Many travelers have Peru on their list of must-see places for the sole purpose of visiting the iconic ruins at Machu Picchu. While there are plenty of other reasons to stop by the country, the site remains a draw for many visitors. Although getting to Machu Picchu from places like Cusco is not particularly cheap by local standards, it is certainly not a prohibitively expensive journey for those that can afford to fly from North America and have already paid $500 USD or more for a plane ticket. With this in mind, the list that follows explains some of the most common ways to reach the site.
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• Hiking.
While it is certainly the most readily discussed option, hiking the multiple day Inca Trail is not for those with health problems, the faint hearted, or those on a tight budget. After all, taking this option can easily cost over $800 per person and the participants will be faced with some very steep hills over the course of their journey. Despite these caveats, the aforementioned trek remains fairly popular.
Alternative hiking routes to the site do exist but using them will require some careful planning. Some of these options are cheaper and more time consuming than taking either the bus or the train. However, there is a high risk of mudslides and avalanches on certain trails during the rainy season (between April and October) so travelers will want to exercise caution or avoid them altogether at such times.
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• Going by train
The Cusco train station is actually located a short distance outside the city in the nearby village of Poroy. From there, it’s about a four hour journey to the small village of Aguas Calientes, a.k.a. Machu Picchu Pueblo, at the base of the site. Travelers should purchase tickets for the trip from Peru Rail as soon as they can, especially between the months of June and August when the region is crowded with visitors. Train passengers will also need to reconfirm their tickets prior to their journey to avoid losing their seats at the last minute.
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• Bus/Train
If the train tickets from Cusco are sold out, travelers can try taking the 2.5 hour bus ride out to Ollantaytambo and linking up with the train there. This costs about $2 USD. From the aforementioned station, travelers can make the rest of the journey to Aguas Calientes in a little over an hour.
Sources: Trip Advisor; Travel + Leisure
