When you think of the sacred home of the Inca elite, what comes to mind first? Is it majestic mountain views? What about incredible ancient masonry? Or the monumental historical significance? As a normal person with an average job, it was always a cost for me. I never thought it would be possible for me to see it with my own eyes.
That was until I did my research and discovered for myself how to travel Machu Picchu on a budget. Believe it or not, it is possible, and I’m going to save you the hours of painful research so you too can see one of the world’s wonders, all while saving some pennies.
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How to travel Machu Picchu on a budget
Most people only know the two main routes for travelling Machu Pichhu: the Inca Rail train and the iconic Inca Trail trek, both of which are by far the most popular routes to this wonder of the world. Don’t get me wrong, they both have their plus sides, and both of them are incredible in their own right, but there are other choices. But as they’re the most popular, they are by far the most expensive and the hardest to book.
In this section, I’ll go over each of your cheaper choices for travelling to the home of the Inca. Covering the positives and negatives of each option, you’ll want to read the third choice, I guarantee!
The Jungle Tour- An Adrenaline Junkies Dream
When you travel, what experiences do you chase? If it’s adventure, incredible mountain views, adrenaline highs, and cultural experiences, look no further; the jungle tour is for you. This is the least known option among most average Joes, but it is coveted among backpackers. The main reason is that it is a true adventure, full of adrenaline-pumping activities, but crucially, it is also cheap.
Tours range in length, but normally they are 3 or 4 nights and start in Ollaytantambo before ending at Aguas Calientes at the foot of the Inca Citadel.
What will I be doing?
The jungle tours vary depending on the operator, but typically they include a day of exhilarating mountain biking (on a high-quality full-suspension bike), a day of zip-lining, and a day of hiking. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to travel to Machu Pichhu. You’ll get a snippet of every route, and while you won’t enter the citadel through the Sun Gate, you’ll see much more of the lush mountains that the citadel inhabits.
How much does it cost?
This is the part that gets tricky, because the cheapest way to travel anywhere is flexibility. If you’re on a long-term trip in South America, you should rock up to Cusco and walk around each of the tourist shops to find a good deal with someone you trust. If you do this, you shouldn’t pay more than $250.
Whereas, if you’re visiting on a short-term holiday and you need the security of a pre-booked tour and entry, you’re probably looking at $400–$500 per person.
A One-Day Tour On The Magical Inca Rail
Despite being the shortest of all the tours listed, this is actually, by some margin, the most expensive. But what do you get for this money? Well, you get the pleasure of convenience and ease of access. But you also get a one-hour train ride in sumptuous luxury, winding through the Andean mountain valleys as the sun rises.
Against my will, I actually did this tour to get to Machu Pichhu. While I do regret it for many reasons, the journey is very comfortable and mind-blowingly beautiful.
How much does it cost?
This is one of the few things that can’t be negotiated; the price online is the same as the price in person, and it’s not cheap. You’re going to have to shell out $60 each way per person—hardly a great choice for a budget backpacker!
All in all, you can expect to have to shell out about $200 for a single-day trip, leaving Cusco at about 3 a.m. and getting back at about 1 a.m. the next day. It’s a very long and very tiring day, and more than likely the worst way to see the citadel. However, it does have the positive of being very accessible for those who struggle with exercise or who have disabilities.
Collectivo And A Hike- The Absolute Cheapest Way
This is without a doubt the cheapest way to travel to Machu Picchu, and with it being so much cheaper than most options, it certainly has its negatives. But in my opinion, at least, the positives outweigh them. This journey starts like all others in Cusco, but you will have to get to Ollayantambo. With no direct rail links and taxis, with the gringo tax likely to be $40 each way, this begs the question: how do I do this on the cheap?
Peru is home to many things that impressed me: the food, the people, and the dazzling natural sights, to name a few. But something that I didn’t expect to be taken aback by was the efficiency of their informal public transport. Affectionately named ‘collectivios’, they are in effect large vans that people pile into like sardines. While they are not comfortable, they are astonishingly cheap and reliable. A one-way trip from Cusco to Ollantaytambo will set you back a meager 20 soles (£4), not bad for a journey that takes nearly an hour.
Once you are in Ollaytantambo, you will need to make your way to Aguas Calientes. The true budget travellers among us will jump with glee to know that it is possible to complete this journey with just $5 (and a lot of grit and sweat). You need to get something called the Veronica Combi to the 82 train station; from there, you can pose for a photo next to the start of the Inca Trail. Don’t head down there though—you want to follow the train tracks for the next 30km of majestic mountain valleys.
If the thought of hiking 30km at altitude sounds like hell to you, you don’t have to! Why not pitch a tent next to the ruins in the sacred valley for a night? For those who enjoy hiking, this is therapy for the soul. Walking through steep mountain valleys while catching glimpses of ruins from a lost civilization is a life-changing event.
Once you get to Aguas Calientes, grab a hostel with a comfortable bed and a hot shower for the night—you’ve earned it. The next morning, get ready for another hike up to the citadel. This will take about 3 hours each way, and while it is tough, the journey is absolutely stunning.
How much does it cost?
DIY Machu Picchu Trek Costs (not including food and water):
Machu Picchu Entrance: $45 USD
Minibus: Cusco to Ollantaytambo, $2.80 USD
Minibus: Ollantaytambo to KM 82, $1 USD
Hostel in Aguas Calientes: (from) $20 USD
Total: $68.80 USD!
