Journey to the World Wonder Along the Stunning Andean Railway
Machu Picchu is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, considered one of the most important energy centers in the world, and an iconic, world-renowned tourist destination. It awaits to captivate you with its splendor! Are you short on time but don’t want to miss out on its mystical powers? What better way to enjoy the place than our one-day Machu Picchu tour by train?
To reach the site, you’ll cross the breathtaking Urubamba Valley until the Ollantaytambo train station. There, you’ll take the train to the town of Aguas Calientes and a bus to get to the Royal Inca City. You’ll explore all the most significant sectors with your guide before making your way back to Cusco.
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Before You Go
- Packing List
- Pricing
- Enquire Now
If you’re worried about missing out on the World Wonder of Machu Picchu while in Cusco, think again! We’ve put together the perfect one-day tour for you to spend as much time at the archeological complex as possible without spending more than one day away from the city. Join us by yourself, with a partner, or in a group.
Our tour begins on one of the most incredible train trips in the entire world. The rails follow the path of the Urubamba River towards the cloud forest surrounding Machu Picchu. You’ll enjoy majestic landscapes as you approach the Lost City of the Incas, considered a masterpiece of ancient Peruvian architecture and engineering.
Discover this sacred place wrapped in a veil of mystery and find out why it’s been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1983. You’ll explore all the significant sectors with your guide.
This one-day tour offers dreamy landscapes, towering snow-capped mountains, and incredible archaeological surprises. Every corner of the city will take your breath away! So join us on this one-day adventure that’ll set your heart racing.
Highlights
- Journey on one of the most beautiful railways in the world as you stare out the window at incredible landscapes in the middle of the Andes.
- Enjoy your trip in pure comfort, knowing that every last detail is taken care of.
- Explore Machu Picchu and discover its amazing secrets.
- Feel your energy spike as you visit the most significant parts of the site with your knowledgeable guide.
- Spend time in the World Wonder and Heritage Site before heading back to Cusco.
Detailed Itinerary
Cusco | Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu
Highlight of the day: Traveling along the stunning railway and witnessing the sheer beauty that is Machu Picchu.
Epic Day Out to Machu Picchu
We’ll pick you up very early to take you to Ollantaytambo. From there, you’ll board the train to Aguas Calientes and then take the bus up to Machu Picchu. Once here, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of approximately two hours while appreciating the wonderful scenery of this sacred site. You’ll come back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch.
Once you’ve eaten, you can explore the small town a little before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo. From there, our transport will take you back to your accommodation in Cusco.
Your epic day begins very early with a pick-up from your accommodation and a drive to Ollantaytambo. Here, you’ll board the train to Aguas Calientes, which will take you through the stunning Andean mountainous landscape and mysterious Amazonian cloud forest. During the trip, you’ll see several glaciers and snowy peaks, as well as fertile green fields and Inca agricultural platforms on both sides of the valley.
Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you’ll board a bus that’ll take you straight to the entrance of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. You’ll have an approximately two-hour guided tour, where you will receive detailed information about the Citadel’s history and culture. Your guide will take you to the most important areas, allowing you to connect with nature and recharge your energies in this magnificent, sacred place. You’ll be astounded by the amazing architecture and how innovative the Incas were for their time.
After the tour, you’ll be able to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountains if you booked your tickets in advance (not included in the tour). You’ll return to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon, where you can hunt for a good spot to lunch or explore the town before heading to the train station.
In Aguas Calientes, you’ll board the train to Ollantaytambo and then travel to Cusco in our private transport. We’ll drop you off at the door of your accommodation. Your arrival time will depend on your scheduled train ticket.
Why Travel with us
At Salkantay Trekking, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.
What Is Included?
Permits & Entrance Tickets
Entrance Ticket to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site
Circuit 2
High Quality Service & Safety
Pre-departure Briefing
Experienced Tour Guide - All our guides have professionalism, experience, responsibility, seriousness and passion, which will make your trip safe and comfortable.
English and spanish speaking official tour guide. All our guides are graduates of the professional career of Tourism of the National University San Antonio Abad of Cusco. We choose them for their professionalism, experience, responsibility, seriousness, unbridled passion for exploring, and sincere desire to proudly share in our culture and history. He or she will keep you safe, sound, and comfortable on your trek so that you can enjoy your time worry-free!
- Bilingual Tour Guide in group service or shared (English and Spanish)
Medical Kit or First AID Kit - Our guides are trained to deal with basic emergencies.
All Salkantay Trekking guides have received specialized training in first aid. We hold mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit to face basic emergencies (altitude sickness, travelers' diarrhea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we’ll evacuate you from the path as quickly as possible and ensure that you arrive at a clinic for treatment.
24/7 Customer Service - We have 24 hours a day telephone service.
We have telephone service available 24 hours/day for ease of communication with Salkantay Trekking leading up to your trek.
Transportation
Transport
- Pickup from your hotel and transfer to Ollantaytambo train station
- Transport from Ollantaytambo train station to your hotel in Cusco
Train Tickets
- From Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
- From Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
Round-Trip Bus Ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
What Is Not Included?
Meals in Cusco and Aguas Calientes
Travel Insurance
Tips for our staff
Tipping is usual on any excursion to Peru. Although we pay good salaries to our team, something extra is always welcome.
Additional costs or delays beyond our control
Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modifications due to a safety concern, illness, pandemia, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, act of God, etc.
Here we leave you with a brief list of extras that you can enjoy during this package.
Huayna Picchu Mountain
Huayna Picchu is the mountain behind Machu Picchu and which can be climbed in 45 minutes. Although this excursion is up to you, our guide will take you to the place of entry. This walk requires an entrance ticket which we can assure for you if we have enough time in advance.
