Machu Picchu Pueblo (aka Aguas Calientes)

Machu Picchu…how to get there

Train-> Peru Rail or Inca Rail. I have done Peru Rail twice and I think it’s pretty good. It’s just very long because the train doesn’t go as fast and it makes a few stops. Five years ago, I went from Poroy to Machu Picchu and it took about 3.5 hours. This time around, the San Pedro stop opened up, which was great because we could walk from our hotel in Cusco to San Pedro Square in 20 minutes, as opposed to taking a taxi in the early hours of the morning.

Anyway, we were told that San Pedro was only 30 minutes from Poroy Station’s stop, but it’s definitely an hour. So our trip from San Pedro Station to Machu Picchu was almost 5 hours. On the way back, our train was slightly delayed coming in and we did NOT want to chill on the train an hour longer for San Pedro Station, especially at night. So we got off at Poroy Station, got a taxi, and got to Cusco far earlier.

I recommend sticking with Poroy Station if you’re traveling to Machu Picchu from Cusco. And there are staggered trains throughout the day so just book your ticket earlier so you can get your time. There are three tiers for Peru Rail: Experience, Vista Dome, and Hiram Bingham. Experience is a regular train without the large windows and I don’t think it’s as nice as Vista Dome. Vista Dome has a decent snack, large windows and some entertainment on the way back: an alpaca fashion show and dance performance. Hiram Bingham looks amazing because it is the luxury train with full dinner and drinks, bit it’s also a lot pricier. The windows weren’t super clean for the Vista Dome so it was hard to snap good pictures every time, but we were able to get some amazing pictures regardless because of the large windows on the ceiling.

OR

Inca Trail….haven’t done but I have friends who have. Not sure about the food situation since I’m vegetarian so can’t comment and prolly still wouldn’t recommend since there is enough hiking to do at Machu Picchu and all over Peru.

WHERE TO DINE?

Inkani Café

Came here twice. Loved how their cappuccinos were in small cups, which meant less milk and more strong espresso. The first time I came here, I got cappuccinos and a warm brownie. The brownie was okay but the cappuccinos were delicious! We came here again after our day in Machu Picchu and it was the perfectway to compliment the day. Yum!

Incontri del Pueblo Viejo

We came here the day we got to Machu Picchu and the lights had just shut off…not sure what to do, we went to a cheap buy one get one free happy hour spot up the street from this resturant. The place was awful. Worst pisco sour ever..sooo sour. I can totally see why all the restaurants on this street with drink deals have terrible ratings. Just avoid them! Anyway, after the awful drink, which we definitely did not finish, we came back to the restaurant and the lights were on but it was packed! Luckily we got a table and began our dinner adventure. I was soo done with crappy drinks and didn’t want to do another pisco sour, no matter how good it was. Luckily, our server was cool and we were close to the bar so we got recs from the bartender and then he decided to make me something I would definitely love. Oh my goodness…one of the best drinks I had in Peru: a chicha morada pisco aka chicha sour. It basically is a pisco sour with chicha morada, which is Peru’s famous purple corn. Loved the drink. I sadly didn’t have it again in Peru but it was definitely one of my favorite drinks. The food here was great as well! I got the veggie ravioli dish and it was divine. I also loved how the portion size was HUUGE! Yum! Perfect carb-high meal the night before our intense Machu Picchu hike.

Note: Do not go to the restaurants that have amazingly cheap drinks (buy two get two free, etc.)

I can attest that the drinks are awful and you're better off paying for a good drink at a reputable place. I also wouldn't recommend dining at these places either.

Machu Picchu…what to do?

Obviously enjoy the beautiful views of Machu Picchu. It’s better than any post card or instagram picture you’ve seen. It is unbelievable. When I came here five years ago, I came at sunset, observed the sun hugging Machu Picchu and evaporating the mist…sooo beautiful! This time around, we came later around 8am and it was lightly sunny and misty. So we snapped our pictures, knowing full well that rain was coming. Luck was on our side. We were able to walk around all of Machu Picchu when it was sunny and misty so we got great pictures. I love mist and clouds so I think the pictures this time around were even better than the ones I took five years ago.

NOTE: Please Do NOT be one of those Instagrammers/Snapchatters who just snap pictures while leaning/touching parts of the Inka wall around Machu Picchu. We observed a girl laying on top of part of the wall and her guy taking pictures of her. One of the Machu Picchu Security Guys got really made and told them to delete the picture but they didn’t seem to get why what they did was wrong. In addition, once you get to Machu Picchu, there is a picture-perfect spot to take pictures and some people took their sweet time, changed outfits, took ten minutes for themselves and then added people….seriously…just be a kind person, take your pictures, don’t change outfits for your IG pic and just respect the ruins.

Aside from Machu Picchu, you can see the Sun Gate, which I saw five years ago, you can hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Montana. All are great options but I highly recommend one of the hikes. I did Huayna Picchu fives years ago and it was super hot, but luckily we were the first group up so by the time we came down and it was super hot, we were done. I liked how I was able to see the view last time because you basically see Machu Picchu from above, in addition to the beautiful Urubamba Valley. Love! This time around, we hiked Machu Picchu Montana and holy moly, it’s wayyy harder than Huayna Picchu. And as we hiked up, it started raining and misting so by the time we got up, we were in a cloud and although everyone was super happy to climb up and take a picture by the sign that shows the top of the mountain, it was sad not to see the view, which I’m sure would have been amazing. Despite this one issue, I still recommend doing a hike to really see more than just the beautiful ruins of Machu Picchu. Re: the Sun Gate, when I did it five years ago, it was after Huayna Picchu and was super hot. But the view was beautiful from there and it was nice to see. I don’t think it’s a must, though.

TL;DR go to Machu Picchu once in your life. I'm not sure Machu Picchu will be around long term with the amount of tourists that are allowed there each day (well above UNESCO's max number), but that's another story. After five years, it's still one of the most beautiful sure I have ever seen.