Some trips are born twice - Peru April - May 2025 (page 9 of 13)

According to my son, when you arrive at the power station (or at least where the bus drops you off), since there are lots of passengers taking these buses, there are shared taxis waiting to take them to Machu Picchu for about ten soles. On the way back, it's the same, but you might have to wait a bit to fill up the minibus.

Swiss trains to go up, for example, to the Jungfrau are indeed very expensive, but I don’t think some are reserved for Swiss locals or even that just being Swiss gives you a discount?

That’s right, no trains are reserved for Swiss people. Discounts do exist, yes, with the Half-Fare travelcard or the Jungfrau Travel Pass. The latter can actually be purchased by tourists.

That said, I don’t think you can compare the train to Jungfraujoch or the one to Gornergrat in Zermatt with the trains to Aguas Calientes. At Jungfraujoch, the ice cave and other “attractions” are included in the train ticket. Plus, whether it’s for Jungfraujoch or Gornergrat, building the railways and tunnels was certainly much more complex, and the scenery is simply incomparable.

You’re right, the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes is way too expensive for what you get.

I think it’s even more expensive than train tickets in France, which have become totally absurd.

They take advantage of it because it’s the only way to get directly to Ollantaytambo.

True, there’s no way to avoid the train unless you do a multi-day hike or take a bus or rental car to the nearest road terminus: the hydroelectric plant.

From there, it’s a 2- to 3-hour hike along the tracks in either direction or a train to Aguas Calientes, which is also very expensively priced for non-locals.

And after all that, another bus to the ruins or more walking…

It’s earned! Still not enough given the crowds and the entry quotas in place

The distance is about 45 km, and if you calculate the price per kilometer, apart from some Swiss trains, there’s nothing comparable in Europe! At least not in France.

True, I didn’t think to compare the kilometers but rather the travel time. If we look at the distances, the train to Aguas Calientes is really expensive.

A question: Why not take the bus? My son was there last April and paid the equivalent of 14 € for the trip. But according to him, the visit to Machu Picchu was sectioned off—he could only see part of it! 🙁

It seems the journey from Cusco to Hidroelectrica takes about 6-7 hours. Then, you either have to walk for about two hours or take a shuttle. For me, that’s a waste of time on a three-week trip.

Regarding the visit to Machu Picchu, it’s true that you can no longer explore the entire site with just one ticket. A total scam, but we don’t really have a choice. So we bought two tickets—one for the morning and another for the afternoon. It was the best way to make the most of the site. I’ll share more details later in the travel journal.

One thing’s for sure: visiting Machu Picchu is expensive when you factor in the train, shuttle, and entrance tickets. But personally, we don’t regret going at all.

Yeah, I get it about the wasted time. My son was away for 6 months and had plenty of time ahead of him... But I still don’t understand why he couldn’t get a ticket for the whole site. He could only visit part of it. Okay, got it with your second message...

It’s earned! Haven’t seen enough of the world yet, and the entry quotas in place

It’s earned, but I couldn’t have imagined a traveler’s life without catching a glimpse of this magical place… No wonder it draws so many people…

As for the quotas, back in the day, it was a total farce imposed by UNESCO to keep its title. The quotas were based on an annual average, so they could welcome 10,000 people in a single day as long as there were days with only 1,000 to balance it out. I don’t know if that’s still the case

Here’s the official site that’ll help you understand the different tickets better. https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/circuitos-y-rutas-de-visita/ There are three circuits, and within those, you’ve got variants A and B, and even C and D for circuits 1 and 3.

I gave up on the Jungfrau. It was honestly way too expensive. I didn’t regret it when I saw the crowd waiting for that train.🤪

For the Gornergrat, I’d bought a multi-day pass. Lost in the rest, it wasn’t that pricey.

No passes in Peru! [;]

I gave up on the Jungfrau. It was honestly way too expensive. I didn’t regret it when I saw the crowd waiting for that train. Crazy

We were there in 2020. Tickets were on sale. 🙂 Anyway, even under normal circumstances, you really have to *want* to go—ending up with all those Asian tourists following each other in a single file…

I’ve got nothing against people from Asia, but at the Jungfraujoch, it’s just too much. 🏴‍☠️

Besides, you don’t actually climb the Jungfrau. You need to be a mountaineer to do that. 😉 Our son had an incredible trip—from the Jungfraujoch, they skied all the way down to the Lötschental in the Valais canton.

I forgot to mention that we got a discount on train trips by going through Laurent. In the end, we only paid $2 more than you in 2014.🙂

You probably got a local (or resident) fare in Peru. It’s not the same as the one shown online and charged to foreigners who buy with a credit card from abroad.

It’s hard-earned, but I couldn’t imagine a traveler’s life without catching a glimpse of this magical place...

It’s true—Machu Picchu is amazing! I also have great memories of Tikal in Guatemala and El Tajín in Mexico as pre-Columbian ruins. 😛

It’s hard-earned, but I couldn’t imagine a traveler’s life without catching a glimpse of this magical place...

