Cusco

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Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco

Cusco, Peru

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From $319.20

per person

$336.00 Save $16.80

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-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

14 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

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Overview

Spend a day exploring the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu during this all-inclusive day trip leaving from Cusco. Discover this renowned mountaintop Inca site with a guide, learning about its construction, history, and what daily life was like for its residents. The trip’s relaxed, non-strenuous pace is a great option for first-time visitors, families, and solo travelers alike, and features three different train ride options. The trip also includes round-trip hotel transport, transfer from Cusco to Machu Picchu (via train and bus), and the site entrance fee.

Day trip to Machu Picchu, one of the New7Wonders of the World, from Cusco
Enjoy a scenic rail tour that reveals great views of the landscapes
Learn the history behind the sacred city on a guided tour
Relax with all entrance fees, train and bus tickets, and hotel transportation included
Choose from three train options to suit different budgets

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This tour takes the stress out of booking multiple bus and train tickets between Cusco and Machu Picchu.

What's Included

Local Expert guide (The guidance is in Spanish or English)
Pick up and drop-off from your lodging in Cusco.
Admission ticket to Machu Picchu Citadel.
Selected round trip train ticket or bimodal bus&train service from Cusco.
Round trip shuttle bus ticket to go up & down to the citadel from Machu Picchu town.

Gratuities
Lunch
Bottled water

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

This activity includes roundtrip transfer from your hotel, apartment or your house.

What To Expect

Depart from Cusco in the morning, with pickup from your hotel and a transfer from the city center to your train station. Your departure location and travel experience depend on the seating option you’ve selected. Guests can choose from the Expedition train—the Vistadome, with glass on all sides for better viewing—or the Executive Class with comfortable seats.

Then enjoy a scenic train ride, offering stunning views of the mountainous terrain that makes up the area near Machu Picchu.

Arrive in Aguas Calientes, the small village located at the base of this famous Inca site, and board a bus for the short ride to this sacred citadel. Completed around 1450, when the Inca Empire was at the peak of its power and influence, the site was left vacant within 100 years of its creation, thanks to the conquest of the Inca people by the Spanish. Though the site today remains abandoned, many believe Machu Picchu to be a key center of spiritual energy.

Follow your guide through the main streets of this marvel of ancient engineering. Learn about the site’s history and design as you meander through its town square, key religious sites, an elaborate network of agricultural terraces, and intricately-designed stone staircases.

After spending a few hours at the site, return by bus to the train station in Aguas Calientes and then to your chosen train for the trip back to Cusco.

IMPORTANT: Your passport details are needed for the Machu Picchu Day Trip (Full name and Passport ID). Please provide your passport details in the additional request box, otherwise the tour is notconfirmed.

Santuario Historico de Machu Picchu

13 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Aguas Calientes

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
MANDATORY: The Authority of Machu Picchu asks full name, passport number, date of birth, nationality details to issue the admission ticket.
The admission ticket of Machu Picchu is NOT REFUNDABLE and date changes or amendments are NOT accepted. *If you need to change your visit date, you will need to purchase a new entrance ticket.
Due to high demand and limited entrances to the citadel, VIPAC will issue your admission ticket on trail 2 as a priority. If it is not available, trail 3 or 1 will be provided, after prior coordination with the passenger before issuance.
Machu Picchu Admission ticket and train tickets are included in this tour. Our sales team will send them 72 hour after paid.
Shifts entry by hours from 6 am to 3 pm. Our shared tour considers 9 am, 10 am and 11 am shifts. If the shifts are not available, we will open a new shared tour in the next hour available. Our staff will inform you for acceptance.
Travelers must arrive to Cusco city at least one day before Machu Picchu day tour. The authority of Machu Picchu do not accept travel date ammends of admission ticket.

This shared tour could have a waiting time of up to 40 minutes to start the tour, depending on Machu Picchu shift time and train timetable avaliability.
One day before the company's staff will contact the travelers to send the pick-up time through Viator or Tripadvisor experiences extranet.
For weather reasons, from January to March, all excursions departs on bimodal service (Bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo & train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
The guided tour inside Machu Picchu takes around 2h 30m following a delimited trail.
Machu Picchu has two seasons. Rainy season from December to March. Dry season, the rest of the year.
What to bring: sunglasses, comfortable clothes and shoes, hat, repelent, sunscreen, water bottle, energy power bank, coat, small backpack, raincoat on rainy season from December to March.
VIPAC is not responsible for flight cancellations or delays. We recommend arriving in Cusco one day before the scheduled tour date."
Machu Picchu has implemented new visitor circuits, with three main routes with specific differences to distribute passengers in various areas. These changes are intended to improve the visitor experience and preserve the integrity of the archaeological site. The circuit with route 2 will be given as priority and if it is not available, the options of taking circuit 3B or circuit 1B will be informed so that you can confirm your decision before the tickets are issued.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions (2)

Q:Where is the meeting point?

