Enjoy a Small Day trip to Machu picchu with us If you’re short on time, this experience is the best option and well worth it, Machu Picchu is what many people call their most beautiful experience in Perú, Unfortunately, the typical group tours are characterized by large groups, pickup delays, crowded buses and unmotivated guides that present their memorized Machu Picchu scripts. Due to the group size, it’s often difficult to follow everything the guide says and to ask all the questions you want with us this experience will be the opposite Come to know this beautiful destination.
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
In demand: 89 of the next 210 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 9.
We will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning (between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m.) and transfer you to the Ollantaytambo train station. Departure time depends on your selected train option.
You will board the train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town) at approximately 6:10 a.m. or 6:40 a.m., depending on availability. Upon arrival, our local staff will be waiting for you with a sign displaying your name. During the 1.5-hour train journey, enjoy scenic views of the Andean mountains and surrounding valleys.
The train arrives in Aguas Calientes, a small town located at the base of Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting for you at the train station and will assist you with the next steps, including boarding the bus to Machu Picchu and coordinating your entrance schedule.
We will take the bus up to Machu Picchu. As a group, we will enter the site together—please remember to bring your original passport, as it is required for entry. Once inside, enjoy a guided tour of approximately two hours, where your professional guide will share the history, culture, and significance of this remarkable Inca citadel. You will visit the most important sectors, admire the impressive architecture, and gain a deeper understanding of the ingenuity of the Inca civilization while connecting with the unique natural surroundings of this sacred place. After the guided visit, we will return to Aguas Calientes to board the train back to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival, private transportation will be waiting to transfer you back to Cusco, with drop-off at your hotel.
LEGAL NOTICE FOR HIGH SEASON ONLY: Machu Picchu online tickets often sell out months ahead. The Cultural Office in Aguas Calientes releases a limited number for in-person purchase only. If online tickets are sold out, you may arrive early the day before with your passport to buy in person. In busy times, you may need 2–3 extra nights in Aguas Calientes.
Pickup is available from hotels in Cusco’s historic center only. We do not provide pickup from Airbnbs or from hotels located outside the city center.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Machu Picchu Full Day Tour from Cusco with Panoramic Train lasts about 12–17 hours. The itinerary has 5 stops.
Prices start at $389 per person for this Cusco experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 5 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 7 departures a day between 2:50 AM and 9:00 AM.
Children aged 2–7 pay from $340, adults from $389.
It can: 89 of the next 210 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Yes, pickup is offered. Pickup is available from hotels in Cusco’s historic center only. We do not provide pickup from Airbnbs or from hotels located outside the city center. Pickup points include Lucios Hostal, Estancia San Pedro Hotel.
The experience is available in EN, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 12 participants.
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 172 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Willka Travel.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Company allows you to book tour. Shows availability. After confirming booking it will cancel and say no availability. Emailed company. No response. So rude. Please update your availability so people don't waste their time and have holds on their cards.
Ir is better to take the train the day before and sleep over closer to Machu picchu. Too long day with start in Cuzco
This was such a great experience. All of the transportation steps were easy to follow. I’m seriously terrible with directions, so I was a little nervous when I read some of the other reviews from people saying they were confused about where to get the train, bus, etc. If you pay attention to the signs and instructions given to you by the staff, it doesn’t seem possible to get lost. The panoramic train was a lot of fun. You get a little snack and a drink, like what you’d get on an airplane. In the open viewing carriage, there are 2 guys playing live music and everyone was dancing. I was dying when they started playing the Macarena lol. The tour guide I had for Machu Picchu was Antony and he was amazing. There were only 3 people in our whole group. I was traveling solo and then there was another couple. He took tons of pictures and there were times when it felt like he was doing a full on photoshoot with everyone. I’m not in shape at all and I wasn’t really prepared for all of the steep steps, but Antony was so nice and patient and made sure I could get up and down safely. I did Circuit 3B, which I think is supposed to be the easiest route, but FYI “easiest” doesn’t mean “easy.” There are a lot of big rock steps to climb up and down without handrails. Going up the steps is physically difficult if you’re out of shape like me, but it’s worth it. Going down the steps is harder because it’s more mentally difficult and scary, but Antony walked with me and made sure I didn’t fall and crack my head open. The weather was a little rainy and the views weren’t ideal since it was foggy, but I actually thought the fog made it look cooler. The tour itself started around 10am and ended around 12pm. My return train ticket was for 4pm, so I had a lot of time to kill in Aguas Calientes where there’s not a ton to do. So just be prepared to have a few boring hours at the end. Overall it was an awesome experience and I’m so glad I didn’t have to figure out the transportation logistics on my own!
