Discussion
Anyone been?
I am in Miami later in the year and will have a week to kill give or take.
I was thinking of the following
Day 1 fly MIA > LIM> CUS (5hr+3hr lay over+1hr)
Day 2 adjust to the altitude
Day 3 Day trip to MP (bi modal)
Day 4 ? Rainbow mt?
Day 5 Fly CUS to LIM and then onwards north.
To anyone who has done this is a 3 hr layover in Lima ok to get off, get bags, re-check back in and then get to the gates?
Is one day in Cusco ok to get used to the altitude? I was at c.7000 ft for a week and did suffer from a little bit of altitude sickness but only for a few hours and then was good the rest of the time. I am a bit worried as this is 11000ft...
The day trip to MP, I am considering taking one of the more expensive trains however from what I have read in order to get you there and back in the day they only take you on the lower route at MP which misses quite a few of the main photo ops? Anyone done the lower route? I would not want to travel all that way and miss the main viewing points.
Any other tips most welcome I have never been to South America!
I am in Miami later in the year and will have a week to kill give or take.
I was thinking of the following
Day 1 fly MIA > LIM> CUS (5hr+3hr lay over+1hr)
Day 2 adjust to the altitude
Day 3 Day trip to MP (bi modal)
Day 4 ? Rainbow mt?
Day 5 Fly CUS to LIM and then onwards north.
To anyone who has done this is a 3 hr layover in Lima ok to get off, get bags, re-check back in and then get to the gates?
Is one day in Cusco ok to get used to the altitude? I was at c.7000 ft for a week and did suffer from a little bit of altitude sickness but only for a few hours and then was good the rest of the time. I am a bit worried as this is 11000ft...
The day trip to MP, I am considering taking one of the more expensive trains however from what I have read in order to get you there and back in the day they only take you on the lower route at MP which misses quite a few of the main photo ops? Anyone done the lower route? I would not want to travel all that way and miss the main viewing points.
Any other tips most welcome I have never been to South America!
I did it 20 years ago but walking over 4 days and camping overnight to walk into MP at dawn to catch the sunrise before all the coach trippers arrived. Typically it was a moisture laden morning and the sunrise was a bust but it was definitely worth the effort and a place to visit even if you do the train and coach day trip.
As for acclimating, we were on a budget so had 1 day 1 night in a budget Cusco hotel. The hike helped then acclimate as you gradually ascend to a pass at around 14,000ft before descending again so get slowly used to the altitude.
I would say it's very variable person to person, I was no gym bunny 20 years ago and really only felt slightly out of breath on the first day in Cusco and had a headache which is pretty common. The breathlessness on the rest of the trip was from exertion even though embarrassingly the local porters run past you uphill with barrels on their backs supporting the more spendy hikers.
I'd say your plan is definitely achievable, going back 20 years getting train tickets last minute was a bit tricky (that's how we returned to Cusco) but the rest simple as it's a place visited by a lot of people every year.
Obviously travel has changed a bit in the last 20 years but acclimating remains the same. If you feel really crap in MP you can just hop on a bus and descent back down the switchback road to the hot springs town 1500 ft below but I'd suspect you'll be perfectly fine.
As for acclimating, we were on a budget so had 1 day 1 night in a budget Cusco hotel. The hike helped then acclimate as you gradually ascend to a pass at around 14,000ft before descending again so get slowly used to the altitude.
I would say it's very variable person to person, I was no gym bunny 20 years ago and really only felt slightly out of breath on the first day in Cusco and had a headache which is pretty common. The breathlessness on the rest of the trip was from exertion even though embarrassingly the local porters run past you uphill with barrels on their backs supporting the more spendy hikers.
I'd say your plan is definitely achievable, going back 20 years getting train tickets last minute was a bit tricky (that's how we returned to Cusco) but the rest simple as it's a place visited by a lot of people every year.
Obviously travel has changed a bit in the last 20 years but acclimating remains the same. If you feel really crap in MP you can just hop on a bus and descent back down the switchback road to the hot springs town 1500 ft below but I'd suspect you'll be perfectly fine.
We've just returned from 9 days in Cusco which included a day trip to Machu Picchu, our 1st trip to South America and we loved it!
We flew LATAM from Miami to Lima, over night flight
3hr Lima lay over should be fine, airport is smallish, we flew Lima to Cusco with Viva Air Columbia (similar comfort/price level to Easy Jet). There are around 4-5 daily flights
Altitude sickness affects appear random to me, we we're lucky, biggest affect was being out of breath walking up stairs/hills, I had a cold so was a bit blocked up which definitely didn't help matters, had a few brief headaches which passed quickly if I pushed too hard
Cusco is 11152ft, Rainbow Mountain is 17100ft, there are plenty of local tour companies offering trips so I'd wait until you see how the altitude affects you before booking this trip
Machu Picchu is lower than Cusco, tickets to the site are limited so best to book well in advance, we booked with Happy Gringo Tours https://happygringotours.com/tour/machu-picchu-day...
