Travel Gypsies on a Budget: Machu Picchu

It honestly is hard to put a price tag on the opportunity to see the amazing Incan ruins, known as Machu Picchu. The sight alone is one of the most awe-inspiring in the world. However, like most beautiful things, it comes with a price. And the price tag isn’t too easy for the eyes, especially for tourist or those looking to take the easy, conventional way. I have never been one to opt out for the conventional way, and may have some useful information for anyone who’s not feelin’ the heavy price tags either. So, here is a few tips about Machu Picchu on a budget. Pictures and stories of the magical ruins will come later! 

1. If you’re a student, get a ISIC card. 

I hadn’t heard of this card before, but a friend told me about it and how you can get discounts all over the world for hotels, restaurants, etc. With the student card, the ticket to Machu Picchu is half off.. already saving you about 60 s./ . The card itself took a day to get, you just need passport photos and cost about $20!

2. What to bring.

If you are going to be taking the train, then you don’t have to worry about brining too much because it is pretty much a straight shot. On the other hand, if you are taking a route, like mine, that consist of a mixture between cars, buses and walking- you need to make sure to pack light! Which you should be used to, right? The number one rule for backpackers is to not bring more than you need. First, let’s talk about what clothes to bring. You should plan on wearing comfortable clothes the entire time. I had gotten used to pretty much living in leggings, because they are so versatile and can easily go from day to night. I wore leggings, a sweater and my big jacket with vans. I would recommend better hiking shoes, but I  was obviously packing for the beach when I came to Peru because I had nothing of the sort. I just planned on sleeping in my leggings and long sleeve shirt I had packed for the next day- which saves lots of room. Make sure you do bring an extra pair of socks though! A HUGE tip that I decided not to follow was to bring a poncho. Honestly, my Jacket had a hood so I assumed I would be okay, and really just hate ponchos. Well, during the 1 1/2 hour walk to Aguas Calientes, it rained the entire time and I was the ONLY person without a poncho. My cotton jacket was absolutely drenched,as well as my backpack. I was also freaking out that my camera was getting wet- so make sure to put it in a bag or something just in case. Another favorite of mine is to bring a big scarf. This can be used as a blanket for trips, a towel in case the hostel doesn’t have any, or as a scarf if it is cold- and in my case, a way to keep my camera from getting soaked.  Make sure you bring your passport and ISIC card, as well as cash- there are ATMS, but it is always better to be prepared. I’d also recommend bringing some snacks- the restaurants in Aguas Calientes are fairly expensive, (if you are coming from eating 5. s/ meals in Cusco). 

3. Step by Step getting there!

Okay, there are obviously lots of options when trying to get to Machu Picchu. You can take the physically hard way, and do one of the jungle trails which entails biking, zip lining, walking, hiking and all that shit. Sounds great and I love an adventure, but I just don’t see myself being able to physically walk after two days. The other option, is taking a train! Which is super easy, yet the pricer option. I honestly wanted to go this route, but decided that I would totally feel like I’m cheating myself out of the real experience. So, I went with option three- a mix of buses, cars, and walking. At this point in my life, hoping from little buses to big buses then to random cars was like an ordinary day. I did a little research before hand, but was pretty much just letting the universe guide me in the right directions. I started off going to the Santiago Bus Terminal behind the San Pedro market like I had been told to do, once I got there I was told that I needed to walk down a few streets. After stopping and asking about five people, I finally made it to the terminal. I can’t exactly describe how to get there, but if you tell anyone your looking for the bus to go to Santa Maria, they will be more than glad to tell you! One guy even walked me like half way there. The bus was about 20 s./  and took about 5-6 hours. The drive is amazing, you get to go through alot of small towns like Urubamba and Ollantaytambo that I had been wanting to visit. I was actually really surprised because there weren’t many tourist on the bus with me, so I was actually a little nervous once I got dropped off to Santa Maria. It was pretty much a “town” in what looks like the middle of the jungle, from the ride over with rocky mountains and nothing more than little shacks selling snacks. I had to pay 10 centimos to use a “bathroom” which was a hole in the ground behind a piece of wood, and bought a little queso y palta sandwich that had probably been sitting out for hours. I immediately went to the youngest driver there, and asked how much for a ride to Hydroelectrica. The other tourist, whom were from Argentina followed. We each paid about 10 s./ and squeezed into his little minivan. It was about a three hour ride from here, stopping in Santa Teresa to pick up other people. Depending on where the driver is headed, you may have to switch into a new car with a new driver. It may seem sketchy, and you feel like your going to fall off the edge of the mountains, but these drivers, even if they are sixteen, are doing this five times a day- and know what they’re doing! The ride was filled with small talk, listening to “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” and all the other usual songs, and taking breath taking pictures- all of which managed to be on my Iphone that I lost a few days later and were never able to recover sadly enough. Okay, so after arriving in Hydroelectrica, the next stop is an hour and a half walk to Aguas Calientes. I was lucky enough to see a tour walking in front of me, and just caught up with them! Traveling alone is interesting, because your always alone yet  never alone. Things seem to always work out in your favor, maybe I’m just lucky. This is the walk that I had previously warned about- BRING A PONCHO! THe walk isn’t too bad, unless it is storming as it was when I did it. Well, here you have it. It might not be the easiest way to get to Machu Picchu, or the most adventerous. However, it is great for travelers on a budget, and a filled with the ever exiting adventures of riding in buses and mini vans with the always awesome local Peruvians. 

