How To Visit Machu Picchu In A Day
Imagine an alternate world where you have booked the time off, paid for the flights and now the dream of visiting the majestic, ancient wonder of Machu Picchu is finally in sight.
No more staring at the cover of National Geographic, wondering, “Is it really that good in real life?” you are about to find out! (Spoiler alert… it is!)
However, what happens when the reality of embarking on an expensive, 3-day trek through the Peruvian Andes to get to the ancient Incan citadel is one that unfortunately does not fit your travel budget or time frame?
Read on to find out how to visit Machu Picchu in a day without blowing your entire trip's budget.
Disclaimer - this blog post contains affiliate links where we can earn a commission if you make a purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).
Machu Picchu Day Trip: Quick Facts
Location: outside the town of Aguas Calientes, Peru
Closest City: Cusco (45miles/75km away)
Discovered (Scientifically): 1911, by History Professor Hiram Bingham
Altitude: 2,430m (7,970ft) - significantly lower in altitude to neighbouring Cusco at 3,399m (11,152ft)
Visiting in one day tour option: Machu Picchu Full Day Tour from Cusco
Peru Rail (Expedition Class) train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Can you do Machu Picchu in a day from Cusco?
We will start by answering a very common question: is it possible to do Machu Picchu in a day from Cusco? The answer - absolutely yes!
When people think of visiting Machu Picchu, they often think about the long hike to Machu Picchu (known as the Inca Trail), and naturally begin to wonder whether it is possible to do this in a solitary day.
Unfortunately, completing the Inca Trail in a single day is impossible, but you can still visit Machu Picchu from Cusco in a day if you choose the train, bus, and transfer options.
In this article, we will explain to you how to visit Machu Picchu in a day - outlining how to make the day trip to Machu Picchu independently, as well as highlighting the best tour to take if you plan on embarking on a Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco.
Why choose the Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco option?
In truth, there is no cheap option when visiting Machu Picchu. With most people opting for the infamous 3-4 day Inca Trail Trek and willing to part with upwards of £700 ($900) per person, at first glance, it can seem more than a little intimidating.
The other less-documented option when hiking to Machu Picchu is the incredible Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. This 5/6 day trek is not for the faint-hearted but offers some of the most rewarding experiences in the Peruvian Andes.
The reality, though, is if, like us, you are travelling on a tight budget and are trying to get as much out of your time in South America as possible, a day trip option will be more affordable without sacrificing too much on the overall experience.
As one of the best day trips from Cusco, Machu Picchu is going to be the highlight of your Peru adventure. So, if you don’t have time to fit in the full trek, a day-trip option is going to be perfect for you.
We were backpacking through South America for 6-weeks and didn’t realistically have the time to do the Inca trail - we had too many things to see in South America and not enough time to see them.
Pros and Cons of taking a day-trip to Machu Picchu from Cusco:
Pros of visiting Machu Picchu in one day
Significantly cheaper than the full Inca/Salkantay trek
Good for a limited time/rushed schedule
Still plenty of time to see the ruins and explore
No fitness level is required and it is suitable for all mobility levels
Experience winding through lush green forests and narrow gorges on the Peru Rail train to Aguas Calientes.
An all-weather-friendly option - no one wants to trek in the Peruvian rainy season.
A handier option for last-minute booking
Cons of visiting Machu Picchu in one day
You won’t be doing the Inca Trail Trek
It will be a LONG day (4am-9pm potentially)
If you want to explore more than the Incan city itself (i.e. Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain at an additional cost) it might feel rushed
You are a little more restricted as to what time you arrive at Machu Picchu
The views that await on your Machu Picchu Day Trip
How to visit Machu Picchu on a 1 Day Trip from Cusco
Option 1 - Book a Machu Picchu day trip package (how we chose to do it)
When it comes to booking a Machu Picchu Day Trip, there are 2 main options for international travellers - GetYourGuide and Viator. Underneath, we have highlighted both tour companies and given you our recommendation of the best day trip to Machu Picchu from Cusco.
Our 1st Choice: GetYourGuide
Price: 5/5
Reputation: 5/5
Reviews: 4.7/5
Best option for travellers from Europe and Oceania
Our 2nd Best Choice: Viator
Price: 4/5
Reputation: 5/5
Reviews: 4.5/5
Best option for travellers from North and South America
Opting for an all-inclusive tour package instantly removes the stress of planning your Machu Picchu day trip.
By booking via a tour agency, such as Get Your Guide or Viator, you are handing all the hard-to-navigate ticket options, possible delays and transport routes to a local, knowledgeable tour operator.
Get Your Guide and Viator act as a search engine for all the available tour options for your trip itinerary, allowing you to filter through reviews and opt for the most suitable tour for you.
This is also a super easy option for those prone to a little last-minute planning, like ourselves!
Machu Picchu tickets sell out fast due to the introduction of an entrance cap, where only 2500 people are permitted access to the UNESCO World Heritage Site daily.
Booking via a local tour operator is one way of getting around these restrictions, as they often receive a percentage of the daily quota of tickets before they are released to the public. It is, however, still advisable to book at least a few weeks in advance, as even these tickets sell out during busy seasons (May-September).
