Machu Picchu is one of the best tourist attractions on the planet. Each year the Inca citadel receives about 1.5 million visitors. According to official Peruvian statistics, most visitors are couples between 21 and 30 years old. For them, the Inca site offers very nice experiences including beautiful photos, hikes to mountain tops, lots of history and the best tourist services such as restaurants, bars and hotels. How to visit it as a couple? Find out in this didactic guide!

• Visiting Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru
• Visit Machu Picchu as a couple
• Machu Picchu entrance ticket prices
• Services of hotels and restaurants in Machu Picchu to go as a couple
• Tips for a trip to Machu Picchu with your partner
• Frequently asked questions for a trip to Machu Picchu with your partner

Tourist couple visiting Machu Picchu

The most romantic tourist attractions in Cusco
Cusco offers a great diversity of tourist attractions. There is no doubt that the most important, the most popular is Machu Picchu, considered one of the best destinations in the world. However, if you plan to visit Cusco as a couple, you can also visit idyllic places like the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a natural area with a lot of history and formidable mountain scenery. In addition, you can visit the Humantay Lagoon, considered sacred by the Incas and where couples get some of the best pictures of the trip. The city of Cusco, capital of the Inca empire, also offers very quiet historical spaces for walking. The town of Aguas Calientes, just 10 kilometers from Machu Picchu, also offers a very quiet area, with cafes and restaurants of the best quality. There is even a bridge where couples can register their initials on a padlock that will be there forever.

Visiting Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru

• Machu Picchu means old mountain. In Inca times, according to chronicles, its real name would be Patallaqta, which means ‘town of steps or platforms’. Its construction would have begun in 1450 A.D. by orders of the emperor Pachacutec. Then, since the XVI century, it was gradually abandoned until it was hidden among the abundant vegetation. In 1911, the American explorer Hiram Bingham made its existence known to the world and today it is considered one of the best tourist attractions on the planet.
• It is estimated that Machu Picchu receives every year about 1.5 million people. In addition, during the visit you can visit other very interesting tourist attractions, such as: the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the rainbow mountain, the Humantay lagoon, the South Valley of Cusco, Choquequirao and the city of Cusco, capital of the Inca empire.
• In Machu Picchu the visitor can enjoy formidable landscapes (the classic photo is one of the most famous in social networks), a very interesting history and famous stone constructions, such as: the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana, the Main Temple, the Temple of the Condor, the Sacred Rock and more. Additionally, there are short hiking trails to the peaks of the Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu, Huchuy Picchu mountains and another to the Inca Bridge of the archaeological site.
• The closest town to Machu Picchu is called Aguas Calientes but it is also known as Machupicchu pueblo. Trains from Cusco arrive there. This small but picturesque town is completely dedicated to tourism. There you can find hotels (from hostels to 5 star services), restaurants (with the best of Peruvian gastronomy), bars and handicraft stores, all in a very small town.
• Finally, for all this and more, the visit to Machu Picchu offers a charm that is difficult to explain. Most people make a one-day visit from Cusco or a 2-day route with an overnight stay in Aguas Calientes. However, Machu Picchu offers more, such as multi-day trekking routes: the 4-day Inca Trail, the 5-day Salkantay trek, the 4-day Lares trek, the 3-day Huchuy Qosqo trek, the 4-day Inca Jungle, etc.
• The visitor chooses how he/she wants to visit Machu Picchu. All these options can be done on your own or with an all-inclusive tour organized by a tourist agency. Most people who come to the Inca city are couples. They all agree that the Inca city is one of the best destinations of their lives.

Visit Machu Picchu as a couple

• Most people visit Machu Picchu as a couple. For them, the Inca citadel offers beautiful experiences, full of memories. The first thing to organize is whether you will visit on your own or with an all-inclusive tour organized by a tourist agency.
• In case you make your visit by hiring a tour agency, the first thing to do is to choose whether to do a one or two day tour. The one-day tour starts and ends in Cusco city. The two-day tour includes one night in a hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes. In addition, there are four or five day tours with trekking routes, such as: the Inca Trail 4 days or the Salkantay trek 5 days.
• Prices vary according to the tour operator you choose. It is recommended to check the testimonials of other tourists on online forums such as TripAdvisor. All tours should include: pick up from the hotel, tourist transportation by train, professional tour guide, entrance fees to Machu Picchu and return to the door of the visitor’s hotel.
• If you make the visit on your own, the first and most important thing is to buy the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu. The second thing, according to the schedule you chose, is to buy the train ticket. Once the purchase of these two tickets is done, you can separate flights, hotels and other tours with peace of mind. Once in Cusco you must purchase your bus ticket from Aguas Calientes and the tour guide service in Machu Picchu.
• Keep in mind that your entrance time to Machu Picchu has to be related to the train ticket schedule. If you choose a one-day visit, you should choose to leave Cusco very early (at approximately 5 am). If you choose a two-day or longer visit, you can leave Cusco early (at 7, 8 or 9 am).

Classic photo in Machu Pichu

Machu Picchu entrance ticket prices

If you visit Machu Picchu on your own as a couple, these are the prices of the five types of tickets you can choose from:

Services of hotels and restaurants in Machu Picchu to go as a couple

An excellent option if you travel to Machu Picchu as a couple is to choose a good tourist hotel service in the city of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas or the town of Aguas Calientes. These are some excellent options for your trip:

• 3, 4 and 5 stars hotels in Cusco:

  • Casa Andina Standard (3 stars).
  • Hotel Casa Real Cusco (3 stars).
  • Aqua Hotel Cusco (3 stars).
  • Hotel San Agustín (4 stars).
  • Wyndham Costa del Sol (4 stars).
  • Xima Cusco Hotel (4 stars).
  • Palacio del Inka Luxury (5 stars).
  • Belmond Hotel Monasterio (5 stars).
  • Palacio Nazarenas (5 stars).

