How much does it cost to vacation in Peru? Traveling to Peru, tips for tourists What time is best to go to Machu Picchu.

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru is truly worth seeing at least once in your life. This post is about how to get to Machu Picchu, including different alternatives and practical advice. By the way, translated from Quechua, Machu Picchu means “old peak.”

How to get to Machu Picchu?

Those who follow me in Instagram, remember that I shared tips on how to get to Machu Picchu. In this post I have systematized all the information.
In short, there are two options.
1) Complex, but economical.
2) Expensive and simple.
We rather took the second comfortable path, but in its moderate version. If you are not planning to travel as a backpacker, but going to the other extreme and spending a couple thousand dollars is also not in your plans, then it is suitable for you. Therefore, first I will tell you how to get to Machu Picchu, following my path.

Do it like me or step by step instructions

1️⃣ Fly from the Peruvian capital Lima to the city of Cusok - this is the closest to Machu Picchu Big City with the airport. The journey takes 1.5 hours, flights are from LatAm and Peruvian. We flew with Latam.

Advice. Most cheap flight to Cusco from Lima with the Peruvian low-cost airline LCPerú (67 soles). Another economical option to get to Cusco from Lima is by night bus. Reviews about it are good.

2️⃣So, you are in Cusco. Now we need tobuy a train ticket from Peru Rail or Inca Rail for a direct flight from Cusco to the nearest town to Machu Picchu. It is called pueblo Machu Picchu, another name for it is Aguas Calientes. We traveled with Peru Rail, I will tell you in detail about these trains below.

Advice. You can go from Cusco with a tour of the Sacred Valley ($25 + entrance 70 soles) and ask to be left for main square the city of Ollantaytambo (abbreviated as Ollanta). There you take a direct train to Aguas Calientes, the city of Machu Picchu, which is exactly what we did. In this scenario, you skip the last point excursion program, the Chinchero complex, but it's not that important.

3️⃣ The next morning you get up at 5 am in the town of Machu Picchu, where you spent the night the night before, and go to the stop where buses leave every minute to the entrance to Machu Picchu. fortunately, all hotels are located within a radius of 400 m from bus stop. You can also opt for the free walking trail.

Advice. If you were prudent and bought tickets for this bus in advance in Cusco (at the Consettur office), you can afford an extra hour of sleep.

4️⃣Back you get down on the same bus and go to the same railway station. From there the familiar train departs for Ollanta. Upon arrival in Oljatna, you are forced to transfer to a bus to Cusco, since the train does not go any further. But everything is included in a single ticket and they will take you literally by the hand to the stop five steps from the station.

Now that you have a general idea of ​​how to get to Machu Picchu, you can go into more detail.

Trains to Machu Picchu

Two companies provide transportation from Cusco to the Lost City of the Incas: Perú Rail and Inca Rail. Trajectories: Cusco-Urumbamba-Ollantaytambo-city of Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes). They have the same railway track, and the prices differ little, only the departure time,so the choice is unimportant.

The most comfortable, fastest and most direct route Cusco-Aguas Calientes costs $65 in Expedition class (the only schedule for 06:40 - 09:54) and $105 in Vistadome class (departure time 7:35, arrival 10:52). In this case, you will not see the Sacred Valley, as you are simply driving past it.

The difference in classes is small, the Vistadome has more panoramic windows and more space between the seats, but the price is almost twice as high.

Advice. You can also buy tickets upon arrival in Cusco - one office is located at the airport itself at the exit, other points are at the railway station in Cusco and in the central square of the city, Plaza de Armas. There were no queues in these offices when I was there.

Any ticket from bimodal companies, that is, combined: train + bus. All schedules are on their websites. I bought tickets in advance on the Peru Rail website, there were no problems (and even commissions) with the Chilean card, I don’t know what will happen with the Russian one💳. The company also has an office in Cusco, in the same place as the Poroy train station.

Advice. You can also buy a Peru Rail train ticket from Urumbamba to Machu Picchu ($93). Makes sense if you plan to stay overnight in the Sacred Valley.

