle. You cannot enter Machu Picchu without hiring a local guide, and figuring out the transport can be a pain. For this reason we recommend a tour or trek a reliable tour operator.
Be careful with the company you choose for a tour or trek. There have been hundreds of tourists scammed in the past. Usually if a price seems too cheap to be true, it usually is.
We recommend the following formal companies who have years of experience and good feedback from our 250,000 customers:
Visit our guide to Tour Operator for more information about how to choose the right Operator for Machu Picchu.
COMPARE TREKKING OPTIONS
Multi-Day Treks
The Classic Inca Trail
Check tour operators, compare prices and book your trek here!
The Inka Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu
Check out tour operators, compare prices and book the trek here!
The Salkantay Trek
Check out tour operators, compare prices and book the trek here!
The Lares Trek
Check out tour operators, compare prices and book the trek here!
Day Hikes Inside Machu Picchu
Once inside the citadel, you have the option to climb either Huayna Picchu (the famous peak seen in pictures of the citadel) or Machu Picchu Mountain. The hike to the Sun Gate & Inca bridge are always available but these hikes mast be done before the guiding tour of the Citadel, all this because its only ONE-way tour and there will not be any opportunity to get back to the Sun Gate and Inca Bridge (No tickets need it)
Huayna Picchu
Machu Picchu Mountain (Montaña Machu Picchu)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Huayna Picchu Mt and Machu Picchu mt need to be booked in advance, both are subject to availability. Find the detailed information here!
GETTING TO MACHU PICCHU BY BUS
2 Day Bus/Walk
MACHU PICCHU FACTS
WHAT TO BRING TO MACHU PICCHU?
WHAT NOT TO BRING TO MACHU PICCHU?
MACHU PICCHU SAFETY TIPS
Frequently Asked Questions
Machu Picchu is located 80 km from the City of Cusco, Peru in South America. The nearest town is Aguas Calientes which you can get to by train or by walking.
It’s the most impressive archaeological Inca ruin in South America, named a World Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO in 1983, and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the World. Machu Picchu is a city of stone, built in the middle of the Cordillera de Vilcabamba, without the use or help of wheels or iron tools. Most of the citadel’s structures remain intact today, which is why many consider it the perfect example of the Incas’ brilliant engineering.
You can get to Machu Picchu by bus, train or walking. Traveling from Lima to Cusco by bus is the best way to discover Peru and avoid altitude sickness.
Once in Cusco, you would have to make your way by train or bus to Aguas Calientes Town, where you finally can take a public bus to the Citadel.
You can also make your way on the Classic Inca Trail trek, the Inca Jungle Trek or other famous treks.
Machu Picchu is 2,430 meters (7,970 ft) above sea level. Cusco, on the other hand, has an elevation of 3,400 meters. If you are coming from Lima we recommended making your way with Peru Hop buses to progressively acclimatize to the height.
You should buy your Machu Picchu Tickets at least 6 months before your trip. Tickets are sold on the official government website, can be paid with credit or debit cards and are NOT sold at the entrance gate.
Consider visiting Machu Picchu from April through May and from September through October. The high-tourist season months are June, July and August when it doesn’t rain.
Machu Picchu wasn’t exactly ‘discovered’ because local people have always known about its existence. In 1911, the American explorer Hiram Bingham made public his findings and -wrongly- called it ‘The Lost City of the Incas’.
Nine years before Bingham had arrived, the Peruvian Agustin Lizárraga had found the ruins and left his signature on one of the walls of the Three Windows Temple in the Citadel.
