2-Day Short Inca Trail

In the morning, at the scheduled time, your guide will meet you at your hotel in Aguas Calientes and accompany you to the bus station. From there, you will travel approximately 20 minutes along a winding road, ascending about 400 meters, to reach the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, also known as the Lost City of the Incas.

Upon arrival, we will enter the archaeological site and begin a guided tour of Circuit 5, visiting the main sectors of Machu Picchu. The guided tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, during which your guide will explain the historical and architectural significance of the site.

After the visit, we will return to Aguas Calientes, where you will have free time to have lunch at one of the local restaurants (lunch not included). Later, we will board the train to Ollantaytambo, according to train availability. Upon arrival at Ollantaytambo station, our representative will assist you with the bus transfer back to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.

Important Information

Since January 1, 2019, Machu Picchu regulations require all visits to follow a one-way circuit. Once you pass a sector, re-entry is not permitted. There is no re-admission to the site after exit. The only exception applies to visitors holding additional tickets for Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu Mountain. In these cases, the duration of the guided tour of the main citadel will be adjusted to match the mountain entrance schedule. For Machu Picchu Mountain, the guided tour will be approximately one hour; for Huayna Picchu, approximately two hours.

Important Advice

Before going up to Machu Picchu, we recommend leaving your main backpack at your hotel in Aguas Calientes and carrying only essential items such as water (Machu Picchu is a plastic-free zone and single-use plastic bottles are not permitted), passport, entrance ticket, cash, sun hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent. After returning to Aguas Calientes, you can collect your luggage from the hotel. If time permits, you may visit the Manuel Chávez Ballón Museum of Machu Picchu, which offers free entry after midday upon presentation of your passport.

Please note that queues are common for both the shuttle bus to and from Machu Picchu and the train back to Ollantaytambo, so sufficient time should be allowed. Your guide will provide assistance and coordination throughout the process.

Overnight: Hotel in Cusco (not included)

Meals included: Breakfast

Schedule

07:00 – Guided tour of Circuit 5 (approx. 1 hour 30 minutes).
11:00 – Return to Aguas Calientes.
14:00 – Check-in at Aguas Calientes train station.
14:30 – Departure on Inca Rail Voyager Bimodal train.
15:50 – Arrival at Ollantaytambo station.
16:20 – Bus transfer to Cusco.
18:30 – Arrival in Cusco and transfer to the hotel.