The Machu Picchu 2-Day Tour by Train is the relaxed version of the Machu Picchu experience: instead of a 19-hour rush from Cusco and back in a single day, you travel to Aguas Calientes on Day 1, spend the evening at leisure, and enter Machu Picchu at sunrise on Day 2 — with the entire morning available at the citadel before a comfortable afternoon return to Cusco.
Day 1 focuses entirely on the journey: the tourist bus through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, then the Expedition train through the Urubamba Canyon cloud forest to Aguas Calientes. The train is the experience — 90 minutes of descending subtropical canyon scenery that the day trip rushes through at 04:00 in darkness on the outbound leg. On this tour, you arrive in daylight, check in, explore Aguas Calientes at your own pace, and sleep at 2,040 m (nearly 1,400 m lower than Cusco — many travelers notice they sleep better here).
From $399 per person. Happy Gringo Tours prices their 2-day Machu Picchu by train at $425 per person (max 10 group). Our $399 shared service covers the same inclusions — Expedition/Voyager train, 1 night accommodation, Consettur bus, entrance ticket and MINCETUR guide — at $26 less per person for groups up to 16.
Why Choose This Tour?
- Expedition tourist train Ollantaytambo ↔ Aguas Calientes — most scenic rail in South America
- 1 night in Aguas Calientes (2,040 m) — relaxed acclimatization before Machu Picchu
- Sunrise entry to Machu Picchu — first bus 05:30, citadel at 06:00
- 2-hour guided visit with MINCETUR bilingual guide (Circuit 2)
- Free time: thermal baths, Mandor Gardens, Aguas Calientes restaurants
