peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

Transportes Gallito de las Rocas (%22-
6895; Diagonal Angamos) buses depart to Paucartambo
(S9, three hours) daily and to Pilcopata
(S20, 10 to 12 hours) Monday, Wednesday and
Friday at 5am. The office is on the first block off
Av de la Cultura; look for ‘Paucartambo’ painted
on a lamp post between auto shops.
REGIONAL SERVICES
In 2014, the government will restrict the use of
old colectivos; note that some of these services
may be cut or reduced in the future.
Minibuses to Calca (S6, 1½ hours) via Pisac
(S2.50, one hour) leave frequently from the
terminal at Tullumayo 207.
Minibuses to Urubamba (S8, 1½ hours) via
Pisac (S2.50, one hour) leave frequently from
the terminal in Puputi, just north of Av de la
Cultura.
Minibuses to Urubamba (S6, 1½ hrs) and Ollantaytambo
(S12, two hours) via Chinchero (S4,
one hour) leave from near the Puente Grau. Just
around the corner on Pavitos, faster colectivos
leave when full for Urubamba (S7, one hour) and
Ollantaytambo (S10-15, 1½ hours) via Chinchero.
Colectivos to Urcos (S5) via Tipón (S5), Piquillacta
(S5) and Andahuaylillas (S5) leave from
the middle of the street outside Tullumayo 207.
For S80 they’ll drive you into the ruins at Tipón
and Piquillacta, wait and bring you back.
You can also get to the these destinations, and
Saylla, by catching a minibus headed for Urcos
(S5) from a terminal just off Av de la Cultura
opposite the regional hospital. Shared taxis to
Lucre (S2.50, one hour) depart from Huascar,
between Av Garcilaso and Manco Capac, between
7am and 7pm.
Minibuses for Limatambo (S12, two hours)
and Curahuasi (S15, four hours) leave Arcopata
when full, a couple of blocks west of Meloc, until
about 3pm.
Unless otherwise stated, these services run
from at least 5am until 7pm. Early and late services
may charge more.
Car & Motorcycle
Given all the headaches and potential hazards
of driving yourself around, consider hiring a taxi
for the day – it’s cheaper than renting a car. If
you must, you’ll find a couple of car-rental agencies
in the bottom block of Av El Sol. Motorcycle
rentals are offered by a couple of agencies in the
first block of Saphi heading away from the Plaza
de Armas.
Train
Cuzco has two train stations. Estación
Huanchac (%58-1414; h7am-5pm Mon-Fri,
to midnight Sat & Sun), near the end of Av El
Sol, serves Juliaca and Puno on Lake Titicaca.
Estación Poroy, east of town, serves Ollantaytambo
and Machu Picchu. The two stations
are unconnected, so it’s impossible to travel
directly from Puno to Machu Picchu. (Downtown
Estación San Pedro is used only for local trains,
which foreigners cannot board.)
You can take a taxi to Poroy (S30) or the station
in Ollantaytambo (S80) from Cuzco. Return
trips are slightly more expensive.
You can buy tickets at Huanchac station, and
there are ATMs in the station, but the easiest
way is directly through the train companies.
TO OLLANTAYTAMBO AND MACHU PICCHU
The only way to reach Aguas Calientes (and
access Machu Picchu) is via train. It takes about
three hours. Three companies currently offer the
service, the latter two only from Ollantaytambo:
»»
Peru Rail (www.perurail.com; ticket office:
Portal de Panes 214, Plaza de Armas; h8am-
10pm) Formerly the only service to Aguas
Calientes, with multiple departures daily from
Estación Poroy, 20 minutes outside of Cuzco.
There are three levels of service: Expedition (from
US$144 roundtrip), Vistadome (from US$160
roundtrip) and the luxurious Hiriam Bingham
(from US$700 roundtrip). The Hiram Bingham
includes brunch, afternoon tea, entrance to
Machu Picchu and a guided tour. It runs daily
except Sunday.
»»
Inca Rail (%23-3030; www.incarail.com;
Cuzco ticket office: Portal de Panes 105, Plaza de
Armas) New company with three departures daily
from Ollantaytambo and four levels of service
(roundtrip US$82-180). Children get a significant
discount. An environmentally sustainable practice
business.
»»
Machu Picchu Train (Map p204; %22-1199;
www.machupicchutrain.com; Cuzco ticket office:
Av El Sol 576; h7am-5pm Mon-Fri, 7am-12pm
Sat) New service of panoramic-view trains,
traveling only from Ollantaytambo to Aguas
Calientes (roundtrip adult/child from US$100/70)
three times daily in high season. Breakfast or
snacks may be served.
Fares may vary according to departure hours:
more desirable times are usually more expensive.
It is common for trains to sell out, especially
at peak hours, so buy your ticket as far ahead
of time as possible.
The quickest ‘cheaper’ way to get from Cuzco
to Aguas Calientes is to take a combi to Ollantaytambo
and catch the train from there.
TO PUNO
Peru Rail (www.perurail.com; Estación Huanchac;
ticket US$150; h7am-5pm Mon-Fri,
7am-12pm Sat) Andean Explorer, a luxury train
with a glass-walled observation car, goes to
Puno. Trains depart from Estación Huanchac at
8am, arriving at Puno around 6pm, on Monday,
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Cuzco & the Sacred Valley 8 C u zC O