We had a terrible experience with this company. We paid for a guided tour and did not receive what we paid for. A bus came to pick us up and left us at the train station that was supposed to take us to Machu Picchu. There has been a train fire the day before which left rocks and debris on the train tracks. The next day chaos ensued since no trains were traveling to Machu Picchu. We had no guide to assist us with the chaos. We were almost trampled with the massive crowds. Our train to Machu Picchu was cancelled and we had to find our own way there. So when they advertise guided tour, know that it’s not from start to finish. Don’t waste your money.
We are sorry that your experience was affected by this exceptional situation; however, we must clarify some important facts. The disruption was caused by a forest fire in the Machu Picchu area, which affected the railway and resulted in train cancellations, delays, large crowds, and significant operational disruption. This was an extraordinary emergency completely beyond our control. Despite these circumstances, you did travel to Machu Picchu and used the services we arranged and paid for, including your train tickets, official Machu Picchu entrance tickets, and round-trip bus transportation. Unfortunately, due to the exceptional disruption and chaos caused by the emergency, you were unable to meet the guide as originally planned. We regret that this part of the service could not be completed normally. However, despite having traveled and used the train, Machu Picchu entrance, and bus services, you subsequently requested a FULL REFUND for the entire booking. We consider this unreasonable and unacceptable, as these services were provided, used, and paid for by our company. We understand the frustration caused by this emergency, but we strongly disagree with portraying the situation as though our company failed to provide the purchased services. We always take responsibility for matters within our control, but a forest fire, railway disruption, and the resulting operational chaos were clearly beyond the control of any local tour operator. Willka Travel
I had an enjoyable tour, a profound experience!
The trip to Machu Picchu was well organized and instructions to get to all of the destinations on the tour were easy to follow. This ancient town is gorgeous and worth visiting. And afterward, there was plenty of time to roam the tourist town at the base of the mountain.
It was a long journey but worth every minute. We had a guide just for my family. Vilma was fantastic answering our questions and giving us so much information to the history of the place.
We book the months ago. We noticed that they put us in the wrong circuit which was more difficult. We have some elderly family coming so we needed the easiest circuit. It was difficult getting a hold of willka travel to have them correct the error. We eventually go TripAdvisor to help with that. Later we needed to add another family member to the trip. Willka travel wouldn’t answer the phone or respond to messages. When they did they said they would call us back and they never did. Finally it came to the day before the tour. They were finally responding to messages but it was like pulling teeth to get information from them. They allowed us to add the additional family member but they wanted to charge us almost $500 usd for him plus an additional slightly over $800 usd for the other ten of us for “upgrading”us to circuit 3 which was the easiest route even though we originally requested circuit 3 and paid. The day of the tour they picked us up from the hotel in a large van slightly late. They were driving so fast and recklessly to try to make up the time that several people in our party became car sick. We made it to the train with minutes to spare with no real explanation on where to go or what to do. We noticed that the tickets to get into Machu Picchu had a 6am entry for circuit 3 but we were just getting to the train around that time which would be impossible for us to get to Machu Picchu in time since the train ride was an hour and a half. I message them and they sent me new tickets which I didn’t receive until we arrived due to the poor reception. When we arrived we saw a person with a sign that had our name on it. She was the most helpful of all the people. Her name was Katy and she did her best to accommodate us. She found us bus tickets that were never sent to us and help figure out the entry time issue. She found someone that said we would have to print out the tickets and told us to go to a location that refused to and referred us to an Internet cafe. The Internet cafe was closed so Katy went to a nearby hotel to print them out. She told us to present both the 6am tickets and 10am tickets along with our train pass so that Machu Picchu would allow us to enter. Once we arrived they didn’t allow us to enter because the circuit 3 6am tickets were expired but we could go to circuit 2 10am but we would have to leave one of our party behind. It took around 45 mins of me explaining and speaking to 4 different people until they allowed all of our family to enter but we had to buy another ticket for around 46 usd. The actual tour was beautiful and very informative. Our tour guide was great. Our only problems were poor execution of the travel and the additional cost for a circuit that we had already requested from the beginning. We definitely would not recommend travel with willka. They made things more stressful and expensive. I noticed other travel agencies at our hotel that had a person there telling them step by step what would happen and what to do. We trusted the high rating.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations; however, we believe it is important to clarify several points that are not accurately reflected in your review. Your reservation was made several months in advance, and the Machu Picchu circuit was confirmed exactly as originally booked. At no point did our company change your confirmed circuit. In fact, Circuit 2 is one of the most complete and most requested routes at Machu Picchu. The situation arose one day before the tour, when you urgently requested that we add one additional participant to your reservation. At the same time, your entire group asked to change to Circuit 3. Despite the very limited last-minute availability, our team made every effort to accommodate these requests and keep your group together. The entire process, including the available options, availability, and any additional costs, was clearly explained throughout our communications. Regarding the tickets showing a 6:00 a.m. entry time, these were subsequently authorized by the Machu Picchu authorities for entry at 10:00 a.m., allowing your group to complete the visit without any issue related to the entry time. We also respectfully disagree with the statement that we were unresponsive. Throughout the process, we replied to your messages and worked continuously to resolve your last-minute requests. The additional arrangements required were the direct result of changes requested less than 24 hours before the tour. Finally, we truly appreciate your kind words about Katy and your tour guide. We are pleased that their dedication and professionalism contributed positively to your visit. Our commitment has always been to provide the best possible service while working within the official regulations and availability established by the Machu Picchu authorities. We believe it is important that future travelers understand the full context of what occurred.
