Machu Picchu is the reason most travelers first think of Peru — and it's the experience where a rushed, generic tour shows the fastest. After 22 years guiding travelers through the Sacred City, I design every Machu Picchu visit around three things: timing, access, and comfort. That means securing entrance and train tickets early (they sell out months in advance), pairing you with a private guide instead of a group of forty strangers, and choosing the train departure and hotel that fit your pace, not a tour operator's schedule.
What a private Machu Picchu experience includes
- Skip-the-line entrance tickets, booked to the exact circuit and time slot that suits your visit
- A private, English-speaking guide with deep knowledge of Inca history and the site's lesser-known corners
- Choice of Vistadome or luxury train (Belmond Hiram Bingham for a fully indulgent experience)
- Hand-picked hotels in Aguas Calientes or the Sacred Valley, from boutique to five-star
- Optional Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain hike add-on (limited daily permits — book early)
How you actually get there
The citadel sits at about 2,430 meters, above the town of Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo. There is no road from Cusco and no ticket window that matters on the morning itself. Almost everyone arrives by train to the town, then takes the shuttle bus up to the gate, or walks the steep path if they would rather not ride.
PeruRail and Inca Rail both run that railway. The usual boarding point on a private trip is Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley, about an hour and a half to two hours from Aguas Calientes depending on the service. Some services start in Cusco. I pick the departure that matches your entry time, not the one that is simply left over.
At the gate you need the official ticket for your circuit and your time, plus your passport. Peru's Ministry of Culture recommends visiting with a licensed guide. That is how I arrange it: your guide, your slot, and no shared group. A guide was required for a time; the rule now in force recommends one. I still would not send you in without one. The site is large, the circuits are one-way, and the story is the reason for being there.
Sleeping in Aguas Calientes the night before is the calm version. A same-day return to the valley is possible when the entry is not at dawn and the trains line up. I will tell you which of the two fits your dates instead of pretending both are equal.
Best time to visit Machu Picchu
The dry season (May–September) offers the clearest views but the busiest trails and highest hotel demand. Shoulder months (April, October, November) give you a strong balance of good weather and fewer crowds. Whatever the season, entrance tickets should be secured 2–4 months ahead — closer to peak season, some circuits sell out even earlier.
Daily entries are capped, and each ticket is for a specific circuit and time. I explain the practical side of that calendar in how many days you need in Peru. The railway is a single track. It runs, and it occasionally pauses. What that means for a trip in 2026 is in my note on visiting Peru safely, including the interruptions of early October 2026, which were cleared within a few hours.
Why travelers book Machu Picchu through TravizPeru
I'm Francisco Arriz Barrantes, an APOTUR-certified tour operator (Peruvian Association of Incoming Tour Operators, code AP030-11) based in Lima with over two decades in luxury Peru travel. I don't sell fixed packages — I build your Machu Picchu day (and the days around it) around your dates, your pace, and your budget, and I'm reachable directly throughout your trip.
If you want the visit planned as its own private tour, with the train, the guide, and the entry held before you fly, read the private Machu Picchu tour. The same trip in Spanish is here. Ten days that put this day in context, with Lima and Lake Titicaca, are in the 10-day itinerary.
There is no fixed price. Tell me the dates and who is traveling, and I send a proposal within 24 hours. WhatsApp is +51 982 521 128.
Planning Machu Picchu? Let's design the day around you.
Sources: Peru Ministry of Culture, Resolución Ministerial N.° 334-2026-MC (ticket and official ID required to enter; a licensed guide is recommended) · PeruRail and Inca Rail public timetables for the Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes line.