What is The Fastest Way to Get to Machu Picchu?

Last Updated on September 27, 2022 by James Bustamante

The fastest way to get to Machu Picchu is undoubtedly by taking the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, to then take the bus to the Machu Picchu entrance.

There are several different routes you can take before finally arriving for your hike to Machu Picchu.

The one-day express tour will give you an itinerary that has you leaving Cusco or the Sacred Valley as the case may be. It is the fastest way to get to the Inca city in one single day.

You will be scheduled early in the morning to take the train in Ollantaytambo so you can then go from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and back to Cusco all on the same day. 

If you have just one more day to spend and would like to do a bit of hiking then the 2 day Inca trail is the best option. Let’s go over each one in detail. 

Below we go over both of these Machu Picchu tour options in detail. The best part is that both tours are available on an almost daily basis. 

Machu Picchu Express Tour

The Machu Picchu Express tour will quickly and efficiently take you to the stone city and back in 24 hours. Below is the outline with the schedule.

• Pick up at your hotel: 4:30 am 
• Arrival at Ollantaytambo train station at 6:00 am
• Train departure scheduled for 7:00 am
• Arrival at Aguas Calientes Town 9:00 am
• Bus service to Machu Picchu is scheduled for 9:40 am
• Arrival at Machu Picchu Scheduled for 10:00 am
• Machu Picchu Guided Tour from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Machu Picchu Hike on your own 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Return to Aguas Calientes Scheduled for 2:00 pm
• Lunch break 2:20 – 3:20 pm
• Return Train scheduled at 4:00 pm
• Arrival at Cusco set for 7:00 pm

Express Tour Details

Pick up and Car Ride at 4:30 am

Our driver and guide will come to pick you up from your hotel at 4:30 am. We will then drive to Ollantaytambo, located 1.5 hours away. Enjoy this short ride through the Cusco countryside as we enter the Urubamba valley.

Arrival at Ollantaytambo Train Station at 6:00 am

We arrive at the station by 6:00 am and have the PeruRail staff check out tickets before crossing through the boarding station. 

Reference on Train schedules: https://www.perurail.com

Train departure Scheduled for 7:00 am

Once we are seated, the train ride through the valley will commence. The PeruRail staff will provide a snack and a beverage for the ride.

Check out the landscapes and take plenty of pictures. These Andean spaces will soon seem more like a rainforest as the train ride takes us to a lower elevation.

Arrival at Aguas Calientes Town 9:00 am

We will arrive at the cloud forest town of Aguas Calientes by 9:00 am. Then, we will head to the Consettur bus station, a mere 5-8 minute walk from the train station.

Bus Service to Machu Picchu 9:40 am

The shuttle will leave by 9:40 am on route to the main entrance. The total drive time will be anywhere from 20- 28minutes depending on weather conditions.

This road goes around the mountain and can take some time to cover. As we slowly ascend through the mountain, take pictures of the picturesque surroundings.

Arrival at Machu Picchu Scheduled for 10:00 am

Once we arrive at the main entrance, we walk towards the Machu Picchu main gate and wait for our group to assemble with the guide.

Machu Picchu Guided Tour from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Once we cross the gates and our Machu Picchu ticket has been stamped, we can move ahead with the tour. The whole guided Machu Picchu tour will take around 2 hours.

The guide will focus on the central locations in the stone city and answer all the questions you might have about the Inca city. The hike is of low difficulty and apt for just about anyone.

Machu Picchu Hike on your own 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

After we have concluded the Machu Picchu guided tour, you will have time to go through the complex independently.

Take this time for more pictures; if you are up to it, try one of the two extra hikes within the city.

Extras: If you plan and have 2 more hours in this schedule, we can reserve tickets for the additional Mount Machu Picchu hike or the Huayna Picchu hike. They will each take about 1.5 hours extra to complete fully.

Return to Aguas Calientes  2:00 pm

Once we explore the ruins we exit the complex to take the shuttle back down to Aguas Calientes.

The ride back down will also take around 20 minutes. We hope you enjoyed today’s excursion since it is always a high point in any traveler’s itinerary.

Lunch break 2:20 – 3:20 pm

We will have about an hour set aside for a quick lunch break in Aguas Calientes. This small town is filled with restaurants offering local Andean food and a few pizzerias if you are not feeling adventurous.

Return to Cusco Train at 4:00 pm

We will be back at the train station by 3:45 pm to have our train tickets checked and stamped before boarding the PeruRail train back to the city of Cusco. The ride will take around 3 hours to the Poroy Cusco station.

