Finally Machu Picchu –
Having a steady reputation as one of seven world wonders since 1983 making Machu Picchu an attractive travel destination. However, going to Machu Picchu requires planning and preparation. Of course you can just do Machu Picchu the easy way and book a tour that will take care of everything for unlocking one of the seven world wonders trips. But, it will most probably be very costly in comparison if you manage it by yourself.
So, when should you go to Machu Picchu? How much do you actually need to go to Machu Picchu? Below I will break down the details for you. How to go to Machu Picchu?
First thing first, you need to go to Aguas Calientes in order to go to Machu Picchu. And the most common way is to go from Cusco.
SEASONS FOR MACHU PICCHU
Basically, there are two main seasons for Machu Picchu, which are the high season and low season. High season includes the months June until October. It means you will have the driest weather, which is perfect to visit Machu Picchu. Where else the low season is from November until October with the highest amount of rain.
MACHU PICCHU BUDGET VARIETIES
ON BUDGET
This is the cheapest way to reach Machu Picchu. But it needs the biggest effort as well as you need to spend more time on the way and walk a lot.
First, you need to take a bus from Cusco to Hydroelectrica (water energy based power station). We booked ours from here for 14 USD per person. Your ride would take around 5 hours with two breaks in the middle. Here you can have a toilet break & eat as well. But, imho just bring your own food since the food sold at the breaking spot is more expensive.
After that, you will need to hike about 10 km to Aguas Calientes. It took me around 3 hours to reach the town with three small breaks in between.
COMBINATION
This is an option of middle budget spending where you will take a bus from Cusco to Ollaintaytambo, then take a train from there until Aguas Calientes. Your options will be either Inca Rail or Peru Rail to book this ride. In total, it will be at least 59 USD for one way per person the last time I checked.
FULL TRAIN
If you have the budget and want to skip all the hassle, you can def. take the train ride. The trains that go to Aguas Calientes are designed with big windows and glass rooftops for viewing along the ride. On average it would cost you at least 100 USD per person for a one way trip.
What did we choose?
We chose to take the bus from Cusco to Hydroelectrica and hike to Aguas Calientes. We took the combination pack to go back.
How was the trip to Aguas Calientes?
Well, it rained during our bus ride. But, when we needed to hike, it was only drizzling and eventually it was dry and sunny. We got totally lucky if you asked me, since it was supposed to be a rainy season anyway. Therefore, you need to bring rainproof clothing if you want to visit Machu Picchu in the low season.
After reaching Aguas Calientes, it is definitely not over yet. Since, you need to go to Machu Picchu from this town, which will probably be the next day after your arrival day.
How did you go to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes?
We took the roundtrip Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes buses. The round trip ticket was 24 USD per person and could be bought separately. We bought the ticket at the official office in Cusco.
But, you can also walk up to and down from Machu Picchu if you are sporty enough, since it won’t be an easy hike at all. Our sporty friend hiked down from Machu Picchu back from Aguas Calientesafter hiking from Hydroelectrica to Aguas Calientes the day before and he said it was challenging!
When and where did you buy your Machu Picchu tickets?
We bought them from the official website of Peru’s government here. I recommend you to do this, especially during the high season since the tickets are limited. But, during the low season you can buy them directly at Aguas Calientes. We chose to buy online since we could skip the hassle in Aguas Calientes.
Website to buy your tickets
Which ticket should you choose and how much does it cost?
It depends on your goal. If you want a classic Machu Picchu picture, you should go for Circuit 1, which covers the panoramic scene of Machu Picchu. If you want to explore more of the ruins, you should take Circuit 2 or 3. The ticket to go to Machu Picchu for any circuit is the same and around 40 USD per person. Despite the circuit, you also need to choose your time slot.
How was your Machu Picchu trip?
We took Circuit 1 and it was the least popular one. Honestly, it was not so bad since you could explore the area in peace, but this circuit was the shortest. With circuit 2 and 3, you would have longer trails. But the downside would be the amount of crowd. And regarding the weather, we were also lucky and got no rain at all.
What do you need to know for your Machu Picchu Trip?
Umbrellas are forbidden, so bring sun hats or ponchos (depending on which season) for your trip.
Machu Picchu is located in the high altitude, so you might want to bring some medication for high altitude sickness. The common one here in Peru is Sorojchi Pills. You can buy it per tablet for 5 SOL or ca. 1.25 USD at the nearby apothic.
Theretosay, plan your time slot visiting wisely. Going between 14:00-16:00 might be the best time to avoid the clouds covering Machu Picchu and the sun.
There is no toilet up there on the visiting site, so go to the toilet first for a comfortable visit.
PS – This is not legal advice and based on the author’s personal experience. All prices are based on January 2025 and all links do not contain any advertisement.
@globustrotterin 
Leave a comment