Machu Picchu by tour or independently?

Travel to Cusco

Almost everyone will get to Machu Picchu via Cusco and Ollantaytambo. Cusco is the larger and more famous city of the two, with Ollantaytambo being the place where the train to the citadel leaves.

Cusco has an airport and is easily accessible from Lima. This is how very fast travellers will see this location.

But of course Peru has a lot more to see than Machu Picchu. By taking long distance buses from Lima to Cusco, you could also see other very interesting spots like Paracas with Isla Ballestas (aka. little Galapagos), the Huacachina desert oasis, the mysterious Nazca Lines, Arequipa the beautiful and Colca Canyon with Condors and Lamas.

Taking the slower route by bus has a few major advantages. One of them is that you really see more of this great travel destination Peru. Another big plus, is the time that it takes to get there. A slower pace makes you acclimatise to the altitude a lot better.

The easiest way to see Peru is by organised tour, especially if your Spanish language skills are insufficient. Cusco and Machu Picchu would be included in almost all itineraries. Travelling with Peru Hop is another option, but there are more bus companies.

Personally we arrived in Cusco from Arequipa. We stayed a few days in Cusco to discover this place before continuing. We left our main luggage in our hotel for 1 week and visited Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Urubamba and Pisac with very little luggage before returning to Cusco.

Cusco

Cusco is nice and you can really spend a few days here. It is a larger city and major tourist centre. There is a lot to see and do here. The city centre is beautiful, with cathedral and old building along the central square (playa major). The special skill of the Incas to cut large stones for construction with incredible precision can be found here at old houses and walls.

Cusco is at 3500m (10,000ft) and you can really feel this. We had a hotel room at the 4th floor. The hotel had no elevator what meant that we had to walk the steps every time. No problem? Try to do that with heavy suitcases… It will literally leave you breathless.

The visit the surroundings of Cusco with Sacsayhuamán fortress and Alpaca wool factories you could join an easy day-tour. Rainbow Mountain (a bit of strenuous walking with great sights at 5000m altitude) is the other major attraction of Cusco and that will take a day all by itself.

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, should not just be used as a short stop-over on the way to something greater. This is a really nice village worth visiting with a huge ancient fortress overseeing it. The city square has some really, really nice restaurants where you can eat like @ Gordon Ramsey, but for a price like @ McDonalds. We stayed in a nice little guesthouse here for 3 nights.

Outside Ollantaytambo there are more sights visiting. Urubamba, 1 hour away, can be used to visit for example the Maras Salt Mines and the terraces of Moray. Pisac, even further, is another amazing city with markets and terraces.

Travel to Machu Picchu

From Cusco you can get to Machu Picchu in different ways:
1. Take a bus, collective or train to Ollantaytambo
2. Continue to Aguas Calientes from Ollantaytambo either by train or on foot via the famous Inca Trail
3. Walk or take a bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
The Inca trail is an iconic walking path that may take you to Aguas Calientes in 3-4-5 days. It is strenuous because of altitude. You should only participate if you are fit. You cannot do the Inca trail independently, but must join a tour with a guide who knows the way. Accommodation will be included.

99% of travellers will enter Machu Picchu via Aguas Calientes (aka. Machu Picchu Village), either coming straight from Ollantaytambo or for 1-2 nights stay. This is a very touristy little village, with hotels for any budget, restaurants, bars, supermarkets and souvenirs. The line-up for the 30 minute bus ride up the hill may be long, but goes fast. It is very well organised with lines per site entry time.

Visiting Machu Picchu.

You will get to this famous site via Agua Caliente. All buses will stop at the same entry point. You will buy a ticket with a specific route on it, where you are allowed to walk. It is not possible to walk everywhere freely. At the entrance you will see signs where you can go.

- Route 1 will give you excellent views of the site
- Route 2 will also allow you to walk through the site
Be aware that your hand luggage will be checked at the security. Large packs, professional cameras, umbrellas and crazy clothing are not allowed in. Machu Picchu has to be treated with respect and dignity. Also keep in mind that it brings Peru a lot of tourist money and the site is therefore sacred in more than one way.

On the day itself, you have to be a bit lucky. No ticket can guarantee you excellent weather and blue skies. Choosing the right season may also help.

The site is amazing. There are more great ruins (like Chichen Itza or Tikal), but Machu Picchu has the additional aspect of location high up in the hills with no other building in sight. When you sit up there and look at the whole picture, you do not regret that you took the effort getting here.

Whether I would put it on the same line as the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China or the Taj Mahal, is a different story all together. That is more like a matter of personal opinion.