1 Day
Machu Picchu
Cusco to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu by Train 1 Day
A scenic rail journey along the Urubamba River and a guided visit to the Inca citadel.
Price
On request
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu Tours from Cusco
Every way we can take you to Machu Picchu from Cusco: a full day by train, two days with a night in Aguas Calientes, a combination with the Sacred Valley, or on foot along the Inca Trail.
Visiting Machu Picchu
How to Visit Machu Picchu With DSL Adventures
Machu Picchu sits on a ridge above the Urubamba River, where the high Andes begin to drop toward the Amazon basin. Aguas Calientes, the town below it, has no road connection to Cusco: most visitors arrive on the train that follows the river, and hikers arrive on foot. From town, buses climb the switchbacks to the entrance.
That geography shapes every trip. The real question isn’t whether you can reach Machu Picchu from Cusco; it’s how much time you want to give it. We plan three train-based tours, from a single full day to two days with a night in Aguas Calientes, plus a version that spends the first day in the Sacred Valley. If you’d rather walk in, the Inca Trail and several treks end at the same place.
Whichever you choose, you visit the citadel with a local guide on a timed ticket, and we organize the tickets, trains and transfers around your dates.
- Altitude
- About 2,430 m / 7,970 ftRoughly 1,000 m lower than Cusco
- Getting there
- Train to Aguas CalientesThen the bus up, or arrive on foot
- Entry
- Timed ticketSet date, time and circuit
- Season
- Year-roundDriest April to October
Our Machu Picchu tours
Choose How You Visit
Three ways to visit by train from Cusco. All include a guided visit of the citadel; what changes is the pace and what comes before it.
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2 Days Machu PicchuCusco to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu 2 Days
Two days instead of one: the train to Aguas Calientes, a night at the foot of the mountain and an early, unhurried visit to Machu Picchu.
Price On request
2 Days Machu PicchuSacred Valley to Machu Picchu
Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu 2 Days
A day among the villages and Inca sites of the Sacred Valley, the evening train from Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu the next morning.
Price On request
Side by side
Machu Picchu Tours Compared
| Tour | Duration | Difficulty | How it works | Pace | May suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu by Train 1 Day | 1 Day | Easy | Road and train from Cusco, a guided visit and back the same evening | A long day with a few hours at the site | Travelers short on time who don’t mind an early start and a late return |
| Machu Picchu 2 Days | 2 Days / 1 Night | Easy | Train to Aguas Calientes, a night there and the visit next morning | Unhurried, with the chance of an earlier entry | First-time visitors, families, photographers, anyone adding a mountain climb |
| Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu 2 Days | 2 Days / 1 Night | Easy | A guided day in the Sacred Valley, the evening train from Ollantaytambo and the visit next morning | Varied and gentle, with nights lower than Cusco | Travelers early in their trip, families, anyone who wants Inca sites beyond Machu Picchu |
Not sure how many days to give Machu Picchu?
Tell us your dates and the rest of your plans. We’ll check tickets and trains and suggest the version that fits.
Planning your time
One Day or Two?
A day trip works, and it’s the right choice when your time in Cusco is tight. It is also long: most itineraries leave Cusco very early and return in the evening, with several hours of travel each way and a few hours at the site in between. Your entry time is set by the train schedule and ticket availability, not by the light or the crowds.
Two days change the experience. You arrive in Aguas Calientes in the afternoon, sleep at the foot of the mountain and ride one of the morning buses to the citadel, rested and without watching the clock for a return train. It also makes room for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, both steep climbs with their own limited tickets. If you can spare the extra day, it’s the version we suggest to most first-time visitors.
Compare the day trip by train with our 2-day tour with a night in Aguas Calientes.
Train or trek
By Train or on Foot?
The train is the easy way in: no trekking, no permit beyond your Machu Picchu ticket, and walking at the site that most people can manage. It suits almost any fitness level and most ages.
Walking in is a different kind of trip. The Inca Trail is the only route that reaches the citadel along the original Inca road and through the Sun Gate. It needs a permit issued in your name, and it comes in two versions: the Short Inca Trail, one hiking day with a night in a hotel, and the Classic Inca Trail, four days of camping.
If permits are gone or you want bigger mountain scenery, the Salkantay Trek, the Lares Trek and the Inca Jungle route also finish with a guided visit of Machu Picchu. See how they compare on our treks page.
Combine it
Adding the Sacred Valley
Most trains to Machu Picchu leave from Ollantaytambo, a town in the Sacred Valley on the way from Cusco. That makes the valley a natural first stop. On our Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour, you spend the first day visiting Inca sites and towns in the valley, board the evening train in Ollantaytambo and visit Machu Picchu the next morning, without going back to Cusco in between.
