Machu Picchu 2D/1N
Machu Picchu over 2 days with an overnight in Aguas Calientes. Tourist train, hotel with breakfast and professional guide included. From US$380.
Duration
2 days / 1 night
Tour type
Machu Picchu
Difficulty
Easy
Group size
Up to 10 people
About the tour
The most relaxed way to see Machu Picchu: you ride the train through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, spend the night at the foot of the mountain and head up to the citadel early the next day, well rested and with no race against the clock. It's the ideal tour if you want to enjoy the visit at your own pace, have more entry-time options and get to know the town of Aguas Calientes too.
We take care of everything: hotel pickup, transport to Ollantaytambo, round-trip tourist train, one hotel night with breakfast, bus up and down, entrance ticket and a certified professional guide. The pace is easy and the only walking is inside the citadel, so it suits families, older travelers and first-time visitors to Cusco.
How the two days go
- Day 1 – Cusco, Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes: we pick you up at your hotel and drive through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo station. From there, the train follows the Urubamba River for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, with views of snow-capped peaks, Inca terraces and high jungle. In Aguas Calientes we take you to your hotel and the afternoon is free.
- Free afternoon in Aguas Calientes: relax in the hot springs, visit the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum and its botanical garden, browse the craft market or simply rest for the next day.
- Day 2 – Machu Picchu: have breakfast at the hotel and take the official Consettur bus, which climbs the Hiram Bingham road in about 30 minutes. You explore the citadel with your guide for about 2 hours, followed by time for photos. In the afternoon you head back down, take the train to Ollantaytambo, and our van drops you at your hotel in Cusco in the evening.
Why spend the night in Aguas Calientes
- You arrive rested: no 4:00 am start and no full day spent on buses and trains.
- More entry times: staying at the foot of the mountain lets you enter in the early morning slots, when there are fewer people and the light is softer.
- More room for the unexpected: if the train or the weather causes a delay, there's time to rearrange the visit.
- You get to know the town: Aguas Calientes, surrounded by mountains and jungle, is worth a visit in its own right.
What you'll see at Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu was built in the mid-15th century on the orders of the Inca ruler Pachacutec, at 2,430 meters (7,970 ft) above sea level. It served as a residence for Inca nobility and as a religious center, and remained hidden from the outside world until 1911, when explorer Hiram Bingham made it known. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World since 2007. Depending on the circuit on your ticket, you'll visit places such as:
- The Guardhouse: the viewpoint for the classic photo, with Huayna Picchu mountain behind it.
- The agricultural sector: hundreds of terraces that hold up the mountain and made farming possible on the steep slope.
- The Temple of the Sun: a semicircular tower of polished stone, aligned with the sun at the solstices.
- The Temple of the Three Windows and the Main Temple: the finest examples of Inca stonework, with blocks fitted together without mortar.
- The Intihuatana: a carved rock that served as a sundial and astronomical calendar.
- The Temple of the Condor: natural rocks carved into the shape of a condor with outstretched wings.
Why book with Danfer Tours
- Local operator in Cusco: we run the tour ourselves, with no middlemen, and coordinate every leg of the trip.
- Certified guides: tourism professionals born in the region who stay with you for the whole visit.
- Small groups: 10 people maximum, so the visit is comfortable and you can ask all your questions.
- WhatsApp support: we're with you before and during the trip to answer any question.
When to go
Machu Picchu is open all year. May to September is the dry season, with clear skies and more visitors. April, October and November combine good weather with fewer crowds. December to March brings more rain, but the landscape is at its greenest. Tickets are limited, so we recommend booking at least one month ahead, and two or more in high season.
Highlights
- Night in Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu
- Tourist train through the Sacred Valley
- 2-hour guided visit with a certified guide
- More entry-time options
- Free afternoon: hot springs and site museum
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Cusco
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 – Cusco, Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes
An easy travel day: you cross the Sacred Valley, ride the train along the Urubamba River and reach Aguas Calientes with the whole afternoon free to explore the town. We confirm your exact pickup time by WhatsApp the day before.
Pickup at your hotel in Cusco. Our staff will knock on your door; wait inside and keep your original passport handy. We recommend leaving your large luggage at your Cusco hotel and traveling with just a small backpack for the two days.
Depart by tourist van to the Sacred Valley. On the way you cross the Chinchero plateau, with views of the snow-capped Chicón and Verónica peaks, then descend into the Urubamba River valley, surrounded by cornfields and Andean villages.
Arrive at Ollantaytambo station, an Inca town that is still inhabited and keeps its original streets and water channels. Show your passport and train ticket to board; carry-on luggage is limited to 5 kg per person.
Tourist train to Aguas Calientes, about 90 minutes. The train follows the Urubamba River through an ever-narrower canyon: at first you'll see the Verónica peak and Inca terraces, and gradually the landscape turns into high jungle, with tropical vegetation and orchids.
