What to Do in Aguas Calientes While Waiting for Your Train Back

3 min read | Peru Travel | Inka Ayway

Securing your seat through the Andes, book early, the Peru waits for no one.

Most travelers treat Aguas Calientes like a waiting room.

They descend from Machu Picchu, legs tired and heart full, grab a quick lunch, and spend the next few hours watching the clock until their train home. Which is a shame, because this small Andean town tucked between mountains and rivers has more going on than it gets credit for.

Here's how to actually enjoy Aguas Calientes while you wait.

Soak in the Hot Springs (It's Right There in the Name)

The town's official name is Aguas Calientes, hot waters. There are natural thermal baths sitting right at the top of the main road, and after a full day hiking Machu Picchu, they are absolute magic.

The pools are open from early morning to late evening, the water is warm and mineral-rich, and the mountain backdrop makes it feel like the most earned soak of your life. Bring flip flops, a towel, and your hiking aches, you'll leave a new person.

Tip: Afternoons tend to be quieter. Avoid the post-Machu Picchu rush by visiting early or around 3–4 PM.

Wander the Artisan Market

The open-air market along Avenida Imperio de los Incas is a riot of colour, texture, and Andean craft. Alpaca knitwear, woven textiles, hand-carved stonework, silver jewellery, it's all here, and it's genuinely good quality if you know how to look.

This is the best place in the whole Sacred Valley corridor to pick up gifts that actually mean something. Take your time, talk to the sellers, and don't be afraid to bargain gently.

Eat Something Proper- Not Just a Sandwich

Aguas Calientes has a surprisingly good food scene considering how remote it is. The riverside restaurants along the main plaza cook up excellent Peruvian comfort food, lomo saltado, fresh trout from the Urubamba River, and thick chupe de camarones soup that tastes like the mountains made it themselves.

Skip the tourist trap menus near the bus stop and instead walk a few streets back. The smaller, less conspicuous places often have the best food and the kindest service.

Don't miss: Fresh ceviche and a cold Cusqueña beer while watching the river rush past. Simple, perfect.

Walk the Riverside Path

There's a quiet walking path that runs along the Urubamba River through town. It's unhurried, beautiful, and completely free. Waterfalls tumble down the cliffs around you, the river roars below, and the surrounding cloud forest feels alive in a way that's hard to describe.

It's the kind of walk that slows your breathing and reminds you why you came to Peru in the first place.

Visit the Local Museum

The Museo Manuel Chávez Ballón sits just below the ruins of Machu Picchu but is also accessible from town. It's small but thoughtfully curated, with ceramics, mummies, and artefacts recovered from the site. If you want context for everything you just saw up on the mountain, this fills in the blanks beautifully.

Entrance is affordable and rarely crowded.

The Train Back Is Part of the Journey Too

When the time finally comes, boarding your train back through the Sacred Valley isn't an ending, it's a final act. The light changes in the late afternoon, golden and long, and the mountains take on a completely different mood than the morning.

Sit by the window. Let it wash over you.

Aguas Calientes rewards the traveler who slows down. Don't rush through it, let it be part of the adventure.

📍 Discover the Sacred Valley the right way. Explore Inka Ayway for an experience that goes beyond the mountain.