Aguas Calientes

Where should I stay?

Where should I eat?

• Indio Feliz · Machu Picchu Pueblo · French-Peruvian: A long-running, quirky restaurant decorated with visitors' mementos, serving French-influenced dishes alongside Peruvian ones like trout.
• Toto's House · Machu Picchu Pueblo · Peruvian: A large riverside restaurant by the train tracks, known for its lunch buffet of Andean dishes and views of the Urubamba.
• Tree House · Machu Picchu Pueblo · Novo-Andean: An intimate wood-paneled restaurant uphill from the center, serving creative dishes built on Andean ingredients like quinoa, alpaca and trout.
• Café Inkaterra · Machu Picchu Pueblo · Peruvian: The Inkaterra hotel's riverside restaurant near the train station, a calm spot for Peruvian dishes after a day at the ruins.
• Mercado Central de Aguas Calientes · Machu Picchu Pueblo · Market food: The town market, where upstairs food stalls serve cheap set lunches, soups and fresh juices used by locals and budget travelers.
• Mapacho · Machu Picchu Pueblo · Peruvian / craft beer: A casual riverside spot on Avenida Imperio de los Incas pouring Peruvian craft beer alongside burgers, trout and alpaca dishes.

What should I do?

• Machu Picchu · Santuario Histórico de Machu Picchu: The 15th-century Inca citadel above town, reached by bus or a steep hike, with timed entry on fixed circuits.
• Montaña Machu Picchu · Santuario Histórico de Machu Picchu: A higher, longer climb than Huayna Picchu along Inca steps, ending in wide views over the citadel and the Urubamba valley.
• Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón · Puente Ruinas: A small museum at the foot of the mountain explaining Machu Picchu's construction and discovery, next to a botanical garden.
• Mercado Artesanal · Machu Picchu Pueblo: The sprawling crafts market by the train station, selling alpaca textiles, ceramics and souvenirs; bargaining is normal.
• Train ride through the Urubamba valley · Valle del Urubamba: The rail journey between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes follows the river through a narrowing gorge, the main way into town.