Every train to Machu Picchu ends its run in a small town in a warm, green valley. Its name is Aguas Calientes, and it is easy to treat it as just a place to sleep. Yet the town has hot springs, a site museum and gardens. So this guide shows how to use your spare hours there, before or after the citadel.
This is an independent guide, not the official peru.travel site. Our facts come from PromPerú and MINCETUR, Peru’s national tourism inventory. If you have not picked your base yet, also read our guide to Ollantaytambo as a base for Machu Picchu.
What is Aguas Calientes?
Aguas Calientes is the everyday name of Machupicchu Pueblo. According to MINCETUR, it lies in the Machupicchu district, in Cusco’s Urubamba province.
The town sits well below the Inca citadel. PromPerú puts it at 2,040 m above sea level, while the citadel, or llaqta, stands at 2,453 m. If altitude still worries you on the Cusco leg of your trip, read our altitude sickness guide.
How to get there
MINCETUR lists the train as the way in from Ollantaytambo. The ride to Aguas Calientes station covers 46.8 km and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Once you step off the train, the hot springs ticket office is about 750 m away, a 10 to 15 minute walk. Still deciding between hiking and the train? Then see Inca Trail vs train.
Aguas Calientes at a glance
This table sums up the key places in town, with distances from PromPerú and MINCETUR.
| Place | Distance or walk | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Artisan market | Next to the train station | Free entry |
| Stone Chronicles circuit | Around town streets and parks | Free, open 24 hours |
| Hot springs | 750 m from the station, 10 to 15 minutes | Ticket |
| Butterfly house | 1.2 km, about 20 minutes | Ticket |
| Site museum and botanical garden | 2 km, about 30 minutes | Ticket |
| Mandor Gardens | 4.3 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes | Ticket |
However, PromPerú’s brochure dates from 2018, so check opening hours on the spot.
Aguas Calientes by the time you have
Instead of a long list, pick what fits the hours you have between trains and the citadel.
If you have one or two hours
The hot springs are the classic short stop. MINCETUR counts six pools at different temperatures, plus showers, changing rooms and a small cafeteria. The town council, the Municipalidad Distrital de Machupicchu, runs them. They open every day from 5:00 a.m. Still, each visit is capped at 1 hour and 30 minutes.
MINCETUR also recommends the pools after a hard hike, such as Huayna Picchu, the Sun Gate (Intipunku) or the Inca Trail.
If you would rather stay dry, walk the free Stone Chronicles circuit instead. PromPerú describes 37 granite sculptures of Andean beliefs and Cusco folklore. Look for them on Los Artesanos walk, Hermanos Ayar Avenue, Wiñay Wayna Park and Torrechayoc Street.
Then finish at the artisan market by the train station, where entry is free. PromPerú calls it one of the main centres for local crafts.
If you have half a day
Head 2 km out of town to the Manuel Chávez Ballón site museum, near Puente Ruinas bridge. According to PromPerú, it opened in 2005 to explain the culture of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. Its seven rooms display stone objects, metalwork, pottery and bones.
Next door, the botanical garden holds more than 400 plant species, including ferns. Its entry also includes the museum visit, says PromPerú.
Closer to town, at 1.2 km, the “Mariposas de Machupicchu” butterfly house studies local plants and butterflies. Its interpretation centre also shows each stage of a butterfly’s life cycle.
If you have a free morning
Mandor Gardens is the longest outing: 4.3 km from town, or about 1 hour and 30 minutes on foot. Along the way, PromPerú mentions local fruit, native trees, orchids, birds and butterflies. Streams also run down to waterfalls there.
How to plan your time in Aguas Calientes
First, decide when you will visit the citadel, because your plan depends on it. Here are two simple patterns:
- Night before Machu Picchu: arrive by train in the afternoon, walk around town and go to bed early. Then go up to the citadel the next morning.
- Afternoon after Machu Picchu: come down, soak in the hot springs or see the museum, then catch your train back.
According to PromPerú’s map, the road from town up to the citadel is 8.4 km long. Also book your citadel ticket and transport before you travel.
Useful services in town
MINCETUR lists ATMs, banks, a health post and a tourist police station (POLTUR) in town. You will also find hotels in several categories, hostels, restaurants and cafés.
For questions on the ground, PromPerú places an iPerú tourist office on Avenida Pachacútec, block 1, inside the Culture Ministry (DDC) building.
Final words on Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes is more than a train stop. Give it a few hours for the hot springs, the museum or a quiet walk. Then you will reach Machu Picchu rested and ready.
Would you rather hand the logistics to someone else? Then check our 8-day trip through Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Fullviajes also offers Cusco and Machu Picchu packages.