You can read all about the best day-tour to Machu Picchu (from Cusco) that we went on - it really was an incredible day trip and we would 100% recommend it!
What our Machu Picchu Day Trip included and cost:
Pick-up from our individual hostel in Cusco via private minibus
Transport to the Ollantaytambo train station (just outside Cusco)
Round-trip train fare for Peru Rail in the Expedition class to Aguas Calientes
Priority boarding and return bus fare from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu entrance
Professional tour guide and entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
Free time to roam the ruins after a 2.5hr guided tour
Free time in the touristic town of Aguas Calientes
Complimentary transport from Ollantaytambo station to Cusco hostel
Approx total: £234/$296 per person (not including food or drink)
You can find our Machu Picchu full day tour from Cusco through Get Your Guide here.
Option 2 - Organise a Machu Picchu day trip yourself
If you are sitting at home and planning your trip of a lifetime with all the time in the world to navigate through all of the often confusing Peruvian websites, then by all means, option 1 may be for you.
By booking every aspect of your Machu Picchu day trip yourself, you can ultimately tailor every departure and arrival time to your own needs whilst avoiding any unnecessary agency fees.
Breakdown of everything you will need to book, including estimated prices):
Train (return to Cusco) - ~£97/$135 in High Season or £64/$90 in Low Season
Entrance ticket - ~£33/$45
Tour Guide (Mandatory for all visitors) - ~£27/$40 - 2.5hr guided tour (find a guide at Machu Picchu entrance)
Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu - ~£26/$35/ (can be bought online here)
Approx. total: ~£183/$255 - not including food or transport from accommodation in Cusco to San Pedro train station.
Of course this option provides complete flexibility, leaving some aspects to book as and when you get there and allowing you to visit the Incan city on your own terms.
However, one element to consider when travelling anywhere in South America is allowing time for the (often enviable!) South American relaxed pace. Sometimes buses depart before they’re due, sometimes they leave an hour after they were supposed to, and sometimes they won’t show up because, “it’s a bank holiday today, didn’t you know?”.
If you plan to do Machu Picchu independently, then you will need a handy Machu Picchu packing list to know exactly what you’ll need for the adventure.
Although we would usually encourage not rushing and accepting such moments as ‘part of the experience’ when attempting a trip that relies pretty heavily on train times, bus times and entrance times aligning up just right, delays and cancellations can make for a very stressful trip.
If this is something you wish to avoid, then option 1 might be more to your suiting.
Machu Picchu Tickets - what you have to buy to visit Machu Picchu in a day on your own
Remember that even when you choose to visit Machu Picchu in one day independently, there are still certain things you will need to book in advance - your tickets for Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, for example.
Here is a full breakdown of the ticket options you can buy in advance, the prices and a link to where you can buy them from:
Round-trip Bus Ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu Entrance (~£28/$35)
Machu Picchu Entrance Ticket (~£51/$63)
Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain Ticket (~£61/$80)
Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu Ticket (~£62/$84)
Machu Picchu Ticket + Bus Ticket from Aguas Calientes + Guide for Machu Picchu (~£122/$155)
Why we feel you should opt for the Machu Picchu guided day tour option
First and foremost, the Machu Picchu day tour option removes all the stress from your day.
You are safe in the knowledge that you will be picked up from your hotel/hostel, get you to the train station, secure your transport from Machu Picchu village up to Machu Picchu, get your tickets in advance and get you a guide at the entrance.
Machu Picchu is one of those once-in-a-lifetime activities that you want to enjoy and fully relax while you discover the famous site. You don’t want to be constantly looking at your phone, trying to work out if you have enough time to make the final coach down to the train station.
Instead, you can go on a day tour knowing that 100% of your day has been taken care of for you.
Is visiting Machu Picchu in one day worth it?
We certainly had some reservations beforehand as to whether we might feel rushed or if missing out on the 3-day trekking option would make our experience somewhat less authentic.
However, the moment you reach that ‘National Geographic front cover shot’ for the first time, Machu Picchu envelops you in all its fame and vastness, rendering how you got there irrelevant.
We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our tour. With some thoughtful spending, you can experience the incredible sights of Machu Picchu in a day without the worry of organising every last bus time.
Booking a tour package saves you the hassle of making sure everything is printed off and confirmed (an arduous task when you decide to book at the last minute and in the middle of your backpacking journey!), leaving you to take in everything the Incan citadel has to offer in.
View from PeruRail carriage
One of the houses at Machu Picchu
So, there we have it, folks, your complete guide on visiting Machu Picchu in one day.
Your two options for visiting Machu Picchu in a day are often stressful but doable ‘do it yourself’ route, where you organise everything from the second you leave your accommodation in Cusco to the moment you return.
Or the second option, a Guided Machu Picchu day tour that is more expensive but a lot less hassle. The choice is now all yours.
One of the things you need to know before backpacking South America, is that Machu Picchu is going to be the biggest expense of your trip - but it’s still likely to be the highlight of your adventure!
