Cusco and Machu Picchu are the two anchor stops on any Peru trip. Cusco was the Inca capital — now a city of 400,000 at 3,400m — and Machu Picchu is the Inca mountain retreat Pachacuti built in the mid-1400s.
Start in Cusco. The Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral built on the Inca palace, Qorikancha (the Temple of the Sun with Spanish convent on top), and the San Blas neighbourhood of artisan workshops. Spend at least two days acclimatising before the ruins.
From Cusco, the train runs down the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes — about 1 hour 45 minutes from Ollantaytambo. The Consettur shuttle climbs the switchbacks from the river at 2,040m up to the citadel entrance at 2,430m. The citadel itself takes 3–4 hours to see properly.
Peruways bundles the train, shuttle, citadel ticket, and guide in one booking, which saves the usual back-and-forth of three separate systems.
Plan the Cusco–Machu Picchu trip at Peruways.
