How to visit Machu Picchu in one day

One of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu, was more than we could have imagined. This post is about our entire day, including our experience there and tips and recommendations for others.

We were up at 5:15 and had breakfast in the AirBNB. Although we were ready by 6:15, the Uber to Poroy Station was an adventure. We couldn’t get one to show up. The original driver cancelled, the second one seemed lost when watching his activity on the map and the original showed up immediately after we cancelled the second. The rate was negotiated outside of Uber and we paid about $2 more but we got our ride. We squealed in to Poroy on two tires around 6:55, and found that it was a nice station with clean restrooms. We boarded PeruRail train 31 – it was very clean and comfortable. We were seated with University of Luxembourg sociology professor, Justin Powell, from Virginia. It was nice to have someone else who shared the English language with us and, it turns out, also possessed a love of Patisserie Valerie – a wonderful cafe chain in the United Kingdom that has the BEST desserts EVER –  as we do! We actually rode with him both directions so we learned a lot from each other. PeruRail served a surprise snack of pita sandwich and brownie with juice. I wish we had not had breakfast because this was more than sufficient for us. Excellent views, slow ride, Vistadome was the way to go. Lunch at Aguas Calientes, restaurant on the river named Full House. Good Huwayana pizza and they brought great little appetizers of roasted corn and garlic bread/salsa.

Bus cost was $24/round trip and they check your passports so don’t forget them. In my opinion, the price was worth it at least for the ride down as you’re beat after being at citadel. The bus line back from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes was super-long around 12:30 pm; our guide Daniel said that most folks visit in the morning. There is a restroom at the gate, which we all took advantage of for 1 sole each. That’s the last chance unless you walk back out, in which case you can re-enter but just once per day on the same ticket.

We spent about 2.5 hours inside Machu Picchu, which in Goldilocks terms was “just right” for us. The weather was super, all of the fog had lifted and we had clear skies at about 70 degrees. Conditions could not have been better! Instead of trying to describe it, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

We took so many pictures and GoPro videos because it seemed that every time we moved the view was completely new. The day even turned into an unexpected petting zoo because the llamas let us pet them and their babies. They were very friendly. These llamas are like free weedeaters! Wish I had one at home!

We got back to Aguas Calientes about an hour before our train boarded. We walked the shops and got a soda to drink then took our seats onboard. Justin joined us once again.

The rail crew performed a Saca dance on the way back along with a fashion show of products for sale on PeruRail. I guess that since it was dark they felt the need to entertain us. There was also another snack, this time of focaccia bread pizza, aquaymondo (physalis or gooseberry) fruit and choice of juices or hot drinks. It seemed to be just enough to get us back, but not quite sufficient for dinner.

The staff later paraded out a snack of Inca Corn, which we stashed away for later because we felt like we had eaten all day. At any rate, the same slow ride ensued because there is only one track shared for trains in both directions and the route winds through several towns.

Our last leg of the day was to get a ride from Poroy Station back to our AirBNB. It was an epic fail. We counted on Uber drivers being available, but seeing none at 9 pm we settled for a shared ride. This time, we only got as far as the town square but thought that we could get an Uber from there. Also, a huge failure. Apparently in Cusco we were either not worth picking up or there isn’t enough demand to keep them running around 10 pm. Inevitably, we wound up walking the entire 1.2 miles to our AirBNB. And after a day like we had, that was the last thing we wanted. Thankfully our host was there to greet us upon arrival, almost as if she was waiting up on us.

Our big goal on the trip was to see Machu Picchu. Mission accomplished, almost 16 hours from alarm clock to stepping foot in our AirBNB. Though it made for a very long day, everyone should see this world heritage treasure. Here are the tips and recommendations that we have for future visitors.

• No need to have many soles as most places take VISA. You only need soles to buy goods in the markets.
• It’s not true that you have to have a guide but having a guide is very valuable. Hire a guide (Daniel Concha recommended) as they are legally required and will enhance your visit so much more. Having a private guide meant we went at our pace which was very comfortable without being herded around. Daniel shared history and legend and interacted extremely well with us all, especially Ashley. Bonus for Daniel is that he is an English-speaking guide. The cost was $70 USD total.
• The train operator tells you to be at the station 30 minutes early, but they didn’t even check tickets or start boarding until 15 minutes before. If you purchased your tickets and printed them, you’ll be fine as long as you make it about 10 minutes beforehand.
• There was one restroom outside of Machu Picchu for one sole a person and you are allowed out once but walking back to the entrance is a huge task so use the restroom prior to entering.
• Take water in with you and stay hydrated.
• I also read warning about the sun…yep that was true. You NEED sunblock. We saw 2 ladies with sunburns. We wore 50 block and wore hats. That includes sunglasses.
• We took a regular size backpack in and no one questioned it. We had water and snacks with us. Some people were eating lunch inside.
• We all had a small headache from the bus ride up to Machu Picchu as the bus ride goes over rough terrain and does many switchbacks. I think mine was a sinus headache from all the dust! It was so dusty walking into Cusco. Have an over-the-counter medication like Ibuprofen with you.
• The warning about wearing bug spray didn’t seem to be necessary. We did wear bug spray that had 25% deet but I really didn’t see mosquitoes. Maybe it was the time of day and time of year. For airplanes, don’t take aerosol bug spray.
• Yes, you do need to wear good shoes. It’s large rocks that you climb and there’s lots of climbing. Paul and I wore Timberlands and Ashley wore tennis shoes and had no issues.
• You can’t take in umbrellas but I guess if you had small umbrellas in your bag, they wouldn’t say anything but you couldn’t use them inside. No one searched our bags.
• For us, it was too hot to wear long sleeves which we call our “bug shirts”; therefore, we put them away and put on sunblock and bug spray. Most everyone wore long pants.
• Make sure you get a free Machu Picchu stamp in your passport that is located just outside the exit of Machu Picchu. We had them stamp our passport beside our Peru stamp. They will also stamp your postcards for free.
• Climbing was not difficult as you could use the rocks beside you to hold onto to climb the stairs.
• If traveling from Poroy, arrange your transit back to your Cusco-area hotel in advance. There is very little traffic in the area after 8 pm.

In hindsight, we would have done things a little differently. Here’s our new recommended way to visit Machu Picchu…buy your tickets into Machu Picchu way in advance. We bought the 1-4 pm tickets and enjoyed it highly, but don’t think any longer would have made it better. Then, buy your round-trip train tickets from Ollantaytambo station to Aguas Calientes. Buy your bus tickets when you get to Aguas Calientes for $24 US per person (need good clean unmarked bills, no credit cards). Book a hotel or Airbnb in Ollantaytambo for at least the night before and night after your Machu Picchu trip. Take an Uber, Taxi or bus from the airport to Ollantaytambo. We took a taxi driver $45 US. It’s a two hour drive from Cusco to Ollantaytambo. Then enjoy Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley and save your Cusco visit until afterwards. You can plan one additional day in Cusco before you fly to your next destination.

If you ever get the chance, see Machu Picchu. It is not to be missed. Just be sure to plan carefully to make the most of your trip.