Getting to Machu Picchu for $20: all you need to know
Do you really have to pay hundreds of dollars to travel to Machu Picchu, as travel agencies would assure you? Of course not. You can do it easily for under $20 — and Smart Trip Platform will tell you how to do it and waste as little time as possible!
The train that goes from Cuzco to Machu Picchu must be the most expensive in the world in terms of price-distance ratio: a standard return ticket will cost you around $200 for a 3-hour trip! And even if you start and end in Ollantaytambo instead of Cuzco and take the cheapest trains, you will pay around $120.
Then there is the Inca Trail, which you now have to book far in advance (the number of permits is limited): it costs circa $600 for a 4-day group trip. The trail is crowded, stairs and toilets have been built in many places, and there is hardly any authenticity left in the experience. Alas, the Inca Trail is now a purely commercial affair.
Most travel agencies would have you believe that the train and the trail are the only two ways to get to MP — not surprising, considering how much they earn taking tourists there! What is bothering is how easily tourists buy this story. In fact, there is not just one, but two cheap ways to reach Machu Picchu town — a combination of public colectivos (shared minivans) and a tourist minivan. There is almost no difference in price between the two, and the tourist minivan is certainly faster and more convenient, so that’s the option we will focus on here.
If you are visiting the Sacred Valley during the high season, you should buy your tickets to the ruins in advance — they cost less when purchased from the official site, though the process is a bit laborious (ask us in the comments if you wish to know more). If you are there in the low season (which we recommend), then you can always buy your tickets the day before in the official office of Instituto Nacional de Cultura in Cuzco (Calle Maruri 324).
Once you have your tickets to Machu Picchu, it’s time to arrange your transport.
Visit a few (or, better, many) travel agencies in the center and ask for the colectivo to Machu Picchu (some agencies have it advertised in their windows). The prices vary wildly, but the service, route, and travel times are absolutely the same. Search until you find a ride for 70 soles or less (should not be more than $20 in any case). Some agencies will want double that price — laugh incredulously and walk away. Usually you can easily buy your ticket the day before.
The colectivo will pick you up from your hotel or hostel, and the trip will take around 7 hours with a few direly needed stops for toilet and snacks. You will pass Ollantaytambo, then arrive in the small town of Santa Teresa (famous for its beautiful hot springs), then an even smaller town of Santa Maria, and finally (at 2–3 pm) you will reach the train station at Hidroelectrica, where the road ends.
The road beyond Ollantaytambo is good but very serpentine; if you suffer from car sickness, definitely take a pill (a few passengers were very sick when we did that route). Beyond Santa Maria, the road becomes a narrow dirt track weaving dangerously close to the cliff’s edge — the views are beautiful, though. Is it dangerous? Well… it kind of is, but not too much. Look at it as a great way to expand your comfort zone.
Once you arrive in Hidroelectrica, you will find lots of restaurants and snack sellers. We don’t advise you to waste time on sitting down and relaxing, though: you still have a two-hour walk through the jungle ahead of you! Get some sandwiches and water and set out before other backpackers do. You simply have to follow the railway tracks, though close to the start there is a bit where the path splits, and one of the paths goes up a hill (prepare to sweat), but eventually the two paths join, so don’t worry — just follow.
The walk is slightly uphill, and walking on gravel can be annoying, but all in all, it is very easy (watch out for trains, though). The jungle is lovely, with many exotic flowers and majestic mountain peaks all around. There are snack and water sellers along the route. You will reach Machu Picchu town in about two hours (around 5 pm).
In our next installment, we will explain the most efficient way to visit Machu Picchu, what is worth doing and what is not, and how to return from the ruins without wasting any unnecessary time. Here’s some advice for now: make sure to leave most of your stuff in Cuzco — just take the necessities. You don’t want to walk all the way from and to Hidroelectrica with a full backpack!
If you’d like any clarifications, then ask us in the comments! You will find even more useful travel advice in our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/STplatform/ and Telegram t.me/st_platform! And of course, remember: Smart Trip Platform token presale is in full swing, and you can still get an amazing discount on our TASH tokens at smarttripplatform.io.
