South America - Questions about visiting Machu Picchu

I am in a process of planning a trip from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. One of the possibilities I am considering is taking an afternoon train to Aguas Calientes and spending a night there. This would allow me to be at the site early the following morning and thus to beat the crowd. I started looking at some local hotels in Aguas Calientes and found two extremes: they are either ridiculously expensive (over $400 or even $1000 per night) or suspiciously cheap. Can anybody suggest a decent place to stay there? I will be traveling with my family (my wife and my teenage son) at the end on December 2011. We are not looking for any luxury. It just has to be a clean, sanitary and safe. The only additional thing that would be desirable is some breakfast spot either in or near a hotel.


Thank you very much.

There's a nice medium range occupied by the Hotel Presidente and three other hotels owned by the same people. They're all on the same street or just around the corner. The Presidente is in the $80 range, and the others are slightly less. No matter which one you stay at, you'll have your breakfast at the Presidente.

No website that I know of ... Google "Hotel Presidente" "Machu Picchu" for the contact info. You'd book any of them through the Presidente.

One word of caution: All MP hotels keep VERY EARLY checkout times, usually 9 a.m. You need to be packed, ready to go, and checked out that morning by the time you head up to the ruins. They'll store your luggage for the day.

This one does not look bad: http://www.lacabanamachupicchu.com/. Does anyone have any experience with it?

This one does not look bad: http://www.lacabanamachupicchu.com/. Does anyone have any experience with it?

Hotel looks cute namtuge. But can I ask you a question (off topic a bit)

Have you thought this through? You really want to stay in Aguas Calientes?

For half what that room costs you could stay somewhere cute in the Sacred Valley and pay for return taxis to the train station in the morning.

Sorry if that comment is unhelpful.

JohnnyColombia, thank you, your comment is helpful. Do you have any suggestions?

Hi namtuge, I don't know if you have been before to Machu Picchu, but you would be hard pushed to find anyone that has anything nice to say about Aguas Calientes. It is somewhat tacky & tatty effectively a ramshackle street that a train runs through. Everything is more expensive and less good (as it has a captive market)

Saying that, I met an Australian woman a couple of weeks ago in Lima that hated everywhere in Peru but loves Aguas Calientes after spending an hour there. Each to their own

I'd say that unless you don't trust yourself to wake up in a morning and risk missing your train then that is the only reason to stay there.

Here's a suggestion, http://www.elalbergue.com/ instead of staying in a hotel in Aguas Calientes, you could stay in such a place which is near the train station in Ollantaytambo a far prettier town in the Sacred Valley and you can walk out the door and get straight on the train.

There are other more economical options in Ollantaytambo and there is a small but nice cafe/restaurant right near the train station that opens up in the small hours to make breakfasts for the Machu Picchu visitors.

I'd can definitely recommend staying in Ollantaytambo. I can't speak for any of the hotels in Aguas Calientes, but the town itself is a dump. Ollanta is well worth a visit in its own right, so a couple of nights there won't go amiss.

I stayed at El Albergue, and thought it was lovely. Comfortable rooms with a bit of character, a nice restaurant, and extremely handy for the station. It's definitely not the cheapest place in town (was about US$80/night, which is quite pricey by Cusco standards), but it's very convenient and stress-free. A 10 minute walk to the rest of town. Yes, there is obviously some train noise, but if you're getting up for the first train, that won't be too much of an issue! And even when we weren't, it didn't keep me off my sleep.

A few photos:

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab241/raikje/elalbergue1.jpg
Triple room - one double bed, one single

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab241/raikje/elalbergue2.jpg
Balcony outside

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab241/raikje/elalbergue3.jpg
The garden

We took the earliest train, which was I think 0610. The hotel serves breakfast from 0530, so time to sit with a coffee and watch out of the window for the train to start boarding. When we got to Aguas Calientes, there was barely a queue for MP tickets (though a small one formed behind us), and no queue for bus tickets or the buses themselves. We weren't the first up to Machu Picchu by any means, but it was still fairly quiet when we got there.

For reference, this was in June, a week before Inti Raymi, so pretty high season. Staying in AC might be beneficial if you want to be up for sunrise, or to climb Huayna Picchu, but for a 'normal' visit I found staying in Ollanta was perfect.

OK, I've been to Aguas Calientes, and it's significantly better than its rep. Mind you, there's no reason to linger there, but it is an extremely good idea to get there late afternoon the day before your Machu Picchu trip, have dinner, sleep and wake up early (I question the wisdom and necessity of pre-dawn arrival at Machu Picchu, but to each his own). You could then spend another night in Aguas after your Machu Picchu excursion, but I took an evening train out of town, which is probably the right call for anyone except a person with a leisurely schedule.

I stayed at the Terrazas del Inca B&B, and I highly recommend it for its value for anyone who's not too fussy (I went there from the Starwood Sacred Valley resort, so I'm no backpacker). It's a one-star by USA standards, but clean and comfortable. I paid about $40 for 2 with breakfast.

