Consettur Bus Ticket

Make sure you take your actual passport!
We bought one way tickets to go up and walked down. The walk is very pretty and took just over an hour. If you want a guide for Machu Picchu, DO NOT get one at the bottom. They try to charge you $40 each. They charge 30-40 Soles outside the entrance at the top.

Male staff are incredible rude. He asked me how many tickets, I said 1 in English and Spanish. He asked again, I repeated in both languages. Then he sneered “no habla spank?” And the refused to serve me and made me go to another counter. Horrible man with horrible attitude and should never work with tourists!

This is where you buy a ticket for the bus up to or down from Machu Picchu. My photos with prices and info are from March 2024 for reference. You'll see signs with big red BUS TICKET lettering directing you to this office on the neighboring main street. Buy a ticket here in person instead of online because it's way easier. If you don't buy a bus ticket here then you're walking yourself all the way.

Bring your ORIGINAL passport to buy a ticket! You have an option to buy a ticket only going up, only going down, or both. It's $24 for a round trip ticket but only half that is you just purchase an up ticket and enjoy your walk back downhill from Machu Picchu. The bus tickets they print you will be for a specific route (up, down, both) on a specific day, but not for a specific bus. You'll be able to jump on any open bus for your trip to Machu Picchu or back to town.

All the negative reviews are valid - this is a monopoly service, it's annoying they scan your passport, etc. However, it's not as if these are terrible people are the help desk. They're friendly, speak decent English, and the lines moves fairly well when the counter is full of staff.

I would suggest going to buy a ticket in person - they scan passports similarly as they do at the border control (fast!), so you don't have to enter all the details by hand when buying online.
It is pricey, but why should I complain if I paid 5 times more for the train from Cusco?
Don't believe the signs saying that it is only 3km to get to the Machu Picchu entrance - it is 8.8km according to google maps and 400 meters elevation. My kids would not go that long, so it is worth buying the bus ticket.

One of two ways you can access Machu Picchu, either pay for the bus ticket or walk up the mountain. This would be the most expensive transport service you can pay here in Peru (given the short distance). The location is fine, easy to find, and with plenty of signage at the end of the street. You'd often see a line up here so not hard to miss. Staff speaks enough English to sell you the ticket.

Staff was very helpful. Provided answers to all of our questions. One way ticket is USD $12. Soles is accepted too. But can’t mix and match currencies. You are able to buy the return bus ticket at the Machu Picchu ruins bus station as well. Same pricing applies. No added benefit in purchasing a round trip ahead of time unless you’re certain. The bus journey from the bus station in Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu bus station is around 20-25 minutes.

It's either bus or walking up to Machu Picchu so we had to buy the expensive ticket to save energy in Machu Picchu. For foreigners one way is 12USD and you can buy return ticket and next day ticket there too. Passport is needed so bring it with you (you will need it to enter Machu Picchu too). No specific time written on the ticket. You have to queue up for the bus according to your MP ticket entrance time. Can't go up to the entrance too early. On the way back you can get on any bus whenever you finish visiting MP.