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Machu Picchu to Cusco: Everything You Need to Know

Posted On: 29 April 2022 #TierrasVivas 445

To visit Machu Picchu, you must first reach the city of Cusco and from there begin the excursion to Machu Picchu. If you want to visit the Machu Picchu citadel, firstly you must pass through Machupicchu town (Aguas Calientes). From this point, you can return to Cusco from Machu Picchu.

There are many ways to return to Cusco, but we will mention only two methods to return to the capital of the Incas. Before anything else, it is important to know about Machupicchu town. Aguas Calientes is located in the high jungle area of southern Peru, at an altitude of 2,300 meters and 112 kilometers from the city of Cusco (Map of Machu Picchu). In Machupicchu Pueblo, there is no airport, no roads, no cars, and no taxi services; everything is within walking distance. The only means of communication with other cities is by rail.

Here find the best ways to get to Cusco. You can do it by foot or by train. Choose the best option trip to Machu Picchu for you!

2 Best Ways To Get To Cusco from Machu Picchu

Train

This is the option most used by travelers. Its great advantage is the saving of time; it is the fastest alternative. In just three hours and 30 minutes, you could return from Machu Picchu to Cusco. Its starting point is the Aguas Calientes train station, which is 5 minutes from the main square of Machu Picchu village. There are two final stations before arriving in Cusco.

Cusco Return Train Stations

Ollantaytambo Train Station

If you are doing hiking such as the Inca Trail, Salkantay trek, Vilcabamba, or Inca Jungle trek, we recommend you take this train station option. The trip from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes by train. Once you arrive at this train station, you have two options to return to Cusco.

Private Car: At the Ollantaytambo train station, you will find many drivers offering transfers to Cusco. Private transportation ranges from S/150 to S/250 and you will find to parked in the train station garage. The price depends on the capacity of the van. If you need seating for more than 4 people, the price is higher. Usually, drivers will drop you off at your hotel or Airbnb.

Tourist Transportation: If you want the best price for the transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco, this option is for you. At the train station, drivers offer transfers in groups, usually with vans capable of accommodating 15, 20, or 35 travelers. The price typically ranges from 15 to 20 soles per person, and this transportation drops you off at San Francisco square, a 5-minute walk to the main square.

Many travelers prefer to visit Ollantaytambo before going to Cusco. It is more convenient to explore the town before returning

Poroy Train Station

Poroy is a small district located near Cusco city, where you can find the Poroy train station. From this train station, luxury trains such as the Hiram Bingham train and Vistadome Observatory train depart. Additionally, the Expedition train departs from here.

The journey from Machu Picchu to Poroy takes three hours and 30 minutes by train. Once you arrive at Poroy, the drive to Cusco takes 30 minutes. At the train station, you can find taxis to Cusco, typically costing between S/30 and S/40. If you prefer a private transfer, we recommend reserving in advance as availability might be limited at the train station.

Cusco Train Station

The Cusco train station is located in the center of Cusco city, near the main square, just a 10-minute walk from the station.

The journey from Machu Picchu to Cusco takes 4 hours by train, and from there, you can walk to your hotel or Airbnb. However, there are only two train services departing and returning each day.

Bus

Many travelers choose this option for their return trip to Cusco. Simply put, it is the cheapest option, but the trip is longer. From MachuPicchu village (Aguas Calientes) to Hidroelectrica, you can either walk or take the train:

Train to Hidroelectrica: If you decide to take the train, the price is $35 per person, and the duration of the trip is 30 minutes. Is this train worth it? Yes, during the trip, you can appreciate parts of the subtropical zone of Cusco.

Walk from Machu Picchu to Hidroelectrica: If you want to explore more of the Amazon route (Ruta Amazonica), this hiking option is best for you. From Aguas Calientes to Hidrolectrica is 3 hrs walk slowly. During the hike, you can appreciate the Machu Picchu mountain, the flow of the Vilcanota river, and the flora and fauna.

Once you arrive at Hidroelectrica village, you can take a tourist bus to Cusco. If you want to return directly without stopping, the price is S/80 to S/90 per person. The duration of the trip is approximately 4 hours, and you will arrive in Cusco around 10:00 PM. In case you prefer the cheapest option, you can take the local bus from Hidroelectrica to Santa Maria for S/15 to S/20. From Santa Maria, you can wait for the local bus from Quillabamba - Santa Maria - Cusco, which costs around S/30. The trip duration is approximately 6 hours.

Is it worth taking the bus to Machu Picchu?
If you want a more immersive experience on your return to Cusco, then yes, it is worth it. The price is cheaper compared to the train ticket, and during the return trip to Cusco, you will see the most beautiful landscapes.

Important Note: We recommend that you do not use this option during the rainy season. There are often landslides on the road that can block the route, resulting in long waits until the Ministry of Transportation clears the route. Alternatively, you may need to transfer from one bus to another and cross the dangerous mountains where the landslides occur.

Machu Picchu to Cusco train

There are many train departures from Machu Picchu to Cusco. You can choose any time; the first train departs at 05:30 AM, and the last train departs to Cusco at 10:00 PM. Trains depart approximately every hour.

The train has three levels of service.

Perurail to Cusco

Peru Rail train to Machu Picchu company is the first train to operate in Cusco, this company was created on 1999 and this company offers the following train to Machu Picchu.