It's a long day, 4am pick up, mini bus to Ollantaytambo, luxury train that follows the river to Machu Picchu town with Peru Rail, then met our own guide for the mini bus ride up to the site entrance, time on site is limited to around 2hrs which is enough. Walking around the site there are plenty of 'Instagram' photo opportunities
You can do the whole day independently by yourself but the saving was only around $50 so wasn't worth all the hassle to me. There are two mountains that overlook the site but these have extremely limited access ie 400 people a day so you may be too late for this option
Between my wife and myself we've visited the Great Wall of China, Egyptian pyramids, many Mexican Inca/Mayan sites, Petra in Jordon, Colosseum in Italy and we both agreed Machu Picchu trumps them all. I think it was the combination of 80% of the place being original/unrestored and how inaccessible the site is ie on top of a mountain made it a very special place
Collectivo's are mini buses or taxi's that run when full from a set meeting point in Cusco. We jumped on a mini-bus to Pisco (nearby town with market and Inca ruins), 1hr each was for £1 each
Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo are well worth a visit, easy to do in a day without going on an organised tour
Cusco is a great place to wonder about, food is cheap and portion size large, Jack's Cafe was our favourite place to eat http://www.jackscafecusco.com/, can recommend the Apacha burger
You'll need to fil out a Peru COVID declaration for entering Peru, have your COVID pass and wear a mask in the airport and on the plane too, also required for some larger shops too.
To be on the safe side of altitude sickness I'd suggest you do a week trip if you can and allow 3 days before doing Machu Picchu. Would be a shame to go that far and feel crook on the day of your tour. If you feel fine you'll have no problem filling the extra 2 days
We flew LATAM from Miami to Lima, over night flight
3hr Lima lay over should be fine, airport is smallish, we flew Lima to Cusco with Viva Air Columbia (similar comfort/price level to Easy Jet). There are around 4-5 daily flights
Altitude sickness affects appear random to me, we we're lucky, biggest affect was being out of breath walking up stairs/hills, I had a cold so was a bit blocked up which definitely didn't help matters, had a few brief headaches which passed quickly if I pushed too hard
Cusco is 11152ft, Rainbow Mountain is 17100ft, there are plenty of local tour companies offering trips so I'd wait until you see how the altitude affects you before booking this trip
Machu Picchu is lower than Cusco, tickets to the site are limited so best to book well in advance, we booked with Happy Gringo Tours https://happygringotours.com/tour/machu-picchu-day...
It's a long day, 4am pick up, mini bus to Ollantaytambo, luxury train that follows the river to Machu Picchu town with Peru Rail, then met our own guide for the mini bus ride up to the site entrance, time on site is limited to around 2hrs which is enough. Walking around the site there are plenty of 'Instagram' photo opportunities
You can do the whole day independently by yourself but the saving was only around $50 so wasn't worth all the hassle to me. There are two mountains that overlook the site but these have extremely limited access ie 400 people a day so you may be too late for this option
Between my wife and myself we've visited the Great Wall of China, Egyptian pyramids, many Mexican Inca/Mayan sites, Petra in Jordon, Colosseum in Italy and we both agreed Machu Picchu trumps them all. I think it was the combination of 80% of the place being original/unrestored and how inaccessible the site is ie on top of a mountain made it a very special place
Collectivo's are mini buses or taxi's that run when full from a set meeting point in Cusco. We jumped on a mini-bus to Pisco (nearby town with market and Inca ruins), 1hr each was for £1 each
Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo are well worth a visit, easy to do in a day without going on an organised tour
Cusco is a great place to wonder about, food is cheap and portion size large, Jack's Cafe was our favourite place to eat http://www.jackscafecusco.com/, can recommend the Apacha burger
You'll need to fil out a Peru COVID declaration for entering Peru, have your COVID pass and wear a mask in the airport and on the plane too, also required for some larger shops too.
To be on the safe side of altitude sickness I'd suggest you do a week trip if you can and allow 3 days before doing Machu Picchu. Would be a shame to go that far and feel crook on the day of your tour. If you feel fine you'll have no problem filling the extra 2 days
Thanks for the detailed reply.
We have booked now,
Monday morning fly MIA>LIM and then in the afternoon LIM>CUZ
Tuesday in Cusco just to get our legs.
Weds MP via Hiram Bingham
Thurs back to Cusco (maybe do a day trip)
Friday fly out in the morning.
