Bestseller2,334 reviews
12 hFrom Cusco: Full-Day Group Tour of Machu Picchu
★ 4.7 · 2,334 reviews
- Twelve hours, Pickup in Cusco historic center
- Guided visit of about 2 hours
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$349$29.08 / hour
Check availability→ Train there, guide, train back
Machu Picchu day trip: one long day by train
Three listings on this site sell a Machu Picchu day trip: a pickup in Cusco before dawn, a drive to Ollantaytambo, the train down the valley, a bus up to the citadel, about two hours with a guide, and the same way back. They cost $308, $320 and $349 per person. Here is how the day runs and which one to book.
Quick answer
The short answer. Pick your Machu Picchu day trip by how you want the day to run. For the most reviewed listing on this site, book the $349 group day: 2,334 reviews at 4.7, a pickup time set by your train and a guide in three languages. For the longest guided visit, about 2.5 hours, and a lunch you can add, the $308 day. For a fixed 4:00 AM hotel pickup and a 6:10 AM train, the $320 day. If you can spare one night, the 2-day walk on the Inca Trail at $585 lets you arrive on foot.
Machu Picchu day trip at a glance
- Day tours by train
- 3 of 9listings on this site
- Price
- $308, $320, $349per person
- Length
- 12 to 15 hoursdoor to door, per the listings
- Pickup in Cusco
- 4:00 to 8:00 AMset by your train
- Drive to the train
- About 1.5 hoursCusco to Ollantaytambo
- Train each way
- 1 h 45 min to 2 hOllantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
- Bus up
- 25 to 30 minutesAguas Calientes to the gate
- With the guide
- 2 to 2.5 hoursinside the citadel
- Lunch
- Not in the base pricean option on the $308 day
- Guide languages
- English, Spanishplus Portuguese on two of three
- Reviews
- 3,527across the three day tours
- Cancellation
- Non-refundableon all three day tours
Hour by hour
How a Machu Picchu day trip runs, hour by hour
A Cusco to Machu Picchu day trip is a relay: road, rail, bus, guide, and back the same way. Times are the ones the listings give; your pickup follows the train the operator books.
- Before dawn: pickup in Cusco
Between 4:00 and 8:00 AM, depending on your train. The $320 day collects you from your hotel at 4:00 AM; the $349 day picks up only within the historic centre.
- About 1.5 hours: the drive to Ollantaytambo
A tourist bus, van or car takes you to the station, about 1 hour 30 to 40 minutes. If the $320 day leaves from Poroy, the drive is 30 minutes and the train 3.5 hours.
- Morning: the train down the valley
About 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours along the river to Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo. On the $320 day the train leaves Ollantaytambo at 6:10 AM.
- 25 to 30 minutes: the bus up
Staff meet you in town and point you to the bus, which climbs a zigzag road to the entrance. At the gate you show your ticket and your passport.
- About 2 hours: the guided visit
Your guide walks you round the main sites of your circuit: about 2 hours on two of the days, 2.5 hours on the $308 day. On the group day, you cannot go back in once you leave.
- Midday: lunch in Aguas Calientes
Bus down, then lunch at a restaurant at your own cost, or the optional Peruvian lunch on the $308 day. The $320 listing names the hot springs in town as an extra.
- Afternoon: the train back
Back to Ollantaytambo on the train, about as long as the morning ride. The road transfer to Cusco meets you at the station.
- Evening: drop-off in Cusco
Another 1.5 hours or so by road to Cusco. One listing warns that the wait at Ollantaytambo station can run to 30 minutes after the train arrives.
The three days
Three day tours by train, and how they differ
Same route, four differences.
A Machu Picchu 1 day trip is long: 12 hours on two listings, 15 on the third. On paper every Machu Picchu day trip tour here looks alike, so compare four things: the pickup, the train, the time inside and lunch.
The group day, $349. The most reviewed listing on this site, 2,334 reviews at 4.7. Pickup at 4:00, 6:00 or 8:00 AM to match your train, but only within the historic centre of Cusco. About two hours with a guide, lunch on your own, 12 hours in all. Guides speak English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The optional-lunch day, $308. The lowest price of the three, 984 reviews at 4.6. You ride a Tourist or Superior class train, by option, and get the longest visit, about 2.5 hours. Lunch is an add-on, and entry comes with some options, not all. Allow 15 hours.
