A guided Machu Picchu tour is still the way most people see the site, and for first-time visitors it’s hard to beat. The ruins have no signage inside; without a guide, you walk past half of what matters.
Most tours start in Cusco at 3,400m, where you spend a day or two acclimatising before dropping into the Sacred Valley. From there the standard route is the train from Ollantaytambo (about 1 hour 45 minutes) to Aguas Calientes, following the Vilcanota river through the gorge.
At Aguas Calientes you catch the Consettur shuttle up to the citadel entrance. The tour itself usually runs 2–3 hours and covers the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone, the Royal Tomb, the Temple of the Three Windows, and the agricultural terraces.
Bundles usually include meals, train tickets, the shuttle, the entry ticket, and the guide. Peruways assembles these at peruways.com, where you can mix a day trip with Rainbow Mountain, Huayna Picchu, or a Sacred Valley stop at Pisac or Ollantaytambo.
