Machu Picchu on our own??

[royal65]

We are 2 couples who will be taking a Princess cruise in Jan. out of Santiago and are considering going 4-5 days early to add a side trip to Machu Picchu. We have considerable independent travel experience in Europe, but when we've gone on more "challenging" trips (e.g. China, Eqypt, etc.), we have taken organized tours. We are considering independent travel to MP, but are a little hesitant. None of us speak the language. Any thoguths on indendent travel vs. organized tour will be appreciated.

[Taxguy77]

I went to MP closer to the time it was discovered than to the present (1953) and had no problems with VERY limited Spanish then. DD and family went a few years ago and had zero problems on their own. She used the web to research (and she usually uses Frodors, also) and found a small hotel in Cusco that is run by a Dutch couple with the profits going to charity. Very modest, very clean, 2 blocks from downtown and less than half the price of bigger hotels.

In Lima, don't stay in the city, stay in Miraflores! This is the place to stay. Lima is wonderful to see, lots of history (Capital of southern New Spain, great architecture, oldest univesity in the Americas, etc.) but is not a place you want to be after dark anymore, unfortunately.

Miraflores is only a short bus ride (30 min in light trafic) from Lima. Much less by taxi, and they are not expensive.

[MJC]

If you go to the Celebrity Xpedition board and search on Machu Picchu you will find a lot of info on doing this trip independently. Many people go there in connection with a Galapagos cruise.

[marazul]

You will find a lot more information if you search this South America board than the Xpedition board. 4-5 days is just the right amount of time for a Cusco-Machu Picchu tour. And do it on your own rather than a ship tour.

[bubbachief]

We are 2 couples who will be taking a Princess cruise in Jan. out of Santiago and are considering going 4-5 days early to add a side trip to Machu Picchu. We have considerable independent travel experience in Europe, but when we've gone on more "challenging" trips (e.g. China, Eqypt, etc.), we have taken organized tours. We are considering independent travel to MP, but are a little hesitant. None of us speak the language. Any thoguths on indendent travel vs. organized tour will be appreciated.

 

We did MP on our own in November last year after getting off the ship in Santiago. I think your 4-5 days is just right. There is a lot to see around Cusco and I would plan on 2 days to see MP.

 

We don't speak Spanish other than Hola and Bano and had no problem.

[j2ink]

Reading about this trip, you get the feeling that some parts of it are rather remote, but it is a well-traveled tourist area. Traveling from Cusco to the Sacred Valley can be done in a taxi, and it is only about an hour's drive. Once you are in the Sacred Valley, you can get a taxi to to take you wherever you want to go. If the driver cannot understand English, someone at your hotel can tell him where you want to go.

 

And there is only one way in and out of MP, and that is by train, which carries 2,000 to 3,000 passengers a day. We did this trip on our own, plus a trip to Galapagos last June, and we had no language problems. You just need to be organized and plan ahead of time to book your airline flights, hotels, and train tickets.

[BosoxI]

Don't be like me. Read up on it before you go, not after as I did. Bingham's book is interesting (I had a copy in my own library but hadn't read it) but there are others which may provide a more accurate telling of the Inca story. I've read 3 or 4 since my return and now want to go back.

[dabear]

We are 2 couples who will be taking a Princess cruise in Jan. out of Santiago and are considering going 4-5 days early to add a side trip to Machu Picchu. We have considerable independent travel experience in Europe, but when we've gone on more "challenging" trips (e.g. China, Eqypt, etc.), we have taken organized tours. We are considering independent travel to MP, but are a little hesitant. None of us speak the language. Any thoguths on indendent travel vs. organized tour will be appreciated.

 

We also are independent travelers, having taken an organized tour only in China and have traveled many place including the far east independently , although we sometimes take private tours or local group day tours as we travel. We did this trip 2 years ago and did 1 day with guide and small group and the 2nd day returning to MP by ourselves. Unless you study the area alot before going, you will be missing alot of the history, details and folklore. Cusco area and sacred valley also has alot to see.

[vickie_bernie]

some friends of our just did Machu Picchu on their own and their friends were going to meet them and they had booked with a tour company, and guess what four days before their trip they found out their tour company went under. I feel for them and I hope they will recover their money thru their credit card, but their dream trip had to be postponned.

[Coolcruise02]

We did this on our own in September and below is what I had posted on CC after returning: (we do not speak Spanish other than a few common words)

 

We have returned from our trip to Peru and Machu Picchu. What an adventure!!! I know this wasn’t a cruise but I did get useful information from this board.