The 1-day by train, $320. 209 reviews at 4.7. Hotel pickup at 4:00 AM, an Expedition or Voyager train at 6:10 AM, about two hours with the guide, 12 hours in all. Guides speak English and Spanish.
Every option, current fare
Machu Picchu day trip prices, side by side
The three day tours, plus the lowest-priced hike and our top pick if you can give it more days. Prices are per person. The bus up to the citadel is in every programme; no listing says whether the bus fare is in the price.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optional-lunch day | $308 | per person | 15 hours | Pickup, Tourist or Superior train, 2.5-hour guided visit. Entry and lunch by option | Cusco hotel, 4:00 to 8:00 AM | 4.6 · 984 |
| 1-day by train | $320 | per person | 12 hours | Pickup, Expedition or Voyager train, 2-hour guided visit, entry booked with your passport. Lunch extra | Cusco hotel, 4:00 AM | 4.7 · 209 |
| Group day | $349 | per person | 12 hours | Pickup, train, 2-hour guided visit, entry issued by the operator. Lunch on your own | Historic centre of Cusco, 4:00, 6:00 or 8:00 AM | 4.7 · 2,334 |
| 2-day trail walk | $585 | per person | 2 days | Pickup, a day on the Inca Trail, hotel night, 2-hour guided walk, train back | Cusco hotel | 4.9 · 227 |
| 4-day trail, our top pick | $840 | per person | 4 days | Pickup, three nights in camp, camp meals, guided visit, panoramic train back | Cusco or Sacred Valley hotel | 4.9 · 595 |
On the day
The station town, the river town and the citadel
Three stops on the route, from the first train to the guided visit.
Ollantaytambo
A crowd walks between grassy Inca foundations, and tiled roofs fill the valley floor between two steep mountains.
Aguas Calientes
White and orange buildings line the right side, trees the left, and sheer green cliffs close the valley above a footbridge.
The citadel
Terraces and stone ruins spread along the ridge below a sharp peak in cloud, with a thatched stone hut in front.
Tickets and circuits
Your entry ticket, your circuit and your passport
Who issues the ticket, which circuit you get, and why the passport matters.
Entry is handled differently on each listing. On the $349 group day the operator issues your Machu Picchu ticket, subject to availability when it is issued. On the $320 day the operator books the tickets with a passport copy of each traveller, and says it cannot confirm them without one. On the $308 day, entry comes with some options; once issued, the name and the date cannot change.
Circuits are assigned, not chosen. The group day gives priority to Circuit 2, then 3 or 5, and finally Circuit 1. The $308 day assigns Circuit 2 or 3. The $320 day offers Circuit 1, 2 or 3 by availability, recommends booking 3 to 4 months ahead for Circuit 2, and lets you ask which circuit is open before you book.
Before you book
Five things to check before you pay
Every Cusco Machu Picchu day trip on this site is non-refundable, so check these first.
- Your dates are fixed
All three day tours state «This activity is non-refundable», and the $320 day allows no change of dates.
- Your passport details
Send them as soon as you are asked: the Machu Picchu ticket is issued in your name, and the $308 ticket cannot be changed once issued.
- Where you are staying
The $349 group day picks up only within the historic centre of Cusco.
- The circuit you want
If Circuit 2 matters to you, ask before you book; one listing recommends booking it 3 to 4 months ahead.
- Money for lunch
Lunch is not in the base price of any of the three. Plan on a restaurant in Aguas Calientes, or choose the lunch option on the $308 day.
Other ways in
Staying in the valley, or walking in?
All three day tours start in Cusco; walking in takes at least one night.
None of the three listings sells a Machu Picchu day trip from Ollantaytambo: each picks you up in Cusco and drives you to the station there. A one day trip to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo would ride the same train, but no listing says you can join at the station, so ask first, as you would for any one day Machu Picchu tour from Ollantaytambo. Our top pick, the 4-day trail at $840, collects from Sacred Valley hotels as well as Cusco.
