From Aguas Calientes up to the Machu Picchu entrance gate is a 30-minute climb on 13 switchbacks — a road only Consettur’s green buses are permitted to use. The short ride is a scenic preamble to the site, with the Vilcanota River falling away below and cloud forest closing in on either side.
Departures run every 10 minutes or so from 5:30 a.m., which lines up with the first entry wave at 6 a.m. The road gains almost 400 vertical metres between the river and the gate at 2,430 m.
In high season (June–August) the on-site ticket window in Aguas Calientes can mean 45-minute queues. Peruways sells the Consettur ticket online so you can walk straight to the boarding line below Avenida Hermanos Ayar.
Book your bus tickets with Peruways and skip the morning queue below the mountain.