Arrival at Cusco set for 7:00 pm

As stated, this quick Express tour will get you to Machu Picchu and back in one day.

If you don’t have an additional day to spend in Aguas Calientes, then by all means this is the fastest way to get to Machu Picchu and back to Cusco within a single day.

2 Day Inca Trail

If you want to know which is the fastest hike to get to Machu Picchu, then the 2 day Inca trail will be the best possible choice. 

You will need 2 days without counting the time required to acclimate to the elevation. Check out the schedule and details below.

• Pick up at your hotel: 4:15 am 
• Arrival at Ollantaytambo train station at 5:45 am
• Train departure scheduled for 6:45 am
• Starting Point of the 2-day Inca Trail 9:00 am
• Arrival at Aguas Calientes Town 6:00 pm
• Bus service to the citadel is scheduled for 5:30 am
• Arrival at Machu Picchu Scheduled for 6:00 am
• Machu Picchu Guided Tour from 6:00 am – 9:00 am
• Machu Picchu Hike on your own 9:30 am – 11:00 am
• Return to Aguas Calientes Scheduled for 12:00 pm
• Lunch break 1:00 – 2:20 pm
• Return Train scheduled at 3:30 pm
• Arrival at Cusco set for 6:30 pm

2 Day Inca Trail Details

DAY 1: CUSCO – CHACHABAMBA – WIÑAYWAYNA – MACHU PICCHU – AGUAS CALIENTES

Pick up at your hotel: 4:15 am

The 2 day and 1 night Inca trail to the Inca fortress begins by picking you up at your hotel in Cusco between 4:00 am to 4:15 am and taking you by car to the Ollantaytambo train station just outside of Cusco.

Arrival at Ollantaytambo train station at 5:45 am

We arrive at the train station by 5:45 am and board the train. Make sure to get comfortable for this short journey to reach the hike’s starting point.

Starting Point of the 2 Day Inca Trail 9:00 am

We cover long distances by train, and this is why this hike is one of the fastest ways to Machu Picchu.

If we had to take a car to the starting point, it would take a considerably more extended timeframe. 

We will cross a footbridge to begin our hike at the Inca site of Chachabamba. We proceed to hike for nearly 10 hours through the Andean wilderness before finally arriving at the town of Aguas Calientes.

DAY 2: AGUAS CALIENTES  – MACHU PICCHU– AGUAS CALIENTES  CUSCO

Bus Service to Machu Picchu scheduled for 5:30 am

We start our morning early so we can take the earliest bus to the top of the mountain. Once we board it will be nearly 20 – 25 minutes all the way up depending on whether the road is wet from the rain.

Arrival at Machu Picchu Scheduled for 6:00 am

We arrive at the entrance by 6:00 am and leave the bus slowly. The whole point of coming up to the Inca sanctuary this early is to catch the sun rising over the Andes mountains.

It is definitely worth waking up early for and the pictures of the surroundings you will be able to take are unlike any other in the world.

Machu Picchu Guided Tour from 6:00 am – 8:25 am

The Guided tour begins and we will go over all the different areas of the Inca citadel.

Your knowledgeable guide will make sure to explain in great detail what each area of the complex was used for. The guide will also answer your questions while we visit Machu Picchu in its entirety

Machu Picchu Hike on your own 9:30 am – 11:00 am

After we are finished with the tour you will have time to go off and explore the city on your own. This is included as part of your permit in your Machu Picchu travel package.

Make sure to take plenty of pictures of the Llamas and Alpacas which roam the site!

Return to Aguas Calientes scheduled for 12:00 pm

We board the bus at around noon in order to head back down to Aguas Calientes. Make sure you are all set and at the entrance by 12:00 pm on the dot.

Lunch break 1:00 – 2:20 pm

Once back in Aguas Calientes we can go ahead and have lunch in one of the local restaurants.

Return train scheduled at 3:30 pm

We should be gathered at the train station by 3:00 pm with our train tickets on hand.

The train station staff will validate your tickets and we then proceed to the boarding platform. We will be back in Cusco by this evening.

Arrival at Cusco set for 6:30 pm

We will arrive at the Poroy station in the city of Cusco. Our guide will then assist you in returning to your Cusco hotel.

Conclusion

The fastest way to get to the Inca city will always be via a Machu Picchu travel package because they have been carefully put together with expert travel advisers who plan each part of the trip down to the minute.

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