Advice on PreCruise: Lima/Machu Pichu

[Duck Duck Cruise]

GREATAM - We are planning on a week pre-cruise in the Cuzco, Ollanta, and MP areas. We're thinking 2 or 3 days around Cuzco area, 1 or 2 days around Ollanta area, and 2 or 3 days in Aguas/Machu Picchu.

 

Would you recommend going to Ollanta first, immediately after flying in to Cuzco and acclimating somewhat there before MP and Cuzco?

 

We are still about a year and a half from the cruise so we are trying to figure out the best way to do our Peru week for maximum enjoyment in all three places.

 

Thanks for your knowledge and help.

[wrp96]

Don't forget to allow enough time between flights for all this. PLUS after you check in for your domestic flight, you will have to stand in line and pay DEPARTURE tax out of Lima BEFORE you can go through security.

 

Just an FYI, LAN includes the departure tax in their flights now so if you book with them you don't have to stand in line to pay the departure tax. Don't know about other airlines though.

[greatam]

Just an FYI, LAN includes the departure tax in their flights now so if you book with them you don't have to stand in line to pay the departure tax. Don't know about other airlines though.

 

For ALL tickets or just ones that are booked from the USA as a continuing ticket???

 

IE-JFK/SCL/LIM/CUZ/LIM/JFK?? AA and Delta have long collected the international departure tax when you bought the ticket from the USA. CO/LAN started including the tax the first of the year but ONLY on flights into South America from outside South America (USA/Europe)

 

LanPass still requires payment of the departure tax at each airport. And it sure appears that separately booked LIM/CUZ/LIM/SCL tickets require the departure tax be paid at the airport.

 

How were your tickets booked??? I am curious because I leave on Oct 15 for the first of my 4 yearly trips to South America. Flying directly into SCL from JFK. But then will either use separate tickets or LAN Pass/OneWorld Pass to get around SA. I have to go to Puno to check on my sweater order and it is a MAJOR hassle to pay the departure tax at Juliaca, so this would be a blessing if I didn't have to stand in that line.

[YAC]

Thanks for everyone's advice! So it seems like the best time to fly from Lima to Cuzco would be the first thing in the morning due to weather. Is this a problem coming back from Cuzco to Lima? Can the planes leave Cuzco anytime or are they restricted to take off depending on the cloud formation as well?:confused:

[wrp96]

For ALL tickets or just ones that are booked from the USA as a continuing ticket???

 

Tickets were intra-Peru tickets (LIM-CUZ roundtrip) purchased through the LAN website. Not connected at all to the flights to and from Peru that were purchased on a separate reservation through AA.

[greatam]

Tickets were intra-Peru tickets (LIM-CUZ roundtrip) purchased through the LAN website. Not connected at all to the flights to and from Peru that were purchased on a separate reservation through AA.

 

That sounds fantastic not to have to stand in line in Lima or particularly Juliaca. Hope it holds up in October. Thanks for the FYI.

[Jade13]

Just an FYI, LAN includes the departure tax in their flights now so if you book with them you don't have to stand in line to pay the departure tax. Don't know about other airlines though.

 

Really? I will need to check as mine were purchased using a South American pass.

[YAC]

Thanks for everyone's advice! So it seems like the best time to fly from Lima to Cuzco would be the first thing in the morning due to weather. Is this a problem coming back from Cuzco to Lima? Can the planes leave Cuzco anytime or are they restricted to take off depending on the cloud formation as well?:confused:

 

I'm still trying to follow up on this - are there any problems flying out of Cuzco to Lima? Are the flights ever cancelled due to weather? Thanks for your response!;)

[greatam]

Really? I will need to check as mine were purchased using a South American pass.

 

I was told by LAN that LANPass or South American Pass DID NOT include the departure tax. Who knows??? I guess I will find out in a couple of weeks.

[greatam]

I'm still trying to follow up on this - are there any problems flying out of Cuzco to Lima? Are the flights ever cancelled due to weather? Thanks for your response!;)

 

 

Not as bad-they fly straight out of the airport which is clear on the ground. I have never had a flight canceled OUT of Cusco, just into. Not saying it doesn't happen, but not like flying INTO Cusco.

[greatam]

I'm still trying to follow up on this - are there any problems flying out of Cuzco to Lima? Are the flights ever cancelled due to weather? Thanks for your response!;)

 

IF you are doing this pre-cruise (cruise out of Santiago?)-to save some money look into LAN Pass or South America Air Pass. Will generally save a CHUNK of money on intra South America flights. BUT you MUST fly INTO South America on either LAN (which is NOT cheap) or a OneWorld carrier (AA, BA, etc). MAY save you enough on the intra South America flights to justify the cost of even a LAN ticket (which is a VERY good airline from the USA).

