Getting there & away
There are only two options to get to Machu Picchu: trek it or catch the train to Aguas Calientes.
From Aguas Calientes, buses for Machu Picchu leave from a ticket office along the main road for the tightly winding 8km trip up the mountain (round-trip US$12, 25 minutes). Departures are hourly, roughly between 5:30am and the early afternoon, plus extra buses to handle the crowds when trains arrive. Buses return from the ruins when full, with the last departure usually around 5:30pm.
Otherwise, it’s a 20-minute walk from Aguas Calientes to Puente Ruinas, where the road to the ruins crosses the Río Urubamba, nearby the museum. A breathtakingly steep, but well-marked trail climbs another 2km up to Machu Picchu, taking about an hour to hike (less coming down!).
Machu Picchu
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