It’s true—Machu Picchu is amazing! I also have great memories of Tikal in Guatemala and El Tajín in Mexico as pre-Columbian ruins. 😛

Cool, so many places I still haven’t seen!! In Mexico, I was blown away by the site of Coba, near Tulum—it was deserted when we visited (we could climb to the top of the main pyramid).

Guatemala is at the top of my to-do list...

Regarding the visit to Machu Picchu, it’s indeed no longer possible to explore the entire site with a single ticket. A scam, but we don’t really have a choice. So we bought two tickets—one for the morning and another for the afternoon. It was the best way to really enjoy the site. You’ll find out more in the rest of the travel journal...

During my first visit to MP (a long time ago), you’d buy your ticket at the entrance to the Citadel. I don’t remember the price. The *Guide Bleu Hachette* at the time only mentioned “paid access.” The *Routard Pérou* didn’t exist yet.



You could move freely around the entire site. There were very few visitors. It was August 1st. I climbed, without any checkpoint at the starting point, all the way to the top of Huayna Picchu. The main challenge was switching sides through a narrow passage. There were only three of us “mountaineers” (one Peruvian, one Argentinian, and me).

Hello Carmen,

Still a fan of your travel journals, and this one is no exception—it’s gorgeous! 🙂

Did you consider hiring a driver for this route instead of taking the train? The train fare is really expensive, and with a group, it might be worth it, but travelers rarely go for that option. Is it even possible to reach Aguas Calientes that way?

Can’t wait to see your visit to Machu Picchu! Thanks for sharing!

Sorry for the answer, but it’s not possible after all

hi

... the option of taking a vehicle with a driver for this route instead of the train? I have the answer, sorry: it’s actually not possible

on this page, they show the main ways to access Machu Picchu. See also the image below to learn about the different routes leading to Aguas Calientes.

Thanks so much, Luc! 🙂

Monday, May 5

We wake up at 4:45 AM, have a very hearty breakfast, then head to the street where the buses to Machu Picchu depart. There are a lot of people, but the lines are well organized. Everything is perfectly managed: ticket checks, passport verification, then boarding the buses. We can enter the Machu Picchu site at seven o’clock.

We head to the agricultural terraces. This morning, clouds and mist envelop the place, giving it an almost unreal and mystical atmosphere. We start by visiting the lower part following the marked circuit: everything is well indicated, and the guards ensure visitors follow the rules.





At nine o’clock, we begin the ascent of Wayna Picchu. Climbing this iconic mountain is a dream we’re finally touching. The trail rises quickly, the steps follow one after another, sometimes slippery, and we have to use ropes in certain spots. The vegetation is lush, some passages make you feel like you’re in the middle of the jungle. The mist is ever-present and gives the site a nearly dramatic dimension.

Some sections are very steep, and some tourists give up, lacking the physical strength to continue. The last stairs are particularly sheer, with shallow steps and, surprisingly, no rope to hold onto. One wrong step, and the fall would be dizzying.

You can make out the stairs

More stairs, barely visible in the mist

After about an hour of climbing, we reach the summit of Wayna Picchu. The mist hasn’t lifted, but occasionally, a break in the clouds lets us glimpse the landscape and the archaeological site.

We stay a good hour at the summit before descending via the back. We have to cross a very narrow passage. Our backs scrape against the mountain wall, Benoît even has to take off his backpack. We take a break at a second viewpoint. The sun appears behind the clouds but never fully breaks through.

We continue the descent to the site, then follow circuit number 3. We admire the Temple of the Condor and other ruins before leaving. Despite the mist, we’re fully satisfied with our Wayna Picchu ascent: a dream come true. 🙂

The view from the summit of Wayna Picchu



The mist is lifting Some details of the Temple of the Condor: here, the condor’s head

A condor is visible in one of the wings

Before meeting up with our guide Dione for the afternoon tour, we’re going to grab a bite to eat. We’d booked two tickets: one for Wayna Picchu in the morning and another for Circuit 2 at 1 p.m. The sun is out, and the rest of our Machu Picchu discovery promises to be amazing.

With Dione, the visit takes on a whole new dimension. Her explanations bring the stones to life. She tells us about the discovery and exploration of the site, the Inca people, their beliefs, their ingenuity in construction, the role of the sun in the design of the temples, and so much more. She draws our attention to many details we wouldn’t have noticed on our own. The way she tells the story makes the site come alive—it feels like we’re traveling back in time. Without her, we wouldn’t have enjoyed this wonder nearly as much. Plus, visiting the site with an official guide gives you access to areas that are off-limits to the public.

As we leave Machu Picchu, we take the bus to Aguas Calientes. We pick up one of our backpacks at Panorama B&B, then take a stroll through the village. After grabbing a pizza, we catch the train to Ollantaytambo and arrive at Hotel Tierra Inka at 8:00 p.m.





















For the rest of the travel journal, here’s the link: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=11468724;a=11468724