The tour company was very detailed in disclosing the full day itinerary. My driver was timely to pick me up in the morning, the train ride you’re kinda by yourself but that’s fine, and a person was there to meet us once we got off the train to walk us to the bus stop. He told us our guide name and then the guide met us at the entrance. My guide was great, super informative, great at taking photos, very engaging. I got C3 tickets because I booked so late, he was very good at making it a great route. I disn’t realize we couldn’t linger inside so I boarded the bus back to Aguas Calientes immediately after and went to get lunch even though it was like 10:45AM. I messaged the WhatsApp number to see if I could change my train time and they never responded. So I just had to kill time till 2:50PM. Make sure if you don’t want to spend a full day in Aguas Calientes, to ask if you can be on an earlier train back. I felt this was a waste. I didn’t need 4 hours here. The train also dropped us off at a different location than where the station was. When I asked the question on WhatsApp, they said it was the same spot. I felt like that was wrong - thankfully I asked a police officer who pointed me to the right area or I would’ve missed the train. The driver meeting us was late and when I messaged them again, I got not response. Thankfully, I saw the driver wall by with a sign with my name on it with a big group. I think pre-trip and getting to Machu Picchu, the communication and plan are all great, but after, they kinda disappear. They should also give an option to be on an earlier train. Not sure I’d book with them again, but the day was okay and I managed to figure out all the hiccups by myself.
I would not recommend Willka Travel for the Machu Picchu Full-Day Tour from Cusco with Panoramic Train / MP Group Tour with Circuit 2. The biggest issue was the lack of communication and organization before the tour. For a full-day Machu Picchu trip, travelers need clear and timely details about pickup time, meeting location, train schedule, tickets, entrance circuit, guide information, and what to expect throughout the day. Unfortunately, Willka Travel did not provide the level of communication or support that should come with a tour like this. We tried reaching the company multiple times before our scheduled tour because we needed confirmation and details, but we could not get a reliable response. This caused unnecessary stress and uncertainty, especially since we were traveling as a family and had already booked and paid for an important, time-sensitive excursion. Machu Picchu is not the kind of tour where people can simply “figure it out” last minute. There are trains, entrance times, bus logistics, guides, and strict ticket rules involved. Instead of feeling excited and prepared, we felt anxious and unsure about whether everything was actually arranged. A professional tour company should be easy to contact, especially the day before a major excursion, and should make customers feel confident that the trip is organized. That was not our experience. Machu Picchu itself is incredible and the guide was wonderful. The pick up from the hotel and back to the hotel were great. Machu Picchu absolutely worth visiting, but the poor communication from Willka Travel made the experience much more stressful than it needed to be. I would strongly recommend booking with a different agency that provides clear instructions, timely responses, and better customer support
Dear Rosete, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you felt uncertain before your tour. We would like to clarify that all the necessary information—including your train tickets, Machu Picchu entrance tickets, bus tickets, pickup details, and itinerary—was sent through the Viator platform within our standard timeframe of up to 24 hours before the tour. We use this platform so that all communication is properly documented and easily accessible to our guests. We understand that visiting Machu Picchu is an important experience and that travelers appreciate timely updates. Although your reservation was made at the last minute, we successfully organized all the services, and your tour operated as planned. We also do our best to respond to all inquiries during our business hours, although we are not able to provide 24/7 support. We are happy to know that you enjoyed Machu Picchu, that you were satisfied with your guide, and that the hotel transfers met your expectations. Your comments are valuable, and we will continue working to improve our communication while maintaining the quality and reliability of our tours. Thank you for traveling with us, and we wish you many wonderful adventures ahead. Thank you Rolando
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu Full Day Tour from Cusco with Panoramic Train | 12–17 hours | 4.8 (172) | $389 | |
 4-Day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu & Panoramic Train | 4 days | 5.0 (5,467) | $820 | View |
 Machu Picchu by Panoramic Train with Circuit 2 from Cusco | 14–15 hours | 4.8 (1,052) | $395 | View |
 Inca Trail 4-Day Trek to Machu Picchu – Return by Vistadome Train | 4 days | 5.0 (11,551) | $835 | View |
 2-Day Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu Tour from Cusco by Train | 2 days | 4.8 (1,294) | $449 | View |
 5 Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with Panoramic Domes | 5 days | 4.8 (1,157) | $300 | View |
 5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu + Vistadome Train | 5 days | 5.0 (984) | $698 | View |