Luxury holidays in Aguas Calientes

Peru’s southern highlands are home to Urubamba Province and the need-we-say-more worldwide fame of the enigmatic Machu Picchu. So renowned is this Incan citadel that its gateway town, Aguas Calientes, is sometimes referred to simply as Machu Picchu Pueblo. As well as being an assembly point for tours and treks to the ancient archeological site, the town itself has much to recommend it – from thermal baths to walks through the flora-rich cloud forest, to notably good stargazing, thanks to ink-dark night skies.

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When to go

May to October is dry season in Urubamba province: expect clear-skied, sunny days and chilly nights. January and February are the wettest months, although there’s also more rain around generally from November all the way to April.

Getting there

  • Planes

    The gateway airport for this stretch of the Andes is Cusco International; from there it’s a 90-minute drive to Ollantaytambo, where you can pick up direct trains to Machu Picchu.
  • Automobiles

    Traffic restrictions in Aguas Calientes itself mean you should arrive by train to Machu Picchu station rather than take a car.