Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes (now officially Machu Picchu Pueblo) is a small town at the bottom of the valley next to Machu Picchu, and the principal access point to the site. All visitors to Machu Picchu pass through Aguas Calientes and most spend at least one night here.

Understand
The town is perched on the bank of the Urubamba river. Across the river are sheer cliffs, and a creek flows down from the jungle into the river, bisecting the town. Several small bridges cross the creek. Virtually all of the town is pedestrian-only, making it very easy to get around.

Get in
There are no roads into Aguas Calientes. You must arrive by train or by foot.

By train
Two train companies serve Aguas Calientes. Try to book several days in advance if possible, especially in the high season. Tickets can be purchased online, or at travel agency and ticket offices in Cusco. Upon leaving the train station you will enter a warren of market stalls. Stay straight to head to the stream running through town where you can get your bearings.

Peru Rail
Peru Rail has two stations: Ollanta and Poroy. There are several departures daily, varying greatly in price. Pay attention to the station when buying tickets online, as the website presents both stations in the same timetable. Tickets should be bought in advance either online or at the Peru Rail office on the Plaze de Armas in Cusco. It is not possible to select your seats online, so if you have a preference, buy them at the station. Printed tickets are required, although they can be printed at the Poroy station at the ticketing office (and likely at Ollanta, although this has not been confirmed). The fares start at US$35 one way in the 'Backpackers' cars, which have decently comfortable seats and small snacks available for purchase. The 'Vistadome' cars are the mid-range cars, with nicer seats and included snacks. There is also a luxury option called 'Hiram Bingham', complete with gourmet meals and an observation carriage.

Poroy is a 20-min taxi ride from the Cusco Plaza de Armas and is the most convienent option for passengers departing from Cusco. However, in the rainy season Peru Rail only runs trains from Ollanta and ferries passengers via shuttle buses.

Ollanta is in Ollantaytambo, which is a small town 1hr 45min from Cusco. To get to Ollantaytambo, take a collectivo from Calle Pavitos in Cusco, S/15 (soles) per person. They start early in the morning, around 03:00, and run every half hour. Look for a newish van with seatbelts. Ollantaytambo is a small town with ruins of its own, and one popular route is to take the bus, spend a night in Ollantaytambo, then take the train to Aguas Calientes the next morning. The scenic train journey through the Sacred Valley takes about 3hr 45min from Poroy and 1hr 45min from Ollanta.

Inca Rail
Inca Rail also serves Aguas Calientes. Prices and service are similar to Peru Rail. The "bimodal" service is a combination of a minibus from Av de Sol in Cusco to Ollantaytambo, where you transfer to the Inca Rail train to Machu Picchu (in Aguas Calientes). Both the bus and rail sections are very scenic.

By car and foot/train
Several tour agencies offer a "Machu Picchu by car" tour for S/60-100 - an inexpensive way to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco. These start around 07:00 in the morning to go to Hidroelectrica on a 6-7 hour car ride up and down a very curvy mountain road with very spectacular views along the road. From there you walk to Aguas Calientes for 2½-3 hours. It is an easy, flat walk, you just have to follow the train tracks. It's also possible to catch a train at 14:50 for US$32 (Jul 2019). You'll spend the night in Agua Calientes and get up to Machu Picchu very early the next day, usually around 04:00. Minivans back to Cusco leave Hidroelectrica at around 14:30. This means leaving Machu Picchu at around 11:00. It's just enough time to visit the site for 3-4 hours, but not enough to climb Wayna Picchu or Montana.

If you want to have more time at Machu Picchu (recommended if you have the time), you can also organize the trip yourself: book the transport at a tour agency (S/70-80 for the round trip), book two nights in Aguas Calientes (there are plenty hotels and hostels to choose from), and buy your ticket for Machu Picchu in the Ministerio de Cultura in Cusco.

By foot
It is also possible to hike downstream along the railway tracks from Ollantaytambo or from the town at km 82, where the Inca trail starts. This is about a seven-hour hike (hiking on the train tracks is prohibited).

It's also possible to hike upstream along the train tracks from Santa Teresa (4 hours) or Hidroeléctrica (2 hours). You can take a minibus directly to Hidroeléctrica from Cusco for S/50 or make the journey by public transport. To reach Santa Teresa, take a bus towards Quillabamba from Cusco and get off at Santa Maria. The bus leaves Cusco at 08:00 (from the Santiago bus depot - S/20) and passes through Ollantaytambo, Urubumba and Santa Maria. It's a 7-hour journey from Cusco to Santa Maria. You can also take a minivan (colectivo) which leaves next to the buses (S/25-30 - 4 hours). At Santa Maria, take a connecting bus to Santa Teresa (S/6, 1½ hours) or a taxi (S/10, 1 hour). Walk 2 hours or catch a bus (S/5) to the hydro electric plant (planta hidroeléctrica). From there it's 2½-3 hours of walking to Aguas Calientes, and it's an easy walk, you just to follow the train tracks. It's also possible to catch a train for US$28 (May 2015) to Aguas Calientes, possibly much cheaper if you are Peruvian (leaves hidroeléctrica at 16:00 and for Peruvians it's S/10). As the tracks are still in use, be careful, especially when crossing bridges and in the tunnels.