 

It was such a great experience and Machu Picchu is well worth all the effort it takes to get there. We planned this 10 day trip ourselves (9 family members; ages 31-57) and felt we got a great local feel by not going on a group charter trip. Of course, there were issues like mountain fires and a 2 day transportation strike. But, other than only one day at Machu Picchu instead of two it all worked out. We all had a great time!

 

We spent a couple days in Cusco were we stayed at Hotel Marqueses (highly recommend) we walked around a lot of the town and relaxed. My DH and I took a light dose of Diamox but others didn’t. We all drank the coca tea and lots of water and got along fine in the high altitude. One day we hired a van and driver for $15pp for the day to visit Sacsayhuaman, the Pisac ruins and the Sunday market at Pisac.

 

We hired a van & driver for $20pp to take us to Chinchero, Moray, Moras, Salinas (salt pans)and Urubmaba.. He was from Urubamba so he took us to his favorite place for lunch where we had delicious local foods. He then took us to Ollanytaytambo where we stayed at El Albergue (highly recommend). After arriving here we found out about the 2 day transportation strike to start the next day. We were already planning on staying two days at Ollany but we had to extend that an extra day and cancel our room in Aguas Calientes. Trying to switch our train tickets was a small nightmare, but we finally did and that reduced our 2 days at Machu Picchu to one. (talked with others who had to miss M.P.-how sad after coming all that way)

 

So we got the 7:05 train out, which was the 3rd one of the day and made it to Machu Picchu at 11:00. DH and DD were able to climb Huayna Picchu which we had given up hope of doing. (they were # 178/179) Words can not describe Machu Picchu and I won’t try; it just has to be seen for yourself!

 

We took the 6:05 Hiram Bingham train back. (great experience but expensive) We would not have done this but our daughter had bought us tickets for our birthdays. We spent the night in Cusco and flew to Lima the next morning.

 

In Lima we stayed at San Antonia Abad in Miraflores (recommend) which is about 45 minutes from the airport. We spent a day here before flying home.

 

This trip took lots of planning and if anyone is thinking of taking a trip like this and has questions I would be glad to help if I can.

[dabear]

Just to supplement coolcruise02, we also took the Hiram Bingham train both ways -MP-Cusco and it was fabulous (imagine Murder on the Orient Express) but expensive (birthday gift). Since only about 40 persons were on the 2 car refurbished train (& about 10 spoke English) the group leader took us 10 through MP. He was quite informative. There also are 2 other classes of train, the "backpacker" least expensive, but picture it as described, and a "tourist class." The latter 2 trains are transportation only. Unless you stay overnight at the Sanctuary, there are buses every 1/2 hour that take you up to the entrance of MP. Upon the advise of friends who stayed at the Santuary 1 month b4 us and said convenient but dead, we chose to stay at the Inkaterra Lodge which has won a number of awards (see Conde Nast Traveler etc) and has 2 sanctuaries, spa, pool etc. It was delightful and we also shopped at a local market

[fun_in_sun]

My wife and I traveled to MP on our own. There are millions of little travel agencies in Cusco that will organise tours for you to MP as well as the surrounding area. You can plan in advance or do it last minute like we did and we were there at the busy time. We did everything so last minute that we didn't even book hotels until we arrived in Cusco and it was no problem. We ended up staying at the Casa Andina hotel in San Blas but they have several other hotels in Cusco including some upscale ones. Find their website if you need a good hotel that's clean and quiet. The MP portion of it consisted of getting to Agua Calientes and there we found lots of hotels that varied in quality so I have none to recommend unless you want to pay a lot for the good ones. Plan on going to MP early in the morning for sunrise. The buses depart about 5am or 5:30 I can't remember exactly but it was early and there was a long line when we got there. It was great because you had MP to yourself before all the trains arrived later in the day. If you're in Lima I would suggest staying in the Miraflores part of town where there are some excellent (contemporary) restaurants.

If you have an evening in Lima then you must go to the water fountain park which sounds terrible I know but it was amazing and I'm hard to please. It was recommended to us by a local and my wife pleaded with me for a few nights to go but it sounded stupid. Finally we decided to go and I felt like an idiot for not going earlier. I had more fun than she did. Prepare to get wet in the fountains because many of them are interactive. It makes you feel like a kid again.

[banditoo]

Coolcruiser02

Did you prearrange your driver for the day trips from Cusco and transfer to Ollantaytambo or arrange it when there, day of etc. Do you have a driver or process to recommend?

