Machu Picchu Travel Tips

7 min readMar 2, 2021

Machu Picchu is the most important tourist attraction of Perú and it is one of the most popular sights in South America. Every day several thousand tourists make the pilgrimage to Machu Picchu to have their pictures taken in front of the famous postcard motif. Much to the chagrin of UNESCO, which fears the creeping destruction of this world cultural heritage.

Machu Picchu was built by the Inca Pachacutec around 1450. The city is spectacularly situated on a 2,360 meter high ridge, in the shadow of the striking Huayna Picchu, which is similar to the Sugar Loaf in Rio.

Due to its remote location, the city was never found and destroyed by the Spaniards, but at the end of the 16th century it was abandoned by the Incas and given up to the jungle. To this day nobody knows why the Incas built this city on a remote and very difficult to reach ridge, probably religious reasons played a role, but that is speculation.

Machu Picchu — The Top Attraction in Peru

It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that the ruins were finally rediscovered by the American Hiram Bingham. In 1983 Machu Picchu was finally added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

When I was planning my trip to South America, it was clear to me that I really wanted to visit this site. As it turned out in the course of planning the trip, it is not that easy to get to Machu Picchu. In the following post I will explain to you what options you have to get to the ruined city.

This is how you travel to Machu Picchu

If you want to visit Machu Picchu, your first stay will likely take you to Cusco. Cusco was founded in the 11th century and was the capital of the Inca Empire for a long time. In 1533 the city was devastated by the Spaniards and degenerated into a provincial city, you can still find several ruins and excavations of the Incas in the city. Only with the onset of Inca tourism in the 20th century was the city able to regain importance.

Anyone traveling to Cuzco should know one thing: the city is 3,416 meters above sea level. That’s damn high. The highest mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner, for example, stretches just a little higher at 3,798 meters.

The height has 2 serious disadvantages:

1. The autumn weather in Cusco

The temperature is cool and fluctuates between 10–20 ° all year round. Between May and August it is quite dry in Cusco, but it rains very often in the winter months. During my stay in mid-December, I only experienced rainy days. If you have just come from tropical Brazil, this weather is very uncomfortable.

2. Altitude sickness at 3,400 meters

You can usually come to terms with the weather, but altitude sickness is really unpleasant, the symptoms of which can occur from an altitude of 2,500 meters. The air in Cusco is thin. It feels like you can’t breathe when you breathe, even talking is difficult. Often I couldn’t finish my sentences because there was no air left for half of the sentence.

All physical activities are also very strenuous. Even after dragging my suitcase into my room, I had to sit down briefly for the first time. Now I know how I will feel in old age.

At that point, I wasn’t even suffering from altitude sickness. The symptoms appeared after 2–3 hours: headache, tiredness, drowsiness. I took the advice of a Peruvian and tried to relieve the symptoms with mate de coca. The leaves of the coca bush are brewed for this tea. This plant is politically explosive because cocaine can also be obtained from the leaves. In Austria and Germany, the possession of coca leaves and thus drinking the tea would be forbidden.

Nevertheless, drinking the tea is harmless: the effect is comparable to the effect of coffee or black tea, and it is neither addictive nor high. However, I cannot say whether the Mate de Coca really helped against my altitude sickness in the end. The next morning, however, I felt a lot better. Maybe it was the tea, but it’s also possible that my body just got used to the altitude during the night.

The journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu

Getting to Machu Picchu from Cusco is neither easy nor cheap and requires some planning in advance. You have 2 options:

1. Hike along the Inca Trail
The Inca Trail connects the city of Cusco with Machu Picchu. You can cover the distance of 45 kilometers within 4 days. A hike might sound like a very cheap option to most, but surprisingly, the trail is more expensive than the faster train ride.

This is because the Inca Trail is strictly regulated. Hikes are only allowed with guides, which cost several hundred euros. In addition, the Inca Trail has to be booked months in advance, especially in the high season, which greatly limits your flexibility.

2. By train from Cusco to Machu Picchu
If you are short on time or do not feel like a multi-day hike, the train from Cusco to Machu Picchu is the best option for you. Although significantly cheaper than hiking, this train journey is one of the most expensive in the world per kilometer traveled. Most of the trains are operated by Perurail, there are 3 different categories:

Expedition: The cheapest option. The trains are comfortable and impress with their panoramic windows. A small snack is included.

Vistadome: These trains are a little more expensive. A larger meal is included, and you can enjoy an Inca dance on the way back. In my opinion, however, neither justifies the slightly higher price.

Belmond Hiram Bingham: This train is the luxury option, reputedly one of the best trains in the world. Brunch and dinner are included, as is a bus transfer to Machu Picchu and a tour of the legendary Inca site. If you have enough money on the side, it is definitely worth considering.

More information on Perutrail trains: www.perurail.com or www.incarail.com.

The outward journey with the Expedition Train cost is US $ 85, the return journey with the Vistadom Train US $ 120. However, these prices vary depending on the season and occupancy.

Allegedly there is also a cheaper train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu), but this is only usable for locals. Apparently, great importance is attached to the fact that tourists leave a lot of money in Peru.

Cusco itself has a train station, but the Perurail trains do not depart from there, but from the Poroy and Ollantaytambo stations, which are outside of Cusco.

Poroy Station is about 30 minutes by taxi from Cusco. Trains take just over 3 hours from here to arrive in Aguas Calientes. On the way there, the trains also stop in Ollantaytambo

The Ollantaytambo station is about 90 minutes by taxi from Cusco, the taxi ride is said to cost between US $ 40–50. From Ollantaytambo the trains need another 1½ hours to Aguas Calientes. I took the train from Poroy, but in the meantime I have been told that it is cheaper and faster to get away from Ollantaytambo Station, as the taxi covers the way between Cusco and Ollantaytambo faster than the train.

Aguas Calientes: Starting point for your Machu Picchu tour.

Machu Picchu Holidays

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