There's a very good, affordable French restaurant in Aguas called El Indio Feliz, that alone makes it worthwhile to spend the night in town (I ate there again before my train back to Ollyanta). There's not much else to do except shop (you will probably have bought enough handicrafts by then, though) and use the mediocre (but cheap) thermal baths (yes, the "aguas calientes").

We're doing the same thing. The more I read, the more it sounded like a good idea to spend the night in Aguas Calientes (now called Machu Picchu Pueblo). I booked rooms at La Cabana MachuPicchu (http://www.lacabanamachupicchu.com (http://www.lacabanamachupicchu.com/)) for $110 a night. They got decent reviews and seemed a little more comfortable that some of the other more basic hotels in the town.

If at all possible, stay at the Sanctuary Lodge at the top of Macchu Picchu. You can stay out in the ruins as late as you want, and get up for sunrise. Incredible. I had a superb travel agent talk me into it, and had to be waitlisted, but she got it for me. Incredible.

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/central-and-south-america/peru/machu-picchu/44604/machu-picchu-sanctuary-lodge/hotel-detail.html

Edit: just checked current prices. Wow. They have gone up about 800% in 10 years.

My biggest regret about visiting Machu Picchu was not spending the night at Agua Calientes the night before.

After the awful combo bus/train ride, I didn't have the full capacity to enjoy the beauty of MP. Additionally, I saw some cool looking vendors in town but didnt have the time to look.

I strongly suggest getting there the night before, spending the night then leaving when you're done sightseeing for the day.

If at all possible, stay at the Sanctuary Lodge at the top of Macchu Picchu. You can stay out in the ruins as late as you want, and get up for sunrise.
Staying at the Sanctuary Lodge does allow you the convenience of staying after rest of the crowds have left, but the ruins close at 6 p.m. and everybody has to be out, period. Long ago, guests of the Sanctuary Lodge could wander around the ruins after closing on nights around the full moon. That ended years ago.

We're doing the same thing. The more I read, the more it sounded like a good idea to spend the night in Aguas Calientes (now called Machu Picchu Pueblo). I booked rooms at La Cabana MachuPicchu (http://www.lacabanamachupicchu.com (http://www.lacabanamachupicchu.com/)) for $110 a night. They got decent reviews and seemed a little more comfortable that some of the other more basic hotels in the town.

Probably more comfortable, but also probably not worth it to most travellers. As I mentioned, some of the $40 Aguas Calientes hotels are pretty darn comfortable from a "basics" standpoint (bed, hot water, privacy, cleanliness, etc.). There's not a lot of "ambience" in Aguas, so I'm not sure what the extra $70 will get you, unless you never venture below 3 star accomodations and wouldn't be comfortable doing so. We went from 5 star accomodations in the Sacred Valley to a $40 room in Aguas and were fine with it!

If at all possible, stay at the Sanctuary Lodge at the top of Macchu Picchu. You can stay out in the ruins as late as you want, and get up for sunrise. Incredible. I had a superb travel agent talk me into it, and had to be waitlisted, but she got it for me. Incredible.

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/central-and-south-america/peru/machu-picchu/44604/machu-picchu-sanctuary-lodge/hotel-detail.html

Edit: just checked current prices. Wow. They have gone up about 800% in 10 years.

Yeah, the Sanctuary prices are now insane. It's a shame, but there's a small group of luxury travellers who don't care what the price is. It's a good choice for them, and a bad choice now for everyone else.

I'm planning to visit Machu Picchu on Saturday. I have already booked the train and paid the entrance fee (with Huayna Picchu).

Two questions remain:
1) My train arrives in Aguas at 9:30. Will it be a problem getting a bus at that time? Should I prearrange this?
2) Are guides available at the entrance? Again, is it better to prearrange this?

I'll be traveling solo this time around and staying at the Tambo del Inka in Urubamba.

Thanks for your help.

1) You mean the train from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu? No problem, they run as soon as one fills up. Approx 16 seats and it costs about S/.14 for a non resident.
2) Yes you will almost certainly be pitched by guides as soon as you arrive

Have a nice trip

My husband and I are planning a trip to Machu Picchu with my mother in May 2012. We will be flying into Lima and haven't booked transport to Cuzco yet. What would you all recommend? Flight to Cuzco and then take a bus/train to Ollantaytambo and acclimate there?

I just read up on altitutde sickness and now I'm getting worried. Did you guys have any problems?

My husband and I are planning a trip to Machu Picchu with my mother in May 2012. We will be flying into Lima and haven't booked transport to Cuzco yet. What would you all recommend? Flight to Cuzco and then take a bus/train to Ollantaytambo and acclimate there?

I just read up on altitutde sickness and now I'm getting worried. Did you guys have any problems?

I didn't have any problem, but my wife got a really bad headache in the Sacred Valley. And she was drinking the recommended coca tea.

