BootsnAll Travel Community

Im just looking at Peru rails backpacker train which makes frequent trips to Machu Picchu, as i cannot afford to hire a guide for a hike.

Im wondering about admittance about arriving onsite? Do i have to buy a permit/entrance fee + do i have to pay this in advance, or is that only when hiking the inca trail?

because of time constraints (and it beign the wet season), we decided to take the train up to MP instead of doing the trail. i recommend booking through a tour company. they usually include the train to and from the town right by MP (the name totally escaped my mind just now.. doh), the bus to/from that town and MP, and a guided tour around MP. we booked through mila tours and they charged either $50 or $75.. can't remember. i don't know how much the train is by itself, but i remember another friend of mine, who was also doing MP around the same time, saying that we didn't pay that much more for the whole package than his train ticket that he booked himself. i do remember having to pay the entrance fee though.

the town is called aquas calientes

The ticket office for MP is actually at Agua Calientes. The first thing I did once I got off the train & checked into a hotel was to look for the ticket office near the main plaza and buy an entrance for next morning ($40 USD). I also bought a bus ticket up to MP after buying an entrance ticket ($12 USD round-trip).