Machu Picchu Private Tour: Guided Citadel & Professional Photos

The 15-Minute Walk That Lands You at Machu Picchu's Most Photographed Angle

You get picked up from your hotel or train station, taken by bus to Machu Picchu, guided through the citadel's main temples and terraces by an archaeologist, and photographed at the classic viewpoint. Entry ticket, bus transport, and professional photos are included. You finish with lunch in Aguas Calientes and the train back to Cusco.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit and explore Machu Picchu

• Pick up from hotel or train station
• Take bus up to Machu Picchu
• Show tickets and passports at checkpoint
• Walk 15 minutes to main photo platform
• Take classic photos of Machu Picchu
• Explore Machu Picchu citadel
• Visit farming areas and houses
• See sun temple and sacred rock
• Visit sundial and temple of the condor
• Visit temple of the three windows
• Take bus down to Aguas Calientes
• Have food in Aguas Calientes
• Take train back to Cusco

The experience

The bus climbs out of Aguas Calientes in the early morning, switchbacks cutting through cloud forest, and then you're at the checkpoint showing your ticket and passport. Fifteen minutes on foot from there (not steep, just steady), and the citadel opens in front of you. That's the moment the guide positions you for the classic photo, the one where the terraces and the peak line up the way they do in every image you've seen. Except this time you're in it, and the guide knows the exact spot and the exact angle because they've done this hundreds of times.

What happens next is the real tour. You move through Machu Picchu with someone who knows the archaeology, not just the names of the temples but why they're oriented the way they are, how the Inca engineered water through the farming terraces, what the sundial actually measured. You'll see the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Rock, the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows. The guide walks you through the houses, explains the stonework, points out details you'd miss alone. It's not rushed. You have time to stand and look, to ask questions, to take your own photos while the guide handles the ones that matter, the ones where the light and your expression and the background all come together.

The day includes your Machu Picchu entry ticket, the bus up and down from the citadel, and pickup from Aguas Calientes where the train drops you. After you finish exploring, you head back down by bus, grab food in town, and take the train back to Cusco. The whole thing is built around the logistics. You don't arrange the tickets separately, you don't figure out the bus schedule, you don't wonder if you're standing in the right place for the photo. The guide handles that. You just show up at your hotel or the station and get picked up.

This works if you want the main sites in one day and you want someone there who actually knows what you're looking at. The private format means the pace is yours, not a group's, and the photographer part isn't an afterthought. It's part of the service. You'll have images of yourself at Machu Picchu that don't look like you took them in a rush.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or train station pickup in Aguas Calientes, bus transport to and from Machu Picchu, entry ticket to the citadel, a guided tour through the main temples and terraces led by an archaeologist, and professional photographs of you and your companions at the classic viewpoint. After exploring, you take the bus back down, have time for lunch in Aguas Calientes, and return to Cusco by train.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day18 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 15:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 85 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by IncaGo Expeditions

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want the main Machu Picchu sites in one day without arranging tickets and transport separately, and who value having a guide explain what they're seeing and a photographer capture it well. The private format means you set the pace instead of keeping up with a group.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

How long does the walk from the bus checkpoint to the main platform take?

About 15 minutes, at a steady pace. It's not steep.

What's included in the tour price?

Machu Picchu entry ticket, bus transport up and down, professional photos, guided tour, and pickup from Aguas Calientes.

Do I need to arrange my own train ticket to get there?

The tour includes pickup from the train station in Aguas Calientes, but your train ticket from Cusco is separate.

Can I do this tour if I'm not very fit?

The walk is moderate. The tour is not recommended for people with poor cardiovascular health, but most travelers with moderate fitness manage it fine.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

The site and transportation are wheelchair accessible, but the 15-minute walk and terrain inside Machu Picchu may present challenges depending on mobility needs.

What if I want to skip the train and drive?

Public transportation options are available near the site. Discuss your arrival method with the operator when you book.

How many people are in a private tour?

It's a private tour, so it's you and your group with your own guide.