Machu Picchu, Planning your Trip (Part 2)

Before moving on to the second part of this post, a quick review of the most important rule in planning your trip to Machu Picchu from my previous post.
Anyone?...
Book your train tickets to/from Aguas Calientes with anticipation, again way ahead of time if you can...I know I repeat myself but trust me on that one, trains can fill up fast, especially during the high season months. I have met many independent travelers during my many visits to Peru who were surprised to find that their departure date and/or preferred schedule were sold out, and who had to re-plan their visits according to available train departures.

I left off with a bus ride and entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, right?

Well, let me tell you a story to illustrate my advices...It happened a few months ago, just a couple of days before the flood, end of January. I was in Aguas Calientes with some family members and friends, we were all ready to go up to the ruins, by bus of course (I opt for motorized ascent as my preferred mode of transportation), but still hesitant because of the rain. My friend Nick, who had already missed Machu Picchu on his first visit to Peru, absolutely wanted to hike up to the entrance, you know to make it a full, rewarding experience...with the rain. He went head on, after listening to my guidance for getting out of town on the right path to the ruins...honestly not to hard, follow the river, cross the bridge on your left and follow the path/stairs up! Well don't ask me why, but he turned right, not left, and never made it to the ruins!!! Instead, he climbed the Putukusi, the other big mountain facing Machu Picchu on the other side of the river. But the real irony is that, even if he would have hiked the right mountain, he would have had to go back to Aguas Calientes because he had forgotten to buy his entrance ticket in town, to only go back up again. Well he didn't make it back up, we found him soaked in a restaurant where we had rendez-vous, and up to this day he still has not seen Machu Picchu.
The moral of the story, if you are going to hike, know where you are going, otherwise just take the bus, but always make sure you buy your entrance ticket before you do either one of those!!!

To recap, yes you read it right, you CANNOT buy your entrance tickets to Machu Picchu at the entrance gate to Machu Picchu, but only in Aguas Calientes or Cusco. I recommend that you do so directly in Cusco at the office of the INC (Instituto Nacional de la Cultura/National Institute of Culture), located in calle San Bernadino. Don't worry Cusco is small and you won't be venturing too far by going there, it is actually two blocks from the Main Square.
In Aguas Calientes, you can buy your entrance tickets in the galleria next to the main plaza, where it says tourist info and they open early for those arriving at dawn.
You can pay for your entrance tickets only in local currency, the nuevos soles. If you buy your tickets in Cusco, they are valid three days, but only good for one visit. If you are going to re-enter the same day, you can, but make sure you have your ticket stamped by the guards at the gate. If you want to visit the ruins again the next day, then you will have to pay another ticket at full price. The price of a ticket is S/ with a sudent discount if you are the holder of ISCI card.

To catch a bus, no need to book ahead or buy your ticket some place else!!! At least that one is easy...Bus departs every 10 mns (or when full), tickets cost US $14 roundtrip ($7 one-way) and are sold on a first-come-first- served-basis at the bus stop. By the way, don't sweat finding the bus stop, Aguas Calientes only has two main streets...it is located on the street that follows the river, where all the buses are! you will see what I mean when you will get there!

Happy planning and hope to hear about some of your Machu Picchu vacations soon!