Machu Picchu from Sacred Valley: Private guided tour with train

Train through the Inca heartland to Machu Picchu, then back the same day

A private full-day tour from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu includes hotel pickup, round-trip train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, site admission, a local guide and return transfer. The guide leads you through the citadel's temples and terraced hills, and you meet the llamas that live there. The 12-hour day starts early and ends at your hotel.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day Machu Picchu tour

• Transfer from hotel to Ollantaytambo station
• Train ride to Aguas Calientes
• Meet guide at train station
• Bus ride to Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Photograph llamas and scenery
• Bus back to Aguas Calientes
• Train ride back to Ollantaytambo
• Transfer back to hotel in Sacred Valley

The experience

Your day starts with a pickup from your hotel in the Sacred Valley and a drive to Ollantaytambo train station. You board the train and ride alongside the Vilcanota River through mountain valleys and Inca farming terraces to Aguas Calientes. At the station, your local guide meets you and takes you by shuttle bus up to Machu Picchu itself.

The guide walks you through the ancient citadel: its temples, the terraced hills carved into the ridge, and the sacred sites that made it a center of the Inca Empire. You have time to move at your own pace between the main areas and find the best angles for photos. The llamas that graze on the site are part of the experience. They're the local residents who have lived there longer than the tourists.

After exploring, you take the shuttle back down to Aguas Calientes, board the return train to Ollantaytambo, and your driver brings you back to the Sacred Valley. The whole loop, pickup to hotel return, takes 12 hours, so plan the rest of your day around an early start and an evening arrival.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transfer from the Sacred Valley.
• round-trip train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.
• Machu Picchu admission ticket.
• round-trip shuttle bus from Aguas Calientes to the site.
• professional local guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to10h before

AgesSenior (11 to 90 years) · Child (1 to 10 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Apu Ausangate Trek

Is this one for you?The 12-hour commitment means you leave early and return in the evening, so plan any other Sacred Valley activities (market visits, other ruins) for a different day. A private guide and vehicle let you set the pace at Machu Picchu itself without waiting for a group.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 10 years).

What's included in the tour from the Sacred Valley?

Hotel pickup and return transfer in the Sacred Valley; round-trip train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes; Machu Picchu admission; the shuttle bus up and down the mountain; and a professional local guide who speaks English or Spanish.

Do I need to arrange my own train tickets?

No. The train tickets are included in the tour, so you don't book them separately. Your guide meets you at Aguas Calientes station after you arrive by train.

What is Aguas Calientes?

Aguas Calientes is the town at the base of Machu Picchu where the train from Ollantaytambo arrives. It's the gateway to the citadel. From there, the shuttle bus takes you up the mountain to the site itself.