Peru Rail has three classes of service:economy Expedition, premium Vistadome, and business Belmond Hiram Bingham, in honor of the discoverer of Machu Picchu. In the latter, everything is serious: leather chairs, furnishings, menu, etc. Passengers in this class are even given a special pass to Machu Picchu, a kind of turnkey trip. Belmond is an independent company and only rents the Peru Flight train. Belmond also owns a luxury hotel right opposite Mount Machu Picchu - you can go for morning jogs with a million-dollar view. So many stars stayed at the hotel that I’m too lazy to list them.

We traveled with Perú Rail twice

🚆First time: from Ollantaytambo to the city of Machu Picchu in Expedition class, the latest flight at 21:00 ($66), as I was afraid of not being on time after the tour of the Sacred Valley. And in vain: we were left in Ollantaytambo at 16 pm and ended up whileing away the time at the station. Conclusion - we should have taken the train at 19:04. We arrived in the town of Aguas Calientes at 11 pm, checked in and immediately went to bed. All hotels in this tiny town are within a 5-minute radius of both the station and the bus stop, which is a big plus.

🚆Second trip: from the town of Machu Picchu to Cusco on the very first flight at 16 pm in Visitadome class ($109). The single ticket includes a train to Ollantaytambo and a subsequent bus to Cusco. The advantage of this class is the huge panoramic windows, a truly worthwhile pleasure, you can see the jungle up close. It was comfortable, and we were also entertained - there was even a performance in a costume reminiscent of the Chilean carnival in the north of La Tirana. Business is not needed at all with such a premium.

How to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco cheaply (economically) via Hydroelectrica

🚌A minibus leaves from Cusco to the Hydroelectrica station, from where you will have to walk about 12 km to Aguas Calientes (the town of Machu Picchu). The distance can be covered on average in 2.5-3 hours. Trip price: 60 soles, $20. The route passes with a stop in Ollantaytambo, so you can combine the route in some other way if desired. Such tickets are sold in agencies in the center of Cusco on Avenida de Sol, and this is the most common method of economical transportation, as far as I know.

🚌You can also get from Hydroelectrica station to Aguas Calientes in half an hour by train, if you are too lazy to walk: with Peru Rail for $31. Departure times are at 14:30 and 16:05.
The return train runs at 12:00 and 13:00.

Entrance fees to Machu Picchu

Whichever way to lost city you haven’t chosen, the next step is to purchase entrance tickets to MP, and this must be done in advance - there are no ticket offices at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Everywhere they are afraid of the need to purchase at least a month in advance (up to 2,500 people per day are allowed into the complex), but to be honest, I think this is a little exaggerated.

There are four types of tickets:

1️⃣General access to the complex (Machu Picchu solo) - $70. The ticket is valid for 2 days. 3267 tickets of this type are allocated per day.
2️⃣Climbing the popular mountain Huayna Picchu $86. Only 400 people per day are allowed in, in two groups: at 7 and 10 am.
3️⃣Climbing Mount Montanya Machu Picchu $86. Access restrictions are the same as on Huayna Picchu.
4️⃣Machu Picchu + archaeological museum Manuel Chavez Bayon.
It is curious that for citizens of the Andean Community Comunidad Andina (includes Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia) the price of all tickets is almost two times lower.

Tickets are divided into 2 groups based on time

Ciudad Inca Machu Picchu Turno 1: from 06:00 to 12:00 hours. They give you 4 hours to stay in the citadel.

Ciudad Inca Machu Picchu Turno 2: entry from 12:00 to 17:30 horas.

Where and how to buy tickets to Machu Picchu?

I bought it on the boletomachupicchu website, everything was simple and fast. Therefore, all the above prices are the prices of this company. True, this is an agency, so their prices are at a premium. You can also buy tickets on the official government website machupicchu.gob.pe, but personally, the purchase did not go through for me on this very slow site (plus, on the site, of course, only Visa is accepted for payment, like everywhere else in Peru). Physical offices where they sell entry tickets, only 3 - two in Cusco at Plaza de Armas, and another one in Aguas Calientes.

Bus all the way to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes

Having seen enough passion about the long lines for tickets at 5 am in AK itself, I decided to play it safe and buy them in advance in Cusco. There is such an opportunity - exclusively in the Consettur office on Av. Infancia (quite far from the center, it’s better to take a taxi for a couple of soles). The ticket costs $24 roundtrip (78 soles).

