Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco
Description
Local experts for an easy way to visit Machu Picchu with a special cancellation poliy, all details are arranged: ticket train on premium departures from/to Machu Picchu, bus on shift to go up and down the citadel, morning shift entrance fee, and expert local guide. Feel the energy, hear the stories and history of one of the most attractive places over the World. VIPAC refund cancellation Policy: if you cancel your booking before 20 days of the tour departure, we will refund 80% of the total amount. Cancellations with less than 20 days prior of the tour departure are non refundable in 100%. Due to high demand of visitors to Machu Picchu and limited capacity, we suggest to book 60 days prior. Last minute bookings, less than 60 days, can be booked on midday and afternoon shifts.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Cusco Hotel Pickup and Transfer to Train Station Begin your adventure with a pickup from your hotel in Cusco, followed by a transfer to the train station.
Train Journey to Aguas Calientes Enjoy a scenic 1.5-hour train ride, where you can choose between various train options, such as the Expedition, Vistadome, Executive Class 360, or Voyager, each offering unique ways to take in the beautiful landscapes. Once you arrive at Aguas Calientes station, board a small bus to begin your journey up the winding road to Machu Picchu.
Discover the awe-inspiring ruins of Machu Picchu, known as the Lost City of the Incas, with its terraces, shrines, steps, and urban areas, while your expert guide walks you through the historic site. There will be time to be alone and fully embrace this magnificent wonder of the world, letting this once in a lifetime experience set in.
After your exploration, head back to Aguas Calientes station to board the train for your return trip to Cusco.
Relax and enjoy the scenic train journey back to Cusco, where your day concludes with a transfer to your hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This activity includes roundtrip transfer from your hotel, apartment or your house.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- MANDATORY: The Authority of Machu Picchu asks full name, passport number, date of birth, nationality details to issue the admission ticket.
- The admission ticket of Machu Picchu is NOT REFUNDABLE and date changes or amendments are NOT accepted. *If you need to change your visit date, you will need to purchase a new entrance ticket.
- Due to high demand and limited entrances to the citadel, VIPAC will issue your admission ticket on trail 2 as a priority. If it is not available, trail 3 or 1 will be provided, after prior coordination with the passenger before issuance.
- Machu Picchu Admission ticket and train tickets are included in this tour. Our sales team will send them 72 hour after paid.
- Shifts entry by hours from 6 am to 3 pm. Our shared tour considers 9 am, 10 am and 11 am shifts. If the shifts are not available, we will open a new shared tour in the next hour available. Our staff will inform you for acceptance.
- Travelers must arrive to Cusco city at least one day before Machu Picchu day tour. The authority of Machu Picchu do not accept travel date ammends of admission ticket.
- This shared tour could have a waiting time of up to 40 minutes to start the tour, depending on Machu Picchu shift time and train timetable avaliability.
- One day before the company's staff will contact the travelers to send the pick-up time through Viator or Tripadvisor experiences extranet.
- For weather reasons, from January to March, all excursions departs on bimodal service (Bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo & train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
- The guided tour inside Machu Picchu takes around 2h 30m following a delimited trail.
- Machu Picchu has two seasons. Rainy season from December to March. Dry season, the rest of the year.
- VIPAC is not responsible for flight cancellations or delays. We recommend arriving in Cusco one day before the scheduled tour date."
- Machu Picchu has implemented new visitor circuits, with three main routes with specific differences to distribute passengers in various areas. These changes are intended to improve the visitor experience and preserve the integrity of the archaeological site. The circuit with route 2 will be given as priority and if it is not available, the options of taking circuit 3B or circuit 1B will be informed so that you can confirm your decision before the tickets are issued.
- Remember that, if you are a Peruvian national, you must have a valid National Identity Document (DNI) in order to be able to issue your ticket to Machu Picchu. In addition, this document must be sent through the corresponding platform and presented on the day of the visit. The system does not allow the issuance of tickets with a passport for Peruvian citizens.
- The option to take the Panoramic Circuit 1 tour from the moment you enter the Citadel of Machu Picchu can be extended for a maximum of 2 hours.
Reviews(1,703)
My experience with the guide Brissel was amazing, the guide was super attentive and told us the whole story of the place.
A remarkable and reflective experience about how we can live. Wonderful and unique landscapes.
was an amazing experience guide and transportation where punctual & informative
The tour was excellent. The best thing, besides being able to see Machu Picchu, was our guide Brisel. An excellent guide with great professionalism and empathy toward me, as in my case, I could not climb the stairs well due to a lack of oxygen. She helped and comforted me. Furthermore, her tour was excellent; her arguments were based on scientific data, providing names of specialists and data based on research. My friend and I are history teachers and we appreciated her knowledge... and also her willingness to make our visit a great adventure.