Your entry ticket will be purchased to coincide with the dates of your excursion on the Inca Trail. The entry can be done in two shifts: from 7:00 am to 8:00 am or from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. We buy the tickets in the second shift so that our clients can fully enjoy their guided tour of Machu Picchu. Remember, the shifts only indicate the time of entry. You can go up and down Huayna Picchu without haste.
The ticket for Huayna Picchu costs US$ 75.00 per person.
Machu Picchu Mountain
Machu Picchu Mountain is another of the mountains that surround the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. It offers even more incredible views than Huayna Picchu, but it takes 1.5 hours to reach the top. This walk requires an entrance ticket which we can assure for you if we have time in advance.
The excursion entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain is open in two shifts as well, the first from 7:00 am to 8:00 am, and the second from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.
The ticket for Machu Picchu Mountain costs US$ 75.00 per person.
Vistadome Train
All our tours include the PeruRail Expedition train. This train leaves Aguas Calientes at 2:55 pm. The Vistadome train is a higher category service that offers more comfortable seats, a panoramic design that will allow you to see through the roof, as well as an entertainment show on board. The Vistadome train leaves Aguas Calientes at 2:55 pm as well (subject to availability), and goes to Ollantaytambo train station. From there, we’ll take you on our transport to your hotel in Cusco.
You can access this service for an additional payment of US$ 70.00 per person.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Salkantay Trekking in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
Briefing or Informative Meeting
The evening before your trip, our staff will contact you to provide full instructions on the tour (between 6 to 8 p.m., by phone call and Whatsapp).
Please make sure you are available at that time. If not, please contact us by email or phone to schedule a different time or visit the Salkantay Trekking Office.
Trek Balance Payment (in Cusco)
If you still have a pending balance, you must pay it 2 days before your hike/tour. Otherwise, your trip reservation will not be confirmed.
If possible, it would be greatly appreciated if you could settle the remaining balance for the trek/tour in cash, either in US dollars or the local currency, at our office in Cusco. You can withdraw funds from various ATMs located along Avenida Sol, offering both US dollars and Peruvian Soles. Alternatively, you have the option to pay using a credit/debit card or PAYPAL, either online or in person, but please note that a 5% service charge will be applied by our payment gateway (Niubiz) and PAYPAL. We regret to inform you that we are unable to accept bank checks or traveler's checks as forms of payment for the balance.
Can I store my luggage at your office?
Of course! During the trip, your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can organize it with us on the briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you won’t need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags; put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Pick up of guests
Please note:
- All pickups are within Cusco City, but we recommend booking a hotel in the historic center for its convenient location.
- Our guide or staff will confirm the pickup time the day before the tour.
- Due to traffic conditions, the pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes.
- Cusco is an old city and has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs are located on streets without car access or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. For such reasons, we strongly advise you to book accommodation with good access.
Return to Cusco
Returning from Machu Picchu requires quite a bit of logistics, but don't worry. Everything is included in your tour!
- From Machu Picchu, you'll board a bus for 25 minutes to the town of Aguas Calientes. The buses are boarded according to arrival.
- In Aguas Calientes, you'll board a train to Ollantaytambo. Your guide will give you the train tickets with the boarding time. Make sure you're on the platform 30 minutes early. The train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes 1:45 hours.
- Once you arrive at the station, our representative, identified with the Salkantay Trekking clothing, will be waiting to transfer you to Cusco. The trip from Ollantaytambo to Cusco takes 1:30 hours.
- In Cusco, we'll drop you off directly at your hotel and, depending on your hotel's location, as close as possible.
Group Tours
Group tours are made up of different types of people, then physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.
It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if such modifications are possible.
Strikes and demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru, and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked, and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date.
Under these circumstances, tours may also be canceled. In case of changes or cancellations, everything will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and our decisions will be made to protect it.
Lost objects
Please pay attention to where you leave your belongings and remember to take everything once you leave a place or a transport. You’re the only one responsible for your objects during the tour.
WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING?
ESSENTIAL
CLOTHING
EQUIPMENT
RECOMMENDED
"Machu Picchu One Day Tour" can leave any day of the week, from March through January. We don’t operate this itinerary in February because of the rainy season & maintenance of the route.
2025 Land Cost
Group Price: US$ 350.00 per person
Required Pre-payment: US$ 200.00 per person
Balance (Cusco): US$ 150.00 (Commonly paid in Cusco after the briefing).
This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Notice that PayPal charges a fee of 5%, which we ask the client to cover since it's due to the use of its service. This tax is just for online deposits so that you will pay the remaining in cash (the briefing day in Cusco) without charges.
Extras & Upgrades
There are complementary services and upgrades you can include in this trip.
- Vistadome Train (Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo): US$ 70.00
Price Guarantee
Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the price won’t increase, whatever the circumstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.
Student Discount
US$20.00 off
Student discounts apply to anyone 17 years old or younger. To receive the discount, we require a copy or clear photo of the passport at the time of booking. It must be valid and not expire within the travel dates. Please send it to info@salkantaytrekking.com.
Thank you for your interest in having an adventure travel experience in Peru curated by Salkantay Trekking. Please take a moment to complete our short form, so one our friendly Adventure Consultants could provide you all the information for your trip of a lifetime in Peru.
Our Pledge | Your privacy is respected and protected. The Salkantay Trekking Company will never share, sell, or make public any of your personal contact information to third parties.
Remember | One of our Travel Experts will contact you soon to confirm the availability of the trip you chose, give you more information, and/or provide you alternative options. Once availability is established, we will ask for a deposit and a completed online registration to confirm your spot on the trek. Please call us at (+51) 958 191 179 with any questions or to confirm availability over the phone.
Note | Due to the rainy season and trail maintenance, we don't offer this trek during the whole month of february. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, we are working to provide you a better service!