The city of Aguas Calientes is along the path to visiting Machu Picchu. This is where the train ends, and you’d catch the shuttle to visit the falls. If you’re looking for a waterfall hike to complement your time in Aguas Calientes, the hike to Cascadas Alcamayo is fun but tiring.
One key piece of information that can make the experience much more enjoyable: the entrance fee. A charge of 20 soles for international visitors (10 for nationals) is collected along the path. The catch is that you won’t find a ticket booth at the trailhead. Instead, payment is collected about three-quarters of the way through the hike. Knowing this in advance is helpful. Many Google reviews mentioned the disappointment/surprise of getting that far and discovering there’s a fee. It’s best to decide if the fee is worth it to you before you start, and think of the 20 soles as an investment in the maintenance and care of the entire trail you’re climbing.
Be prepared for a rewarding workout on your way to the falls. The trail is consistently uphill, and some portions can be rather steep, especially the series of stairs they’ve added to navigate the terrain. The effort is worth the lush scenery and the stunning views of the cascades. For our group, it took about 60 minutes of steady hiking to reach and view both falls, while the journey back down was a much quicker 30 minutes. We were all sweating profusely by the time we reached the end of the trail.
For those interested in exploring other waterfalls, the area around Machu Picchu includes others like Cataratas de Aguas Calientes and Catarata de Mandor. However, accessibility can vary. When we visited in May 2024, these other options were unfortunately not open to the public. This is where having a local connection pays off. If you’re with a tour guide, they can usually get a reliable sense of which waterfalls can be visited during your stay, ensuring you make the most of your time.
Directions:
- We took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. From the train station, you can head south on Calle Kori Wakanki.
- Turn left onto Calle Chaska Tika and head east until you reach Calle Señor de Torrechayoc. Turn right.
- Follow this uphill and you’ll reach the “entrance” to the trail. It seemed a bit odd, but there was a sign indicating this was the trail.
- From there, you walk uphill to reach the falls.
Accessibility: 5/10 (moderate)
Height: ~100′ / ~30 m
Length of Hike: 1.4 miles / 2.3 km round-trip
Where in the World is Cascadas Alcamayo?
Waterfall Record 
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