Peru Aguas Calientes Tours

Machu Picchu Pueblo, better known by its old name Aguas Calientes, has no road connection to Cusco at all. Trains from Ollantaytambo or Poroy follow the Urubamba river gorge, and multi-day trekkers on the Inca Trail or Salkantay route arrive on foot instead, both converging on this narrow cloud-forest town.

Getting Up to the Citadel

From the town, buses switchback up a steep access road to the Machu Picchu entrance gate in about 25 minutes, though a direct footpath also climbs the same slope for those willing to start well before dawn. Staying overnight is the main advantage this town offers over a Cusco day trip, since it allows an early entry ticket before the bulk of visitors arrive.

The Hot Springs That Gave the Town Its Name

The public thermal baths that gave Aguas Calientes its original name still operate at the edge of town, a straightforward way to ease legs sore from the climb or a day of ruin-hopping.