Bus Travel

If you don’t plan on walking up to Machu Picchu (about an hour up the road from Aguas Calientes), you will have to catch a bus, easily identifiable by the Consettur name on the front. Consettur buses depart from the intersection of Imperio de los Incas Avenue and the Aguas Calientes River. Tickets cost US$12 one-way or US$24 round-trip and can be purchased in advance from the Consettur office just up the street from the departure point with your passport. Although there are no assigned seats, tickets are issued with your name and ID on them. Buses leave every 10 minutes starting at 5:30 am. The park is open from 6 am to 5:30 pm. Since park entrances are purchased for a specific hour, the buses board according to the entry tickets. Even for a 6 am entrance, showing up for the bus at 5:30 am is fine. If you’re heading back to Cusco, take the bus back down at least an hour before your train departs. Note that the line for the bus back down can get quite long around lunch time, as many people have afternoon trains back to Cusco. Make your bus reservation online at the Consettur website www.consettur.com and either pay with a credit card or print out the reservation to make purchase in Aguas Calientes faster and easier.