The Salkantay Trek- Two Ways To Complete This Iconic Trek
When it comes to trekking routes, the Salkantay Trek is without a doubt the backpacker favourite. I sadly didn’t do this route, and I wish more than anything that this was the route I took. The trek is normally completed on a 5-day/4-night itinerary, but it is possible to complete it a day quicker if you’re short on time.
What will I be doing?
Well… you’ll be trekking. Unlike the jungle tour, this doesn’t come jam-packed with adrenaline-pumping activities, but you will see some incredible and diverse scenery. This is a genuinely challenging hike at extreme altitudes, in particular the second day when you cross the Salkantay Pass at 4600m. However, after this point, it gets easier and easier; you will still cover around 10 miles a day, just on a slightly more gradual incline or decline and at a lower altitude.
All in all, you’ll cover about 45 miles of stunning Andean trekking. It sounds like a lot, and I suppose it is. But it will all be worth it. You’ll see some of the most beautiful mountains on earth, and when you finally arrive at the doors of Machu Pichhu, you will have earned it.
How much does it cost?
The beauty of the Salkantay Trek is that you can do it with or without a guide, and no permits are needed. Unless you have experience at altitude, I would always recommend taking this tour with a guide.
With a guide, you can probably expect to pay around $300–400 for a 5-day tour, which includes entrance into the citadel, all accommodations (including a hotel in Aguas Calientes), and your food and drinks.
Without a guide, it’s a little bit more complicated, but it works out a lot cheaper. I’ll do a quick run-through of expenses, but if you are doing this route, I’d advise that you speak with locals or hostel staff for some more tips.
- Shopping (food, water, or gas): $30
- Three nights of camping (between $3 and $10 per night, depending on the facilities of the site)
- One night in a hostel in Aguas Calientes ($15)
- Entrance to the Citadel ($45)
- Optional gear rental for the high pass ($60–80)
Total: approximately $150-$180
My Top-Tips
Saving on accommodation in Cusco.
Cusco is a big tourist town; it’s the gateway to the Sacred Valley, Machu Pichhu, and iconic natural wonders like Rainbow Mountain. With all of this on its doorstep, it should come as no surprise that there’s something for all budgets when it comes to accommodation.
But the thing that really surprised me here—and in South America as a whole—was the sheer quality of the hostels. A lot of people are scared when someone brings up the topic of hostels; they envision bedbug-laden beds and filthy roommates that snore all night. While I’ll admit that there’s always a big risk of a rogue snorer, the reality of hostels is different nowadays. I didn’t have a single bad experience in nearly 6 months of sleeping in hostels in LATAM; quite the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed every single one for their own reasons.
If you’re still unsure, stick with a big chain like Selina or Viarejo; they dominate the South American hostel scene—and for good reason.
Eating cheaply in Cusco
In case you’ve been living under a rock and you didn’t know, Peru is possibly the world’s top gastronomical destination. It’s not just saying this either; Central in Lima was recently voted the world’s top restaurant. So it would be a cardinal sin to visit the land of the Inca and not indulge in the local cuisine. While Central has a price point that matches its excellence, there’s a wealth of incredible street food stands in Cusco that budget travellers like me live off of.
The best place to experiment with Peruvian cuisine in Cusco is by far the San Pedro Central Market, located on Cascaparo in the old town. Half of the market hall is filled with souvenirs and collectibles, but the other half is incredible, cheap food and drinks. I could’ve spent an entire day in there, sampling everything there is to offer, from fresh ceviche to Lomo Saltado and everything in between. But no mention of San Pedro is complete without talking about the Jugo Ladies. While their sales technique might be a bit intense, it’s by far the freshest and tastiest juice I’ve ever had, and for the price of 5 soles (£1).
Another top tip is to keep an eye out for ‘Menu Del Dia’; this is another phenomenon that I would love to make its way to the UK. It is a lunchtime deal that comprises three courses and a drink, and it’s unbelievably cheap. In Lima, I managed to get an excellent Menu Del Dia for 11 soles (£2.20). You won’t find it that cheap in Cusco, but you should be able to get one for 20 soles if you shop around.
Booking in Cusco
It should come as no surprise that every South American activity that you book in advance online comes with a heavy gringo tax; you can expect to pay as much as double online in some cases. This isn’t to say you won’t get the gringo tax if you book in person in Cusco; you absolutely will. Like death, the gringo tax is something you really can’t escape, but if you book in person, you will have the option to negotiate with the tour operator. Even if you’re shy like me and haggle for every penny saved, you’d be surprised at how much you can shave off.
Top-Tip: Cusco is a tourist town, and like every other tourist town on earth, it has more than its fair share of unsavoury characters. Be careful with who you book with; a general rule of thumb is not to book with people who approach you randomly in the street.
Most importantly, though, trust your gut. If something or someone seems too good to be true, it probably is (I wish more than anything I followed this advice).
Being flexible with times and dates
I’ll always encourage you to be as flexible as possible. Before I made the trip, everyone was saying to pre-book months in advance; otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to enter.
In my experience, this was not the case at all, and you could even purchase a ticket to enter the day before if you were willing for your entry slot to be in the afternoon. Granted, I visited about 6 months after the protests that ground Peru to a halt and tourism was still down, but it is possible to maintain some flexibility and save some money.
Well, if I’ve done my job right, you’ve just saved some money
Thank you for reading my article on how to travel Machu Picchu on a budget, I hope it was informative and will make it that little bit easier for you to see a true world wonder. My biggest and final tip for you though, is to make sure that you do a hike, be it the Salkantay, Inca or any others. It will without a doubt make a magical experience even more memorable.
