Apart from that Aguas Calientes doesn't have that much to offer.
Still, with only two major streets, one of them railway tracks, Aguas Calientes doesn't do badly for itself.
Lots of Internet hookup sites use some of the same tactics that
Caliente does in order to attract men and women.
Not exact matches
Not only
did we relax, I was pleasantly surprised with how knowledgeable the staff at Ojo
Caliente is.
With the little research I have
done, its been overwhelming...
do you mind telling me which hotel you stayed in Ollantaytambo, and through which website you purchased the train tickets to Aguas
Calientes.
Guide to Find our best travel tips, advice and inspiration on what to
do and where to stay in our guide to Aguas
Calientes.
So we spent the night in Aguas
Calientes, and saved our permit for the next day, returning up the same track you
did to the entrance.
Make sure you don't forget anything in the hotel or restaurant before you leave Aguas
Calientes.
Oh well, people say that things happen for a reason... Your ticket didn't made it to Aguas
Calientes on time but you had an amazing experience anyway (and you got the money back!).
If you don't fancy hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu for several days and unless you want to take 4 mini-buses with crying babies and local produce, a small train overall taking about 10 hours, you better take the direct train to Aguas
Calientes from Cusco.
Most people
do it as a day trip from Cusco but we recommend spending the night in Aguas
Calientes.
Done in 1 or 2 days (with a night in Aguas
Calientes to ensure an early entrance to Machu Picchu) you will travel by train in between Aguas
Calientes and a train station just outside of Cusco (again when booking with a recommended travel agency you don't have to worry about being stranded as you will have your transfer waiting for you).
Much of the walk will be
done along the Vilcanota river bank until we reach the town of Aguas
Calientes.
Disliked: Aguas
Calientes is very much catered to tourists for Machu Picchu and doesn't offer much.
As the train tickets to Aguas
Caliente are very expensive and there is nothing else to
do in Machu Picchu Pueblo, it will be a huge disappointement if you can't visit Machu Picchu!
Very small but relaxing, peaceful town, friendly locals, you can walk everywhere, there's a free ruin called Pinkuylluna that overlooks the whole town, good town to stay in before heading to Machu Picchu if you don't want to stay in Aguas
Calientes
«If you have your heart set on visiting Machu Picchu but don't have time for a trek, be sure to investigate local trains from Cusco to Aguas
Calientes.
Liked: Very small but relaxing, peaceful town, friendly locals, you can walk everywhere, there's a free ruin called Pinkuylluna that overlooks the whole town, good town to stay in before heading to Machu Picchu if you don't want to stay in Aguas
Calientes
Please contact us if any of the hotels
do not appear in the correct location but please bear in mind the map may not reflect the exact physical location of some Aguas
Calientes hotels.
The night before visiting Machu Picchu you spent the night in a town called Aguas
Calientes (if this happens, I feel a bit sorry for you, as you won't even have
done any part of the real Inca Trail — and possibly
done the Salkantay Trek instead.
The gorgeous gushing river village of Aguas
Calientes — you will only visit this AFTER you have
done the Real Inca Trail
If you don't want to go zip lining you will hike to Aguas
Calientes for about 2 hours.
Now, you can
do it, on the new Cusco / Quillabamba asphalted road, passing by the Sacred Valley's villages, the Málaga Mountain Pass (4,350 m.a.s.l.), the highest point on the way, going by Santa María, to get to Santa Teresa, on a short stretch of road, to the Intiwatana train station and from there, by train to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas
Calientes),
Don't get me wrong — I'm not saying Aguas
Calientes is a crappy place.
However, there are different options to decrease the Salkantay Trek distance for those who
do not want to hike the whole thing, including horse rentals or taking a train from Hydroelectric Station to Aguas
Calientes.
In the early afternoon, lunch will be provided at «Los Viajeros» hostel down in the town of Aguas
Calientes and this is the accomodation for people
doing this tour unless full and then similar accomdation is provided nearby.
The first thing you need to
do is get to Aguas
Calientes, the town right at the base of Machu Picchu.
Of course it is nothing to
do with the Incas, it is «the cheater's way to Machu Picchu», basically you can get a bus from the village of Aguas
Calientes up to Machu Picchu.
