Tour to Machu Picchu by Train from Cusco

DO NOT BOOK THIS EXCURSION

⚠️ DO NOT BOOK THIS EXCURSION — Major itinerary changes, misleading information, poor communication, and additional expenses We booked the “Machu Picchu by Train from Cusco” excursion through Tripadvisor expecting a 12–16 hour experience, as explicitly stated in the Tripadvisor listing. We chose this excursion specifically because we wanted a convenient, organized experience where transportation, train tickets, Machu Picchu entrance, and a guide would all be handled for us. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disorganized, stressful, and very different from what was advertised. From the beginning, communication was poor. We were told we would be picked up at 4:00 a.m., and then the pickup time was changed to 3:30 a.m. We were also told our Machu Picchu entrance would be at approximately 6:00 a.m. However, our itinerary and Machu Picchu schedule were changed at 10:43 a.m. the day BEFORE our excursion. This left us with less than 24 hours’ notice about a significant change to our plans. The company repeatedly referenced their policy stating that customers must provide 24 hours’ notice to make changes to tickets. The problem is that WE were not requesting this change — THEY changed our itinerary with less than 24 hours’ notice. It was extremely frustrating to have their 24-hour policy used against us when the company itself did not provide 24 hours’ notice for the changes they made. We also were not provided with our updated Machu Picchu tickets in a timely manner. We still had the original tickets showing the 6:00 a.m. entry time and were left confused about whether those tickets were even valid after the company changed our itinerary. We had to repeatedly contact the company just to try to understand what our actual schedule was supposed to be. The Tripadvisor listing also stated that the entire excursion would be approximately 12–16 hours. Based on that information, we planned the rest of our Peru trip accordingly. We had another excursion scheduled for the following morning, with a 3:00 a.m. pickup, so the advertised duration was extremely important to us. Instead, our return train was scheduled for 9:50 p.m., despite us being picked up around 3:00–3:30 a.m. This meant we were going to be in Aguas Calientes for approximately 6–7+ hours after finishing our Machu Picchu experience. Aguas Calientes is a very small town. There is absolutely nothing wrong with visiting or spending time there, but spending an additional 6–7+ hours there was NOT what we had planned or agreed to when booking a 12–16 hour excursion. We had other activities planned for our trip and had specifically scheduled them around the advertised duration of this tour. Our Machu Picchu portion of the excursion also did not align with the original expectations. Our schedule was changed to have the Machu Picchu portion begin at 6:00 a.m. and end around 11:00 a.m., although the actual tour ended around 2:00 p.m. We were then left with an enormous gap before our 9:50 p.m. train. We initially assumed that perhaps the later train was necessary because earlier trains were fully booked. However, when we looked into purchasing an earlier train ourselves, we discovered that the earlier train had plenty of availability. We ultimately had to consider purchasing additional train tickets ourselves simply to get back to Cusco at a reasonable time and avoid being stranded in Aguas Calientes for hours. We also had to pay out of pocket for additional transportation, including an Uber, because the transportation arrangements provided by the company did not allow us to return according to the schedule that was advertised. Another major issue was the lack of a tour guide and communication throughout the experience. The description promised a guide for the duration of the trip, yet we were repeatedly left on our own with very little information. Less than 24 hours before the trip, the primary information we were given was essentially that “David will meet you.” We were expected to navigate multiple parts of the excursion with very little guidance. When we contacted the company to ask for clarification and try to resolve these issues, the response was incredibly disappointing. Instead of listening to our concerns, the representative was condescending and dismissive. During one of our calls, when we were trying to explain the situation, he actually said, “Are you going to let me speak?” We were not calling to argue — we were trying to understand the itinerary that THEY had changed and figure out how we were supposed to get back to Cusco. The representative also insisted that we had not given 24 hours’ notice for a ticket change, even though the changes we were discussing were changes made by the company, not changes requested by us. When we pointed out that the Tripadvisor listing clearly stated the trip would be 12–16 hours, the representative sent us a screenshot from a completely different website claiming the excursion was 22 hours long. This was particularly concerning because the 22-hour duration was NOT what was advertised on the Tripadvisor listing when we booked. If the excursion had actually been advertised as 22 hours, we would not have booked it because we had another excursion scheduled for 3:00 a.m. the following morning. The entire reason we booked an organized excursion was to have a seamless experience without having to worry about coordinating transportation, trains, tickets, and timing ourselves. Instead, we spent a significant portion of our trip trying to figure out what was happening, contacting the company repeatedly, and ultimately considering paying additional money just to get ourselves back to Cusco. By the time we were expected to return to our hotel, it would have been approximately 1:00 a.m., despite having another excursion pickup at 3:00 a.m. the same morning. We were exhausted, stressed, and completely confused about why our itinerary had been changed so dramatically. This was not simply a minor inconvenience or a delayed train. The advertised duration, transportation schedule, Machu Picchu entry time, return train, guide/communication, and overall itinerary were all inconsistent with what we expected when we booked. We have screenshots documenting the original Tripadvisor listing, the original itinerary, the revised itinerary, the messages showing when the changes were communicated to us, our original Machu Picchu tickets, the communication with the company, and receipts for the additional transportation and train expenses we incurred. We have contacted the company to request a full refund, as well as reimbursement for the additional expenses we were forced to consider/pay in order to get back to Cusco. We hope Tripadvisor will also review this experience and the discrepancy between what is advertised on its platform and what this company actually provides. If you are considering booking this excursion, I already saved you the trouble. Don’t waste your life trying to see a dream by people who only want to ravish you from it. If I could give negative ratings, I would. Based on our experience, I wouldn’t recommend this excursion.

