Machu Picchu without an agency

Hello, my wife and I will be in Cusco for a week in March 2027. I’d like to organize the visit to the site on our own, combining the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. We’d leave Cusco on Day 1 to arrive at the site in the morning, then stay in Aguas Calientes or Ollantaytambo, and on Day 2 return to Cusco while visiting the Sacred Valley. Is this doable? Looking forward to hearing from you. Cédric.

hi there, this should be possible: take the train to Aguascalientes. From there, find a bus that goes up to the site. Otherwise, there’s a path that leads up to the site, but it’s a pretty steep climb. You’ll also need to check how much the train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes costs. Check the Perurail website.

Hi there, I don’t know if my answer will still be helpful since my trip to Peru is starting to feel like a while ago (12 years). Things may have changed since then. For my part, I rented a car, which gave us more freedom. However, we took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (tickets bought the day before directly at the counter), then there was a shuttle bus to the entrance of Machu Picchu, or you could walk up. It’s about a 2-hour hike, I think. On the other hand, for the Sacred Valley, it really depends on what you want to explore: just the Ollantaytambo site or also the terraced fields of Moray, the salt mines of Maras, the ruins of Pisac... In the first case, one day might be enough, but in the second, I’m not sure if it’s even possible by train, and time-wise, it might feel a bit tight with just one day, especially including the trip to Cusco. Have a great day and happy planning for this amazing trip!

Hi there, thanks for the reply. I’ve gone for 3 days with 2 nights in Ollantaytambo. Day 1: visit Pisac and travel to Ollantaytambo Day 2: Machu Picchu Day 3: Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras, ... and return to Cusco.

Yes, it's doable, but you’ll need to book your Machu Picchu tickets way in advance, otherwise you might end up with a boring itinerary or no tickets at all.

Cheers,

Thomas

Hi, yes, it’s planned, but the tickets aren’t available yet on the website.