The Expedition service is the most economical, and is highly recommended. You do not need more than this. It is a great service. Its price is around 120 USD round trip.
The Vistadome is a little more expensive, but practically no difference with the Expedition. Only windows a little larger. It's not worth paying more just for that. The windows of the Expedition are more than enough to enjoy the tour of the Sacred Valley.
Orient Express Machu Picchu. But it is the luxury car and its price does not lower USD 300.

Inca Rail to Machu Picchu

Inca Rail is new train company to operate in Cusco. this company was created on June 2014. This company offers the following train from Cusco to Machu Picchu.

The Voyager train to Machu Picchu
The Voyager Premium & Lounge Bimodal
The 360° Panoramic train Machu Picchu

The tickets can be purchased on the company's website, Peru Rail. There is also the option of the Inca Rail company. Their prices are a little lower.

Train to Machu Piccu

Trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu

All treks from Cusco to Machu Picchu require planning for the return trip to Cusco. Here, you can find the best hikes from Cusco, and upon returning, you can choose the best option for your return, whether it's catching the train or bus.

Inca Trail

The second most popular option. Arrive at Machu Picchu as in the old days, through the roads used by the Inca Empire. Well ... not as in the old days.

Formerly the roads allowed the Inca Empire to move from Cusco through the Sacred Valley, to Machu Picchu. At present, for a tourist theme, the famous Inca Trail that the agencies sell and the one authorized by the Peruvian government, starts at km 82, near Ollantaytambo. It's about two hours of travel from Cusco by train. So, what we call the Inca Trail, is only a part of those ancient roads. The classic tour lasts 4 days and 3 nights. Day 4 is not part of the road itself, it is the day you visit Machu Picchu.

There is another option, which instead of carrying out the Inca Trail in 4 days, is done in 5 days. Doing it in more time helps decrease the physical demand. Yes, demand, because it is a path through the mountains, which reaches up to 4,200 meters above sea level, with lack of oxygen. Definitely, it's not for anyone. But you do not have to prepare a year either. With running two or three months before is enough. Also, arrive a few days before Cusco to acclimatize to the altitude. Of course, the better prepared you are, the less difficult it will be for you, and the more you will enjoy it. The great advantage of the Inca Trail, although a little folkloric this advantage, is that Machu Picchu is accessed through the Puerta del Sol, the original entrance to the citadel, and not the one currently used in the rest of the options, the tourist door to say it in some way. In case you want to book this way, you must do it several months in advance, about 6. Since the demand is high and only 500 people per day are allowed. Among those 500 count the cooks, guides, etc. And the cost, well, is the most expensive of all the options. Up to $ 750.

Salkantay Trek

This is another that became very fashionable because the quotas for the Inca Trail are completed quickly. The Salkantay, although many agencies sell it as an Inca Trail, is not. It is an alternative road, not regulated by the Peruvian government, so it has no quota limit. It is a road of 5 days and 4 nights. Some agencies offer the option to do so in 6 days. One of the main advantages that I see, is that you get to a higher altitude than the Inca Trail, up to 4,500 meters above sea level and the snow-capped mountains are impressive. Also, the demand of this road is a little greater than that of the Inca. The end of the road is in Aguas Calientes, and not by the Puerta del Sol as the Inca Trail. The Salkantay Trail ends in Santa Teresa, and from there you will walk along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes, as well as the Alternative Road. Its price ranges from USD 520 to USD 900, depending on how many people are.

Kilometer 104 - Inca Trail

This is the short version of the famous and amazing Inca Trail, for those who have little time available, but in no way want to miss this unique walk and enjoy beautiful landscapes and diversity of plants such as the Orchid and variety of birds. This walk is 11 kilometers, the walk lasts approximately 6 to 7 hours until you reach the Puerta del Sol known as Inti Punku, where you can get the first panoramic views of Machu Picchu.

Lares Trek

This road leaves from the town of Lares, near Cusco. Walk several points of the Sacred Valley in 4 days and 3 nights (option to do it in 5 days). It ends in the town of Ollantaytambo, from where the train is taken to continue towards Aguas Calientes.

Choquequirao to Machu Picchu

Choquequirao is a city similar to Machu Picchu that was discovered some years ago. And only now it is beginning to explode tourism. They are still in the stage of investigation, excavations, and cleaning of the brush. Being a place still almost untouched, I think it's worth going. But yes, this path is not for anyone. It is the most difficult of all and in the world of trekking it is cataloged with Difficult Level. That is, it requires a lot of physical demands, you have to prepare very well. The road lasts 8 days and 7 nights. After visiting Choquequeirao, the road to Machu Piccu begins.

Inca Jungle

This is another quite recent alternative and with a lot of adventure. The road begins in Ollantaytambo, and from there are 4 days of adventures. You will have downhill by bike, rafting, zip line, and of course, trekking. With this option you will also get to Santa Teresa to walk the tracks to Aguas Calientes. A different option and that is shaping up as a good alternative to the Alternative Way or at Km 82.

Others Alternative Treks no popular to Machu Picchu

Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.

If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.

When is the best time to visit Machu Picchu?

The best season is during the dry season, which covers the months April to the end of September. In October the rains begin and you can find Machu Picchu covered by clouds. If you travel in June, we recommend you to book the Inti Raymi 2024 Tour that takes place in June 24th, and also hike the Palcoyo Mountain Tour, which is an incredible Rainbow Mountain located in the Andes.