Cusco is the staging point for Machu Picchu. From here you can take the train (one or two days), the four-day classic Inca Trail, or the five-day Salkantay route via Humantay Lake.
Guided tours bundle the moving parts: transfer to the station, train, Consettur bus, citadel entry ticket, licensed guide, and a return the same evening or the next afternoon. Two-day versions overnight in Aguas Calientes and give you a less-rushed morning at the ruins.
Peruways runs tours in both formats, plus the Sacred Valley loop (Pisac, Moray, Ollantaytambo) that fills out the Cusco week around the citadel day.
Plan the Cusco-Machu Picchu side with Peruways. Visit Peruways to compare the one-day, two-day and trek options.