A:The meeting point for this tour is our Cusco Head Office located at Av. El Sol 817.

Jul 2019

The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

1,467 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 1,467 reviews

Great day, everything was...

Remi_L, Jan 2025

Great day, everything was planned and I highly recommend the guide Franck, who gave me lots of details and had great ideas for souvenir photos!

Macchu Picchu

Olivera_H, Jan 2025

A return to the past, an encounter with old civilizations, in contact with nature and everything that nature gives and takes… The world’s wonder becomes a wish, the wish becomes a dream and the dream is undreamed of. Many Thanks to Anna, the tourist guide for the incredible journey

Circuit 2 must do

Mathew_F, Jan 2025

This tour was seamless for someone wanting to visit Machu Picchu in 1 day from Cusco. The tour company took care of everything logistically and I always felt informed of where I needed to be and when. My guide was excellent. I ended up on a 1:1 tour of Machu Picchu which was awesome. I highly recommend circuit 2 over 1&3. If I was only going to Machu Picchu 1 time, I’d personally ensure I was on circuit 2 based on this experience.

Highly recommend!

Ryan_S, Dec 2024

Fantastic day! My tour guide, Frank, was very knowledgeable and took fantastic photos. The tour company reached out a day prior and sent all the tickets and everything needed for the day. I ended up missing the train back at no fault of the tour company, and they went above and beyond to make sure I made it back to Cusco safely and helped arrange a new transfer at such a late hour. Very responsive and professional company!

Wonderful Experience

Edward_W, Dec 2024

Wonderful experience! Our guide had a deep knowledge of Machu Picchu history and culture and was able to pace the trip so that it was comfortable for all participants.

Excellent service makes the very long day comfortable and worry free but consider Ollantaytambo

Benjamin_S, Dec 2024

Excellent company with great seamless service throughout a VERY long day. Pickup was well communicated and the person arrived exactly on time. The first van was very comfortable for the 40ish minutes to the train. The handoff to the train went smoothly. The train itself wasn’t as scenic or nice as I’d hoped but it very slowly got us there. Smarter people caught the train at Ollantaytambo which catches only the more scenic section, is a shorter ride and sits at a much lower elevation. Also it is a scenic town in the sacred valley. From the train went found a an agent and a guide waiting. We walked to the bus. Had our bus tickets checked many times. And waited until our time slot which was maybe 15 minutes. At the top we paid $2 to use the restroom as none are inside. Then we waited in another line to check out tickets and passports. Finally in Machu Picchu. It is indeed amazing. It is crowded. But not as crowded as it had been. I left the guide for a quieter experience. Enjoyed my two hours very much. I walked the path down - which I recommend if you have good knees. It was a small taste of Peruvian hiking which I’d love to do someday. I explored the very touristy town until my train time. The return train seemed longer. It was mostly dark so the observation car wasn’t a plus. Finally at the station a representative was waiting and escorted us to our last bus for the ride back to our accommodation in Cusco. A very long day but I got my selfie at Machu Picchu.

Our experience was...

Ligil_A, Dec 2024

Our experience was seamless! The communication with the parties involved was hussel free! I would definitely recommend this tour especially for a family!!

Magical Machu Picchu!!!!

MariaInez_M, Dec 2024

It’s the most amazing experienced, it’s a long day but worth it. Laura & Hector our guide are on top of it . Thanks

Amazing Day Trip to Machu Picchu

Jim_M, Dec 2024

Outstanding day trip! Transportation was expertly executed. The views from the train were amazing, and the Peru Rail staff was friendly and entertaining. Our guide, Ana, in Machu Picchu was amazing. She knew every detail, made excellent photography suggestions, and was an absolute pleasure to spend several hours with. Highly recommend.

Great tour

Bradley_W, Dec 2024

It's a long day so pick somebody good. This tour was great. Pickup was on time and both train rides are awesome. We upgraded to Vistadome. It was great. No issues or surprises. Our guide Jamie was really good. Took lots of pictures of us in the rain.

Well organized!

Sophia_M, Dec 2024

The hike was hard but because of the altitude. But our tour guide was very patient, helpful, polite, and informative. The lunch was delicious, and the restaurant they took us to was clean.

Excellent Tour

donbrian, Nov 2024

Excellent tour but definitely plan for a long day and bring mosquito repellent which you can buy anywhere in Aguas Calientes and also bring a good rain parka since it rains mostly every-time you take this tour. The train ride was amazing but dont really recommend the dome view since the sun is bewting down your face and you really dont get to see anything on the top of the train roof.