 

http://www.lan.com/en_us/sitio_personas/southamericanairpass/index.html

[ssawjo]

IF you are doing this pre-cruise (cruise out of Santiago?)-to save some money look into LAN Pass or South America Air Pass. Will generally save a CHUNK of money on intra South America flights. BUT you MUST fly INTO South America on either LAN (which is NOT cheap) or a OneWorld carrier (AA, BA, etc). MAY save you enough on the intra South America flights to justify the cost of even a LAN ticket (which is a VERY good airline from the USA).

 

http://www.lan.com/en_us/sitio_personas/southamericanairpass/index.html

 

 

Do you know if Star Alliance has the same deal? We would like to do MP precruise and join the ship in Valpo. Thanks.

[Jade13]

I was told by LAN that LANPass or South American Pass DID NOT include the departure tax. Who knows??? I guess I will find out in a couple of weeks.

 

Let me know. I have not had time to call. How much is the tax right now?

[Jade13]

Do you know if Star Alliance has the same deal? We would like to do MP precruise and join the ship in Valpo. Thanks.

 

No, which is why we decided to fly LAN to Santiago instead of Air Canada (Star Alliance), which had very good flights from the US through Canada.

 

Instead of paying approx $1,300.00 per person from LIM/CUZ, CUZ/LIM/GYE, we paid approx. $349.00 per person.

[ssawjo]

No, which is why we decided to fly LAN to Santiago instead of Air Canada (Star Alliance), which had very good flights from the US through Canada.

 

Instead of paying approx $1,300.00 per person from LIM/CUZ, CUZ/LIM/GYE, we paid approx. $349.00 per person.

 

Thanks.

[Kaseybear16]

I went to Peru for 10 days last winter and had an amazing time! We flew on LAN and arrived into Cusco around 10am. We spent the first 3 days and 2 nights in Cusco. The altitude is rough but we took it slow and by the 3rd morning our bodies were well acclimated and altitude did not affect us the rest of the stay. We then spent 3 nights in the Sacred Valley and then hiked the final portion of the Inca Trail arriving at the sun gate around 4pm. We spent 2 nights in Agua Calientes at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu hotel which I highly recommend! We rolled this by a final night in Cusco before flying to Lima for a day and then returning to the US.

 

I loved Cusco and would not return to Peru without spending at least a full day there! You need to have at least 1 1/2 days to really see Machu Picchu. The Sacred Valley was def very pretty but if I were to cut short a portion of a trip I would do it here. Cusco deserves being visited and if you take it easy and utilize the oxygen that is available most people do ok. I did this vacation as part of a walking tour so it entailed a lot of walking as high as 13,500ft and did have altitude sickness but even so I would not want to not experience Cusco and by the 3rd day I felt great!

[mconthehighseas]

Thanks for the info, Kaseybear. Did you do use a package tour or did you arrange this on your own? I haven't found any tours that spend more than one night in Agua Calientes, which I think is a mistake. After all, isn't Macchu Picchu one of the highlights of the trip? I am hoping to find a tour that starts in Sacred valley and ends in Cuzco rather than the other way around, but spending more time in MP is my highest priority.

[Kaseybear16]

The tour I took was with a large tour company and they only offer 10 day packages, nothing shorter. If you can arrive to Macchu Piccu the night before and they have the entire day following there you may be ok. Definitely worth getting there before the crowd and having several hours to explore. I wouldn't want to arrive and explore in the same day. One small tip, make sure you have a Visa card a lot of place we encountered were unable to accept MasterCard. Not a huge deal but it is easier with Visa. I really want to go back to Peru, I LOVE the country!

[Mparis184]

The Peru government is now monitoring how many tourists enter MP hourly/daily. You have to have an entrance ticket reserved - you can't go to the gate and just get in. You will not find the site empty but you won't find it crawling with tourists either. We were there last month. I fell in love with Peru. Our organized tour with Gate 1 Travel was one of the best trips we have taken...Enjoy!

Marion

[greatam]

Thanks for the info, Kaseybear. Did you do use a package tour or did you arrange this on your own? I haven't found any tours that spend more than one night in Agua Calientes, which I think is a mistake. After all, isn't Macchu Picchu one of the highlights of the trip? I am hoping to find a tour that starts in Sacred valley and ends in Cuzco rather than the other way around, but spending more time in MP is my highest priority.