You will need to stay in a hostel overnight in Aguas
Calientes (around $ 20 USD) as it's a bit too much to
do in one day and you don't want to feel rushed in experiencing one of the seven wonders of the world!
Nowhere
does this pilgrimage impression feel stronger than once you arrive in Aguas
Calientes, a small village that feels like nothing more than a point of passage for tourists heading to Machu Picchu, a few kilometres up the mountain.
This programe is for those people who want to
do the Inca Trail trek, stay overnight in Aguas
Calientes town, enjoy the hot springs pools, second visit of Machupicchu and walk the Huayna Picchu mountain on day 5th.
To get the best value from this you should stay the night in Aguas
Calientes and re-visit Machupicchu the next day with your walk up Huaynapicchu mountain
done then as you also get that full extra day in Machupicchu.
There's really nothing much to
do in Aguas
Calientes but pass the time until you can hop on that bus for the 30 - minute ride up the sinuous mountain road to your final destination.
Instead you can relax in the hot springs of Aguas
Calientes town in the evening and the package includes your dinner on Day 4 and your breakfast on Day 5th plus a room with private bathroom for only US$ 30.00 extra per person, (organize a pack lunch for Machupicchu with your guide so you don't need to go down earlier).
If you don't want to line up for the bus you can walk from Aguas
Calientes to Machu Picchu.
This can be
done in Cusco and in Aguas
Calientes.
The train tracks from Aguas
Calientes end here, so don't worry if you fall asleep on the train.
Machu Picchu can be
done in one day, but in order to get the best experience and see the spectacular sunrise over the citadel, it's best to take at least 2 days, spending one night in the town of Aguas
Calientes, and departing early the next morning to visit Machu Picchu.
Still, if you can manage an overnight stay in Aguas
Calientes,
do it.
So, whilst waiting for your evening train to Cusco, or in your free time around Aguas
Calientes, what should you
do?
There are, however, a few other things to
do while staying in Aguas
Calientes.
Some train rides (like the one to Aguas
Calientes and Machu Picchu) don't allow suitcases on board so it's better to have a small bad and leave your larger luggage at the hotel which you'll be going back to on your return trip.
(without a guide, the trail is clearly marked and there are a local park guides giving instructions if necessary and a lot of people
doing this nice walk, free time to explore in your own, walk to Sun's gate (part of the Inca Trail trek) extra walk to the Inka bridge returning back to Machu Pucchu following a path on the left direction, packed lunch included, By 17:00 Hrs Walk down for 1 Hr from Machupicchu to Aguas
Calientes, At Puente Ruinas bridge you can visit a small Museum dedicated to Machupicchu's discover and the Orchids Garden (15 Soles fee).
Since the Lares Trek
did not conclude at Machu Picchu, we were picked up and delivered to the town where the train leaves for Aguas
Calientes (town at the base of Machu Picchu).
Early breakfast at 05:00 am, bus at 05:30 am for 30 minutes from Aguas
Calientes to Machupicchu to see the sunrise and be the firsts when the Park is open, (we don't recommend to walk from Aguas
Calientes to Machupicchu, better idea is to save energies for the nice walks inside Machupicchu Park, Machupicchu is huge) 2 - 3 Hrs guided tour with an expert guide in english or in Spanish.
(If for any reason you decide not to
do the trek you can continue by train to Aguas
Calientes town and set early at your hotel and wait your group there, they will get down by 5 or 6 pm and join for the second day tour at Machupicchu).
We offer airport to hotel transfers as well as pick up from your hotel to the train stations such as Poroy, Ollantaytambo, Aguas
Calientes or the top tourist attractions so that you don't have to try to figure out transportation in the last minute.
If you are travelling by yourself, the upgrade cost will be much more, as hotels in Aguas
Calientes often charge the same price for a room shared by two people as they
do for just one person.
When you are
done exploring, you can either take a bus, or walk, down to Aguas
Calientes for a free afternoon before your train which will depart later that afternoon back to Ollantaytambo and then we will drive you back to Cusco.
Many tourists opt to
do this tour just before their visit to Machu Picchu, as you can choose to finish in Ollantaytambo from where you take the train on to Aguas
Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu).