Peru
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I can’t speak to hiking Machu Picchu (we took the train up and back), but I can chime in on other parts of the trip.
From what I saw/learned in talking to other hikers, you have to go on an organized tour for the hike. It’s also worth having someone take you on a tour of the ruins themselves. We spent 1 ½ days in Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, which I would also recommend. Many people seemed to do it all in one day, which seemed rushed. Hiking the train times the entrance to the park at sunrise (beautiful!), but at that point many of the hikers looked so tired that they all left fairly quickly. One thing I wish we would’ve known was that there are no ATMs at Machu Picchu and no one takes credit cards. Take lots of cash.
Aside from Machu Picchu, navigating through the country is easy enough on your own as long as someone you’re with has passable Spanish. That’s the route that we went, but we did add guided excursions to Colca Canyon in Arequipa and to Lake Titicaca in Puno. Our hotels pointed us to travel agencies that helped us book these side trips (Colca was overnight; Titicaca a day trip). We stayed in Cusco the longest, with about 3 days, including a side trip out to the Sacred Valley. We did not stay in lima at all – just a few hours on either side of our flights in/out.
If you do go, we found a few gems worth recommending: the Casa Andina hotel chain. You can book online, they have hotels in all of the major areas, and went above and beyond the call of duty for us. (We learned that we were the only guests in one of the Puno hotels one night; we gladly would’ve moved to the other hotel, but they didn’t say anything.) Also, for a great meal in Aguas Calientes, go to El Indio Feliz.
I went to Peru in July 2005. I didn’t hike to Machu Picchu, so I can’t comment on that experience. You should consider the fact that you’ll be at high altitude. Even a simple walk can be tough at high altitude.
I’d recommend going to the city of Arequipa if you have time. You could spend 2-3 days there. I wouldn’t recommend the side trip to Colca Canyon that many tour agencies and hotels will try to sell you. You have to cross a very high altitude pass to get there, and frankly, the reward (Colca Canyon) wasn’t worth the risk.
I’d suggest a minimum of 3 days for the Cusco/MP area -- a day in Cusco, and at least one day for visiting the Incan temples in the Cusco area, and a day for MP. If you don’t hike to Machu Picchu, you can take a train. If you go by train, spend the night at a hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo (the city at the base of the ruins) before you see the ruins. That way you can go to the ruins early in the morning for the sunrise. You’ll also beat some of the crowds that way.
I spent a day in the Lima area. I didn’t think much of it, especially in contrast great stuff there is to see elsewhere in Peru.
I flew between cities on LAN Peru. I’d highly recommend flying between Arequipa and Cusco even if time isn’t a factor, because you get great views from the plane.
I just did the Cusco, Lima and Machu Picchu trip over Thanksgiving break. Definitely a great trip. We didn’t do the hike (we took the train to Machu Picchu from Cusco – about three or four hours each way). I was glad to do it that way, as it was pretty wet and rainy and would not have been a very fun hike in those conditions. You might want to double check what the weather conditions are likely to be at the time of year that you’re going. Cusco is a fun town, and Lima was great too. Have fun on your trip,
The Inca Trail is a very hard hike to do. Because of the altitude and such, it's a challenging hike even for seasoned hikers.
Cusco is absolutely beautiful, as is Machu Picchu. Lima is kinda maeh by comparison, because it's just a big city.
I traveled to Peru in Feb 2005 and remember it as one of my best trips ever – one of the trips you keep remembering.
My husband is Peruvian, and we stayed the first week with his family in Lima: Lima is a very dirty and crowded Third World city (I don’t know the PC term?) and even though it has an impressive history, I wish we would have spent less time there and rather have traveled more.
We took a plane to Cusco, and spent altogether 4 days there: most important to keep in mind is the high altitude of the place; it is highly recommended to take it easy first, i.e. to get acclimatized the first day and not to start exploring too much and to avoid strenuous activity: we saw more than one tourist being sick from doing too much too fast. (I any case, the coca leaf tea helps all that feel nauseous, so try it). Cusco is fantastic to explore – very interesting architecture, fantastic food (eat lots of potatoes –you will not get any better than there – potatoes come from Peru).
We booked a tour right there in Cusco that gave us trips on all 3 days – last day we went to Machu Picchu. We took the train (the cheaper one does it), then a bus. We hired a guide right at the entrance to Machu Picchu that took us around the ruins as well as up the second mountain Huayna Picchu – a hike we clearly could not have done without. I believe we paid him around $80 – and he was with us all the time we spent there. So for us, to have a set schedule (i.e. have all tickets/transportation taken care of) with some freedom worked out great – and also was cheaper than having to buy tickets individually).
I did this trip June of 2005… fabulous trip, but strenuous. We did the 4 day hike which takes you in at milemarker ??. I have a friend who did the 2 day, and found that enjoyable, but also strenuous. What you are encounter is the large granite staircases, so your knees need to be in great shape, because it is a descent, not a climb.
BTW You can’t hike the trail unless you are with a guide. It’s very controlled for your safety and for preservation of the ruins and trails.
I just went to Peru over the holidays.
Here are my reco’s:
Doing the 4-day hike is definitely the best experience, and I’m really glad that we chose to see Macchu Picchu that way. The alternative is to take a little tour bus up the hill. Totally unfulfilling. J The hike is very challenging, but the groups take good care of you – tents and food are all provided and carried by the porters, so you just have to lug your own stuff (which should be a super-minimal amt of weight). You’re definitely roughing it most of the hike, so be prepared for that.
Don’t book an organized tour, it doesn’t make sense. Lima is a horrible, dirty, polluted, uninteresting place – at least from our experience. The only interesting thing to see in Lima is the Erotic Pottery Museum. Stay in Lima only so long as it takes you to take the next flight over to Cuzco. Take an early flight out, b/c flights don’t leave after 2pm, and sometimes the later flights are canceled.
Stay in Cuzco a couple of days before leaving on the trek, to get used to the altitude. Also stay a couple days after the trek to unwind and chill out in the city. There are lots of really cute hostels/guesthouses. Cuzco is very touristy and tourist-oriented, in a good, friendly sort of way. The Royal Inca hotel is a very nice, upscale hotel overlooking a plaza. It’s much more pricey (~$100/night) than the hostels, but a good place to splurge.
A couple of must-do’s after the trek:
- The town at the foot of Macchu Picchu is called Aguas Calientes. There are some wonderful hot springs about a 10-minute walk from the train station. You’ll come down from the mountain around 12pm, and the train back to Cuzco will leave the train station at 3:55. I would HIGHLY recommend going to soak in the hot springs during that interval. By day 4 of the hike, you’ll understand what I mean ;)
- Cuzco has a couple of spa’s where you can get massages and sit in a Jacuzzi. A great thing to do after you return to Cuzco from your hike.
I have heard the REI Adventures program has an excellent guided tour through Machu Picchu. http://www.rei.com/adventures/index.html
I went to Peru this past November and it was absolutely magical. Machu Picchu defies description. You can’t imagine how you feel when you’re there. It’s stunning, truly. There’s just something about that area, Cusco too, that is very energetic. Refreshing and rejuvenating are understatements.
We were planning to do the 2 day hike to Machu Picchu, but were only in Peru for about 11 days, so it just ended up not working out. I’m extremely active and do tons of strenuous workouts like hiking, kickboxing, biking. I would say from what I heard from other hikers, it was TOUGH for even the most fit. Even still, I would recommend doing it if you are truly up for a big challenge. But it’s a hard one definitely. Machu Picchu isn’t as elevated as Cusco, but the hike is inclined and very rough. If you don’t hike the Inca trail, you can drive from Cusco to Urabumba, and then catch the train to Aguas Calientes. That’s what we did. We were afraid that this would take away from the magic of Machu Picchu, but no way! We then went to Machu Picchu from there. It was a short bus ride up. We got up there around 6 am. I believe you have to have a guide. You’ll definitely want one to explain the beauty you see everywhere. At Machu Picchu, you can walk around the areas and there a few hikes to do around there, if you want to still hike and didn’t get to hike the Inca Trail. There’s a bunch of stuff to see, like La Puerta del Sol, a tomb, an Inca bridge, the view from Waynu Picchu. Waynu Picchu is the taller mountain right next to Machu Picchu. This is a tough one, but very short. The view is SPECTACULAR.
I would also try to stay in Aguas Calientes for a couple days. There are thermal baths there which are kinda cool. The city is a real, quaint Peruvian city that shouldn’t be missed. Cusco is extraordinary. The vibe there is awesome. I loved being there! Don’t miss out on all the surrounding Incas ruins too. We went horseback riding through the country side to them.
P.S. Go to Lake Titicaca if you can too!
