Have you arrived to Lima and do not know how to go to Machu Picchu? Below, you will find a step-by-step guide so you can get to this Wonder of the World.
To get to Machu Picchu, you must first reach the city of Cusco. From Lima you have two arrival options:
- Travel by land.
- Travel by air.
If you decide to travel by land, the travel time is approximately 22 hours, while by plane the travel time is one hour and a half without any stops.
Once you have arrived in the city of Cusco, we suggest you go to one of our offices to purchase the train ticket to be transported to Machu Picchu if you have not previously bought them. Our points of sale can be found in this link. We recommend to buy your tickets in advance, either in person or online. For online purchases you can enter here. If you decide to travel by bus, it is important that you buy your tickets with caution and you can do it here.
In PeruRail, we have 4 types of trains to go to Machu Picchu. Among them, the Belmond Hiram Bingham luxury train which has the style of the Pullman cars of the twenties. Each one has large and comfortable armchairs furnished in polished wood and bronze.
Likewise, the PeruRail Vistadome train has panoramic windows located on the walls and roofs of the wagons, making the connection to the outside experience in a very vivid way. Finally, the PeruRail Expedition train has in the decoration of its wagons the Inca culture and is the perfect anteroom for the visit to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Among these you can choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.
Lima and Machu Picchu closer
It is important that you do not forget to buy your entrance tickets to the citadel of Machu Picchu. To buy them in person, go to one of the ticket offices in Machu Picchu. Rate varies depending on the tour you want to take. Remember that you can also buy them on the Ministry of Culture website.
Due to a new regulation for the entrance to the citadel of Machu Picchu, please note that since January 1, 2019, tickets have a determined hour of entrance:
From 6:00 am, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 pm.
The day you go to Machu Picchu Pueblo, one option is to depart from the city of Cusco to Ollantaytambo. The distance is approximately 71.9 km. In this case, you can take a bus to get there and the travel time is 2 hours. In Ollantaytambo you must take a train that will take you to Machu Picchu Pueblo. You can also depart from Urubamba and Wanchaq Stations, depending on the availability of the train as well as you can do it from Poroy Station. Remember that you must always arrive at the departure station 30 minutes before the departure of the chosen train. Before boarding, you must show the train ticket, DNI (Peruvian) or passport (foreigners) for the corresponding check-in. The journey from Poroy Station will last approximately three and a half hours and will have a stop of around 10 minutes at the Ollantaytambo Station, as some travelers decide to start their journey to the citadel from that location.
A full view of the PeruRail train
From Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) you can reach Machu Picchu by bus or walking. The first takes 30 minutes while the second takes approximately two hours. You can find more information and travel recommendations here.
Do not forget to bring a hat, water, snacks, sunscreen, your entrance to Machu Picchu and an identity card and/or passport. Try to carry a backpack with only what is necessary. Machu Picchu is a wonder that nobody would get tired of visiting. We invite you to live a unique and magical experience in this world wonder.