[anniecat]

BOSOX1....what books do you recommend?

any other book ideas?

all our touring plans are made (pre-cruise late April)....can't wait!!

[marazul]

Coolcruiser02

Did you prearrange your driver for the day trips from Cusco and transfer to Ollantaytambo or arrange it when there, day of etc. Do you have a driver or process to recommend?

 

banditoo,

pardon for breaking into your question to cool cruiser. The advantage of prearranging is that you have your choice of recommended guides. The hotel can always get you someone on the spur of the moment, but might not be as good as you would hope. We had outstanding guides, a brother and sister team Juan and Mariella Lazo) who arranged for a van and driver and one of them as the guide. They put our touring program together and were extremely informative and reliable, and also very competitvely priced. They were highly recommended by Peruvian friends. www.juanlazo.com

marazul

[banditoo]

banditoo,

pardon for breaking into your question to cool cruiser. The advantage of prearranging is that you have your choice of recommended guides. The hotel can always get you someone on the spur of the moment, but might not be as good as you would hope. We had outstanding guides, a brother and sister team Juan and Mariella Lazo) who arranged for a van and driver and one of them as the guide. They put our touring program together and were extremely informative and reliable, and also very competitvely priced. They were highly recommended by Peruvian friends. www.juanlazo.com

marazul

I appreciate all info. so far I have planned for an early flight into Cusco from Lima and then booked a hotel in Ollantaytambo for 3 nights. We would want a driver/guide to pick us up from Cusco airport, drive us through the Sacred Valley, including stop in Pisac, to our hotel in Ollantaytambo. We will do our own activities while in Ollantaytambo including day trip to Machu Picchu but would then want a driver/guide to take us back form Ollantaytambo through a different part of the sacred valley to Cusco where we have another two nights booked. I will check out the website of the guide you used.

[Carmelita]

We used Llama Path (http://www.llamapath.com/index.html) to organize our Inca trail trek as well as a couple of other tours a few years back. They came highly recommended on Trip Advisor and they worked fine for us. We ended up taking their Sacred Valley day tour via Pisac to Ollantaytambo and just left the tour there. It was a bus tour but we didn't feel the private tour was necessary. Coming back form Aguas Calientes (we spent a night there) their driver met us at the train in Olly to take us back to Cusco.

[marazul]

I appreciate all info. so far I have planned for an early flight into Cusco from Lima and then booked a hotel in Ollantaytambo for 3 nights. We would want a driver/guide to pick us up from Cusco airport, drive us through the Sacred Valley, including stop in Pisac, to our hotel in Ollantaytambo. We will do our own activities while in Ollantaytambo including day trip to Machu Picchu but would then want a driver/guide to take us back form Ollantaytambo through a different part of the sacred valley to Cusco where we have another two nights booked. I will check out the website of the guide you used.

 

Juan or Mariella can easlily put that together for you. BTW, Mariella is also the owner of a delightful inn on the banks of the Urubamba river, near Ollantaytambo, where we had a great lunch. The inn is at the end of the trail to the Maras Salt Mines and you can hike there in less than an hour. www.arcoirisdelpuente.com

[Coolcruise02]

Coolcruiser02

Did you prearrange your driver for the day trips from Cusco and transfer to Ollantaytambo or arrange it when there, day of etc. Do you have a driver or process to recommend?

 

Sorry it took so long to reply, we have been gone for some time. In Cusco we had our hotel recommend a driver and in Ollantaytambo we stayed at the El Albergue hotel and they sent a driver to pick us up in Cusco at 9:00 and he took us to Chinchero, Moray, Moras and Urubamba.

 

Hope that helps.

[airlink diva]

We did this on our own in September and below is what I had posted on CC after returning: (we do not speak Spanish other than a few common words)

 

We have returned from our trip to Peru and Machu Picchu. What an adventure!!! I know this wasn’t a cruise but I did get useful information from this board.

 

It was such a great experience and Machu Picchu is well worth all the effort it takes to get there. We planned this 10 day trip ourselves (9 family members; ages 31-57) and felt we got a great local feel by not going on a group charter trip. Of course, there were issues like mountain fires and a 2 day transportation strike. But, other than only one day at Machu Picchu instead of two it all worked out. We all had a great time!

 

We spent a couple days in Cusco were we stayed at Hotel Marqueses (highly recommend) we walked around a lot of the town and relaxed. My DH and I took a light dose of Diamox but others didn’t. We all drank the coca tea and lots of water and got along fine in the high altitude. One day we hired a van and driver for $15pp for the day to visit Sacsayhuaman, the Pisac ruins and the Sunday market at Pisac.