It was a very good tour. Highly recommended

AlfredSeeOng_C, Nov 2024

The male guide we had spoke excellent English and he was very informative about the history of Machu Picchu. The coordination of all the guides in transferring us tourist from one place to another was commendable.

Highly recommend this day trip to Machu Picchu from Cusco

Raghu_G, Nov 2024

The Machi Picchu day trip from Cusco was fantastic. Excellent planning by the local tour operator appointed by Viator. I got the tickets and other information a day before. I was picked up on time and the bus and train journey was planned excellently. I was received by my guide at the Cusco station. Frank ( ny guide ) was excellent. He was very patient and explained the history and significance of Machu Picchhu very well and dropped me off at Cusco station the return journey was planned excellently was also planned very well. Will highly ecommend this trip

Lemons to lemonade

Kenneth_E, Nov 2024

The Vista dome train was 2 hours late leaving but the tour company did a great job of adjusting. Our guide Anna was awesome and navigated the time changes with ease. Anna was a wonderful and very interesting guide. We would highly recommend the tour!

An amazing day - it’s possible in a day!

Nick_W, Nov 2024

A long day, but perfect if your time is limited. The trip was well organized and each step on the way was simple and easy to follow. Just four of us on the actual tour around Machu Pichu (the Spanish tour was much bigger). It was as amazing as you hope for, and then some. Our guide, Franklin, was excellent. A really enjoyable day.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear that despite a long day, the experience was seamless and exceeded your expectations. Small group tours like yours often make the journey more personal and immersive, and it’s great to know that Franklin added to the magic with his excellent guidance. Machu Picchu truly is as breathtaking as imagined—and sometimes even more! We hope to have the chance to accompany you on another memorable adventure in the future.

Great experience

Lucas_M, Nov 2024

Very well organized, definitely worth going through them instead of organizing everything alone. Perfect communication in the days before the day trip

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for your feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you found the experience well-organized and that our assistance made the trip more seamless than planning it independently. Clear and effective communication is something we prioritize, so it’s great to know it made a difference for you. We hope to assist you with more memorable adventures in the future!

Machu Pichu in a day

Zac_K, Nov 2024

The day started with a 5:30 am on-time pickup from the hotel and arriving at the Poroy train station just outside of Cusco. The train for Machu Pichu left at 6:45 am and took just over 3 hours to arrive (train travels between 35-45 kms/hour for about 100kms). Along the way you snake along river banks, in valleys, changing mountainous scenery going from rocks to lush forest as you approach Machu Pichu. Once arrived, met my guide Franklin at the Machu Pichu station and we boarded a bus for the 30 minute zig zag ascent to Machu Pichu. Get in the front seat next to the driver if you want a great view. At the top entry (last chance to use the rest rooms), a two hour tour of Machu Pichu. Circuit 2 gives you the classical view of the site, circuit 3 the lower view depending on what you choose in advance when booking the ticket. Make sure to ask before you book and ensure you have your passport for identification for the train, bus, and entry. The two hour tour gives you the classic views we have all seen with the mountains and lush forest in the background. Franklin gave a detailed explanation of of the site along with photos from his book. Lots of time to see the site and take pictures. From there back down the mountain to the village for lunch and walking around the small village. The tour finished at 1:00 pm and the train left at 4:45 pm. Would have been better if an earlier train was available. Train ride back was 4 hours due to train congestion on the line. The Peru Rail crew had some fun on the way back with two shows. Long day, but worth it if you do not have the time to hike the trail.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for sharing your detailed experience with us! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the breathtaking journey to Machu Picchu and appreciated the seamless coordination, from the early pickup to Franklin’s informative tour of this iconic site. Your insights, like seating tips on the bus and circuit recommendations, are invaluable for future travelers. We understand the return train schedule could be more convenient, and we'll share this feedback to enhance the experience. It’s gratifying to know the natural beauty and rich history made it a worthwhile adventure. We hope to welcome you on another unforgettable journey soon!

We had the most wonderful...

carolyn_b, Nov 2024

We had the most wonderful tour and definitely recommend it! The train ride was very nice with snacks and entertainment. We loved the tour of Machu Picchu, it was the perfect day.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a wonderful tour and enjoyed the train ride with its snacks and entertainment. It's great to know that your visit to Machu Picchu was the perfect day—it truly is a magical experience. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for more incredible adventures in the future!

Excellent!!!

Heriberto_M, Nov 2024

Great Tour Guide with experience an knowledge. Each and every section of the trip was very well organized and the timeline accurate. Hotel pickup, train station and the bus.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with your knowledgeable and experienced tour guide. It’s also fantastic to know that every part of your trip, from hotel pickup to the train station and bus, was well-organized and punctual. We hope to welcome you back for more seamless and memorable adventures in the future!

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