Machu Picchu By Observatory Train

Machu Picchu Day Trip By Observatory Train

This exciting day starts with your private guide and driver picking you up early in the morning in the lobby of your Cusco hotel or the Sacred Valley. You will then enjoy a beautiful 2 hour drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a great view of the Urubamba Mountain range until you arrive at the train station in Ollantaytambo.

Here You will board the famous Observatory Train, departing early in the morning, which will take you to the scenic and quaint little town of Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. The train ride is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

Along the way, the breathtaking scenery will take you past many farming terraces used by the ancient Inca people, current local farming communities and all of this as you wind down into the valley, with the beautiful Urubamba river running beside you.

Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, we will board the shuttle bus that will take us to the magical mountain citadel of Machu Picchu. You will then enjoy a 2 – 3 hour tour with your professional, knowledgeable, English speaking guide.

He will show you all the most important sites, then allow you to explore some on your own, if you like.

Afterwards, you will return by shuttle bus to Aguas Calientes, enjoy some free time to have lunch on your own before returning to the train station and return to Ollantaytambo to meet your driver, who will be waiting for you.

You will then be transported back to your hotel in Cusco.

Note: make your booking 2 months in advance, Machu Picchu ticket is limited.

At Tunqui Expeditions, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.

What is Included ?

• Pre-departure Briefing in our office or your Hotel
• Pick up from your Hotel to Hotel
• Round-Trip Tourist transport from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
• Entrance Tickets to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site ( Circuit 2 )
• Round-Trip Train Tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes ( The 360 Observatory Train by IncaRail )
• Round-Trip Bus Tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu ( Conssetur )
• Professional tour guide in English or Spanish.
• 24/7 Customer Service – We have 24 hours a day telephone service.
• Medical Kit or First AID Kit – Our guides are trained to deal with basic emergencies.
• Snack and Water and one cloth snack bag

What is NOT Included ? 

• Meals in Cusco and Aguas Calientes
• Entrance Tickets to Huayna Picchu Mountain  and Machu Picchu Mountain
• Travel Insurance
• Tips for our staff
• Additional costs or delays beyond our control

We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Tunqui Expeditions in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.

Do you have another question that we haven’t answered here? Write us and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

Can I store my luggage at your office?

Of course! During the trip, your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can organize it with us on the briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.

Any equipment that you won’t need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags; put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.

Pick up of guests

Please note: All pickups are within Cusco City, but we recommend booking a hotel in the historic center for its convenient location.
Our guide or staff will confirm the pickup time the day before the tour.
Due to traffic conditions, the pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes.
Cusco is an old city and has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs are located on streets without car access or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. For such reasons, we strongly advise you to book accommodation with good access.

Return to Cusco

Return from Machu Picchu requires quite a bit of logistics, but don’t worry. Everynting is included in you tour!

• From Machu Picchu, you’ll board a bus for 25 minutes to the town of Aguas Calientes. The buses are boarded according to arrival.
• In Aguas Calientes, you’ll board a train to Ollantaytambo. Your guide will give you the train tickets with the boarding time. Make sure you’re on the platform 30 minutes early. The train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes 1:45 hours.
• Once you arrive at the station, our representative, identified with the Tunqui Expeditions clothing, will be waiting to transfer you to Cusco. The trip from Ollantaytambo to Cusco takes 1:30 hours.
• In Cusco, we’ll drop you off directly at your hotel and, depending on your hotel’s location, as close as possible.

Group Tours

Group tours are made up of different types of people, then physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.

It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if such modifications are possible.

Strikes and demonstrations

Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru, and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked, and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date.

Under these circumstances, tours may also be canceled. In case of changes or cancellations, everything will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and our decisions will be made to protect it.

Lost objects

Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our transport, tents or restaurants. You’re the only one responsible for your objects during the tour.

Remember to check this list before packing your bags to make sure you don’t forget anything important. Have a nice trip!

Essential

• Valid Passport
• Extra money (recommended soles)
• Personal medication
• Water bottle or CamelBak
• Sunblock: factor 70 or more

Clothing

• Light footwear or sandals
• Warm jacket
• Waterproof jacket
• Raincoat or rain poncho
• Sun hat to protect neck and face
• Wool hat for the cold
• Sunglasses with UV protection

Equipment

• Medium trekking backpack (15 – 25 liter)

Recommended

• Camera and charger Camera and charger

The “Machu Picchu By The 360 Observatory Train” can leave any day of the week, the whole year.

Group Price: US$ 450.00 per person

This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.

Notice that PayPal charges a fee of 7%, which we ask the client to cover since it’s due to the use of its service. This tax is just for online deposits so that you will pay the remaining in cash (the briefing day in Cusco) without charges.

Price Guarantee

Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the price won’t increase, whatever the circumstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.

Student Discount

US$20.00 off

Student discounts apply to anyone 17 years old or younger. To receive the discount, we require a copy or clear photo of the passport at the time of booking. It must be valid and not expire within the travel dates. Please send it to

Cancellation Policy

Non-refundable

• The cancellation policy is up to 07 days before the travel date to cancel without penalty. Otherwise, a 100% penalty applies. The refund excludes the value of the entrance to the Machu Picchu Citadel as MINCUL does not allow changes or refunds.
• The rescheduling policy is up to 07 days before the travel date. When rescheduling, you will need to purchase the entrance ticket to the Machu Picchu Citadel again as MINCUL does not allow changes or refunds. If you need to reschedule, we recommend doing so at least 1 month in advance as tickets to the Citadel tend to sell out quickly.
• Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Additional Info

• Not Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Our tour start and finish in Cusco. People who want to starts in the Sacred Valley must to add extra payment.