Advice. An alternative is to go up on foot (the trail is a little further from the stop along the river bed). Unless, of course, you are not afraid of a couple of hours of intense lifting - from one to three, depending on your physical fitness.

Queues that weren't there

And what was my disappointment...When we arrived at the bus stop in Aguas Calientes and...we didn’t see any queues! Two meters opposite the stop there is a ticket office where they sell bus tickets (where everyone buys them) - there were only two people in line! Can you imagine? We spent a lot more time in Cusco looking for the Consettur office. There were no queues for the bus either. In addition, they come up every minute and several at a time.

What time is best to go to Machu Picchu?

One possible explanation is that we arrived at the stop already at 6 am. And the very first bus leaves at 5:30. Most likely, there was a blockbuster there. But there is no point in coming to Machu Picchu before six in the morning (at least in March and if you don’t climb one of the two peaks) - the sun comes out after 6. Until then, only a gloomy fog creeps along the peaks. The exception is if you plan to climb one of the two peaks. Which one beautiful road leads there! We looked at the surroundings and serpentine faults with great pleasure.

P.S.

Moral: Machu Picchu is not as scary as people make it out to be. I hope this post was helpful and cleared up how to get to Machu Picchu on your own on different budgets. Comments are always welcome.

In the next post you will find a detailed photo report of the walk to Machu Picchu and a story about my impressions.

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How to get to Machu Picchu on your own - detailed information and advice was last modified: October 17th, 2017 by Anastasia Polosina

Interested in ancient history and archaeological sites?

The history of Peru is rich and varied. Over the course of fifteen thousand years, some ancient peoples replaced others, leaving in their memory first petroglyphs, and later pyramids, temples, mausoleums filled with skillfully made ceramics, elegant textiles, products made of precious metals and semi-precious stones. In addition to the well-known mysterious Machu Picchu, Peru also has the most ancient city South America - Caral (the same age as Ancient Egypt), or Chan-Chan - the capital of the ancient Chimu culture, one of the most beautiful and largest ancient cities built of clay bricks (adobe).

Do you prefer to admire untouched wild nature?

Peru is a very diverse country geographically and climatically. It is usually divided into three parts: coastal desert (Pacific coast), mountains (Andes), jungle (Amazonia).

But these three zones are diverse in themselves: sandy deserts with huge dunes, stone deserts, pointed peaks of rocks with snowy peaks, lower green mountains, high-altitude plain steppe, valleys of volcanoes and deep canyons, a rain forest at the junction of mountains and jungle, the dense jungle of the Amazon basin and much more.

Do you like active recreation?

There are many routes for mountain hiking in Peru: one-day, multi-day, of any level of difficulty. A paradise for trekkers is the city of Huaraz, Ancash department, from where everyone goes hiking through the lagoons and valleys of the Cordillera Blanca (“white mountains” in Spanish). In addition, tourists have recently fallen in love with the rainbow Vinicunca Mountains in the vicinity of Cusco. In addition to hiking, Peru has plenty of surfing opportunities, although the cold Humboldt Current requires wearing wetsuits in most places. The most famous exception is warm Mancora and the beaches around the town of Tumbes in the north of the country. In the capital of the country, Lima, paragliding is very popular.

Getting to know the local cuisine?

Peru has something to surprise gourmets. This is one of the most interesting cuisines of the continent: a successful fusion of Japanese, Creole and traditional Indian. It is not for nothing that Lima is considered the gastronomic capital of South America: local restaurants have been ranked among the first in well-known international rankings for years in a row. If possible, be sure to reserve a table atrestaurant Central or Maido in the Miraflores area.

Peru is a country that is definitely attractive to travelers. But here too there are some peculiarities. What should you consider when preparing for your trip to avoid unpleasant surprises and get maximum pleasure?

Distances and choice of transport

Peru is the third largest country in South America. At the same time, planes do not fly everywhere, and travel by land transport from point A to point B can take 6-8 hours or more. Also, due to the terrain, Peru is not the most suitable country for independent travel by rented car: there are serpentines and dirt roads all around, there is not a connection everywhere, there is often no lighting on the roads, the highlands throw up surprises due to the thin air.

