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Published: August 26th 2014
Machu Picchu Ticket Office
The Ministry of Culture in Cusco where you can buy a Machu Picchu ticket if you have a train ticket.We wanted to go to Machu Picchu cheaply and at late notice so decided to go by public transport. This is a blog on how we did it.
TO AGUAS CALIENTES
1. First we tried to buy admission tickets to Machu Picchu from the Ministry of Culture in Cusco town. They are located just off Avenue Cultura, down a small street (the first right after the petrol station). There are 3 different tickets available: The first includes climbing Huaynapicchu and is S/150, the second includes climbing Montana Machu Picchu and is S/140 and thirdly general admission only for S/126. We asked about tickets including climbing Machu Picchu but they were sold out for the next 9 days! We then tried to buy general admission tickets however they wouldn't sell them to us because we didn't have a train ticket to Aguas Calientes. We were told we could only buy tickets once we reached Aguas. We checked with the tourist information office and they confirmed you could only prebook tickets in Cusco if you have a train ticket.
2. Next we went to the bus terminal the day before to buy tickets
Quillabamba Terminal
Where buses to Santa Maria leave from for the first bus to Santa Maria. From reading online we thought this was about 5:30am (ish) and we wanted to get the first bus to leave us plenty of travel time. However when we got to the terminal there were signs for the earliest buses leaving at 7:15am. We enquired and it turns out the first buses only left at 7:30am. There are several companies all leaving at the same time. We went with Turismo Ampay and it cost S/20. When we bought tickets there were only a couple of names on the sheet however the bus was full when it left in the morning.
The buses to Santa Maria leave from the Quillabamba terminal on Avenue Antonio Lorena near no 379 and opposite no 232, just past Calle Los Angeles.
3. The following day we left our backpacks at Euro Hostel and set out walking to the terminal at 6:20am. From the hostal we went left down Avenue Grau until we reached the train tracks on Av Del Ejercito. We then turned right and walked along until turning left up Calle Los Angeles. This road leads to the main road Av Antonio Lorena and
the bus terminal is just on the right. We arrived at the terminal at 6:40am. We then bought some fruit, water and breakfast from shops around the terminal.
4. To exit the terminal to the platforms you have to pay a S/0.50 tax and a receipt is stapled to your ticket. Turismo Ampay left from platform 6. We boarded at 7:25am and there was lots of leg room and recline on the bus but no toilets. Unfortunately for us other buses started leaving to Santa Maria but ours didn't leave until 7:50am. We arrived in Urubamba at 9:15am and were met by a lot of women selling breakfast plates, I wished we had waited until then for breakfast as it looked a lot nicer than the sandwich I had from near the terminal. We soon overtook the other buses that had set off and stopped for a break at 10am. Our bus was first to arrive in Santa Maria at 1:10pm.
5. From Santa Maria you need to catch a collectivo to the Hidro Electrica which is past Santa Teresa and where the train leaves from. We were met by the drivers as we
Starting the Walk
Leaving the station at the Hidro Electrico got off the bus and two cars left, each with 4 people. It costs S/15 per person. We just had time to use the bathrooms there for S/0.50 before setting off at 1:15pm.
6. The road towards Santa Teresa and the Hidro Electrica was a single lane, windy track on the edge of a valley passing through a few small water crossings. We dropped 2 passengers in Santa Teresa at the Peru rail desk and picked up 3 more so it was a bit of a squash in the back. We headed out to the Hidro Electrica at 2:05pm and picked up another passenger in the boot. At 2:30pm we reached a desk where we had to sign in with passport information. We got back in the car and a couple of mins later were at the train station to Aguas Calientes where people were starting to get ready to go on the train.
7. We were not catching the train to Aguas Calientes but wanted to walk along the rail lines there. We started off just after 1:30pm and passed a sign and a bit of a map showing where to go. You
are not allowed to walk on the rails but there is a path alongside the track all the way there.
When you set off walking from the station, the rails you need to be following are actually up the hill and there are 3 ways to get there:
-1. Follow the first sign you see leading up a steep track. We didn't go this way as when we first got there we thought it was just a ploy to get you past a restaurant so can't really comment on this route.
-2. Follow the second sign you see by the map on the fence past restaurant Baylon. When you reach the first set of rails follow the sign right and there is a path just on the left up past a possible Inca rock, up a steep hill to the third set of rails. From there it is left to Aguas. This is the way we came back down.
-3. More of an alternative route which we walked on the way. We followed the train tracks along the bottom line until we reached a dead end. Just before the dead end was a fork in the
rails where the train must go, and a man in a hut who told us we needed to head up the hill. From there, scramble up a partial path through the bushes to the top rail tracks and turn left.
8. Once you are on the right path walk along the tracks looking out for passing trains. You will soon reach a railway bridge. From there look up and right and you will see your first glimpses of Machu Picchu. Along the way you can see the guard house and terraces and small dots of people on the top. Keep looking the whole way as the rail line loops around a mountain and back towards Machu Picchu. The path itself is completely flat so not strenuous at all.
9. Again there are a couple of ways to get to Aguas Calientes town.
-1. When you reach the cargo station/rubbish dump follow the path down to the campsite. To the left is the path to Aguas Calientes, on the right is the entrance bridge to Machu Picchu. This is the correct and best way but we once again only ended up going this way
Machu Picchu Entrance
Waiting at the bottom of the hill for the gate to open at 5am. on the way back.
