The cheapest way to get to the Machu Picchu Citadel after the local train
If you missed the local train, did not manage to buy your tickets or have had a bad experience with the local train and, you are Peruvian or reside in Peru (with a foreigner’s ID), this information is for you:
First Option: The fastest and most direct
From the city of Cusco, hire a bus through a tourist agency to take you directly to the Hydroelectric station, the journey takes approximately 6 hours and the price ranges from S/. 60 to 100 soles (USD 16 to 27 dollars) per person.
Important: the land route ends at the Hydroelectric station, there is no way to get by bus or car to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes).
Suggestion: take this route in the dry season (from April to October) since, as part of this road is not paved, walking it in the rainy season (November to March) would be a bit risky since the rain removes the soil and you can get stuck or have accidents.
Note: you can also hire the bus back to Cusco City from the Hydroelectric Station with the same tourist agency.
Click here to know how to get from the Hydroelectric Station to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Puebl0).
Second Option: Passing through Santa Teresa
From Cusco’s Main Square, take a cab, public transportation or walk to Antonio Lorena Avenue (10 minutes from Cusco’s Main Square) to take a bus to Santa Teresa, a small town located northwest of Cusco (about 203 km), the bus will reach the town in about 4 hours and the cost of the trip is between S/. 30 to 50 soles (USD 8 to 11 dollars) per person.
Suggestion: take this route in the dry season (from April to October) since part of the road is not paved and the rains can cause accidents or stagnation of buses and cars on the road.
When you arrive at the town of Santa Teresa, you can decide to spend the night there and enjoy its hot springs of Cocalmayo, its gastronomy, its adventure sports. This is a good option if you arrive late to Santa Teresa to catch the bus that will take you to the Hydroelectric station or, if you want to get to know the town of Santa Teresa, since there you can find hotels, lodging, restaurants, bars and much more.
To get to the Hydroelectric station, from the town of Santa Teresa you will have to take another bus, the trip takes approximately 1 hour ( 11 Km) and the cost of the trip is between S/.10 to 20 soles (S/. 6 to 10 dollars) per person.
To know how to get from the Hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) click here.
