In shortAll four tours cover the same chain: pickup in Cusco, road transfer to the station, train to Aguas Calientes, shuttle bus up to the gate and a guided walk inside the citadel. They run 11 to 17 hours and start between $389 and $480 per adult, with guides in English and Spanish on the private and small-group versions. The 16-hour Machu Picchu tour by Expedition train, from $419 with expert guides and a meeting point on Cusco main square, is the reference choice.
4tours compared
from $389per adult
★ 5.0321 reviews
Full Day by Expedition Train
16 h · from $419 · ★ 5.0 (321)
For one full day from Cusco with the Expedition train both ways, bus up and down, expert guides and a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure.
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Small Private Group, Train from Poroy or Ollantaytambo
11–13 h · from $465 · ★ 5.0 (192)
For travellers who want the group inside the citadel kept small and private, with the tourist train from Poroy or Ollantaytambo and guaranteed departures.
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Private Day Tour with a Three-Hour Guided Visit
12–14 h · from $480 · ★ 4.9 (184)
For people with one day to spare who want private transport to Ollantaytambo and a three-hour guided walk taking in the viewpoint, the Temple of the Sun, the central plaza, the Intiwatana, the Inca palace, the Temple of the Condor and the terraces.
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Panoramic Train, Maximum Ten People
12–17 h · from $389 · ★ 4.8 (172)
For anyone who dislikes big coaches: a group of ten at most, guided in English and Spanish, with hotel transfers to Ollantaytambo station and the panoramic train both ways.
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What a Machu Picchu tour by train from Cusco involves
Every tour on this page strings together the same four legs. You are collected from your accommodation in Cusco, or from the main square on the Expedition train tour, driven to the station at Ollantaytambo or Poroy, put on a train to Aguas Calientes, then taken up to the gate by bus. Inside the citadel a guide walks you through the site, and the whole chain runs in reverse afterwards. That is why the listed lengths sit between 11 and 17 hours.
The circuit you walk is assigned according to availability, which matters more than the price difference between these tours. Circuit 1 gives panoramic views without the temples; Circuit 2 is the full route with the postcard viewpoint and the temples, and the operator of the 16-hour Expedition train tour asks you to book it five months ahead; Circuit 3 enters lower down, skips the photo platform and includes the temples. On the private day tour the guided section inside the site is three hours.
Trains differ by class and by what comes with them. The 16-hour tour runs Expedition carriages from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back, with snacks and drinks depending on the train you select. The small-group tour uses the panoramic train, and the other two use tourist-class services. Meals are excluded on all four, so plan lunch around Aguas Calientes and carry cash.
Passport details are part of the booking, not an afterthought. Entrance tickets are issued in the visitor's name, and the operator of the Expedition train tour asks for passport photos once the reservation is made so it can buy them. Departure times on the 11 to 13 hour tour can shift with government availability and are confirmed with your booking, sometimes very early in the morning.
Which one fits you
For a first visit with no complications, take the 16-hour tour by Expedition train, from $419, rated 5.0 from 321 reviews. The meeting point is Cusco main square both ways, the bus up and down is included, and cancelling at least 24 hours before departure brings a full refund.
If the deciding factor is group size, the panoramic train tour caps the group at ten people, costs from $389 and is guided in English or Spanish. Note that all sales are final on that one, so pick your date before you pay.
Couples and families who want their own pace should look at the private day tour from $480: private car through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, a professional English and Spanish speaking guide for the whole day, and three hours inside the citadel. It also refunds in full with 24 hours' notice.
Travellers booking late are the ones to read the circuit notes carefully. The 11 to 13 hour tour from $465 keeps the group small and private inside the site and operates on Circuit 3 when Circuit 2 has sold out, which is the practical answer when there is no time to reserve five months ahead.
Before you book
- Meeting point: Cusco main square for the Expedition train tour, hotel or accommodation pickup and drop-off on the other three.
- Send your passport photos to the operator after booking on the Expedition train tour; entrance tickets are bought in your name.
- Circuit 2 on the 16-hour tour needs about five months' notice, and the circuit you receive depends on availability at the time of booking.
- Cancellation differs by tour: full refund at least 24 hours before departure on the Expedition train tour and the private day tour, while the 11 to 13 hour tour and the panoramic train tour are final sales with no refund.
- Food and drinks are excluded everywhere; the 11 to 13 hour tour also lists lunch, dinner, gratuities, snacks, water, souvenirs and the toilets before the entrance as cash items.
- Guide language is English and Spanish on the private day tour and the panoramic train tour; the Expedition train tour lists expert guides.
- Departure time on the 11 to 13 hour tour is sent with your confirmation and can be early in the morning, because entry hours and circuits are allocated by the authorities.
Tour details from the operator's listing, checked 9 October 2026. Prices and times can change; the booking page has the current ones.
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