Yes Machu Picchu is a huge tourist trap and yes it’s going to cost a lot of your budget. Is it it still worth it? In my opinion, yes! It’s still an amazing place to visit and if you follow my advice you might just find it less busy too! Machu Picchu was scientifically discovered by Hiram Bingham (local people and even some westerners had already visited the site) on his search for the lost city of the Incas. Surprisingly Machu Picchu wasn’t actually the lost city, that title goes to Vilcapampa deep in the jungle. However, the ancient city of Machu Picchu is stunning and a fantastic feat of engineering and architecture.
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10 Tips You Need Before You Visit Machu Picchu
Booking Tickets
You will need to book tickets for both Machu Picchu and the train to get there well in advance of your trip. The entry ticket to Machu Picchu in particular should be bought around 2-3 months before you travel. If there aren’t any tickets available directly from the online website, you could still get tickets by going through a Machu Picchu tour company based in Cusco. However, it’s not guaranteed.
Check the times available for both tickets into Machu Picchu and the train tickets at the same time. Literally, check the times and dates are correct and then buy each set of tickets one after the other. Make sure that you triple check the details on the tickets and have exact names as per your passports. The officials can be quite strict! Print the tickets out at home and also save them to the files on your phone, just in case.
You will also notice that the website for buying the Machu Picchu entry tickets from is mostly in Spanish, so you will need to keep checking you have your details in correctly. If you are from the UK you will have to choose the nationality/country as English, even if you are from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. There is no other option! I wasn’t pleased about this personally, but there was no UK option!
Best Time To Visit
When you choose the time for your tour I suggest you don’t choose the early morning tours. This is the busiest time and it can really take the fun out of visiting such a spectacular site. You are likely to only spend 2-3 hours at Machu Picchu itself, mainly due to the fact you can no longer wander freely. Instead you must follow the set out circuits. It’s better to choose an afternoon time when it’s quieter and you may find yourself alone at certain points.
We went for 2pm (ok, it was the only available time as I booked late!) and I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was, especially at the top of the site. Compared to pictures I’ve seen from other people, we had a lot more photos with nobody behind us! By the time we had slowly wandered around the site (from top to bottom as we joined up two circuits for a longer route) taking photos and enjoying the views, we had only spent just over 2.5 hours there. So you don’t need to worry about having to stay overnight if you choose a later time.
Train Tickets
If you choose a later time as we did, then choose the cheapest train for the return journey. It will be in the dark, so you don’t need the giant windows as there’s nothing to see! I definitely recommend taking a PeruRail VistaDome train on the way to Machu Picchu, the huge windows are worth the extra price and the views are stunning. It’s will be one of the best train journeys you take!
Inca Rail also has similar trains with larger windows, compare prices with PeruRail before you buy. You can take the train from Cusco, however some trains on the way back only go as far as the town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We chose to stay in Ollantaytambo for a few nights, taking the train direct from there to Machu Picchu and back as a day trip. It’s also at a lower altitude than Cusco, so good for acclimatisation.
Bus Tickets
The final tickets you will need to buy is the bus ticket. Bus tickets can be bought from the office just along from the river in Machu Picchu pueblo (Aguas Calientes). We missed it and asked a security/warden on the street, who quickly took us there. As soon as you leave the train station you need to head through the craft market, over the bridge, then go down the bridge to the road beside the river and you’ll see a small sign saying ‘bus tickets’. To buy the tickets you can pay cash or card and you need to hand over everyone’s passports so they can scan them for the tickets. The bus tickets are $24 per adult return, slightly cheaper for kids, so if you’re paying cash make sure you have enough with you!
Once you have your tickets you’ll need to go back to the road by the river. About an hour before your Machu Picchu ticket time slots there will be a sign with your entrance tickets time, queue behind the sign. An official will check your Machu Picchu tickets and stamp them, when it’s about 20 minutes before your time slot you will board a bus at direction of the official by the sign and be taken up the (very) steep winding road to the main entrance to Machu Picchu!
Before You Visit Machu Picchu
Before you visit Machu Picchu you really need to think about what to wear. This is dependent on whether it’s the rainy season or dry season. Consider how you will get used to the high altitude before you arrive. Altitude sickness shouldn’t be taken lightly and at 2430m it may cause some issues. Ensure you have time to get used to the higher altitude if you are flying directly to Cusco from sea level.
If you have time it is better to slowly travel up to the mountainous region. Usually this is via bus to Arequipa and then to the city of Cusco. We personally chose to have a couple of days in the Sacred Valley before visiting Machu Picchu. But we did notice how difficult it was to breathe when walking around. So take your time, drink coca tea (coca leaves help with altitude sickness) and enjoy your trip!
There is nowhere to buy food or drink on the complex and you will definitely need water. So the most important thing is to bring several water bottles with you. It’s a steep climb up the steps to get to the highest view points over the site. Fortunately it’s mostly downhill and flat from there!
Exploring Machu Picchu
In the past you could freely wander around Machu Picchu alone or as part of a guided tour. However, since the pandemic things have changed and there are now several circuits to choose from. As the circuits do join up a little you can make it slightly longer and near the end you can add on another circuit to go back around the main plaza again. But if you are part of a larger group, you will not have that choice. This is why I recommend that you either explore yourself or as part of a private tour. You can also find a local guide or two waiting around the bus queues that you can negotiate with.
The Inca ruins are stunning and well worth taking your time to explore. Personally, if you are of reasonable fitness then I suggest starting off at the top of the site to get the most spectacular views down to the main complex. This is the best place for that iconic photograph for social media! Due to the new rules on the archaeological site to keep people to certain circuits you can’t actually reach the Temple of the Sun. Instead you will have to be satisfied by looking up at it from below. You will still see many other temples on the site, water channels, terraces, homes of the servants and of course the Sacred Stone.
You may also want to note that there are no toilets within the Machu Picchu complex. So ensure you go at the entrance gate where the bus drops you off!
Inca Trail
You won’t be able to enter through the Sun Gate unless you are on a Inca Trail tour. Consider whether you would prefer to walk along one of the Inca trails instead (there are several from the full length to a day trip tour). Huayna Picchu is the conical mountain looming over the Inca complex. Tours can be booked to climb it, it can be anything from 2-4 hours climb depending on fitness! If you choose to do this it’s best to stay overnight in the village. This way you can have one day to climb Machu Picchu mountain and another to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site itself. Whatever tour you choose to do it’s best to book well in advance. Limited tickets are available each day due to Peruvian Government restrictions.
Town of Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes was named after the hot springs found locally. Although the town has now changed it’s name to Machu Picchu pueblo. Which describes the main reason people visit nowadays! There are many budget hotels and luxury hotels throughout the town and surrounding area so it’s easy to visit on an overnight stay. If you are taking an early tour then it may be best to arrive later in the day and stay overnight at the base of Machu Picchu.
The town is mostly a tourist attraction nowadays. Filled with little coffee shops and restaurants, tons of shops selling locally made crafts and plenty of tour operators to take you to Machu Picchu. There is little of the old Aguas Calientes vibe left. I personally wouldn’t visit for the town itself, but it makes an easy base to visit Machu Picchu.
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