I was so grateful that all the logistics of getting to Machu Picchu and obtaining a guide and tickets were handled. Everything was perfect. Our driver picked us up precisely at the designated time (5am in Cusco) and drove us to the train station. From there we traveled on the Peru Rail Vistadome…we were so fortunate that it was us and a handful of other travelers on the train. We rested, had snacks and were invited to the back of the train to take pictures and listen to regional music. Once we arrived at Aquas Calientes, our local guide was waiting for us right outside the station. He guided us to the bus line up to Macchu Picchu. It was about 30 minutes up the mountain and he then managed us through the entry lines. All our tickets (train, bus and Macchu Picchu) were previously emailed to us the day before. (Also we booked this 6 months ahead of our trip) Our guide was awesome and after 2 plus hours in Macchu Picchu, we were back in the town. He directed us to a local restaurant and gave us directions on boarding our train back to Cusco. Other than a train delay, it was an effortless day and a truly valuable experience to have all the details and tickets handled for us. It was a long day- not going to lie- but truly worth it if you time is limited and you just want everything taken care of for you.
Starting in the early morning from the hotel on a bus to reach Agues Calientes, From there hopped on a train of the Peruvian railway for a wonderful ride on a scenic journey to the base camp , From there another bus ride to reach the archaeological site , The entire trip is well organised , the bus ride to Agues Calientus was on our own bus , the rest was part of the ticket . The way every part of the trip is organised has to be appreciated . The tour around the site is also well planned with good crowd management and adequate precautions taken to preserve the structure and the environment , The actual experience of seeing the site is amazing especially with a good guide with you who can explain everything , it was an unforgettable experience
We booked our Machu Picchu trip well in advance (back in November 2025), so we expected the logistics to be seamless, especially considering the premium price we paid. Unfortunately, the overall experience did not match the level of comfort and service we anticipated. The biggest issue was the planning. The train timings and our Machu Picchu entrance tickets were scheduled so closely together that we had to rush throughout the journey. Since the booking was made months in advance, we expected better coordination to avoid unnecessary stress. We were also disappointed with the train and the train coach that was assigned to us. There were better trains for the amount we paid per person, we expected to be seated in one of those. While we understand that passengers may not always be able to choose their coach, we assumed this would be considered when booking a premium-priced package. Another frustrating aspect was the pickup time. Although our scheduled pickup was 7:00 a.m., we were collected at 6:30 a.m. for a train departing at 8:23 a.m. This felt unnecessarily early, especially when we later saw passengers arriving just minutes before departure. Combined with the one-hour train delay on our return journey and the disappointing seating assignment, the overall experience fell well short of our expectations. Machu Picchu itself is extraordinary, but the travel arrangements did not reflect the premium experience we believed we were paying for. We hope the company improves its planning and customer experience for future travelers.
What a long day, but It Is So Worth It! Machu Picchu is everything you think it will be and then some! What a beauty! The transfers were handled very well from Laura who picked us up from our hotel, to Veronica who guided us on our tour in Machu Picchu, to Fernando who picked us up from the train station to take us back to our hotel. Just pay attention to your train or bus number and departure time and everything should be seamless. Veronica was such a knowledgeable tour guide and a great photographer. She made our first visit to Machu Picchu unforgettable. It was an awesome experience!
Our family of four, including 2 teens, enjoyed a beautiful day exploring Machu Picchu. We received all of our tickets (train, bus, and site entrance) the night before and downloaded them to our phones. Communication from the tour company regarding the itinerary and transportation transfers was detailed so we felt prepared. We were picked up from our hotel and taken to the train station (about a 25-minute shuttle van ride). We booked the Vistadome train and it was absolutely worth it! The large panoramic windows including glass panels in the ceiling allowed us to enjoy the scenic views throughout the ride. The train ride was about 3.5 hours which gave us plenty of time to relax and enjoy the scenery and the onboard entertainment of live music and dancing. Each passenger received a complimentary beverage (coffee, tea, or water) along with a snack box containing a granola bar, healthy chips, chocolate, and candy. Additional snacks and drinks were also available for purchase. Adult passengers each received a small bottle of pisco in a souvenir bag. When we arrived at the Aguas Calientes train station, we were greeted by a transfer guide holding a sign with our name on it. She escorted us to the bus which took about 25 min to reach the Machu Picchu entrance. At the sanctuary, we met our English-speaking guide, Hector, who was knowledgeable and personable. We ended up having a private tour which made the experience more enjoyable. Because we booked our tickets 3 months in advance, we were fortunate to secure Circuit 2 which includes the classic viewpoints and far more access to much of the citadel compared to Circuits 1 and 3. We were able to walk through the ancient ruins, which was an incredible experience. Hector shared fascinating stories about the history, architecture, and significance of Machu Picchu. He also took family photos for us and knew all the best locations for memorable pictures. Our guided tour with Hector lasted about 2 hours. Afterward, we had a couple of hours before our return train which gave us time to enjoy a meal and browse the souvenir shops in the marketplace near the train station. The return trip on the train was similar to the ride there with complimentary snacks and a souvenir. Instead of live music and dancing, the onboard entertainment featured a fun fashion show. By the end of the day, we were exhausted from a 15-hour day from start to finish, but it was absolutely worth it. Visiting one of the new Seven Wonders of the World was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Everything was as expected and as described on this tour. I would recommend booking the VistaDome train. It seems that booking in pairs of two and four will ensure you are seated with people you know. Our guide at the Machu Picchu site was excellent and very passionate about the history and culture of the place.
