There are many tour agencies in Cuzco offering packages to Machu Picchu. Of course the 4-days Inca trail is out of the question unless you book it like 6 months in advance. Machu Picchu is closed in February for maintenance work. I went there in June 2013 and the weather was superb, there were sunny skies throughout the day. There are other alternatives to the 4-days Inca trail, some agencies offer 4-days biking and hiking tours which start in Cuzco and end at Machu Picchu. Or you can take the leisurely tourist train from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes. The journey is quite a sight to behold since it passes through the mountain ranges and the old towns along the way. It is cheaper to take the bus from Cuzco to Ollamtaytambo which is the halfway stop for the train, then to take the train from Ollamtaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The train is for lazy travelers who do not want to exert any energy, saving it for the climb up the many stairs in Machu Picchu.

bus ride between Cuzco and Santa Maria passes through the mountains

While most people join package tours (150-200usd) or take the touristy train (80usd one way), I chose to go on my own in the cheapest available manner. First, I took a bus from Cuzco to Santa Maria (15 soles) which was a 6h journey, then Santa Maria to Hidro Electrica via carpool (15 soles) and finally Hidro Electrica to Aguas Caliente was a 20km walk along the train tracks (free). Wear good walking shoes as the walk along the train tracks is filled with pebbles and uneven ground. This process of reaching Aguas Calientes from Cuzco took me about the whole day.

Aguas Calientes is the town nearest to Machu Picchu. Its name means ‘hot water’ in Spanish because of the presence of hot springs there. The walk along the train tracks was tiring because of the uneven groud, but I did it in 2h instead of the usual 2.5h. I found a hostel with double bed for 30 soles and had dinner for 7 soles, very economical indeed. Wake up early in the morning around 4am to start your climb up to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Alternatively, take the tourist bus which costs 7-9 usd for one way up to the entrance. Be prepared for long queues to enter the national park, then quickly distance yourself from the tourist crowds and try to find a nice, scenic place to take the photographs or just to sit and admire the wonderful scenery in front of your own eyes.

As for the return trip from Aguas Calientes to Cuzco, it was slightly more challenging because it all depends on timing. The car pool will not leave unless there are 4 people in the car. If you are in a rush, you can pay more (the cost of the other 3 passengers) so the driver will take you to Santa Maria. I was walking along the route from Hidro Electrica to Santa Maria and trying to hitchhike, but nobody wanted to stop for me. Or if the van stopped, they asked for money. Ultimately, I walked for more than one hour and managed to bargain for the price of the ride back to Santa Maria (paid 5 soles). Then I took the bus from Santa Maria back to Cuzco (15 soles) which only arrives at certain timings during the day. For my case, the bus arrived an hour late after the scheduled timing. You can also take a minivan from Santa Maria to Cuzco for 30 soles if you are in a rush, the duration is around 4h.On hindsight, I should have taken the minivan from Santa Maria to Cuzco so that I had more time to explore Cuzco instead of waiting around for the bus.