Cusco to Machu Picchu — How to Plan the Trip (2026)
If you're already in Cusco, the typical trip out to Machu Picchu and back takes 2-3 days. This page explains the logistics from Cusco specifically.
The standard 2-day plan
- Day 1 morning: Cusco → Ollantaytambo (1h30-2h by private transfer, taxi, colectivo, or bus). Have lunch in Ollantaytambo.
- Day 1 afternoon: Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes by train (1h30-1h45). Check into your Aguas Calientes hotel. Dinner in town.
- Day 2 early morning: Bus to citadel entrance. 06:00-08:00 entry slot. Tour your circuit (2.5-3 hours).
- Day 2 afternoon: Bus down to Aguas Calientes. Lunch. Train back to Ollantaytambo (early-mid afternoon). Transfer back to Cusco.
The 3-day plan (more relaxed)
Add a night in the Sacred Valley before the train trip — Ollantaytambo, Urubamba, or Pisac. This gives you time to see Pisac ruins, the Ollantaytambo fortress, or the salt mines of Maras and the circular terraces of Moray. It also drops your altitude from Cusco's 3,400 m to ~2,800 m, which helps acclimatization.
Cusco → Ollantaytambo: how to get there
- Private transfer: $40-70 USD per vehicle (1-4 passengers). Most comfortable, most predictable. Hotel will arrange.
- Colectivo (shared minivan): ~15 PEN ($4) per person. Departs from Pavitos street near the Cusco bus terminal. Leaves when full. ~1h45 travel time.
- Taxi: ~120-150 PEN ($32-40) one way, negotiable.
- Tourist bus: Some agencies run morning buses Cusco → Ollantaytambo with stops at Pisac, Maras, Moray, Chinchero — combining transfer with sightseeing. ~$60-100 USD including lunch.
Trains directly from Cusco
A small number of trains depart from Poroy (the closest train station to Cusco, ~30 min by car) or San Pedro station in central Cusco. These are typically premium-class services (Vistadome, Sacred Valley, Hiram Bingham). Total time: 3.5-4 hours. Fares are $30-50 higher than from Ollantaytambo.
Most travelers find the Cusco → Ollantaytambo by car + Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes by train route faster, cheaper, and more comfortable than the direct Poroy route.
The day-trip from Cusco — possible but punishing
Technically you can leave Cusco before dawn and return at midnight. We don't recommend it.
- 04:00 — leave Cusco
- 05:30 — arrive Ollantaytambo
- 06:10 — train departs
- 07:50 — arrive Aguas Calientes
- 08:30-09:00 — bus + entry
- ~12:00 — finish circuit
- 13:00-14:00 — lunch and last train back to Ollantaytambo
- 17:00-18:00 — back in Cusco
Total day: 14-15 hours of moving. You will be exhausted, the visit will feel rushed, and any single delay (which is common) wrecks the schedule. Spend the extra night in Aguas Calientes if at all possible.