Arrive in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). We wait for you at the station with a sign with your name and walk together to your hotel, just a few minutes away. If your room isn't ready yet, you can leave your backpack at reception.
Free afternoon to explore the town at your own pace. We recommend the hot springs that give the town its name (10 minutes' walk from the center), the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum with its orchid botanical garden (about 30 minutes' walk along the river) or the craft market next to the station. If your Machu Picchu ticket is bought in person, we'll go with you to the Ministry of Culture office with your passport in the afternoon.
Meet your guide at the hotel. They'll hand you your bus ticket, go over your Machu Picchu entry time with you and explain how the next day's visit will work, what to bring and where to meet.
Night at your hotel in Aguas Calientes. Dinner isn't included, but the town has plenty of restaurants serving Peruvian and international food; your guide can recommend one.
Day 2 – Machu Picchu and return to Cusco
The big day: you head up to the citadel early, explore it at a relaxed pace with your guide and return to Cusco in the evening. Your bus time depends on the entry time on your ticket.
Breakfast at the hotel. Leave your bigger bag at reception and take only what you need for the visit: passport, water, poncho, sunscreen and insect repellent.
Line up for the official Consettur bus, which leaves a few meters from the town's main bridge. In high season the line can be long, so it's worth arriving early.
Bus up to Machu Picchu, about 30 minutes, along the Hiram Bingham road. The road zigzags up the mountain, and from the bends you can already see the Urubamba canyon.
Enter the citadel with your guide. At the checkpoint you'll show your ticket and original passport. First we head up to the Guardhouse viewpoint for the classic photo of Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu behind, while the morning light is at its softest.
Guided visit of about 2 hours along the circuit on your ticket. You'll explore the agricultural sector and its terraces, the Temple of the Sun, the Main Temple, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Intihuatana, the Main Plaza, the Sacred Rock and the Temple of the Condor. Your guide tells you the history of the Incas, how they lived in the citadel and the secrets of their architecture and astronomy. You'll very likely cross paths with the llamas that live on the terraces.
Last photos and exit from the citadel. Remember that the ticket allows a single entry. Next to the exit you can stamp your passport with the Machu Picchu stamp.
Bus back down to Aguas Calientes.
Free time in town for lunch (not included), souvenir shopping and picking up your backpack at the hotel.
Arrive at the train station with your passport, about 30 minutes before departure.
Train back to Ollantaytambo, about 90 minutes, now with the afternoon light over the valley.
Arrive in Ollantaytambo. Our staff will be waiting at the station exit with a sign with your name.
Tourist van from Ollantaytambo to Cusco, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Arrive in Cusco and drop-off at your hotel. End of our services.
What's included and not included in the Machu Picchu 2D/1N tour
Included
- Round-trip tourist train
- Bus up and down
- Machu Picchu entrance ticket
- Professional guide
- 1 hotel night in Aguas Calientes, breakfast included
Not included
- Lunch and dinner
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Wayna Picchu entrance (extra)
Frequently asked questions
Important information for the Machu Picchu 2D/1N tour
- Bring your original passport (the same one you used to book): it's checked when boarding the train, at the hotel and at the Machu Picchu entrance.
- If online tickets are sold out for your date, the ticket is bought in person in Aguas Calientes on the afternoon of day 1, for entry on day 2. You need your original passport, and we'll help you through the process.
- Your ticket allows a single entry: once you leave the citadel, you cannot go back in.
- There are no restrooms or food stalls inside Machu Picchu. Restrooms are next to the entrance and cost S/ 2.
- Eating inside the citadel is not allowed. Bring water in a reusable bottle.
- Only small backpacks are allowed. Your large luggage can stay at your hotel in Cusco or at the hotel in Aguas Calientes.
- The train allows one carry-on of up to 5 kg per person. Travel with a small backpack for the two days.
- Machu Picchu tickets are issued in your name, and the Ministry of Culture does not allow refunds or date changes. Double-check your details before sending them.
- If you'd like to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, let us know when you book: spots are very limited and there's an extra cost.
- Machu Picchu (2,430 m) and Aguas Calientes (2,040 m) are lower than Cusco (3,400 m), so altitude sickness is unlikely.
- It can rain at any time of year: bring a poncho or light rain jacket, and insect repellent.
- Next to the citadel entrance you can stamp your passport with the official Machu Picchu stamp.
What to bring on the Machu Picchu 2D/1N tour
- Original passport (the same one used for the booking)
- Small backpack (large backpacks aren't allowed into Machu Picchu)
- Comfortable, light clothes for the day
- Warm layer for the evening in Aguas Calientes
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Comfortable shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap
- Insect repellent
- Reusable water bottle
- Snacks (eating isn't allowed inside the citadel)
- Swimsuit and sandals if you want to visit the hot springs
- Cash in soles for toilets, meals and souvenirs
- Personal medication
- Power bank
