The Guide to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is one of our seven wonders of the world.. but do you ever wonder how on earth to get there?
That was me. Throughout “The Guide to Machu Picchu,” I will talk about how I made it to the top!
P.S. I will also share everything I learned in the process that will end up saving you a lot of money and time. (:
Step 1: Take a flight from Lima to Cusco.
With already being in Lima the quickest and most efficient way to get to Cusco is by air. We paid $109 round trip, which I personally didn’t think was too bad. Our flight was around 430pm in the afternoon so we were able to enjoy most the day in Lima. The flight is only about an hours time. We wanted the night in Cusco to have time to explore downtown!
2. Get a hotel in Cusco for a night.
I know at this point you are so eager to get Machu Picchu but it does involve a lot of traveling, so making sure you are keeping up on your sleep is very important. We stayed on the downtown “strip” and were directly across the bus station, which worked out perfectly since our bus was leaving at 4 am the next morning. Keep in mind most hotels, don’t have air conditioning so make sure your hotel provides windows that can open, because the rooms get very hot and humid!
3. Explore the Historic Downtown Cusco.
In comparison to Lima, the sights in Cusco are what you are picturing when you first start planning your visit to Peru. Downtown Cusco has all of the history, including stone roads, old church’s, and family owned restaurants. Lauren & I tend to not look up any restaurants and just walk into random ones! Once we got seated, I got myself a chocolate shake, mhmm mhmm mhmm, lol. For dinner, a cheese & potato gnocchi hit the spot. Definitely make an effort to walk around downtown even if its just for a few hours!
4. Take a bus from Downtown Cusco to Ollantaytambo Station VIA Inca Rail.
From Cusco, you can either get a private car or take the bus and train. We decided the bus and train, as it seemed to be the faster route. We boarded the bus in Downtown Cusco, from there it was a two hour drive to the Ollantaytambo Station which was the station where we were going to board the train to Aguas Calientes.
5. Immediately after getting off the bus, hop on the train up to Aguas Calientes VIA Inca Rail.
As stated above, the bus drops you off at the train station. Remember, YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF TIME. We got off the bus thinking we had at least 30 minutes, so we ran to the bathroom quick. By the time we came out the bus driver was looking for us, come to find out our train was leaving in 2 minutes. We were super hungry and didn’t have time to get food or coffee. So keep in mind to pack extra waters and snacks. We then ran, got on the train, found our assigned seats and got ready for next 2 hour ride through the mountains.
6. Get a hotel in Aguas Calientes (City of Machu Picchu.)
Once we arrived in Aguas Calientes we went to check in at our hotel which we had to hike too, literally, haha. We stayed at Rupa Rupa Jungle Eco B&B, it was so peaceful and quiet. On a scale of 1 to 10 on recommendation I would rate it a 8.5, everything was perfect other than the hike, once we spent 7 hours at Macchu Picchu the last thing we wanted to do was do another mile hike up to our hotel. Once you get over that part of it, its perfect! Plus, I don’t think there is a hotel in the area that has the views that Rupa Rupa gave us. (:
7. Take the bus up to the Machu Picchu entrance.
There are two ways to get to the entrance of Machu Picchu. The first option is to take a 30 minute bus ride, which costs about $20 each way. The second option is to hike all the way to the top which can take anywhere from 4-7 hours. I will warn you it is a very difficult hike, a straight incline, with little to no places to take any long breaks, as well as being on a gravel road, (which is the same road the buses drive up and down on.) It is an AMAZING work out and will make your legs feel like jello for days, haha. (:
8. Hike up to the top (approximately an hour.)
Once you have made it through the entrance you have no idea what you are in store for…. you aren’t even close yet! I will say if you are pregnant, not in good health, or in need of a wheelchair, I do not recommend visiting Machu Picchu until you are able to be at high altitudes while walking up an incline. It is an hour hike, give or take, to make it to the first viewpoint, (which is where I am standing in the picture you see right above.) I am not trying to scare you on the intensity, but I want you to be aware and prepared so you can embrace all of the scenery to the best of your ability!
9. You made it! Make sure to walk around the entire sight.
YAY!! At this point you made it to the first viewpoint. Embrace the natural beauty. Fun fact; the reason the Inca’s chose to build Machu Picchu in this exact location was from the running stream water they found on the side of the mountain. Which resulted in them having fresh and clean water! There are plenty of places to have picnics are just take a quick break. Walking around the entire sight is worth all the time in the world!
10. Start your hike back down to the entrance of Machu Picchu and get in line for the bus to take you back to Aguas Calientes.
As you are coming to the end.. you’ll start to see the exit signs.. after about 10-15 minutes you will be right back at where you started. You can either get in line for the bus to head back to town right away, visit the gift shop, or sit and have a cold beer at the café!
11. Get a cold drink and a hot meal on a rooftop to finish your day.
If you are anything like me… the first thing I wanted was a nice hot meal and an adult beverage when I got back to town. On top of embracing all of your excitement from today, you are going to be extremely exhausted and dehydrated! Make sure to keep your tummy full of water and food!