There are also hiking paths coming from Mollepata, Cachora and Huanicapa for the extremely adventurous. You will want to get your hands on some topographical maps beforehand. Hiking and Trekking around Cusco is available for S/25-30 and has details on the routes you can take.

Get around
The town is compact and walkable, and there are no vehicles apart from the buses to Machu Picchu and a few work vehicles.

Do
Aguas Calientes is in the cloud forest, and there are several hikes in the jungle and along the river. The town also offers the usual activities for a tourist location, as well as the thermal baths that give the town its name.

Birdwatchers can find Torrent Ducks and White-Capped Dippers in the river, and Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks--the national bird of Peru--can be found in the jungle outside of town. Several books are available discussing the bird life near and around Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes that also discuss birds that can be found in the cloud forest.

In town:



Going downstream towards Santa Teresa, you can follow the train tracks or follow the road along the river. This road runs until it reaches a bridge that crosses the river where the road winds up to Machu Picchu. At this point you can turn right and cut up to the train tracks and continue to follow the river along the tracks. Walk on the tracks is prohibited and dangerous. In the downstream direction you can find:

Going upstream towards Ollantaytambo:

Following the train tracks upstream from Machu Picchu Pueblo towards Ollantaytambo you will see some other ruins and a waterfall.

Buy
Prices on most things are relatively high, so if you're on a very tight budget, bring some snacks and water from Cusco. If you're planning to use a credit card for hotel or purchases, note that most places only accept Visa. However, prices on basics such as snacks and water are not much higher than Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

There is a big market along the road to Machu Picchu, and a big handicraft market in front of the railway station.

Some shops sell hand-painted t-shirts, which are far more expensive than other t-shirts in Peru but are a little more creative.

Eat
There are many restaurants catering to travelers. Prices can be expected to be somewhat higher due to the isolation of Aguas Calientes and the difficulty of importing supplies. Some travelers have reported incorrectly calculated bills and hidden charges on bills. One ploy to be aware of is for the bill to be 10-15% more than advertised due to "tax" and "servicio". This is fairly easy to avoid if you are aware of it - when the tout is inviting you into the restaurant, he or she will name a price. Agree to the price and say, "No tax, no servicio, no nada mas." When they bring the bill, you may have to remind them of this agreement, but there is usually no problem if it is agreed up front. The waiter may tell you he earns no wages, and the service charge is his only pay, but this is not true. Only ever pay what is advertised.

The town is full of pizza restaurants, which are a safe option.

There are also Chifa restaurants (Chinese food) and Peruvian restaurants serving set menus. These will usually run S/10-15, and depending on where you go will be something along the lines of palta rellena (stuffed avocado), soup, main course (generally trout, beef or chicken), tea, coffee, fruit juice, wine or pisco sour.

The smaller restaurants up the hill will often offer more food for half the price of the larger establishments, and the quality is usually the same.

There are two cafes outside the entrance to Machu Picchu that have decent cafe-style food and are surprisingly reasonable.



Drink
Many bars try to lure in customers with 4-for-1 happy hours lasting the whole evening. Beware that the price is fourfold of the normal prices in Cusco. These "four" cocktails are also each about the size of one normal-priced cocktail. It is often not a terrible deal, but it is not truly four-for-one.

Signs warn that it is not allowed to sell and/or consume alcoholic beverages after 23:00. However, it's not too hard to find a place to drink some beers after this time.

Sleep
There are many sleeping options in Aguas Calientes. There is one very expensive hotel right next to the Machu Picchu entrance.

Connect
Internet cafes are spread around the town with slow connections. They offer local and long-distance calls as well. They charge S/3-4 per hour and there are also CD and DVD burning facilities to store your photos. DVDs cost S/15 each to burn.

Stay healthy
There is a 24-hour pharmacy "Multiservicios Botica Carita Feliz" in Calle Collasuyo, north-west of the main square Plaza Manco Ccapac.

Go next

 * Cusco take the train.
 * Ollantaytambo take the train.
 * Santa Teresa head down stream, its about a four hour hike.
 * Choquequirao you'll need camping equipment, food, a map and GPS would be good too.