Machu Picchu Day Tour

Getting to Machu Picchu with a day tour

You can start this tour in Cusco, the Sacred Valley, or in Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of the ruins. See below for more information on transfer times.

You will need to take a train to access Aguas Calientes. It’s a picturesque journey with wonderful mountain views and colorful villages en route.

From Aguas Calientes, it’s a 20-minute bus ride up a zig-zag path to the entrance to the Machu Picchu ruins. All guided tours last around two hours. There is free time to take pictures and add on a visit to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (early morning entry required).

The first entry is at 6 am and then are available on the hour, every hour, until the last entry at 2 pm.

Don’t forget to read our FAQs, covering altitude, money, COVID, and more.

Machu Picchu guided tour

Once in Machu Picchu, your guide will show you around this jewel of the Inca empire. There is plenty of time to take some wonderful pictures as you walk around the ruins.

Below are some of the highlights you will see.

Intihuatana (Sun Clock)

This mysterious and beautiful sundial was carved directly into the bedrock of Machu Picchu. Much is not known about its unusual design and markings. What is known is that it aligns with the sun during the winter solstice (June 21 in Peru). At midday, the main stone casts no shadow at all.

The Temple of the Sun

The Temple of the Sun was the most sacred of all temples at Machu Picchu. It was most likely only accessed by priests and high-ranking Incas.

It is built over an enormous rock in a unique semi-circular fashion and features a tower and a trapezoidal window. It is believed that the Incas worshipped their sun god, called Inti, and other theories exist, too.

These range from being a royal tomb to being an observatory or a sacrificial center.

Temple of the Condor

This is one of the most spectacular sites at Machu Picchu. The Incas took a large, natural rock formation and sculpted it to take on the appearance of a condor in flight, wings spread and magnificent.

There are details alongside its majesty; a condor’s head and neck feathers complete the condor. A mummy was found in a small cave under the rock and there is speculation that sacrifices happened here, too. Behind the temple are a prison complex and dungeons.

Temple of the Three Windows

We will see this temple in the Sacred Plaza area of Machu Picchu. It is a large structure, with three walls and the main attraction is the three large windows.

There are many theories as to why there are three windows. Your guide will discuss their and your opinions during the tour.

Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain

Huayna Picchu

You need to buy a permit (numbers limited) to climb Huayna Picchu and it does sell out a long way in advance. Please ask us for more information.

It is well worth the entry fee. It’s an energetic 1-2 hour walk to the top with steep staircases and steel cables to help at points. In wet weather, it can be slippery. Once you make the top, you have a new and wonderful perspective over Machu Picchu. Huayna Picchu also offers access to the Temple of the Moon, one of the three main temples at Machu Picchu.

The peak of Huayna Picchu sits at 2,693m/8,835ft, around 260m/850ft higher than Machu Picchu.

Huayna Picchu is not recommended for people with vertigo or fear of heights. There are some steep stairs and vertiginous areas.

Machu Picchu Mountain

Like Huayna Picchu, you need a pre-bought permit for Machu Picchu Mountain. It doesn’t sell out as fast, but it is still recommended to buy the ticket as soon as possible.

The Machu Picchu Mountain trek is considered to be a moderate to challenging trek. You follow an original stone Inca Trail up to its peak, at 3,082m/10,111ft, which offers breathtaking views of the ruins and the valleys, and is 652m/2,139ft about Machu Picchu.

We recommend around 90 minutes to climb up and an hour to descend. During the wet season, the trail can become more slippery. Again, this is not suitable for people with a fear of heights - in places the trail is very steep and often follows the mountain edge.

Aguas Calientes hot springs

The town of Aguas Calientes sits at the foot of Machu Picchu. It is named after the warm, thermal waters that come to the surface. If you have time, it’s well worth paying the entry fee for an hour or two to soak in the warm waters.

Day tour pick-up points and travel times

From Cusco: Early morning transfer from your hotel to Poroy (45 minutes). Board the train (2 hours) to Aguas Calientes. From the town, take a 20-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu ruins.

From Ollantaytambo: Transfer from your hotel to Ollantaytambo train station (5 mins) to board the train (1hr 30 mins) to Aguas Calientes. From the town, take a 20-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu ruins.

From Aguas Calientes: We will pick you up from your hotel in Aguas Calientes, or the train station, and accompany you to the bus that will take us up to the entrance of Machu Picchu (about a 20-minute ride).

You can return to Cusco the same day, taking the train (2 hours) to Poroy and then a 45-minute transfer from Poroy to your Cusco hotel.

Suggested tours

Gallery

<- BACK