• 3, 4 and 5 stars hotels in the Sacred Valley of the Incas:

  • Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado (3 stars).
  • Hotel San Agustín Urubamba (3 stars).
  • Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel (4 stars).
  • Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado (4 stars).
  • Tambo del Inka a Luxury Collection (5 stars).

• 3, 4 and 5 stars hotels in Aguas Calientes:

  • Hotel Ferre Machu Picchu (3 stars).
  • Waman Hotel Machu Picchu (3 stars).
  • Hotel La Cabaña Machu Picchu (3 stars).
  • Inkaterra Machu Picchu pueblo hotel (4 stars).
  • Tierra Viva Machu Picchu Hotel (4 stars).
  • Taypikala Hotel Boutique Machu Picchu (4 stars).
  • Belmond Sanctuary Lodge (5 stars).
  • Hotel Sumaq Machu Picchu (5 stars).

Map of Aguas Calientes with hotel locations

Tips for a trip to Machu Picchu with your partner

• The thermal baths of Cocalmayo are one of the best places for couples to relax. It is in the village of Santa Teresa, on the eastern jungle side of Machu Picchu. The nature and the place is idyllic to spend a great time as a couple.
• An adventurous option for couples is to drive ATVs. There are two popular routes: the first one goes to the salt mines of Maras and the circular terraces of Moray. The second goes to the 7-color mountain. It is recommended to make both visits with an authorized tourism agency.
• In the trip to Cusco there are tours of mystical experiences. One of the most special options for couples are the Andean marriage ceremonies. This symbolic wedding is performed with Andean elements such as offerings to the mountains and the pachamama (mother earth). You can hire this service through an authorized tourism agency.

Classic photo of a tourist couple in Machu Picchu

Frequently asked questions for a trip to Machu Picchu with your partner

• 1) Is Machu Picchu a good destination to visit as a couple?

  Yes, most people who visit Machu Picchu every year are couples between 21 and 30 years old. The Inca citadel offers history, beautiful landscapes, lots of culture and the best memories. It is one of the best tourist attractions in the world.

• 2) Is it advisable to visit Huayna Picchu mountain as a couple?

  Yes, Huayna Picchu mountain offers the best short trekking route inside Machu Picchu. It is ideal for couples as it offers some of the best panoramic scenery in the Inca citadel.

• 3) Is it advisable to visit Machu Picchu mountain as a couple?

  The hike to the Machu Picchu mountain is the most arduous as it ascends a little more than 2 kilometers uphill to the highest point of the Inca site. It is recommended to do it in pairs if you have a good physical condition.

• 4) Is it advisable to visit Huchuy Picchu mountain as a couple?

  Yes, the hike to the top of the Huchuy Picchu mountain is the easiest because it is less than 1 kilometer to the top of this slope that belongs to Huayna Picchu. The route takes about 30 minutes. From there you have nice views for pictures as a couple.

• 5) Is it advisable to visit the Inca Bridge as a couple?

  Yes, the hike to the Inca Bridge is super easy on flat roads along a route of about 1 kilometer. A couple can walk it in about 30 minutes. There you have a nice view of one of the eastern boundary of Machu Picchu.

• 6) What is the best circuit in Machu Picchu for couples?

  Circuit 2 is the most recommended to be visited as a couple and by any person in Machu Picchu. It includes a route for 2 hours 30 minutes through the main constructions: the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana, the Main Temple, the Sacred Rock and more. It also includes the classic postcard photo.

• 7) Which tourist attractions in Cusco should you visit as a couple?

  Some of the tourist attractions to visit as a couple in Cusco are: the thermal baths of Cocalmayo, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Humantay Lagoon, Maras and Moray and, of course, Machu Picchu.

• 8) ¿Qué deportes de aventura hacer en Cusco en pareja?

  In the trip to Cusco you can make incredible trekking routes and ideal for couples as the Inca Trail 4 days, the Salkantay trek 5 days or the Inca Jungle 4 days. You can also practice ATV routes to Maras – Moray or the 7 colors mountain.

• 9) Which hotel to book in Machu Picchu as a couple?

  In Machupicchu town or Aguas Calientes you can choose excellent hotels such as: Hotel Ferre Machu Picchu (3 stars), Waman Hotel Machu Picchu (3 stars), Hotel La Cabaña Machu Picchu (3 stars), Inkaterra Machu Picchu town hotel (4 stars), Tierra Viva Machu Picchu Hotel (4 stars), Taypikala Hotel Boutique Machu Picchu (4 stars), Belmond Sanctuary Lodge (5 stars) or the Hotel Sumaq Machu Picchu (5 stars).

• 10) What hike can I do in Machu Picchu as a couple?

  In Machu Picchu you can take trekking routes such as the hikes to Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain, Huchuy Picchu or the Inca Bridge.

Advice from people who have been there

Machu Picchu

By: Camila N.

“The journey of our lives“

“Machu Picchu awakened our interest to learn more and explore new destinations. It was the first great trip and now we want to know more. Undoubtedly an excellent place to start traveling like crazy, highly recommended!“

By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, August 15, 2024