via Tripadvisor

MIGHT AS WELL DO IT ALL YOURSELF

WORST EXPERIENCE!! DON'T LISTEN TO THE BOT REVIEWS PROMISING AN INCREDIBLE TRIP. Absolutely zero information provided until less than 24 hours before the tour. When we finally received the information, we noticed we would be in aguas calientes from 6am until 9:50pm and wouldn't be getting back to our hotel until 1-2am when we were picked up at 3:00am the morning of. A total of almost 24 hours when it was advertised as 12-16 hours total. When we tried calling, we were met with extremely rude man that would not let me speak and would speak extremely condescendingly. They told us there was no way to change our train tickets back. We ended up having to spend an extra $350 to get back to cusco.

Response from the operator: Thanks for your comments. For WPeru Travel it is very valuable to know your experience, since it motivates us to continue improving every detail of our services. We work with dedication to offer authentic and unforgettable experiences in Peru. We hope to accompany you again on a next adventure! — WPerú Travel Team

via Tripadvisor

Terrible Communication, Cheap Bookings, and Hidden Costs

It was one of the worst trips I have ever done. Communication was terrible, and they basically provide you with no useful information until the night before the trip. The worst part was the train booking. It seems they deliberately book the cheapest possible train tickets in order to increase their own margins, with very little consideration for the customer’s schedule or convenience. My return train was booked for 9 PM, which would have meant spending several unnecessary hours waiting around. I ended up having to buy a new ticket for around $100 just to return earlier. What made it even worse is that the original ticket could not be changed less than 24 hours before departure, but nobody informed me of this in advance. I only found out once I was already there and it was too late to make any changes. Given the poor communication and the fact that I had to spend an additional $100 because of how they arranged the trip, I genuinely believe I should be refunded for the extra ticket.

Response from the operator: Thanks for your comments. For WPeru Travel it is very valuable to know your experience, since it motivates us to continue improving every detail of our services. We work with dedication to offer authentic and unforgettable experiences in Peru. We hope to accompany you again on a next adventure! — WPerú Travel Team

via Tripadvisor

Vreat service

Very good experience. The staff was friendly, responsive, and well organized. Communication was clear and everything went smoothly. Super recommended

via Tripadvisor

DO NOT USE THIS VENDOR

The on-the-ground guides were excellent and worked hard to compensate for the organizer's poor planning. However, communication from the organizer was severely lacking — we received no details until 4:30pm the day before departure, and only after I proactively reached out to ask what time we'd be picked up. The itinerary as scheduled did not align with the tickets we were issued, and we ended up spending our only evening in Cusco reworking the organizer's poor planning ourselves. As a result, we had to pay an additional $240 for new return train tickets and $230 for a taxi back to Cusco to avoid missing our flight. The original write-up stated the trip would take 14–16 hours, but as planned, it would have taken over 20 hours (accounting for a 1.5-hour van ride, a 2-hour train ride, and a 30-minute bus ride after a long wait in line). Additionally, the tickets purchased for Machu Picchu entry were only valid for 2 hours from the printed entry time. Our tickets listed a 6am entry, but we didn't reach the bus line until after 8am — already outside the valid window. To resolve this, the on-the-ground guide took us to a medical center to report an "upset stomach," in order to obtain a medical slip that would allow us past the expired entry window. Upon our return, while still trying to recoup the additional costs we incurred, I reached out to the organizer directly. Despite our best efforts to remain fair — we did, after all, still get to experience Machu Picchu — the overall experience was significantly diminished by the poor planning and communication. Rather than addressing our concerns, the contact simply directed me to raise the issue through TripAdvisor.

Response from the operator: Thanks for your comments. For WPeru Travel it is very valuable to know your experience, since it motivates us to continue improving every detail of our services. We work with dedication to offer authentic and unforgettable experiences in Peru. We hope to accompany you again on a next adventure! — WPerú Travel Team

via Tripadvisor