Peru’s two headline destinations sit a half-day apart — Cusco at 3,399 m in the Andes, Machu Picchu at 2,430 m downstream in the Urubamba gorge. Most trips use Cusco as the base and reach Machu Picchu by train.
Start in Cusco. Spend two or three days acclimatising while you cover the Plaza de Armas, the Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun under Santo Domingo), the Cathedral, and the San Blas artisan quarter. Add the Sunday Pisac market and the ruins above the town if you have time.
From Cusco the train runs down to Aguas Calientes — Ollantaytambo is the usual departure point now, around 1h30 away. From Aguas Calientes the Consettur bus climbs the 13 switchbacks to the Machu Picchu entrance in 25 minutes. The citadel enforces timed entry and one-way circuits introduced in 2021, so pick your circuit and slot before you book.
Peruways reserves the full chain — train, Consettur, timed entry, guide — in a single booking. That’s the piece most travellers wish they’d done ahead of time.
Plan the Cusco–Machu Picchu week with Peruways: Explore more.
