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Hot Springs

Cusco, Peru

Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes): What to do? What to see?

Aguas Calientes or, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo, is a town surrounded by mountains and is the obligatory route to get to the Machu Picchu Citadel.

The town of Aguas Calientes is a humble town, but with a lot to offer, which is full of tourist companies, lodging, hotels, restaurants and so on.

Although many travelers go directly to the Machu Picchu Citadel and do not pay much attention to Aguas Calientes, this town can surprise you with all the activities you can do there, in this article I show you 7 things you can do in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo).

1.- Visit the Manco Capac Square

In this square you will find a monument to the Inca Manco Capac (first founder of the Inca Culture), which is with open arms as a sign of welcome to all travelers. It is an ideal place to take pictures since you will find several sculptures representative of the Andean cosmovision. In the square you will also find a very beautiful church: the Virgen del Carmen Church.

2.- Relax in the Hot Springs

The town of Aguas Calientes is named for its hot springs, these waters come from a natural spring of volcanic origin, its temperature ranges from 38 ° C to 46 ° C and have a yellowish color due to the concentration of sulfur.

If you want to visit these natural pools we suggest you bring bathing clothes, sandals and towels, there are also lockers to store your belongings, but these do not have a padlock, so bring your own or buy one on the way, another option is to leave your belongings at the reception of the hot springs.

In case you do not have what you need to enter the natural pools, you have the option to buy everything in the stores outside the hot springs, you can even rent bathing clothes for S/. 5 soles ( USD 1.20 dollars) or towels for S/.1 sol (USD 0.20 dollars).

The time allowed to be in the hot springs is only 1 hour and 30 minutes, I think, more than enough time to get the therapeutic properties of these waters.

Entrance fee

Single foreign rate: s/. 20 soles (USD 6 dollars)

Single national rate: s/. 10 soles (USD 3 dollars)

Single local rate: s/. 5 soles (USD 1.20 dollars)

Children pay from 3 years old

Entrance hours:

Monday to Sunday: 6:00 am to 8:00 pm

Address: Av. Pachacútec, Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

3.- Visit the Butterfly Farm

In the Butterfly Farm you can appreciate a part of the immense variety of butterfly species that Peru has. In the Butterfly Farm you will receive information about butterflies, the process of their growth, courtship, mating and reproduction.

As they are dedicated to the breeding and preservation of butterflies, this place has a greenhouse where you can see the butterflies freely and enjoy the plants and trees that are in the greenhouse. The tour is not very long, it can last between 15 to 20 minutes.

Entrance fee

Single foreign fee: s/. 20 soles (USD 6 dollars)

Single national fee: s/. 10 soles (USD 3 dollars)

Entrance hours

Monday to Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: it is located on the way down from the Archaeological Center of Machu Picchu towards Aguas Calientes, near the Municipal Camp.

4.- Shopping in the Handicrafts Market

In this market you will find more than 200 stalls selling handicrafts, ponchos, chullos, paintings, among others. The prices in this market are a little higher than in other places in Cusco because they are on the way to Machu Picchu, but if you do not have much time to buy in other places I suggest you take a walk through this market.

Hours of operation:

Monday to Sunday: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm

Location: Next to the train station.

5.- Bathing in the Allcamayo Waterfalls

This is undoubtedly one of the best attractions that Aguas Calientes has, after the citadel of Machu Picchu. The road that will take you to the Allcamayo waterfalls is a marvel, as it is surrounded by trees, vegetation, birds, butterflies, orchids, streams and much more.

The Allcamayo waterfalls are a little away from the center of Aguas Calientes, but access is not difficult, the walk can be done quietly in less than 1 hour. The amazing thing is not only the path, but you will also have the experience of bathing in the waters of the falls, so I suggest you bring bathing clothes, sandals and towels.

Entrance fee:

Single foreigner rate: S/. 20 soles (USD 6 dollars)

National fee: s/. 10 soles (USD 3 dollars)

Admission hours:

Monday to Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: follow the road behind the train station.

6.- Visit the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum

If you want to learn a little more about the Inca Culture, this museum is ideal for that. In the museum of Machu Picchu you will find 5 exhibition halls with more than 260 pieces that were found in the citadel of Machu Picchu and its surroundings, you can also see infographics, maps, panels, videos and more. All about Machu Picchu.

Admission fee

Adults: S/.22.0 soles (USD 7 dollars)

Higher education students: S/.11.0 soles (USD 3.5 dollars)

School students Free of charge: S/.0.0

Admission hours

Monday to Sunday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Location: Near the Old Bridge Ruins, km 112 of the railroad.

7.- Enjoy the Mandor Gardens

The Mandor Gardens is a tourist attraction little known by travelers. This place is a natural reserve very close to Aguas Calientes. On the way to get to the Mandor Gardens you will appreciate landscapes full of vegetation, with mountains, rivers, fauna and flora.

The distance from the town of Aguas Calientes to the Mandor Gardens is 2 km, the roads are easily accessible, but we suggest that you pass them only in dry season (April to October), because in rainy season (November to March) becomes little passable.

In the Mandor Gardens you will find 2 attractions: the Mandor Botanical Garden, which is full of plants, trees and, what stands out most: its more than 200 species of orchids and; the Mandor Waterfalls, these waterfalls reach 30 meters high and you can bathe in its waters.

I highly recommend this place for travelers who want to take a break and enjoy nature in its maximum splendor.

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

Virgen del Carmen Church, Aguas Calientes - Cusco

Virgen del Carmen Church, Aguas Calientes – Cusco

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), Cusco