It is much more convenient to travel by public transport: by plane, if there are such flights, or by bus. The quality of Peruvian cama and executivo class buses is impressive: wide reclining seats, a toilet, a TV, an English-speaking steward and sometimes even wi-fi will make your trip comfortable. Meals are included in the ticket price.

The problem of the highlands

Many tourist places are located at an altitude of more than 3000 meters above sea level. If you fly from Lima, which is located on the ocean, to Cusco (altitude 3400 meters), then you are likely to experience symptoms of altitude sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, chills. To prevent illness from spoiling the impression of the beauty around you, you need acclimatization - a few quiet days upon arrival. There are also recommendations:

• on the eve of the trip and in the mountains, exclude alcohol and heavy fatty foods from the diet;
• drink more water and coca leaf tea. The latter is often offered free of charge in hotels;
• less physical activity and sudden movements in the first days, it is better to get a good night's sleep.

Trekking with an elevation of 4000 meters above sea level is best left for beginners on the fourth or fifth day. If you plan to climb to an altitude of 5000 meters above sea level and higher, then it is better to do this no earlier than the end of the week in the mountains.

When should you come?

You can travel around the country all year round. But when planning your route, you should take into account some climate features. In the mountains and jungles, the rainy season begins around the beginning of December, which lasts until mid-to-late April. The beginning and end of the season depend on the area and vary from year to year. If you are planning trekking in the mountains or visiting the jungle (especially the Amazon River), then it is better to choose the dry season - the walks will be much more comfortable.

The language of communication

In the capital and in the most tourist places ah (hotels, restaurants and travel agencies) you will be able to communicate in English. But it’s worth moving away from the main tourist route How the population's knowledge of English is running out. Take some Spanish lessons: a beginner level will do the trick.

Vaccinations and health

You are not required to have any vaccinations specifically for traveling to Peru. Malaria pills are also not needed - there have been no outbreaks of the disease for a very long time. But if you want to be on the safe side, you can get vaccinated against yellow fever, typhoid fever and hepatitis A and B: these vaccinations are valid for ten years and are useful for every amateur exotic countries. In the jungle, do not forget about repellents and closed clothing.

To visit the mountains and the Pacific coast you will need glasses, a hat and a sunscreen of 50 SPF. The sun here is strong, and you can get sunburned quickly even in cloudy weather. For trips to high altitudes, it is better to stock up on tablets against altitude sickness, just in case. You can buy them in advance, after consulting with your doctor, or already on the spot at the pharmacy.

Currency. Cash or credit cards?

The official local currency is the Peruvian Nuevo Sol. But in tourist places US dollars are often accepted as payment. However, if you pay in dollars, the exchange rate will not be very favorable. Exchange offices(casa de cambio) in tourist places there are many. IN big cities You can also exchange euros, but the rate will be less favorable than when exchanging US dollars. In most tourist places you can pay by card, especially in cities. But there may be an additional commission; this should be clarified before payment. When it comes to ATMs, most banks charge a withdrawal fee. You can withdraw money without commission, for example, from BCP ATMs (up to 700 soles). It is convenient to have several cards: some banks have restrictions on withdrawing salts from a foreign card.

Safety

Peru is a comfortable country for travelers. It's quite safe here, and local residents usually friendly and hospitable. But still, attentiveness and caution will not hurt. General recommendations:

• be more careful with your bag and expensive equipment in crowded places;
• do not walk alone at night along unlit, deserted streets;
• in Lima, check in which area the hotel is located - for example, it is also better not to walk in the city center at night; Historical Center in a Latin American city - does not always mean the best and safest area;
• Be careful on buses. Do not check in equipment or money as luggage, and do not leave personal items unattended.

1. Flight

The average cost of a flight from Moscow or St. Petersburg starts from 75,000 rubles. You can subscribe to special offers from KLM, Iberia, Air France and catch a favorable rate.

See different flight options for different dates. Ticket prices even for adjacent dates often vary greatly. you will find a list of sites that show offers from all airlines for a given destination.

You can get a favorable price for your flight if you arrange the connection yourself. To do this, you need to buy a separate ticket to Europe and a ticket from Amsterdam, Madrid, Paris or London to Lima. In this case, you will need a visa and the risks for flight delays/cancellations fall on the passenger, not the airline.

