Machu Picchu is Peru’s most-visited attraction, built high in the Andes mountains and known for its dry-stone wall construction without the use of mortar. Machu Picchu can only be reached by train that can be taken from either Cusco (CUZ) or Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) stations.
Award booking flights to Lima and Cusco
AA miles can be used to book business class flights to Lima and then pay cash to book flights to Cusco.
I also recommend using Alaska miles to enjoy a free stopover in Lima before heading to Cusco (see image below).
Cusco & Sacred Valley Accommodation
Cusco and the nearby Sacred Valley feature several accommodations, some of which can be booked with points. If possible, I recommend staying at the beautiful Sacred Valley and taking the shorter train ride to Machu Picchu. Ask your Sacred Valley accommodation to arrange for a private car with a driver for safer transportation from the Cusco airport.
Hilton
Marriott
Booking.com has several more Sacred Valley accommodation options for cheaper prices (link).
Cusco and Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu
The train ride (Peru Rail) takes about 4 hours from the Cusco station and 1h 30m from the Sacred Valley station and there are several options that can be booked to suit your budget (see images below). I recommend doing a day trip and AVOIDING staying a night in the town of Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes) since everything is congested and overprized there (including dining), and you don’t need more than a few hours to explore the ruins of Machu Picchu.
Bus from the Aguas Calientes train station to Machu Picchu
You can buy bus tickets online (link) and it takes 30 minutes to reach Machu Picchu (costs $24 USD per round trip for foreigners).
Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu rises above Machu Picchu and the hike requires an additional ticket that must be purchased several months in advance. If you are a hiking lover, I recommend purchasing the ticket well in advance from the website (Huayna Picchu).
Machu Picchu Scenery
Conclusion
I recommend flying to Cusco, staying in the Sacred Valley and catching a train to Machu Picchu as a day trip. While staying in Cusco, I also enjoyed exploring the Humantay Lake and Rainbow mountain. Peru has several other scenic attractions like the Nazca Lines and Huascaran National Park that can be also be visited when planning a trip to see Machu Picchu.