CUSCO TO MACHU PICCHU AND BACK ON A BUDGET

We spent a lot of time researching the most convenient and affordable ways to arrive at Machu Picchu, and the more we read, the more confused we became. If this isn’t the first post you’ve stumbled upon explaining affordable routes to this Machu Picchu, then you’ve probably already read about the train, Aguas Calientes, the Sacred Valley, the hydroelectric station, colectivo buses, the Inca Trail, and the hike or shuttle up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Caliente. 

If you haven’t heard about any of those things, and you want to arrive at Machu Picchu without breaking the bank, then you’ve come to the right place. Here I will explain to you the route we took, how long it took, and roughly how much the whole trip from Cusco and back cost us.

Three Day Outline:

  1. Colectivo in Cusco to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley
  2. Hike to free ruins with amazing views
  3. Colectivo from Ollantaytambo to Hidroeléctrica
  4. Hike from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes
  5. Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
  6. Hike from Machu Picchu to Hidroeléctrica
  7. Colectivo from Hidroeléctrica to Cusco

It’s not possible to drive directly to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. The road (if you can call it that) ends at Hidroeléctrica, which isn’t a town, but a hydroelectric station. From there you have to walk along a path that follows the train tracks to Aguas Caliente, and from there you will make the final leg of the journey to Machu Picchu. I am a huge advocate for winging it when I travel, but for this route it’s important to plan ahead and not miss your appointment for one of the great wonders of the world.

WHY WE CHOSE THIS ROUTE

If you haven’t discovered this already, Peru isn’t as cheap or affordable as one would imagine or assume. If like me, you’ve spent extensive time traveling through Southeast Asia or other developing countries, then you would bet that Peru would be somewhat similar. I was imagining a vibrant culture with colorful clothing, spicy Peruvian street food, cheap transportation, and low-cost accommodations. 

This just wasn’t the case in Peru. While you can find somewhat cheap food stalls and carts, it’s not exactly common, and the food isn’t as mouth-watering as I imagined it to be. Transportation-wise, the options aren’t terrible, but the prices are expensive if you’re moving around every few days, and the roads and times are unreliable. And as far as accommodations go, we had nothing much to complain about, but that’s because we spent the extra 10-20 USD per night for cleaner and newer rooms, which adds up over a three week period.

Needless to say, we couldn’t afford to spend the extra hundreds of dollars on the train, fancy hotels, additional entrance passes, or guided multi-day treks. If those are some of the experiences you can afford, then, by all means, go for it. But those options weren’t in our budget for this trip, so we figured out this cheaper route, and we enjoyed every minute of it!

1. CUSCO TO OLLANTAYTAMBO

Let’s start with the colectivos. These are transportation shuttles that will get you to Hidroelectrica, where your hike to Aguas Calientes starts. You have the option of making this a long one-day trip, but that would mean going straight through the Sacred Valley and missing out on some beautiful and historic places. We opted to stop in Ollantaytambo at the northern end of the Sacred Valley on the way to Machu Picchu.

The colectivos leave from Pavitos Street in Cusco, and they depart every 15 minutes for around S/.12 (3.50 USD). Basically, they leave once the van is full, so don’t expect open seats and legroom after all the luggage is loaded. The drive itself is only 1 hour and 45 minutes to Ollantaytambo through scenic landscape and follows the Urubamba River most of the way. 

There are quite a few accommodation options in Ollantaytambo. We booked a nice hotel, but you could probably find some better places if you book a couple of weeks in advance. The town is fairly small and there are two parts; the plaza and hotel half, and the old town where the locals live. Ollantaytambo is one of the only towns to be continuously inhabited by the Inca people since the 13th century. Walking down the ancient cobblestone streets alongside the old stone houses while listening to the irrigation channels is something of a magical experience. 

HIKE TO FREE RUINS

It was to our understanding that the only way to visit the Inca ruins was to purchase a tourist ticket which includes several sites on the way to Machu Picchu. We didn’t think it was worth buying an all-inclusive ticket just to visit the ruins for a couple of hours. Plus, we had an awesome alternative, Pinkuylluna, which is a ruin that used to store food reserves for the village. Perched on top of a cliffside overlooking the village and with spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley — we figured, why not?

You can ask your hostess for directions or, as we did, just Google the place and follow the directions to the entrance. You’ll probably want to wear some hiking shoes; however, it’s not that long of a hike, but it is somewhat steep and rocky. Once you get to the top, you won’t be disappointed (the photo above is your view). At the top, there will be someone to offer you some information about the ruins and the surrounding area. He didn’t ask for money, but we gave him a Soles for knowledge and time. 

For food in town, we opted to stick to street food because if it’s good enough for the locals then it’s good enough for us.  During lunchtime, you have to go with the avocado (palta) sandwiches topped with onions and tomatoes. And for dinner, there are all sorts of grilled favorites; from potatoes (always!) to grilled meats that include alpaca on a skewer. After that, we headed to the touristy square for some night time refreshments and met tourists from all over the world excited to be on this incredible journey to and from Machu Picchu!

2. Ollantaytambo to Hidroeléctrica

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.