Explore Cusco and Machu Picchu

Where to stay and How to get around in Cusco

Overview

We spent 3 days in the Cusco area. The first day we went on a tour of the Incan ruins around the city, shopped at the central market, and went to a dinner show. The second day we went on a bike ride, did ziplines, and rode the train to Aguas Calientes. The third day we toured Machu Picchu, Waynapicchu, shopped in Aguas Calientes, and took a train and then a car back to Cusco. The next morning we flew to Arequipa.

Transportation

Incas built the roads in Cusco. They are tiny and made of stone. There are walls on either side, and there is only room for one-way travel. That doesn’t stop the Peruvians from going both ways, though. Traveling in Cusco takes a lot of cooperation, and drivers often have to back up to a wider spot in the road so cars can get past each other.

Tour Provided Transportation

Javier from Moroni Travel arranged our travel in and around Cusco. He picked us up in a large tourist van. He arranged for all of our travel while in Cusco and the surrounding area. It was nice not to have to worry about it, but it definitely cost more.

Taxi

There are plenty of taxis. You could easily hail taxis on the street, or have your hotel arrange taxis for you during your stay in Cusco.

If use taxis in Cusco, you will still likely want to book a with a tour guide to get to Machu Picchu, as it is a several hour drive to Ollantaytambo, where you will catch the train to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. I will discuss Machu Picchu options in a later section of this page.

Sacred Valley

Inca Trail Bike Ride and Zipline on the Way to Machu Picchu

This was so much fun. We were driven about 2 hours to the highest pass in Cusco, called Abra Malaga at 14,000 ft. elevation. It was foggy and cold, and I was glad we brought jackets. It warmed up after about 30 minutes. We got on mountain bikes, and rode downhill for 45 miles on paved winding mountain roads. We rode through several small river flows. We finished at 4000 ft. elevation in the town of Santa Maria. Our van followed us the whole way to keep our things with us, provide us some protection from passing cars, as well as provide help if necessary. Non-cyclists can ride in the van. You can see the road we were riding on in the background of the picture with us in orange vests.

At Santa Maria we ate a delicious 4 course meal in a little restaurant, then took a taxi to the zipline. The taxi ride was an adventure. The dirt road followed the Sacred River. It was wide enough for 1 car, but had traffic both ways. Around corners, the driver honked his horn in case someone was coming the other way. To pass cars, one had to stop at a wide section to let the other through.

The zip lines were very fun. There were 5 ziplines going across a canyon, the longest was 500 meters. The brakes consisted of grabbing the wire with a gloved hand. They let us go upside down, head first, seated, or tandem with one of the operators. The whole experience was a blast, and I felt it was a safe operation.

After the zipline, was a taxi ride to the train station. We rode PeruRail for 45 minutes to Aguas Calientes, at the base of Machu Picchu. We could only take a back pack on the train, so we left the majority of our luggage back at the hotel in Cusco. The train was nice, with big windows in the side and top of the car.

Javier arranged a bike ride and zipline. We could have done rafting too, but as a missionary, we didn't think our son would be able to go. However another Missionary Mom said the Mission President was ok with rafting. Check with your Mission President.

Aguas Calientes

Machu Picchu and WaynaPicchu

Machu Picchu and Waynapicchu- These are not to be missed. Amazing! You need to book these in advance because they only let a certain amount of people in each day. How far in advance depends on whether you are going during high or low season. High season is May through October. It is best to be safe and book 2-3 months in advance. Book WaynaPicchu at the same time. Booking Machu Picchu yourself is confusing and has to be done through a government site that is in Spanish. This is why I found Javier in the first place. Another Missionary Mom, Sister Sullivan booked Machu Picchu on her own. I will include her notes after this section.

We stayed the night in Aguas Calientes, a quaint little village at the base of Machu Picchu. There are no cars, and the only way to get there is by train or hiking. The streets are very steep, so if you aren't in shape, you may want to pick a hotel near the train station.

We went to the bus station at 5:15 a.m. and got in line to head to Machu Picchu. We boarded a bus about 5:45, and arrived in Machu Picchu at 6:15. It was foggy, but the sun came out around 10 a.m. Our tour guide, Elber took us around to the different areas of Machu Picchu and explained the history of the place. He finished his tour around 8:30, and we were able to wander around on our own until our scheduled time for Waynapicchu at 10 a.m.

We went to the line for Waynapicchu about 20 minutes early. The entrance is on the far side of Machu Picchu. This is about a 45 minute hike, mostly up stone stairs. They let 200 people hike at a time it. Once you get to the top, there is a city, much like Machu Picchu, but up higher with sheer drop offs. The views are amazing. Coming down, you go down a flight of stairs that are 3 feet wide, with stairs that are about 6 inches thick. There’s a giant drop off on one side, and a wall on the other. A little bit further on, you go down another staircase that is 1 foot wide, with stairs that are about 6 inches deep, with no handrail, and terraces on either side. It’s steep enough, that you can hold onto the stairs behind you to help you keep your balance. It was a bit scary, enough to get your heart pumping.

After Waynapicchu, we were supposed to eat lunch at the restaurant just outside the Machu Picchu entrance, but we misunderstood, and took the bus back to Aguas Calientes. If you book with Javier, realize that the lunch is up at Machu Picchu, not back down in the city.

Booking Machu Picchu Yourself

Sister Sullivan's notes

I contacted Tambo Tours and set up a Sacred Valley tour from Cusco to Ollantaytambo. It was a good deal and the driver was great, but didn’t speak English. He was a wealth of information, however, and excited to show us stuff along the way. Beautiful and so amazing. This cost $119 and we traveled in van.

We stayed in Ollantaytambo instead of Aguas Calientes. It depends on how early you want to get into MachuPicchu and if you are climbing HuaynaPicchu. We stayed at Intitambo Hotel, which we booked through airbnb.com. Nothing fancy but clean and comfy. They packed us breakfast to take on the train since we were leaving so early in the morning.

Train ride is about 45 minutes from Ollantaytambo and expensive. It cost $345 round trip for three. No matter where you stay, you’re going to end up taking the train one way or the other. There are two companies—Peru Rail and Inca Rail. I bought tickets through Peru Rail online. Once you get to Cusco area, you have to validate the tickets at a PeruRail location but they are readily available. I did it in the airport.

Bus ride up to MachuPicchu cost $72 for three. Buy when you are there. You have to take the bus. You can't walk. It is a short ride, but winding and steep.

Entrance to MachuPicchu and HuaynaPicchu was 474.39 soles for the three of us. Purchase Machu Picchu tickets online at the Peruvian government site. It’s all in Spanish. There are other tour companies that can make the reservation for you too. It was about $150 for the three of us to do both MP and HP.

Your ticket lets you into MP at any time during the day and you can wander at your leisure or hire a guide right there. We bought a MP guidebook before we left home that was really good. I’ve heard mixed reports on the guides. One missionary couple we ran into told us they finally just “released” their guide and wandered on their own.

Huayna Picchu is the cone-shaped mountain that you see in the background of most pictures of MP. The hike took us about 45 minutes and that was hiking fast. It was absolutely beautiful and the views were breathtaking but it was exhausting! After hiking around the day before through the Sacred Valley and then doing that hike, it was hard for me to do all of MP. (and I’m in pretty good shape).

We also did a bike ride in the sacred valley and a zipline through KB Tambo tours. You can make arrangements ahead of time or when you are there.