Machu Picchu Bus Service on Shaky Ground

It ain't over folks! You're probably wondering what in thunder'n tarnation is going on with shuttle buses at Machu Picchu. Surely by the new year in 2026, everything has been settled right? Nope. The struggle continues, quietly so far, into 2026, and the bottom line is that nothing has been legally settled. The old company, Consettur, continues to operate, while the new upstart, Torontoy, tries to get a foothold.

In September 2025, the "new" bus company, Torontoy, signed a contract for the bus concession at Machu Picchu. But they were not able to provide service. While everyone was rushing to the midnight meetings with their pens poised to sign the lucrative contracts, no one thought about the logistics. Torontoy let everyone think they were ready to take over the shuttle bus concession at Machu Picchu in September 2025. But it turns out they were no more able to provide bus service than I am!

Torontoy does not have a viable fleet of buses, (and neither do I!), they have no claim to infrastructure to house and maintain their fleet, (if they had a fleet), and they have no method to sell tickets! Did I leave anything out? That about covers it. Since September 2025, the old bus company, Consettur, has been providing bus service and collecting fees for tickets just like they always did. And at the same price.
Large sums of money are purported to have changed hands at least once as Consettur claims they paid Torontoy 1.6 million Peruvian soles for the privilege of being allowed to operate in October since their contract ended September 5. But here's the situation now. Whatever back room negotiations were once agreed upon, since then all agreements have crumbled. Without a legal contract, not to mention the infrastructure to deliver consistent services, it simply was not sustainable. And it was not legal.
The municipality of Urubamba (the local authorities overseeing the concession) annulled the contract signed my Torontoy. So where does that leave visitors trying to make their way from the village of Aguas Calientes up to the entry gate at Machu Picchu?

What is the status of shuttle bus service to Machu Picchu in 2026?

Travelers need to be aware that no agreement for shuttle bus service at Machu Picchu has been legally codified. Consettur buses are operating and the park authorities want the story about the contract dispute to go away. So please stop reading about it! As of June 2026, there are 2 bus companies operating side by side, so to speak. Consettur is the established company and Torontoy is the new kid in town. But all things are not equal when it comes to services. Here's what you need to know about how the current shuttle bus service is operating at Machu Picchu:

Consettur (the old company) dominates the field with more buses, and consequently more frequent trips back and forth and easy to buy tickets. When you see images of the long lines of people waiting to board buses in the village of Aguas Calientes, it's to board Consettur. The lines move pretty quickly because Consettur has it's ducks in a row. People can buy tickets online at their website or in person at a window next to the line where you see people waiting. Cost per foreign adult is $24 USD roundtrip/ $12 USD one way
Torontoy, (the new company) sells tickets in person and boards passengers at their office farther down the same street as Consettur boarding. With a smaller fleet of buses, one of the big issues is that when people are coming down from Machu Picchu, the bus tends to wait to get filled up so they can operate at a profit. That's how it works. Our tour guides tell me that they may see 3 or 4 Consettur buses fill up and depart from the Machu Picchu gate, while the same Torontoy bus waits for passengers. The only benefit Torontoy offers is cheaper cost. Cost per foreign adult is $22 USD roundtrip / $11 USD one way
There are 3rd party companies offering Machu Picchu bus tickets online for higher costs. One of those companies has set up a domain using the name of Consettur in the URL! The cost for foreign adults roundtrip ticket is $35 USD pp. And $23 USD one way

Could the argument over who controls the bus concession flare up? Yes, definitely. What it means to travelers is unclear and that's the issue. Until a legally binding contract is signed out in the open, in the sunlight, interruptions in bus service are a threat now for upcoming trips in 2026. I don't doubt that there's pressure behind the scenes to scale back the tension between all the parties involved, and let visitors believe that everything is being handled. Welcome to Peru folks!

These tips for traveling to Machu Picchu apply year round regardless of the shuttle bus issues.

How to plan around delays and the risk of issues with transport services to Machu Picchu:

allow extra time for your trip to Machu Picchu. One day trips are more risky that overnight trips. However, when services by train or bus are interrupted, I have seen authorities make accommodations for travelers to change their entry dates. Can I guarnatee it? No! This is where having a local person to advocate on your behalf can be worth the extra cost and effort to arrange.
have a source for reliable up to date information. I mean a local who is on speed dial!
schedule a buffer day or two after your scheduled trip to Machu Picchu. If you are delayed getting out of Aguas Calientes, you don't want to risk missing your flight.
if you're fit enough, wear sturdy shoes, and pack light to walk up the dirt road from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu. Walking is usually a last resort option unless you spend at least 2 days in Aguas Calientes. You need extra time and ideally you are very fit. You don't want to be exhausted before you begin your tour of Machu Picchu.
ask a local tour operator to set up your trip to Machu Picchu. Here's a link to see our 7-Day Machu Picchu Walking Vacation. We include all the tickets to get you into Machu Picchu, along with one of our experienced tour guides.