4. A few extra tips 

STAY CHEAP. When I first got there, I was trying to search for a hostel, and found that the prices were higher than in Cusco for the most part. If you keep walking away from the center of town, you WILL find good deals. My hostel was 20 s./ for my own room and bathroom, with HOT water ( Which is very rare in Cusco) and a towel. I also found a hostel for 10 s./ - but there was bugs in my room, which is where I draw the line. These hostels are fairly quiet and don’t have much going on, unlike the crazy hostels in Cusco. Which is okay, becasue you are literally going to be there about 7 hours which consists of showering, eating, and sleeping. The hostels will hold your bags for you while you are at the ruins, which is super helpful.

GO EARLY! I had heard this from a few other people, and I am surely happy I took their advice. The morning is pretty foggy, so you don’t get to see all that Machu Picchu has to offer yet, however you are there sharing the magical places with only 10% of the people that will come later during the day. My pictures from the mornings didn’t have hundreds of people in the background like my later pictures did.

PLAN WHEN YOU ARE GOING. Well this is an obvious one for most people, but it is something that I DIDNT  do. I am very sparatic, and like to do things NOW, instead of planning for later. I was ready to leave Cusco, so needed to go to Machu Picchu as soon as possible- which meant going during the rainy season. The rain didn’t ruin my experience at all, but it would have been nice to see it a little less gloomy and my clothes a little less wet from the day before.

GET YOUR PASSPORT STAMPED. I had totally forgot that you could get your passport stamped with the Machu Picchu symbol- which would be awesome if you are trying to go to all of the World Wonders.

JOIN A TOUR. This may technically be cheating, but I’m pretty sure nobody cares. Paying for a tour is expensive, and something that I thought as unnecisary. Well it is definitely nice having a tour guide explain to you about each area of the Ruins, and the history there. I was lucky enough to just jump into my friends’ group, and there were all super friendly. I think that just walking with groups listening wouldn’t be a problem for most- as they are coming from a five day hike in the jungle and probably just don’t give a shit at this point.

SOAK UP EVERY MINUTE YOU CAN. The ruins are huge, so it is easy to get overwhelmed and be ready to leave after a few hours. After all, you are exhausted from walking up and down the stairs all day. It is really important to slow down, look around, and appreciate the amazing place you are in. Live in the present moment, and just spend all day, even if by yourself, wandering around, absorbing everything that you can. I was so tight on money, I wasn’t able to get my ticket to Huayna Picchu beforehand, therefore wasn’t able to go. But I heard that it is amazing- I really wish I would gotten to see it. Sometimes, it is important that a little extra spending is worth it, because you might not ever be able to revisit a moment in time.

Well, these are my tips for getting to Machu Picchu on a budget, and for the lone gypsy who is trying to do this without a tour! I hope that anyone out there is able to find a little sigh of relief, and less trouble down the road with these. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! 

xx SLW