Photos and text by A Traveler’s Journal
Visiting the “Lost City of the Incas” Machu Picchu is likely a dream for many, but just the entrance ticket alone costs at least USD 62 (half price with an International Student ID, and you need to book months in advance during peak season). Then there’s Peru Rail, famously the most expensive train service per value in the world, with one-way tickets ranging from USD 60 to 140. But wait—what if I told you there’s a way to do it all on a budget?
If you’re willing to trade time and effort for money, you can spend three days and two nights exploring Machu Picchu your own way—on a budget. Better yet, you can get “three for the price of one” by visiting two other famous sites near Cusco: the Sacred Valley and the Ollantaytambo ruins. Remember to buy the ruins entrance ticket set in Cusco in advance (140 soles, half price for students), which covers entry to 14 attractions—it’s a much better deal.
Official Machu Picchu ticket website: http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/ (but student tickets are not available on the official site)
This is the site the traveler used to book student tickets (fast, reliable, and great value): http://ticketmachupicchu.com/
Day 1: Sacred Valley Tour + Ollantaytambo Ruins
The half-day Sacred Valley tour includes three sites: Chinchero, Moray Circular Terraces, and Maras Salt Mines. General tour prices are around 30–40 soles (the ticket set already covers entry, except for Moray, which is an extra 10 soles).
The tour ends around 1pm. Instead of taking the group bus back to Cusco, you can either hitch a ride on a minibus on the highway (15-minute drive, 2–3 soles) or hike down the mountain path from the salt mines (40 minutes) to Urubamba. From there, catch another minibus (30-minute drive, 2–3 soles) to Ollantaytambo.
Arrive in Ollantaytambo around 3pm, just in time to visit the Ollantaytambo ruins before they close at 5pm. Then stay overnight in town (15 soles for a shared double room with a bathroom).
Daily expenses: around USD 25
Day 2: Ollantaytambo –> Hidroelectrica –> Aguas Calientes
Between 9:30–10am, head to the main square in Ollantaytambo where you can catch a minibus to the hydroelectric plant Hidroelectrica (6–7 hour drive, 40 soles). The route from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa is a narrow mountain road, quite bumpy and thrilling.
Arrive at Hidroelectrica around 4pm. From here, the only way to get to the town of Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs) at the foot of Machu Picchu is to walk along the train tracks for 11km (2–3 hours).
There’s only one train track, and there are usually plenty of fellow travelers, so don’t worry about getting lost. But watch out for actual trains passing by—when you hear the horn, quickly find a spot to hide. The scenery along the way is beautiful and makes for a great hiking trail, but there are no streetlights, so bring a flashlight. Stay overnight in Aguas Calientes (30 soles for a single room with bathroom).
Daily expenses: around USD 28
Day 3: Aguas Calientes –> Machu Picchu –> Cusco
There are two ways to get from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu: take a minibus (one-way USD 12) or climb the 1,350m of stairs (about 60 minutes). As a budget traveler, I chose the latter to save money.
Depart at 4:30am. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the town center to the mountain entrance (which opens at 5am; the upper entrance opens at 6am). After ticket check, follow the crowd and start the staircase hike. The 1,350m ascent involves an estimated 2,000–3,000 steps—it’s tough, everyone ends up panting and sweating, but the sense of achievement is absolutely priceless.
To return to Cusco on the cheap, just reverse how you got there. To catch the last minibus from Hidroelectrica to Cusco (departing between 2:30–3pm), it’s best to leave Machu Picchu before 11am. The descent takes at least 1 hour to get back to Aguas Calientes.
Arrive back in Aguas Calientes around 12–12:30pm. Grab a quick lunch, then depart before 1pm to walk back along the train tracks to Hidroelectrica (2 hours). Aim to arrive by 3pm (during peak season, it’s recommended to book your return minibus ticket when buying the ticket to Aguas Calientes).
Take a minibus from Hidroelectrica back to Cusco (about 8 hours, fare: 40–60 soles). You’ll be back in central Cusco around 10pm.
Daily expenses: USD 15 + USD 67 (Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain tickets) = USD 82
Total for three days: around USD 135
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