The literature says you're better off acclimating in the Sacred Valley than in Cusco because of the altitude, for what it's worth.

1) You mean the train from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu? No problem, they run as soon as one fills up. Approx 16 seats and it costs about S/.14 for a non resident.
2) Yes you will almost certainly be pitched by guides as soon as you arrive

Have a nice trip

Thanks for the advice. Just got back and had a great time, though it was much too short.

FWIW, I had a slight headache for the first half day or so in Cusco/Sacred Valley but was perfectly fine after that.

My husband and I are planning a trip to Machu Picchu with my mother in May 2012. We will be flying into Lima and haven't booked transport to Cuzco yet. What would you all recommend? Flight to Cuzco and then take a bus/train to Ollantaytambo and acclimate there?

I just read up on altitutde sickness and now I'm getting worried. Did you guys have any problems?

The elevation in Cusco is higher than the Sacred Valley/Ollantaytambo. It will be "tougher" on the individual in Cusco for the first couple of day but once you are done, you are in good shape for Machu Picchu.

It is easier to acclimatize in the Sacred Valley as it is lower. However, if you plan to hike the Inca Trail (for example, with high passes), the acclimatization to a higher elevation at Cusco will help.

The is really no way around it. Take it easy for the first couple days, watch out for sudden lapse of attentions (for example, tripping when walking), drink lots of water ... the body does the rest. Slight headaches are really common.

Have fun.

Thanks for the input! We recently spent the day hiking for a few hours where the elevation was 10,000 ft and we were ok, so I'm hoping we should be ok in Cuzco/MP.

We finally decided on spending a day sightseeing in Cuzco when we land early in the morning and then heading to Tamba del Inka in the Sacred Valley and spending a day there before heading to MP. One day in MP and then back to Cuzco to catch a flight to Juliaca.

Any recommendations for accomdations in Puno or any see attractions?

Exciting! :)

The elevation in Cusco is higher than the Sacred Valley/Ollantaytambo. It will be "tougher" on the individual in Cusco for the first couple of day but once you are done, you are in good shape for Machu Picchu.

It is easier to acclimatize in the Sacred Valley as it is lower. However, if you plan to hike the Inca Trail (for example, with high passes), the acclimatization to a higher elevation at Cusco will help.

The is really no way around it. Take it easy for the first couple days, watch out for sudden lapse of attentions (for example, tripping when walking), drink lots of water ... the body does the rest. Slight headaches are really common.

Have fun.

One day in MP and then back to Cuzco to catch a flight to Juliaca.

Why would you go to Juliaca?

Any recommendations for accomdations in Puno or any see attractions?

Exciting! :)

Presumably you are going to Puno to see Lake Titicaca, I'd recommend not booking the trip in Cusco. Walk up and pay costs S/.25 for a full day boat tour with Los Uros and Taquille

Why would you go to Juliaca?

Presumably you are going to Puno to see Lake Titicaca, I'd recommend not booking the trip in Cusco. Walk up and pay costs S/.25 for a full day boat tour with Los Uros and Taquille

Seems that is the easiest way to get from MP to Lake Titicaca area. Given our limited time in the area, train/bus doesn't seem feasible. We booked on Lan using BA miles.

Thanks for the recommendation. We had poked around online and contacted some operators there. There quote is for USD$25 per person for half day Sillustani tour, including airport pickup from Juliaca. Full Day Tacquille and Uros Tour USD$88 per person. Taxi back to Juliaca from Puno USD$40.

My only concern is that we are getting in to Juliaca in the afternoon, when a lot of the tours have already left and also we need to get back to the airport the next day by 5pm. Not sure if we can easily negotiate a custom tour once we arrive in the Puno area.

Where would you suggest we go to find tours in Puno?

Many thanks!

Yes having to be back at Juliaca airport at 5pm the next day complicates things a bit.

As for tours, there is a small harbour where all the boats leave from, you walk up and the price is about S/.25 which is substantially less than the $88 that you are seeing.

One would imagine a half day tour would also be substantially less. We were getting quoted $160 each from Cusco for the bus to Puno and the tour. We paid the bus ourselves and found such a tour at the harbour and it worked out about $70 for both of us.

The elevation in Cusco is higher than the Sacred Valley/Ollantaytambo. It will be "tougher" on the individual in Cusco for the first couple of day but once you are done, you are in good shape for Machu Picchu.

It is easier to acclimatize in the Sacred Valley as it is lower. However, if you plan to hike the Inca Trail (for example, with high passes), the acclimatization to a higher elevation at Cusco will help.

The is really no way around it. Take it easy for the first couple days, watch out for sudden lapse of attentions (for example, tripping when walking), drink lots of water ... the body does the rest. Slight headaches are really common.

Have fun.

Too late to be of use to original posters, but Diamox/acetazolamide is indicated as a preventative for altitude sickness.