Cusco Things to Do Tips by RudoElCojonudo

I'll explain step by step how we went from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. We did this travel on October 2007.

1-. Wake up early in the morning, not later than 9:00am. Train tickets from Ollantaytambo (Ollanta) to Aguas Calientes and Boleto Turistico (www.boletoturisticocusco.com) are suppossed to be bought the previous day. If not you'll have to wake up earlier.
2-. Take a taxi from the hostal to Pitibus bus station in Puente Grau (Grau Bridge). Don't pay more than 2-3soles for the taxi.
3-. Take next bus to CHINCHERO. Don´t pay more than 2-3 soles, 1 hour and a half. Get down from the bus and have a look of the huge terraces and the colonial architecture. Don´t miss too much time, remember that we still have to see many other ruins!!
4-. Take the same bus you leave and go now from CHINCERO to CRUCE DE MARAS (Maras road cross). Ask the driver to stop there for you as soon as you go into the bus. Don´t pay more than 1-2soles.
5-. In CRUCE DE MARAS you´ll see taxis waiting for tourists. Here you´ll have to negotiate the traves to MORAY and from there to SALINAS. The common prize is about 10soles per person (2,50€) depending on the demand.
6-. Go from CRUCE DE MARAS to MORAY and ask the taxi driver to wait for you while you have a look in the ruins. NEVER LEAVE YOUR THINGS IN THE TAXI!!!
7-. Go from MORAY to SALINAS. Pay the taxi driver and continue the travel on foot. Cross the salt terraces until you find the 'main road'. It will take you abut 45 minutes.

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8-. Once in the 'main road' stop any combi (van) you see and ask him if he is going to Ollanta. It will cost you about 2-3 soles and it will take you 40 minutes more or less.
9-. Have a look in OLLANTAYTAMBO and take last train (20:00) to AGUAS CALIENTES. There are many trains in different qualities and different prizes of course. We only used the train to go from Ollanta to Aguas Caliente, which is the minimum distance, because as you know there is no road from Ollanta to Aguas Calientes. This train is expensive even for the foreingners!! We paid about 100US$ for the ticket from Ollanta to Aguas Calientes and return. But I would recomend to have a look in Peru Rail web site () or ask directly in Huanchac train station in Cuzco where you can also buy the tickets.
10-. AGUAS CALIENTES a.k.a Machu Picchu City is the last stop before you go to MACHU PICCHU. I would recomend to book a bedroom before going, sleep there and wake up early in the morning to take first bus from AGUAS CALIENTES to MACHU PICCHU, which is at 5:30 in the morning and costs 12US$. Many other people goes on foot, but prepare to go upstairs formore than 1hour!!

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11-. Take the train from AGUAS CALIENTES to OLLANTA. I think that there is one at 17:00 more or less.
12-. Take a combi (van) from OLLANTA to URUBAMBA. 2 soles per person.
13-. Take a bus from URUBAMBA to CUZCO. 2 soles per person.

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If you wanna visit some of the most important monuments in Cusco and around Cusco you´ll need the Boleto Turistico (Tourist Ticket).
The main tourist office is in avenida del Sol, where you can by it for 35soles (10€; Year:2007).You´ll get a 50% discount with the ISIC (International Student Card).
The monuments included in the Boleto Turistico are this ones, and you only can visit them with the Boleto Turistico.
- Museo de Arte y Monasterio de Santa Catalina.
- Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporaneo.
- Museo Historico Regional.
- Museo del sitio Qoricancha.
- Museo de Arte Popular.
- Danzas Folkloricas.
- Monumento Pachacutec.
- Saqsaywaman.
- Q'enqo.
- Pukapukara.
- Tambomachay.
- Chinchero.
- Pisaq.
- Ollantaytambo.
- Tipon.
- Pikillacta.

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Address: Avenida del Sol

Beautiful city one hour and a half from Cuzco traveling by bus. You can take the bus in Puente Grau, in Cusco, for 2 or 3 soles.
You can only visit this place with Boleto Turistico, so I would recomend to buy it before comming. For deeper information about that have a look in my tips a bout Cuzco.
It´s interesting how the huge terraces mix up with the colinial style buildings. Don't leave Chinchero without having a look inside the church, there isn't a squared centimeter without being painted.
The legend says that when catholic became mushlism people came from Spain they didn't find any church withot being decorated. When they found Chinchero they took the church and decorated every centimeter in its roof and walls.

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It was an Inca biological laborathory with anfitheater form. In each stair there were specific climathologic conditions that Incas used to obserb the behaviour of the diferent plants and vegetables. In this way they could grow this plants in the best conditios and obtain the best submissiveness.
They also used that to get plants used to specific conditios.

Price: 7soles (2€). 50% discount with the International Student Identity Card. (Year 2007)

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Address: Calle San Bernardo S/N (Continuation of San Adres

It's about 10 kilimeters from Maras, where you can take a taxi. It’s impresionant how the brown valley mixes with the white salt terraces.

Price: 5 soles (Year 2007)

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Address: Salineras de Maras S/N. Maras, Urubamba.

This is the last city you can reach traveling by bus, car or combi from Cuzco, after that you´ll have to continue by expensive train or on foot following the railway.
The foundations of the buildings remins the inca culture, but the rest of the architecture is once again colonial. One of the most bloody battle of the spanish conquering process took place here, and the spanish loose!!!! Inca warriors rule!! Tupac Amaru lives!!

Price: Only with Boleto Turistico

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Exceptionally prepared village for the tourists, full of hostals, souvenir shops and restaurants.
As I sais in the previous line the village is full of hostals, the further they are located from the main square the cheaper they are, but I would recomend book the bedroms by advance.
There are some thermal water at the end of Pachacutec and Tupac Inca Yupanqui avenue. For deeper information have a look in my tip dedicated to it.

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What can I say about Machu Picchu that hasn't been already said? Just one word: INCREDIBLE.

Some things you should know before going:
- Entrance Price in 2007: 120soles (30€). 50% with International Student Identity Card.
- Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu: 12US$.

WAYNA PICCHU

It's this huge pick that apears behind Machu Picchu in most of the postals. Only 400 people can clim it per day, so if you wanna have a diferent view of Machu Picchu I would recomend to go to the Sacred Stone as soon as you arrive.
It took us about 3 hours to to all the circuit, it was hard but also great.

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