Nor is there a Machu Picchu one day hike here: the day tours ride the train both ways. The nearest thing to a one day hike to Machu Picchu is the 2-day walk from Km 104, with a hotel night in Aguas Calientes. Hikes here start at $585 per person.
Our verdict
Our verdict: which day to book
Book the group day at $349 if you want the most reviewed choice: 2,334 reviews at 4.7, pickup set by your train, and a guide in three languages. For the longest visit and a lunch option, the $308 day. For a fixed 4:00 AM start, the $320 day. If you can give it two days, walk in on the trail at $585.
Book direct
Book your Machu Picchu day trip
The three day tours by train, and the 2-day trail walk for one extra night. All four are priced per person.
Lowest price here984 reviews
15 h - 2 dayMachu Picchu: Full-Day Tour from Cusco with Optional Lunch.
★ 4.6 · 984 reviews
- 15 hours - 2 days, Tourist or Superior class train
- 2.5 hours at Machu Picchu
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$308
Check availability→ 
12 h209 reviews
12 hFrom Cusco: 1-day Machu Picchu Tour by Train
★ 4.7 · 209 reviews
- Twelve hours, Hotel pickup at 4:00 AM
- Train from Ollantaytambo station
- Lunch and hot springs extra
- Free cancellation
$320$26.67 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 4.9227 reviews
2 daysMachu Picchu: Inca Trail 2-Day Overnight Guided Tour
★ 4.9 · 227 reviews
- Two days, Hotel night before Machu Picchu
- Wiñay Wayna and Sun Gate
- 2-hour guided walk in citadel
- Free cancellation
$585
Check availability→ Common questions
Machu Picchu day trip: questions, answered
Is a Machu Picchu day trip worth the long day?
It is a long day: 12 hours on two listings and 15 on the third, with a pickup between 4:00 and 8:00 AM. You get about 2 to 2.5 hours with a guide inside, and reviewers rate the three days 4.6 to 4.7. For more time at the citadel, the 2-day trail walk adds a night in Aguas Calientes.
What time will I be picked up in Cusco?
At 4:00 AM on the $320 day. At 4:00, 6:00 or 8:00 AM on the $349 group day, depending on your train, and only within the historic centre. Between 4:00 and 8:00 AM on the $308 day, with the exact time confirmed the day before.
How long do you get inside Machu Picchu on a day trip?
About 2 hours with the guide on the $349 and $320 days, and about 2.5 hours on the $308 day. The group listing adds that visitors stay in the citadel only during the guided visit and cannot go back in.
Is lunch included?
No. On the group day and the $320 day you buy lunch in Aguas Calientes at your own expense. On the $308 day, a traditional Peruvian lunch is an option you can add.
Do I need my passport?
Yes. The group listing asks you to bring a valid passport on the day, and the other two need your passport details to issue the Machu Picchu ticket. At the gate you show the ticket with your ID.
Can I cancel and get my money back?
No. All three day tours state «This activity is non-refundable», and the $320 day allows no change of dates. Book once your dates are certain.
Your options
Picking your Machu Picchu day trip
Whichever Machu Picchu one day tour from Cusco you pick, the shape is the same: an early start, about two hours inside, and a late return. On a Machu Picchu 7-day trip based in Cusco, that leaves most of the week open. On a Machu Picchu 10-day trip, you may have room for the 2-day Sacred Valley trip at $370, with Pisac and Ollantaytambo, or a night on the Inca Trail. Martin from Sweden on the $308 day: «It is a long ride from Cusco to the train station and then almost two hours to the village connecting the railway to Machu Picchu. But the train ride is very beautiful».
Go deeper
More guides to Machu Picchu
From Cusco
From Cusco
Pickup times, the train from Ollantaytambo and the way back to the city.
By trainBy train
Which tours ride which train, and what the carriages are like.
The guided visitThe guided visit
What the guide covers inside the citadel and how long you spend there.
Two daysTwo days
The short trail: one walking day, one night, the citadel next morning.
Sacred ValleySacred Valley
Two days with a night near the citadel and the valley on the way.