-2. Keep walking along the rails and you will get to go through some tunnels to town.
10. We arrived in Aguas at the fountain by the rail tracks at 4:45pm. From there we followed the signs to square so we could buy tickets to Machu Picchu. Once in the square turn right at the end down Avenue Pachacuter and the ministry of culture is on your left. Very important to bring your actual passport to buy tickets and also to Machu Picchu itself. Admission is S/126 and tickets were valid for 10 days. Ask here for a dodgy map of the site.
Where We Stayed Hospedaje Angies - just off the square, down an alley next to Gringo Bills Hotel. S/40 for a twin room with shared bathroom for 2 nights. We had to haggle for the price but we got soap and a towel. Wifi was available but we didn't use it.
Where We Ate In front of the stadium on the other side of the river we got meat and potato kebab for S/4.
There is a bakery on calle
Machu Picchu Entrance
At the top of the hill waiting for the entrance to open at 6am. The crowds are starting to build as the buses arrive. Chaska Tika (past the stadium) called La Espiga where we got S/4 empanadas and S/3 big cheese croissants.
In the market we ate for S/7 for the menu of the day.
Opposite the stadium on top of the hill was a bar El Mirador. We had 1.1l beers there for S/9.
Also in the market we bought 4 rolls for S/1.
A big water was S/5.
Prices for everything were more expensive in the town especially on the main streets.
TO MACHU PICCHU
1. We left our hostel in Aguas Calientes at 4:10am and headed on the path out of town. We reached the gate to Machu Picchu at 4:30am which was shut. There were about 20 people there before us. We queued up by the gates for the pedestrian bridge on the right hand side. We had some fruit and there is a bin there.
2. The gates opened at 5am. By this time there were about 300 people in the queue. The guards checked our tickets and our original passports and we began the climb up the hill.
3. The
Machu Picchu
View from near the Guard House early in the morning climb up is really hard, especially at altitude. It doesn't follow the road that the bus goes up but cuts through so you are constantly walking up steps to the top. Wear lots of layers. We started off in jumpers, gloves, hats etc but by the top were only wearing vest tops. We arrived at the top at 5:45am. There were about 20 people infront of us in the queue and the first bus (mostly full of staff members) was just arriving.
4. The gates open at 6am. Our ticket and passports were checked again but no bag searches were carried out. Technically (as there are no bins on site) you are not allowed to bring in water that is in disposible containers or any food/snacks but everybody did in their bags, just don't eat in front of the guards and of course bring your rubbish out.
5. When we first entered Machu Picchu we went up more steps to the guard house for views over the site when no-one else was down below. Once we had our classic snaps we went down to the main site whilst it was quiet and hung out
with the llamas. We had bought a book in Aguas Calientes for S/20, so we had some information on the different sites of Machu Picchu which was really useful. I would really recommend a trip to the Sun Temple whilst you are there. It takes approx 45 mins to reach the temple and there are big views of the site as it is right next to Machu Picchu Mountain and the same height as Huanapichu.
6. We stayed wandering around the site until 2:55pm, so nearly 9 hours in total. When we left there were huge queues for the buses back to Aguas. We went back down the steps, reached the bottom at 3:25pm and were back in town at 3:50pm. After a quick shower we had some well deserved beers overlooking the stadium.
BACK TO CUSCO 1. The next morning we checked out of our hostel at 7:40am and walked back towards the entrance to Machu Picchu. At the campsite we turned up the path to the cargo station and walked back along the rails, again looking at Machu Picchu and the height of the mountain we had climbed up the previous
morning. We did some stretches the day before so it was OK walking however the gravel was a bit sore on the bottom of my feet as my trainers were getting a bit worn.
2. We arrived back at the Hidro Electrica at 9:50am. There were a few vehicles there as lots of hikers were being dropped off. One guy called us over and we waited in his car for a bit before being switched to another guys car for a lift to Santa Teresa. We left at 10am with just the two of us in the car and were dropped at the Peru rail office. It cost S/5 to Santa Teresa and arrived at 10:20am.
3. In Santa Teresa we got in a new waiting collectivo, this time with 7 people (a couple in the boot and 4 in the back) to Santa Maria. We arrived in Santa Maria at 11:05am and it cost S/10.
4. When we got to Santa Maria there wasn't a bus leaving for a while. Buses left at 10am, 1pm, 1:30pm and 7:30pm. Fortunately there are also minibuses that leave for Cusco near the tourist
The queue for the bus
People waiting to return to Aguas from Machu Picchu information sign. After a while some other people got dropped off from another minibus and were heading to Cusco so that filled the bus. We left at 11:20am and cost S/30. It was a bit more expensive than the bus but quicker. We had a quick bathroom break on the way and got back to Cusco (near the Quillabamba terminal) at 3:25pm and walked back to our hostel to collect our bags and stay one more night.
TOTAL COSTS FOR THE TRIP FOR TWO PEOPLE Transport to Santa Maria - S/40
Transport to Hidro Electrico - S/30
Transport to Aguas Calientes and up to Machu Picchu - Free (walking)
Entrance Fees - S/252
Hostal in Aguas for 2 nights - S/80
Food - S/43
Beer - S/37
Snacks - S/10.50
Water - S/12.50
Toilet and Toilet Paper - S/2.30
Transport from Machu Picchu and back to Hidro Electrico - Free (walking)
Transport back to Santa Maria - S/30
Transport back to Cusco - S/60
Total Cost for two people = S/597.30 or about $210
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