Every day an impressive number of people arrive in Aguas Calientes Cusco, a small town that is the main access to the Inca citadel, is also known by many people as Machu Picchu Pueblo, being so popular among travelers from all over the world that it is currently considered one of the most cosmopolitan towns, making it lively and comfortable to make a stop before visiting the Wonder of the World. Auri Perú can help you with plans to get to this destination, do you want to know how?
There are many ways to get to Aguas Calientes Cusco, but the first thing is that you should know where it is located, what its importance is and what you can do in this place. We are sure that Machu Picchu Town will surprise you.
Aguas Calientes Town in cusco
1.- WHERE IS AGUAS CALIENTES CUSCO?
Aguas Calientes Cusco is located in the Urubamba Valley and is considered the closest town to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, at an altitude of 2040 meters above sea level, it is a town that is surrounded by mountains and a river that runs alongside, its popularity for being the starting point to reach the Inca citadel gave it the nickname of Machu Picchu Town.
Aguas Calietes Town – River view
2.- HOW TO GET FROM CUSCO TO AGUAS CALIENTES?
Being the entry point for Machu Picchu, it does not have vehicle access as such, only the railways that connect Aguas Calientes Cusco with the rest of the cities, so we show you what the 2 main routes are like:
The first route is the most traditional and allows us to interact with 2 types of transportation. It begins in Cusco where we take a car that can be shared or private to the town of Ollantaytambo, the trip lasts 2 hours (You can take advantage of the road to visit the Sacred Valley) there we can get to the station where we will enjoy a 1 hour trip and approximately 40 minutes on one of the beautiful train categories that exist to finally reach the town of Aguas Calientes Cusco.
The second route is a little longer, since it also begins in Cusco where we board our transportation and begin the trip to the Hydroelectric sector, this trip lasts approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes. On the way we will pass through very beautiful places such as Ollantaytambo, Abra Malaga and Santa Teresa until we reach our destination where we can take advantage of some free time to have a quiet lunch and our adventure begins walking next to the railway for 3 hours, each step we take allows us to observe a little more of the vegetation and nature that surrounds this beautiful place which is Aguas Calientes Cusco. Of course we also have an alternative option that lasts only 15 to 20 minutes and that is to take a train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes Cusco.
3.- HOW MUCH IS THE TRAIN TO AGUAS CALIENTES CUSCO
There are 2 train companies that provide the service to get to Aguas Calientes Cusco and 3 categories of trains in each one with their different advantages, we show you which one may be ideal for you:
Standard Category: We can find here the Expedition train (Peru Rail) or Voyager train (Inca Rail) in both cases they are normal services that only fulfill the transportation function, the price can vary between $45.00 dollars to $55.00 dollars per way, they include are a drink on board such as infusion or tea and a shopping cart if you wish.
Expedition Train Service Peru Rail
Panoramic Category: A little more elaborate, this category contains the Vistadome train (Peru Rail) and 360° (Inca Rail), allowing the traveler to enjoy a trip to Aguas Calientes Cusco with greater comfort and breadth in terms of vision since it has windows larger and in some cases it complies with having an open car which allows us to see the path we leave behind in a more interactive way. Their prices can vary between $65.00 to $80.00 dollars each way.
Luxury Category: This is already an experience only for travelers who want more eccentricity during the trip, we can see that as the First Class train (Inca Rail) has a superior service than the previous ones, however, if we compare it with the Hiram Bingham (Peru Rail ) is a very different level, since the Hiram Bingham has a much higher category and makes you feel glamorous from the first step inside the train, including meals, bar service and even providing private bus transportation from Machu Picchu Town to Machu Picchu inca citadel only for passengers in this category. With all this included, the price is higher and can cost between $395.00 to $450.00 dollars.
Important: The price of the train categories varies according to the season.
Aguas Calientes train: Vistadome Service Train Peru Rail
4.- WHAT TO DO IN AGUAS CALIENTES?
The town of Aguas Calientes Cusco has many options that allow us to enjoy our stay, the most important or main ones being:
Hot Springs: When we imagine arriving at Machu Picchu, the emotion runs through our body, for this reason the hot springs of Aguas Calientes Cusco are a place that you must necessarily visit. They are heated pools that contain minerals that help in the relaxation and recovery of the body, the temperature varies between 17°C to 27°C, that is, from the coldest to the hottest. Access is for everyone and has an entrance ticket that we can purchase right there, it costs s/20.00 Peruvian soles or $6.00 American dollars.
Mandor Gardens: It is a natural space that gives us the opportunity to enjoy nature with a very beautiful view of a waterfall, in addition to a light hike from Aguas Calientes Cusco that lasts approximately 50 minutes each way.
Mandor Garden
Traditional market: It is a very popular space for visitors to Aguas Calientes Cusco since here we find many varieties of souvenirs and crafts that we exclusively want to bring for our family.
Local Market Aguas Calientes
Manuel Chavez Ballón Site Museum: A space where you can clearly appreciate the culture, history and rediscovery of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, it also shows us a beautiful garden that contains an incredible variety of orchids, which makes the space much more beautiful, to be able to enter we have to purchase an entrance ticket that costs s/22.00 Peruvian soles or $7.00 American dollars.
5.- WHERE TO STAY IN AGUAS CALIENTES CUSCO
In Aguas Calientes Cusco we will find many hotels of different categories, among the main ones we have 3 stars and up until we reach the luxury hotels, there is even one that is located next to the Inca citadel itself. The sanctuary lodge is a luxury hotel 5 stars that has all the comforts to make your experience unforgettable. In any case, there are many options for all travelers. To be able to discover something more personalized, remember that our experience advisors are always attentive to your communication.
Sanctuary Lodge Hotel
Aguas Calientes Cusco is a destination that offers us comfort, in addition to being populated by people of different nationalities it makes it a multicultural experience, don’t think about it too much, contact Auri Peru now and book your space in this magical dream town.
“Cozy like home, Aguas Calientes Cusco is the ideal destination”
