Exceptional Experience: Our Legendary Trip to Machu Picchu ~ Part 1

Machu Picchu was the crown jewel of our three-week Peru adventure. Because of its status as a top bucket list destination, attendance is strictly controlled and reservations must be made at least two months in advance.

For those brave (or unorganized) enough to try it, a limited number of same-day tickets are sold, but we were told people line up in the middle of the night in hopes of getting one.

There are three different routes to experience the Inca citadel:

• Circuit 1 (Panoramic). Offers iconic views of the site from above.
• Circuit 2 (Classic). Here you enter the city and explore many of its main archaeological features.
• Circuit 3 (Royalty). Concentrates on the lower terraces, including temples and royal residences.

When we booked our 2-day, one-night trip, Wondrous Expeditions (the company we used) informed us only Circuit 1 was available. We were disappointed that we wouldn’t get to actually walk into the interior of Machu Picchu, but said, “Oh well, it is what it is. Let’s be thankful we’re going and make the most of it.”

Several days before leaving from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the departure point to visit the site, we received potential good news. The travel agency sent a message that same-day lines had gotten much shorter, and there was a chance we could snag Circuit 2 tickets if we hustled over to the Ministry of Culture office as soon as we arrived.

Wow, what a dream come true that would be — getting those magnificent photos from above and roaming around inside the complex! We didn’t want to get our hopes up.

The trip to Aguas Calientes involved a morning pickup up from our Airbnb and going to the tour office. So happy we were able to grab a cup of coffee before getting on the bus for a two-hour drive to the Ollantaytambo train station. After several photo stops along the way, we arrived and had a quick bite to eat, then boarded a tourist train for another two-hour scenic ride through the Andes.

When we got off the train, a representative from the tour company met us and we all hurried to the ticket office. Despite our fears that we had gotten there too late, a few Circuit 2 tickets were still available. Hooray!

We immediately purchased them, but there was a bit of an issue. Our Circuit 1 tickets were for seven o’clock the next morning, the Circuit 2 ticket admission time wasn’t until one in the afternoon, and our train back to Cusco left at 2:30 PM.

When we notified Wondrous Expeditions of our good fortune, they were able to bump our return on the train to later in the evening. With that hurdle cleared, we decided to put off figuring out what to do with those extra morning hours until tomorrow and go have a celebratory cocktail.

We checked into our hotel and set out to explore Aguas Calientes. It was obvious that the only reason this place even exists is to shuttle visitors back and forth to Machu Picchu. From what we could tell, countless shops, restaurants, and accommodations comprise the entire town.

The following day started quite early as the guide we hired was meeting us at our hotel at 6 AM. We walked at a brisk pace to the main street that accommodates the queue waiting to board buses to the site and joined a massive horde of people already there.

We would have thought, “Oh no, we’re going to miss our entry time,” if we hadn’t observed a similar line the previous afternoon and realized this scene happens all day every day. Sure enough, the line moved quickly and we arrived right on schedule.

What happened next that earned us legendary status? We’ll tell you all about it with lots of the fab pics we have been promising in Part 2. Stay tuned…😀