Planning a Trip to Machu Picchu, Peru For First Timers

If you are a world traveler, it is very likely that at some point in your life you will make the decision to visit Machu Picchu. This famous destination is listed as a must-see site on every major travel Website and travel publication.

Table of contents: (Hide)

• What level of comfort will make your journey most enjoyable?
• Best time to visit Machu Picchu?
• How long should you stay in Cusco?
• How to get to Machu Picchu?
• Which train station should you depart from to Machu Picchu?
• How many days should you spend at Machu Picchu?
• What should you schedule to do at Machu Picchu?
  • Huayna Picchu
  • Machu Picchu Planning Map
• Should you hike the Inca Trail?
  • Inca Trail Map with Elevations
• Where to Stay near Machu Picchu
• Conclusion

But one unique contribution I can add is to suggest that when you do make the decision to take this journey, there are many choices you will have to make. Planning a trip to Machu Picchu, researching your options, choosing wisely, and making plans can greatly enhance your experience and elevate your trip to the status of legendary. The following is a shortlist of questions you should consider before you finalize your Machu Picchu plans.

What level of comfort will make your journey most enjoyable?

Most tour companies book group tours at 3-star hotels. We upgraded our hotels to 4-star hotels anticipating that we might need a higher level of comfort and more quality food choices for breakfast. This proved to be a good decision. The altitude of the Andes Mountains affected us more than we anticipated. It never stopped us from doing anything, but it was always a minor discomfort that affected our trip. We didn’t find ourselves gasping for breath or reaching for oxygen tanks, but we did experience headaches, lightheadedness, and more fatigue than we anticipated.

The biggest problem we experienced occurred when trying to sleep. Often we found ourselves breathing heavily and waking up at odd hours. After 7 days in the high altitude, we never fully adjusted to the climate. Comfortable hotels helped to ease the adjustment and make it less of a problem. Being careful about what we ate and taking advantage of good breakfasts definitely reduced time lost to sickness.

Best time to visit Machu Picchu?

The rainy season in Peru is from November to March which is also the warmest weather. The heaviest rain is usually in February. The site is busier from June until August. Like so many places if you can schedule a visit in shoulder season you will have a better and cheaper experience.

How long should you stay in Cusco?

Cusco is the closest airport to Machu Picchu so most travelers will pass through Cusco.

How many days to spend in Cusco is a common question from travelers. We booked two days in Cusco before our trip to Machu Picchu, one night at Aguas Calientes (near Machu Picchu), and then two days in Cusco after Machu Picchu. This combination seemed to work well and if we had more time, we would have spent another day in Cusco. Cusco is just a fun place from which to stage your journey to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. There is also a lot of history and culture to be experienced in Cusco. After visiting Machu Picchu, we were thankful that we were returning to Cusco, and we compiled a list of things we missed on our first visit. We didn’t get to see everything on our list, but we were glad that we had two extra days to see many of them.

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How to get to Machu Picchu?

Should you travel to Machu Picchu from Cusco or the Sacred Valley?

On the day you go to Machu Picchu you will travel there by Peru Rail. We stayed in Cusco and thought we would take the train from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Much to our surprise, we began our day with an hour and a half drive from Cusco to the Sacred Valley. This was tough because we had just taken this drive in the opposite direction the night before touring the Sacred Valley.

We spent three hours needlessly driving through the mountains near the Sacred Valley. Rethinking our itinerary, it would have been best to spend the night before we left for Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley near the train station at Ollaytaytambo. If we had done this, we would have been able to retire early and get a long rest before departing early in the morning for Machu Picchu. We just assumed our travel company would make a good decision for us. In retrospect, we should have made this decision.

Which train station should you depart from to Machu Picchu?

Which station you leave from should depend on where you stayed the night before. Most people depart for Machu Picchu from either Poroy Station near Cusco or Ollantaytambo Station in the Sacred Valley. The train ride from Poroy to Machu Picchu is a little over three hours. The journey from Ollantaytambo Station to Machu Picchu is roughly half that time. But there are other considerations. The full train fare from Poroy costs much more than the fare from Ollantaytambo. If you have 3 to 4 people in your party it may be much less expensive to take a transfer from Cusco and then pay the lower train fare for the shorter ride from Ollantaytambo. This is what our tour company did for our trip, even though we thought we thought we had paid to leave from Poroy.

I genuinely enjoyed the train ride and would have preferred to leave from Poroy, especially since we were staying in Cusco. I would have also preferred to return to Poroy on the way back from Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, our tour agent made this choice for us. We had a late train departure from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. Our return transfer back to Cusco late at night after a long day at Machu Picchu was exhausting. The only consolation was the spectacular view we had of the night time stars and the Milky Way. Remembering that this was the same night sky the Incas viewed made the trip a little more bearable.

How many days should you spend at Machu Picchu?

