Getting to and Around Machu Picchu

You cannot fly to Machu Picchu. The nearest airport is in Cusco. So how to get to Machu Picchu is a question of order: a flight to Cusco, usually through Lima, then road and rail through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, the town below the ruins, and a bus up the last switchbacks. Or four days on foot along the Inca Trail. The thinking goes into where you sleep the night before you walk through the gate.

Flying In: Lima First, Then Cusco

The nearest airport to Machu Picchu is Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ). Most travelers reach it through Lima, the hub for nearly every international flight into the country, then fly about 1 h 20 m up to Cusco.

The catch is the clock. Most daytime flights from Miami, Houston and Atlanta land in Lima between 8 and 11 pm, and the first flights to Cusco leave around 6 am. So our itineraries put a night in Lima in between, as on the Classic Trip to Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Non-stop times from the US and Europe are on our getting to and around Peru page.

Within Peru, Cusco flies to Arequipa and to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon. Older guides also list Cusco flights to Juliaca and Iquitos. Neither runs as a regular non-stop today: from Cusco our trips reach Lake Titicaca overland, and Iquitos is a flight from Lima.

Cusco to Aguas Calientes by Train

PeruRail and Inca Rail both run to Aguas Calientes, officially Machu Picchu Pueblo, and where you board depends on the season. From May to December, PeruRail leaves from Poroy, 20 minutes from Cusco’s main square. From around January to April it usually closes Poroy for the weather and track work, and runs a bus from Wánchaq station in Cusco to Ollantaytambo, or Pachar on some departures, to meet the train.

Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley, has the most departures, which is why several of our itineraries never board in Cusco at all. On Machu Picchu & the Amazon Jungle you land in Cusco and go straight down to the Sacred Valley, which lies lower than the city, for Pisac and a night in Ollantaytambo, then take the morning train. Read staying healthy at Machu Picchu before you plan the first two days, and see our Sacred Valley tours.

The Legs at a Glance

Typical times from the operators’ own pages and current airline schedules, as of October 2026. Schedules change.

Up to the Gate: The Bus and Your Entry Hour

From Aguas Calientes, buses leave for the entrance about every 10 minutes and take about 30, according to PeruRail. Or walk up in about two hours. The concession to run them ended in September 2025; as of late September 2026, Urubamba province was still preparing a new tender, so the operator may change.

Your ticket, not the train, sets the timetable. As of October 2026, Peru’s Ministry of Culture sells entry by the hour, from 6 am to 3 pm. You get 30 minutes’ grace after your hour, 45 from June 1 to October 15 and on December 30 and 31. More on our things to do at Machu Picchu page.

So work backward from the entry hour. A day trip from Cusco works, and the Classic Trip does it, but it is a long day. A 6 or 7 am slot is easiest from a bed in Aguas Calientes, and if you can spare the day, we recommend that night. Where to eat there is on our Machu Picchu food page.

On Foot: The Inca Trail and the Other Treks

The classic Inca Trail is the one trek of ours that ends at the citadel, not in town. Our Inca Trail to Machu Picchu drives from Cusco to Piskacucho, at Km 82, and walks four days to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. The Ministry of Culture closes the trail every February, so check our Machu Picchu weather page before you pick dates.

The other treks end at the railway. The Salkantay Trek comes down to Hidroeléctrica station and walks about two more hours to Aguas Calientes. The Salkantay Lodge to Lodge Trek finishes with an hour on the train, and the Lares Valley Trek ends in Ollantaytambo. All are on our Machu Picchu hiking tours page.

How We Route It

Writing about Brazil, our co-founder Juergen Keller put it plainly: “Leave slack in your trip!” Around Machu Picchu the reasons are local. Poroy closes in the rains. On August 14, 2026, runway repairs kept Cusco’s airport shut until shortly after 8:30 am, according to CORPAC. A night in Aguas Calientes, or a spare day in Cusco, absorbs all of it.

Lima is not the only door, either. On Honeymoon South America: South American Wonders you fly from Santiago de Chile to Cusco, go straight down to the Sacred Valley, and start home from Cusco’s airport. The Incas, Uros, Gauchos & Cariocas Tour takes the train on from Cusco to Puno and follows Lake Titicaca to La Paz, with no flight back to Lima.

How Flights Fit Your Trip

Our Machu Picchu itinerary prices are estimates without flights; the tour pages say “Flights priced separately”, and the domestic legs your route needs are quoted separately with your trip. The ground legs are another matter: most of our Peru Machu Picchu tours list “All tours, transfers and entrance fees” as included.

Questions About Getting to Machu Picchu

What is the closest airport to Machu Picchu?

Cusco (CUZ). A new airport is being built at Chinchero, in the Cusco region; in January 2026 Peru’s transport ministry said it was about 40% complete and should open in late 2027 or early 2028.

Can you fly direct to Cusco from the US?

No. Cusco’s only international flights come from Santiago de Chile, Bogotá and La Paz, so you connect, usually in Lima.

How long is the train ride to Machu Picchu?

From Ollantaytambo, about 1 h 30 m, though some trains take up to 2 h. From Cusco, about 3 h 30 m via Poroy (May to December only) or about 4 hours by bus and train.

How many days do you need for Machu Picchu?

It can be done in a day from Cusco, but we prefer two: the train in, a night in Aguas Calientes, the ruins in the morning.

Next, our Machu Picchu travel guide, the best time to visit Machu Picchu and the Machu Picchu visa requirements, where the entry rules live. Or ask for a custom Machu Picchu trip.