2. Tour

The cost of a tour to Peru depends on several factors:

Tours with Russian-speaking guides are more expensive than with English-speaking guides

Group tours are cheaper than individual tours

Group tours with groups of 15-20 people are cheaper than tours with 4-6 people in the group

Intensive tours with a large number of excursions are more expensive than tours of the same duration in days, but with a less interesting program.

The cost of the tour is higher if the route includes several domestic flights.

The shortest and most budget tour to Peru with Russian guides lasts 7 days. The cost of the tour per person for double occupancy starts from $1,544:

Tour Features:

Russian speaking guides

includes visits to Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

group 4-6 people

Domestic flights Lima/Cusco/Lima included in price

More full program with Russian guides it takes 11 days. The cost of such a tour starts from $2214 per person when staying in a double room.

Tour Features:

Russian speaking guides

includes visits to Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon and Arequipa

group 4-6 people

Domestic flights Lima/Cusco and Arequipa/Lima are included in the price

guaranteed check-in every Saturday (if there are two people)

Very rich group tour in Peru for 10 days with English-speaking guides costs from $2010:

Tour Features:

English speaking guides

includes visits to the Amazon Jungle, Nazca Lines, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.

group 6-12 people

Domestic flights Lima/Iquitos/Lima, Lima/Cusco and Juliaca/Lima are NOT included in the price

Rich and interesting route in Peru for 14 days with English-speaking guides costs $2,264 per person based on double occupancy:

Tour Features:

English speaking guides

includes visits to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Paracas and the Ballestas Islands of Lima and a vacation on the Pacific Ocean!

group 6-12 people

Domestic flights Lima/Cusco and Arequipa/Lima are already included in the price

Check-in according to the program is possible on any day

The cost of a tour of Peru for 15 days with luxury services and Russian-speaking guides as part of the program starts from $13,490 per person for double occupancy:

Tour Features:

luxury Amazon cruise with gourmet Peruvian cuisine

English speaking guides during the cruise

Individual service and Russian-speaking guides everywhere in the program except the Amazon

private flight over the Nazca Lines on a private jet

includes visits to Lima, Nazca Lines, Amazon Cruise, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.

trip to Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham train

Domestic flights Lima/Iquitos/Lima/Cusco and Cusco/Juliaca/Lima are NOT included in the price

Check-in according to the program is possible on any day

3. Accommodation

The cost of the tour and the overall budget of the trip also depends on the choice of hotels.

In Peru you can find budget accommodation in hotels 3* and below.

3*+ and 4* hotels offer more comfort. And 5* hotels compete with each other to create a unique atmosphere and offer such services to their clients that will make their stay at the hotel unforgettable. Some hotels are famous for their SPA, others for a museum with an interesting collection of ancient artifacts or star chefs, many 5* hotels offer exclusive excursions to clients.

4. Food

Peruvian gastronomy is known throughout the world and receives awards every year.

In Peru, you can eat tasty and varied food on different budgets.

Traditional local dishes such as cuy (guinea pig) or ceviche cost from 30 to 90 Soles ($10-30) in mid-range restaurants.

Peruvians themselves often eat in restaurants, which serve a set lunch of salad/soup, meat with a side dish and a drink. Such a lunch may cost 5-8 Soles ($2-3). The markets are always full of inexpensive and incredibly tasty vegetables and fruits.

If you would like to dine at one of the best restaurants Lima or Cusco, make sure to reserve your spot in advance. A list of the best restaurants in Peru can be found here.

5. Souvenirs

From Peru, like from few other countries, you can bring many interesting, high-quality and inexpensive souvenirs. This could include silver jewelry, alpaca wool items, woven items, games, ceramics, pressed chocolate spread or local coffees, alcohol and much more. Prices start from 1 Sol ($0.3) for a small thing like a keychain and reach several hundred dollars for a vicuna wool sweater.

Thus, if:

1. find out the cost of flights for the expected travel dates

2. choose a tour that suits the program, guides and hotels

3. estimate how much you are willing to spend on food per day

4. allocate a budget for souvenirs and unexpected expenses

You will receive the full cost of your trip.

We wish you an unforgettable experience!