I once read from another travel writer that the average tourist spends multiple travel days getting to Machu Picchu, but only spends an average of 3 to 4 hours at the site. His recommendation was to stay overnight and spend two days at Machu Picchu. We took this advice and would recommend it to everyone. You can see Machu Picchu in 3 to 4 hours, but you need at least two visits to fully appreciate it and experience the many things there are to do at the site. We stayed at a very nice hotel in Aquas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu, and we genuinely enjoyed the town. It is a quirky tourist town that caters to both backpackers and luxury travelers. The town sits dramatically along raging mountain streams at the base of Machu Picchu. The Peru Rail train tracks run down the main street through the middle of town. There are tourist stalls everywhere and many restaurants and bars. It was a crazy contrast to the serenity of Machu Picchu, but also a lot of fun.

What should you schedule to do at Machu Picchu?

Machu Picchu takes time to fully appreciate. We started our first day by taking a 2-hour guided tour with a personal guide. It was well worth the time and cost. For lunch, we ate at the Sanctuary Lodge. It was expensive, but the food was good and the respite was refreshing. Afterward, we hiked some of the pathways around Machu Picchu. Eventually, it rained and we had to head down the mountain. Unfortunately, we had to wait a full hour in line to get the bus down the mountain from Machu Picchu. Ironically even though it was raining heavily at Machu Picchu, it was not raining down in the valley a few miles away at Aquas Calientes.

Huayna Picchu

For our second day, we had secured a permit many months ahead of time to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu. There are only 400 precious permits issued each day to climb to the top of this picturesque mountain. Two hundred for the 7 AM hike and two hundred for the 10 AM entrance time. The climb is strenuous and not for everyone. If you choose to hike, prepare yourself for a 60 to 90-minute hike up steep, uneven stairs carved into the side of a mountain. It is a tough climb in high altitude. If you do make it to the top, you will be rewarded with tremendous views. But this is not the only hiking opportunity at Machu Picchu. Similar views can also be found by hiking to the top of Machu Picchu mountain, as well as the Inca Road to the Sun Gate. There is even a hike you can take to see an old Inca Bridge. Needless to say, there are many things to see and do at Machu Picchu. You will need much more than a 3 to 4-hour visit to fully appreciate the site.

Machu Picchu Map

Machu Picchu Map from Cachi Machu Picchu Tour provider

Should you hike the Inca Trail?

Many adventure travelers book two or five-day hikes along the Inca Trail in order to get to Machu Picchu. I can only imagine that this is an incredible experience and the true way to see Machu Picchu. There are limited hiking permits available to hike the trail. Also, much preparation is needed to be ready for the journey. I would suggest you research your options well ahead of time. You can book excursions when you are in Cusco, but it is well worth thinking through hiking options in Peru and making plans before you arrive in Peru.

The goal of most backpackers who hike the Inca Trail is to enter Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate and then hike down into Machu Picchu. Most people do not choose this option because of time, cost, physical limitations, or simply because backpacking is not their thing. But, you can still experience the Inca Trail by reverse hiking from Machu Picchu back up to the Sun Gate. It is a two-hour round trip hike that is not quite as dramatic as the traditional entrance through the Sun Gate, but it is still a reasonable alternative that almost anyone can do.

Inca Trail Map with Elevation

Map from Cachi Inca Trail Tours

Machu Picchu is the goal, but not the only Inca site around Cusco. It is a good idea to prepare yourself by seeing smaller Inca sites near Cusco and in the Sacred Valley. We visited Sacsahuanan, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo. These are significant Inca sites that show the building capabilities of the Incas and gave us a good context with which to further appreciate the mastery of Machu Picchu. There are also additional sites worth considering such as the agricultural terraces at Moray and the Salt Works at Maras. After Machu Picchu, we opted to continue our travel overland across the Altiplano to Lake Titicaca. Along the way, there were smaller Inca sites that provided a good post-transition from Machu Picchu. All of these helped us to fully appreciate the uniqueness of this area of Peru and the ancient people who helped to establish its identity.

Should you enhance your experience by visiting other Inca sites?

Machu Picchu is the goal, but not the only Inca site around Cusco. It is a good idea to prepare yourself by seeing smaller Inca sites near Cusco and in the Sacred Valley. We visited Sacsahuanan, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo. These are significant Inca sites that show the building capabilities of the Incas and gave us a good context with which to further appreciate the mastery of Machu Picchu.

Where to Stay near Machu Picchu

Booking.com

Conclusion

All of these questions I listed require you to pre-plan and make decisions before you get to Peru. It is by no means a complete list, but it is a good place to start. Most people who book through a tour agent simply do not realize that they have many different options. Many of the choices I listed will not significantly raise the cost of your trip, but they may have a major impact on your overall experience.

There are no wrong choices, but since most visitors will have limited time and money to visit Machu Picchu, it is worth doing some research and deciding upon a plan that will provide you with a full and enriching journey. Since your trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, it should be a collection of experiences you want to have, rather than choices made for you by a tour agent