From Aguas Calientes to the citadel entrance it’s just under 10 km, but the road zigzags up almost 400 vertical metres on 13 switchbacks. Consettur’s green buses are the only vehicles cleared to use it, and the half-hour ride is a scenic preamble to the site itself.
Buses leave the stop beside the Vilcanota River roughly every 10 minutes from 5:30 a.m., so you can time your ascent to the first entry wave at 6 a.m. On the way up you climb through cloud forest, cross the river twice, and lose and regain views of the Urubamba winding below.
In high season (June–August) the Aguas Calientes ticket window queue can be 45 minutes long. Peruways sells the Consettur ticket online so you can walk straight to the boarding line.
Book your bus tickets with Peruways and skip the morning queue at the base of the mountain.