 

We hired a van & driver for $20pp to take us to Chinchero, Moray, Moras, Salinas (salt pans)and Urubmaba.. He was from Urubamba so he took us to his favorite place for lunch where we had delicious local foods. He then took us to Ollanytaytambo where we stayed at El Albergue (highly recommend). After arriving here we found out about the 2 day transportation strike to start the next day. We were already planning on staying two days at Ollany but we had to extend that an extra day and cancel our room in Aguas Calientes. Trying to switch our train tickets was a small nightmare, but we finally did and that reduced our 2 days at Machu Picchu to one. (talked with others who had to miss M.P.-how sad after coming all that way)

 

So we got the 7:05 train out, which was the 3rd one of the day and made it to Machu Picchu at 11:00. DH and DD were able to climb Huayna Picchu which we had given up hope of doing. (they were # 178/179) Words can not describe Machu Picchu and I won’t try; it just has to be seen for yourself!

 

We took the 6:05 Hiram Bingham train back. (great experience but expensive) We would not have done this but our daughter had bought us tickets for our birthdays. We spent the night in Cusco and flew to Lima the next morning.

 

In Lima we stayed at San Antonia Abad in Miraflores (recommend) which is about 45 minutes from the airport. We spent a day here before flying home.

 

This trip took lots of planning and if anyone is thinking of taking a trip like this and has questions I would be glad to help if I can.

 

Thanks for the info!

I'm looking at returning to Quito and then flying into Lima (using LAN) for a few days and wanted to do Machu Picchu. This is helpful in my planning

[cruiser620]

There is a lot of useful information about Peru on Trip Advisor that you might want to read. It is always recommended that you go straight to the Sacred Valley after landing at the Cusco airport in order to avoid altitude sickness. The altitude in Cusco is even higher than at Macchu Picchu. (Although some recommend taking Diamox, you should be aware that it can have dangerous side effects for people who are sensitive to sulfa drugs, and should not be taken routinely.) We absolutely loved Ollantaytambo and recommend staying there in the Sacred Valley rather than in Urubamba. It is a wonderful and walkable small town with amazing ruins and view. There are limited hotel rooms, though, so booking that would be the first thing to do. We stayed at both Hotel Sauce and Hotel Pakaritampo (sp?) and they were great. We were supposed to have a driver pick us up at the Cusco airport, but they didn't show up. It wasn't a problem though. The airport is tiny and there were many taxis waiting outside. They are very used to being hired for the day. We found a driver who spoke good English and he took us to all the standard tourist sights -- Chinchero, Moray, Moras, Salinas, etc. -- on the way to Ollantaytambo. This is where you get the train to Machu Picchu, so it was great to get up in the morning and just walk down the street to the station. Be sure to book the train online ahead of time. We visited Machu Picchu for 2 days, so spent the night in Aguas Caliente. After that, we returned to Cusco for 3 days. We did some sightseeing around the city on our own and also hired a driver on one of the days to take us to the Pisac market and to

Sacsayhuaman. Then we flew to Lima for 1 night. You will definitely enjoy Peru -- it is amazing!

[dileep]

[Granny DI]

We took the Princess tour to Machu Picchu after our cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago. We loved everything about the tour. We took the Hiram Bingham train to and from Machu Picchu. We would take the same tour again. We lived in South America for 4 years so we knew what could go wrong.

The most important thing to do is READ as many books as possible. I'm reading "Turn Right at Machu Picchu". I've learned so many things I never knew. I wish this book had been published before we went. I'm now going to watch the original Indiana Jones movie again...seems Indian Jones was based on Hiram Bingham.

My other suggestion is to see Machu Picchu BEFORE your cruise.

[banditoo]

FYI, Machu Picchu now has daily limits for visitor entrances (including general admission). Visitors without advance tickets have been turned away if the limit has been exceeded for the day. The on line site can now be used for advance purchase if you know your specific date. I have attached a link to Trip Advisor instruction on how to navigate the online reservation process. It worked great for me and I am thankful not to worry about being turned away!

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294318-d548890/Machu-Picchu:Peru:Huayna.Picchu.html

[houtbay]

My husband and I did it on our own this past Feb. I researched it all and made bookings direct. We actually spent 6 weeks in S America and do not speak the language but had no problems. You will be able to do everything on line.

Enjoy