 

You can EASILY do this yourself. NO need to pay for an expensive tour or let a tour operator put you up in some of the less than desirable hotels that some of the tours use.

 

ANY of the good hotels in Cusco or the Sacred Valley will send a car to pick you up at the airport. So you can EASILY fly Lima/Cusco, get in a hotel car and get to a lower elevation.

 

Then go to MP when you are ready (easily bookable on line), spend your time at a hotel of YOUR choosing in Agua Calientes (or the Sanctuary on top of the mountain). Watch out-some of the hotels in Agua Calientes are nothing more than backpacker hostels with bathrooms down the hall and dormitory housing. Then when you are ready to leave, take the train to Cusco. AGAIN, very easily bookable on line. VERY, VERY easy and will get you a MUCH better trip than if you try to book one of the tours. EVERYONE in the area is used to dealing with American tourists. There is even a pretty darn cool bar in Cusco run by an American expat biker who rode all the way to Cusco on his bike years ago. You will RARELY run into language problems (unless you get into a local street hailed taxi which is a ABSOLUTE no-no). There is even an ATM at the Inka Grill that dispenses soles AND USD.

 

Enjoy!!!

[mconthehighseas]

Thank you, greatam!!! Best news yet!

[catergirl]

You can EASILY do this yourself. NO need to pay for an expensive tour or let a tour operator put you up in some of the less than desirable hotels that some of the tours use.

 

ANY of the good hotels in Cusco or the Sacred Valley will send a car to pick you up at the airport. So you can EASILY fly Lima/Cusco, get in a hotel car and get to a lower elevation.

 

Then go to MP when you are ready (easily bookable on line), spend your time at a hotel of YOUR choosing in Agua Calientes (or the Sanctuary on top of the mountain). Watch out-some of the hotels in Agua Calientes are nothing more than backpacker hostels with bathrooms down the hall and dormitory housing. Then when you are ready to leave, take the train to Cusco. AGAIN, very easily bookable on line. VERY, VERY easy and will get you a MUCH better trip than if you try to book one of the tours. EVERYONE in the area is used to dealing with American tourists. There is even a pretty darn cool bar in Cusco run by an American expat biker who rode all the way to Cusco on his bike years ago. You will RARELY run into language problems (unless you get into a local street hailed taxi which is a ABSOLUTE no-no). There is even an ATM at the Inka Grill that dispenses soles AND USD.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

so i get the part of an early flight out of lima to cusco. and i see u can ask for a 'car' to sacred valley...but if i book a hotel in aguas calientes(which it looks like there are some decent ones) for a couple of nights, can i get a car or bus that would take us direct from cusco to aguas calientes?? doesnt look like the train goes after early hours. just wondering what my options are for transportation?? is the train quicker? is that possible? the train back from AC isnt til about 3 in the afternoon from what i can tell. i appreciate your advice on the coca tea and know there is oxygen in the cusco hotels, but is there in the AC hotels or isnt that necessary since its a lower elevation than cucso?? so if we stayed in cusco a night after AC would we have less of a chance of altitude sickness? would you recommend any specific hotel in cusco and aguas calientes? appreciate any help, thanks martha

[kaudrey]

There are no roads from SV or Cusco to AC, you have to take the train (or hike). I am not going until May, so I can't comment on your other questions.

[ozscotart]

We did precisely this in November last year, prior to embarking Veendam in Valparaiso. We flew into Lima, stayed a night at the Doubletree, then flew to Cusco, transferred to Sacred Valley for 2 nights at Casa Andina (very nice), then train to Macchu Pichu staying at El Mapi in Aguas Calientes for the night, visit MP, then train back to Cusco, 2 nights at Casa Andina Private Collection (again very nice), flight to Lima, night at Doubletree, flight to Santiago, 2 nights at Crowne Plaza (good location), transfer with stop at winery to port.

 

This was all organised via Peru for Less, a US web based travel agency, and they were excellent. Rylee was our agent and I cannot praise her patience and helpfulness enough. http://www.peruforless.com/

 

This included private tours and transfers of Lima, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley and Cusco. They were all great. It was organised this way due to my asthma and general ill health, and it was absolutely fantastic. Our guide at MP got me around the site and I managed to see nearly everything. The only thing I would change would be after staying in the Casa andinas in Sacred Valley and Cusco, I think we would stay in the Casa Andina in Lima rather than the Doubletree. As to itinerary, I think it depends on individual needs, many people would be able to do more in the time available, and there certainly is more to see.