Is it Possible to Walk from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu?

Just in case you're curious about walking from the village of Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu main gate, here's what you need to know. Bring sturdy shoes, rain gear, sun protection, and a backpack big enough to carry everything you need for the 9km hike from the village to the main entry gate at Machu Picchu. Estimated time on foot, is 2 hours up / 1 hour down. The road starts out flat from the village of Aguas Calientes for about 30-40 minutes to the ruinas bridge. Then the climb begins up the dirt path with stone steps that head straight up the mountain to the blessed Inca city. You could take the bus one way and hike one way. Just remember. You'll be walking in the footsteps of the ancient ones.

Which Bus Should you Take to Machu Picchu?

I fall into the camp of "let's put the travelers' needs first" regardless of how we ((that's the royal we) feel about monopolies and coverups. There are certain criteria that should be met for meeting the requirements of the job. Things like having enough buses and easy access to buy tickets seem pretty important. Consettur has almost 40 buses and Torontoy claims they have 18. So. There's that. I support the company that offers the highest safety profile and has the ability to meet the needs of the customer. I believe that Consettur is most likely to meet the needs of the travelers and, at least temporaily, is the best company for the job.

Here's some of the backstory on "shuttlebusgate," in case you have time to dig in.
After the news of the Machu Picchu bus service contract debacle flashed around the world in September, 2025, the rukus died down during the month of October and everyone went to their corners to mind their own business hoping the rest of the world wouldn't notice. But too late for that fellas! We can see you!

While news outlets praised the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism for successfully bringing in and managing "record-breaking" crowds in October 2025, no one was paying attention to the shuttle bus disaster that was still brewing. In another post I expounded more on how the number of visitors to Machu Picchu is not increasing. You may know I've tracked Machu Picchu ticket availability data for over 10 years. Except during the pandemic, It's not unusual for the month of October to rank high for visitor traffic in a calendar year. The news report about how well the authorities in Peru managed the increased crowds in October was more hyperbole than anything else. It's part of the plan to encourage travel to Peru. So. Back to the bus story.

In November 2025, it was reported that the owner of the new bus company, which I will refer to as "Torontoy," is finally admitting he doesn't have enough buses or ticketing services, to meet the needs of the visitors going to Machu Picchu. Well duh dude. I started connecting the dots and saw this coming in September. If I saw it, they all knew it too, but hoped it would not escalate to the situation that occurred in November 2025. The owner of the company stated that since he owned the contract for the bus concession, he was entitled to compensation from the old bus company, Consettur, and who was still operating the daily bus service at Machu Picchu! Apparently, the owner of the old contract paid the owner of the new contract a hefty access fee! This news was reported by an insider who knows people in both companies. What a mess right?

There was a big meeting in September 2025 to find a resolution to the bus contract problem. But now it seems like it was a publicity stunt to assure the world, "Hey, we got this!" The meeting in Lima sorted out the contract for the Machu Picchu bus concession. (which, as it turned out, meant absolutely nothing!) Everyone at the meeting thought it was a good idea to do everything possible to guarantee the safety of travelers going to Machu Picchu. So. They established that the National Police will ensure the safety of buses and the clearance of roads to Machu Picchu. Furhermore, the Ministry set up measures to assist tourists at the iPeru offices at Cusco airport. And for the poor folks in September who couldn't get to Machu Picchu, they took it up a notch to coordinate rescheduling of flights with the airlines and even went so far as to make arrangements that hotel operators avoid "no-show" fees. All for you guys! It turns out they want the visitor experience to be positive after all!

Why won't the Peru government step in and manage the buses at Machu Picchu?

That's a very good question grasshopper. After working down there for 19 years, I'll share my opinion. My take is that the government doesn't like to use it's official authority in matters of tourism because it can backfire and make them look like government bullies. Factions know how to muster up naive indigenous residents for their causes and uniformed police generally don't touch the farmers unless they actually try to engage in physical violence. The ministers running the tourism industry in Peru are negotiating with local leaders who are trying to position themselves to benefit from the services being provided for the tourism industry. It's all about controlling the flow of money. Authorities in the travel industry want to avoid the appearamce of reinforcing the reputation that Peruvian politicians are using scare tactics to get their way. (Just for the record, I'm not saying that other countries are better at solving their problems.)

Check back because I plan to keep this story updated "as the world turns."