Staying in Antigua Casona San Blas which is literally just round the corner from Jacks so will defo try that thanks.
We were on the fence about doing a few extra days but we are off to Mexico too so we just took a chance on it. Hopefully it will work out!
We have booked now,
Monday morning fly MIA>LIM and then in the afternoon LIM>CUZ
Tuesday in Cusco just to get our legs.
Weds MP via Hiram Bingham
Thurs back to Cusco (maybe do a day trip)
Friday fly out in the morning.
Staying in Antigua Casona San Blas which is literally just round the corner from Jacks so will defo try that thanks.
We were on the fence about doing a few extra days but we are off to Mexico too so we just took a chance on it. Hopefully it will work out!
If you haven’t booked it all yet then I would highly recommend staying at the Machu Picchu Lodge. It is walking distance to the entrance.
The real benefit is that you get into the site before any of the (kamikaze) mini buses have made it up the mountain in the morning which means you pretty much have Machi Piccu to yourself.
The real benefit is that you get into the site before any of the (kamikaze) mini buses have made it up the mountain in the morning which means you pretty much have Machi Piccu to yourself.
Booked this for April 2020, for obvious reasons it didn't go ahead.
Were were landing in Lima, spending a few days there, then getting the Peru Hop coach tour to Cusco over 5 days, spending a couple of days in Cusco, going to Machu Piccu then flying back to Lima to get a plane home.
We booked it all ourselves, managed to get all of our money back, apart from Peru Hop, however they are holding our booking place until 2025.
Looking now to go in 2024.
Were were landing in Lima, spending a few days there, then getting the Peru Hop coach tour to Cusco over 5 days, spending a couple of days in Cusco, going to Machu Piccu then flying back to Lima to get a plane home.
We booked it all ourselves, managed to get all of our money back, apart from Peru Hop, however they are holding our booking place until 2025.
Looking now to go in 2024.
Mrs Z really struggling with altitude.
Not sure if she is going to be able to make it to mp.
Hotel has been great, she had oxygen this morning and a tablet to stop the vomiting. They have also offered the use of a hypobaric chamber, currently thinking that over.
I am ok just a little breathless but managed to walk to the Peru rail offices no issues. The good news is they would gladly push our trip on a day, the bad news is the train is not running on Thursday.
Ahh. So now waiting to see how mrs is she is sleeping at the moment.
Not sure if she is going to be able to make it to mp.
Hotel has been great, she had oxygen this morning and a tablet to stop the vomiting. They have also offered the use of a hypobaric chamber, currently thinking that over.
I am ok just a little breathless but managed to walk to the Peru rail offices no issues. The good news is they would gladly push our trip on a day, the bad news is the train is not running on Thursday.
Ahh. So now waiting to see how mrs is she is sleeping at the moment.
gotoPzero said:
Mrs Z really struggling with altitude.
Not sure if she is going to be able to make it to mp.
Hotel has been great, she had oxygen this morning and a tablet to stop the vomiting. They have also offered the use of a hypobaric chamber, currently thinking that over.
I am ok just a little breathless but managed to walk to the Peru rail offices no issues. The good news is they would gladly push our trip on a day, the bad news is the train is not running on Thursday.
Ahh. So now waiting to see how mrs is she is sleeping at the moment.
Did you just fly to Cusco from a lower altitude? Not sure if she is going to be able to make it to mp.
Hotel has been great, she had oxygen this morning and a tablet to stop the vomiting. They have also offered the use of a hypobaric chamber, currently thinking that over.
I am ok just a little breathless but managed to walk to the Peru rail offices no issues. The good news is they would gladly push our trip on a day, the bad news is the train is not running on Thursday.
Ahh. So now waiting to see how mrs is she is sleeping at the moment.
Reason I ask is, when we were booking our Peru trip for 2020, the general advice was to try and acclimatise gradually, hence why we booked the Peru hop which goes from Lima to Cusco over a number of days, giving you more time to acclimatise.
We made it. An incredible day so glad mrs was feeling much better this morning.
Will post a couple of pics when we get home in a couple of weeks. Weather was probably as good as it could have been.
If anyone is thinking about doing this trip I highly recommend the Hiram Bingham train. The service was faultless and the tour of MP was really very well done.
The food on the train was out of this world for food prepared on a moving train!! It was a real party on the way back and I suspect a few sore heads tomorrow..
Will post a couple of pics when we get home in a couple of weeks. Weather was probably as good as it could have been.
If anyone is thinking about doing this trip I highly recommend the Hiram Bingham train. The service was faultless and the tour of MP was really very well done.
The food on the train was out of this world for food prepared on a moving train!! It was a real party on the way back and I suspect a few sore heads tomorrow..
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