Machu Picchu, Peru Day 1 (May 29, 2026)
You just buy your ticket and hike up the mountain, right? Not so fast. The Peruvian government wishes to discourage the “in and out” tourism to Machu Picchu. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu requires a minimum of 6 months planning ahead of time (and not how I roll).
So the next best thing is to take the train from Cusco to Machu Picchu, then stand in line to purchase a ticket to hike Machu Picchu … 2 days later. Huh? Yes, this is the government’s doing. In order to generate more hotel stays, restaurant visits and tourism dollars, the plan is to limit the number of tickets given out each day, and never for the same day you arrive — usually it’s 2 days from that date.
Machu Picchu train from Cusco, Peru. Why 5:40am, though?
It get’s “better.” That is, the guide I hired to help me navigate all of this, informed me that I need to be picked up at my hotel at 3am for the more than 2 hour drive to the train station to catch the 5:40am train.
Why?
Tickets to Machu Picchu are on a “first come, first served” basis. To avoid having a more than 2-night stay in Machu Picchu, we need to be “first in line” when the ticket counter opens in Machu Picchu. That means taking the first train and begin one of the first tourists to secure a ticket for two days from now.
So you get to stay two nights in Machu Picchu AND not sleep much when you arrive in Cusco. Did I mention that sleep deprivation is a form of torture? (Check out the book Why We Sleep for a deep dive).
At 5:30am, I am among many sleepy disorientated tourists in Cusco
Acceptance is the first step to overcoming any disturbance. This is how it’s done. What resists persists. I can choose to be disturbed by this or surrender to it. When I surrender, I’m in the flow without any resistance. This may not be what I want, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t how it is. So rather than be bitter about any of it, I get curious about how I can be better as a result of it.
And this is how I begin my journey to Machu Picchu – in surrender and experiencing a tired form of serenity. I am at peace with “what is” and let go of any desire to “fix” or “change” my experience. Instead, I experience my experience. I’m here. On a train. In Peru. Riding beside white water rapids. It’s a perfect analogy of where I am … in the rapids.
The view from the window on the train leaving Cusco at daybreak
How many times have I used this analogy with others? When I surrender to the rapids, I’m not fighting them. I’m in flow. Sure, I may be bouncing off protruding rocks and boulders, but I’m generally moving down river with little to no effort. When I fight the whitewater, I will surely flip my boat over and experience deep exhaustion in the process. So much better to allow the river to take me downstream.
Besides, the train was created so that I can see the mountains as I pass underneath them. There may never be a more spectacular view of Peru than on this train ride from Cusco to Mach Picchu. Take it in!
Snow-capped mountains seen through the skylight of our train
I purchase a Peruvian coffee to enhance my experience (and push off some of my sleepiness), sit back and observe. By the time the bar cart has made its way through our train car, we make our first stop for those lucky passengers who secured a ticket to the Inca Trail some six months ago. I watch them cross the bridge and begin their full day hike to where I’m headed. My best friend James Graeber told me this was his favorite part of the trip. If I come back here again, I’ll work to secure an Inca Trail ticket well in advance. For now, it’s time for a brief run to the ticket counter (jogging alongside more tourists) so that we can avoid paying for a third night here in Machu Picchu.
Line isn’t as bad as I was made to believe. Then again, it’s not 8am yet
And by 8am, I have secured my ticket to hike up Machu Picchu two days from now. The rest of my day is mine to choose to do with what I wish. My first impulse is to explore. I follow the river all the way down. The mountains are spectacular and in every direction. While this part of Peru is not considered the “Sacred Valley,” I can clearly see what the Incas saw. The mountain energy is strong and powerful. I can feel the deep nature all around me.
The clouds dance around the peaks of the mountains here
This area reminds me of Russian River, California. It’s a town built on both sides of a river, high in the mountains and full of tourist delights. Anything you want or need can be found here. Fantastic Peruvian food, all kinds of shops ranging from ponchos and hats to massages. You can buy anything you want or need while exploring the beauty that is Machu Picchu.
You can witness the construction as roads and walls are being built to reinforce the walkways. There are bridges connecting both sides to each other (and allowing you to walk in the shade depending on what time of day it is). And there’s lots to do from hiking and exploring waterfalls to museums to hot springs. I’ll check out more of this tomorrow. Today I just want to take it all in.
And I do feel welcomed here in Machu Picchu. Good to be here today.
And now that I’m here and settled, I’m going to take a nap. I haven’t slept in the middle of the day since … well, I don’t know if I’ve done it in the past 11 months while traveling. But the 2am wake up combined with the hustle to the transport, train, and ticket station is combined with the high elevation here and my body is asking for rest. So I will.
With that, I am grateful for two unplanned days here at Machu Picchu to rest and recover before hiking to the top. I will call the next two days my acclimation to altitude days and simply slow down. I like this plan. Time to relax and enjoy some free time. Nothing to do. Nowhere to be. Glorious! Have a wonderful day.