It’s also kinder on your body. The valley floor sits several hundred meters below Cusco, and Aguas Calientes is lower still, so a couple of nights down there make the first days of a trip easier. Read more about the area on our Sacred Valley page.
Getting there
What the Journey Involves
From Cusco, the usual route is a road transfer to the station, most often Ollantaytambo, then the train along the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes and a bus up to the entrance. The rail line is part of the experience: the valley narrows, the dry slopes give way to cloud forest and the river runs beside the tracks.
Door to door, plan on several hours each way. The exact times depend on the train schedule and your Machu Picchu entry time, which we set together when we book. Trains have luggage limits, so plan to leave large bags at your hotel in Cusco.
Altitude
Lower Than Cusco
Machu Picchu sits at about 2,430 m (7,970 ft) and Aguas Calientes at about 2,040 m (6,690 ft), both well below Cusco at about 3,400 m (11,150 ft). Most people breathe more easily at the site than in the city.
The altitude to plan for is Cusco itself. If you’re arriving from sea level, give yourself at least one or two easy days in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before your Machu Picchu trip, drink plenty of water and keep the first day light.
Families
Machu Picchu With Children
Machu Picchu is one of the easier big sites to visit with kids: no trekking is needed, the train ride is a highlight for most children, and the site is lower than Cusco. The two-day tour avoids one very long day, and the Sacred Valley version adds terraces, a market and an Inca town before the train.
A few things to plan for: there are many stone steps without handrails, strollers aren’t allowed inside, and food can’t be eaten at the site, so snacks happen before and after the visit. Talk with our local team about your children’s ages and we’ll suggest the tour, entry time and pace that suit your family.
Tickets
Tickets, Circuits and Site Rules
Machu Picchu is managed by Peru’s Ministry of Culture, and every visit works on a timed ticket:
- Date, time and circuit. Each ticket is valid for one entry time and one circuit, a one-way route through the site. No circuit covers every corner, so we help you choose the one that matches what you want to see.
- Limited daily capacity. Popular dates and morning entries sell out, especially from May to October.
- Mountain climbs. Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain need their own tickets, with small daily quotas.
- Passport and rules. Your ticket is checked against your passport. Large backpacks, food, walking sticks, tripods, umbrellas and drones aren’t allowed, and you visit with a guide.
Good to know: circuits, entry rules and the way tickets are sold are set by the Ministry of Culture and change from time to time. We book your ticket, circuit and entry time for you and explain your route before the day.
Before you go
Planning Notes
- Book early for May to October. Tickets, trains and the most popular entry times go first in the dry season.
- Bring your passport. You need it for your Machu Picchu ticket and to board the train.
- Pack for changeable weather. It can rain in any month in the cloud forest, and from November to March showers are part of most days.
- Travel light. Leave big bags in Cusco and bring a small daypack that meets the site’s size rules.
Questions
Machu Picchu Questions We Hear Often
How many days do I need for Machu Picchu?
One full day is enough to see the citadel with a guide, as long as you’re fine with an early start and a late return. Two days give you a calmer visit, the option of an earlier entry and time for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Add a day if you’d like to combine it with the Sacred Valley.
Can I visit Machu Picchu without a guide?
Current site rules require visitors to enter with a guide, and every one of our Machu Picchu tours includes a guided visit.
Which Machu Picchu tour works best for families?
Most families enjoy the two-day tour or the Sacred Valley combination, since both avoid one very long day. Tell us your children’s ages and we’ll help you choose.
Can I add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain?
Usually, yes, subject to availability. Both need separate tickets with small daily quotas, and they fit most comfortably into a two-day visit. Ask us early if a climb matters to you.
What happens if tickets are sold out for my date?
Tell us as soon as you know your dates. We’ll look at other entry times, circuits and nearby days and explain your options honestly before you book.
Is Machu Picchu open all year?
Yes, the site opens year-round. The Inca Trail closes every February, but the trains keep running and the citadel stays open, so a visit by train is possible in any month.
Keep exploring
Plan the Rest of Your Trip
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Machu Picchu Tickets: How to Buy Them and What to Know
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Machu Picchu Circuits Explained: Which Route Should You Choose?
Three circuits, ten routes and no switching once you’re inside. What each Machu Picchu route covers, how hard it is, and which one fits your visit.
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How to Get to Machu Picchu from Cusco: Train, Trek or Tour
Train from Ollantaytambo or Cusco, the Inca Trail and other treks, or the long road to Hidroeléctrica: every way to reach Machu Picchu, and how to get up to the ruins.
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Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu (Weather, Crowds and Light)
When to see Machu Picchu at its best: the dry and rainy seasons, crowds month by month, the best time of day for views and light, and the dates that fill up first.
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Plan your trip
Let’s Plan Your Machu Picchu Visit
Tell us your dates, how many days you have and who’s traveling. We’ll check tickets and trains and suggest the version that fits.