5-Day Machu Picchu Tour Package
$702 Full Day
Overview
3:30 AM
Pickup in Cusco
2,430 m
Altitude at the site
~3 hrs
Inside the site
15 hrs
Door to door
Machu Picchu is 75 kilometres from Cusco as the condor flies and about five hours away by the route people actually take. A road to Ollantaytambo, a train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes, and a bus up the switchbacks to the gate. The site itself sits on a saddle between two peaks at 2,430 metres, with the river looping round three sides of it far below.
A day trip does all of that twice. Out before dawn, back after dark, and somewhere in the middle about three hours on the terraces and in the temples. That ratio is the honest description of this tour, and people who book it knowing the ratio come back happy.
What you see in those three hours is a complete visit. Circuit 2 climbs to the upper terraces for the photograph everybody knows, then descends through the urban sector. The Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, the Intihuatana and the Condor, in that order. It is the route a first time visitor should walk, and it is the one we book.
The site has been run on timed, one way circuits since 2021 and on the current ten route system since June 2024. You cannot wander, you cannot double back, and you cannot re-enter. That is not our rule. It is the Ministry of Culture’s, and it applies to every operator.
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Before you book the day trip
If you have a night to spare, take the two day version instead.
Sleeping in Aguas Calientes puts you at the gate in the first hour of the morning, before the day trip trains arrive, and it takes the 3:30 AM start out of the equation. Our two day Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour does exactly that. This page is for people who do not have the night.
Best Time to Go To Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is open every day of the year, and it is lower and wetter than Cusco. The month changes how much of it you see, not whether you go.
Green is the season we recommend
Red is the wet season, when the classic view is often in cloud
May to September
Best
What to expect
Dry, clear mornings, busiest months
Our view
The reliable window. Book well ahead. Entry slots and trains fill early.
April and October
What to expect
Shoulder. Some cloud and rain, fewer people
Our view
Good value. Mornings are usually clear enough for the photograph.
November to March
What to expect
Rain most afternoons, cloud on the peaks, February closures on the Inca Trail
Our view
The site stays open. Mornings can be beautiful after rain. Bring a proper waterproof and accept that the classic view may be in cloud.
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The one thing that helps in every month
Get in early, whatever the month.
Machu Picchu is lower and wetter than Cusco, so the wet season here means rain rather than snow. A morning entry helps in every month. That is one more reason the two day version, with its early gate time, tends to beat the day trip when there is a choice.
Tour Highlights
- ✓ Travel through the breathtaking Sacred Valley and enjoy one of the most scenic train journeys in Peru on your way to the world-famous Machu Picchu.
- ✓ Discover the ancient Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu with a professional local guide who will share the history, mysteries, and engineering of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- ✓ Admire spectacular panoramic views of the Andes Mountains, cloud forests, and the Urubamba River surrounding the Lost City of the Incas.
- ✓ Explore iconic areas of Machu Picchu, including the Temple of the Sun, agricultural terraces, ceremonial plazas, and ancient stone pathways.
- ✓ Enjoy a comfortable and well-organized full-day experience with hotel pickup, round-trip train tickets, bus transportation, and guided assistance throughout the journey.
- ✓ Capture unforgettable photographs from some of the most scenic viewpoints in Machu Picchu while experiencing one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
What to Expect
A very early start, three changes of transport, and a site that rewards every one of them.
Expect to be collected at 3:30 AM and to sleep through the drive to Ollantaytambo. Expect the train to be comfortable, slow and worth staying awake for, because the gorge narrows and the forest thickens as you drop toward the site. Expect Aguas Calientes to be a small town built entirely around the bus queue.
Expect the bus to take twenty five minutes up thirteen switchbacks. Expect a queue at the gate, a passport check, and then the climb to the upper terrace where the photograph is. Expect your guide to move the group at the pace the circuit allows, which is steady, because the route is one way and the exits are timed.
Expect about two and a half to three hours inside. Expect to be hungry afterwards, because lunch is not included and Aguas Calientes prices know it. Expect the train back to be full of people asleep.
Expect to arrive in Cusco between 6:30 and 7:30 PM and to feel that it was a long day and a good one.
Choosing between them
One Day, Two Days or Five
We sell Machu Picchu three ways. The difference is not the site, which is the same on all three. It is how much of the day you spend getting there. Green marks the better option on that row.
Day trip
2 day with Sacred Valley
5 day package
Days of your trip
One
Two
Five
Nights away
None
One in Aguas Calientes, hotel included
Four, hotels included
Start time
3:30 AM
Normal morning
Normal morning
Time at Machu Picchu
About 3 hours
Morning entry, before the day trains
Morning entry, before the day trains
Sacred Valley
Passed through
Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo
Maras and Moray, a full day
Huayna Picchu possible
No
Yes, as an add on
On request
Price from
$344
$442
$702
Best for
One spare day, no more
Most first time visitors
Five days with hotels, plus Rainbow Mountain or Humantay
In short. The day trip is the right choice when you have exactly one day and no night to give. If you have the night, the two day version gets you into the site early, adds the Sacred Valley, and costs less than a hundred dollars more. With five days, the five day package adds Maras and Moray, a fourth day at Rainbow Mountain or Humantay, and four nights of hotels.
Tour Itinerary
1
Pickup in Cusco
A driver collects you from your hotel in central Cusco. It is dark, it is cold and there is no way around the hour, because the first trains leave Ollantaytambo soon after five.
Bring your passport. Check it is in your pocket before you leave the room.
Altitude 3,400 m
2
Ollantaytambo station
3
The train to Aguas Calientes
4
Bus to the gate
5
Machu Picchu, Circuit 2
6
Down to Aguas Calientes
7
The train back
8
Back in Cusco
✓
Inclusions
- ✓ Cusco Hotel Transfer
- ✓ Transfer to Train Station
- ✓ Round Trip Train Tickets Voyager or Expedition Class
- ✓ Bus to Machu Picchu Citadel
- ✓ Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- ✓ Guided Tour of Machu Picchu
X
Not Included
- X Meals
- X Entrance to Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain etc.
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About the exclusions
Why meals are not included.
The day starts at 3:30 AM and lunch happens in a town where every restaurant charges what it likes. Including a fixed meal would mean choosing a restaurant for you and building its price into yours. We would rather you eat where and when you want. Bring snacks for the train.
Departure Information
Available: Daily departures
Group Size: Up to 9 people
Start Time: 03:30 AM
Pickup: Hotel in Cusco
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit Machu Picchu in one day from Cusco?
Yes, it is possible to visit Machu Picchu in one day from Cusco. Most travelers take an early morning transfer to the train station, followed by a scenic train to Aguas Calientes and a shuttle bus to Machu Picchu before returning to Cusco in the evening.
What is included in a Machu Picchu day trip from Cusco?
What is the best train for Machu Picchu?
How long is the Machu Picchu full day tour?
Is the Machu Picchu day trip difficult?
What should I bring for a Machu Picchu day tour?
Can you see the Sun Gate on a Machu Picchu day trip?
What is Aguas Calientes?
Is Machu Picchu Mountain included in the tour?
What is the best time to visit Machu Picchu?
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