How many day do I need to add Machu Picchu to the end of a cruise?

[lonestarmikeb]

We are taking a two week round the horn west bound cruise and would like to add Machu Picchu at the end, my question is how many realistic days will we need? We will be ending in Santiago Chile and wondering if we should stay the night and fly out the next morning or can all the travel be done on disembarkation day?

[pmacher61]

If you want to fly out of Santiago on the day you disembark, be prepared to spend the night in Lima, then next day take a bus or train to Machu Picchu or better yet, hire a car and driver/guide for the approx 1 hour trip. See:

https://www.google.com.ar/maps/place/"Machu+Picchu"+Park/@-12.1201972,-77.1154591,12z/data=!4m22!1m16!4m15!1m6!1m2!1s0x9105b767aa465ac7:0xe10b99cc3cfd325c!2s"Machu+Picchu"+Park,+Chorrillos,+Peru!2m2!1d-77.0191491!2d-12.1943849!1m6!1m2!1s0x9105c5f619ee3ec7:0x14206cb9cc452e4a!2sLima,+Peru!2m2!1d-77.042754!2d-12.0463731!3e0!3m4!1s0x9105b767aa465ac7:0xe10b99cc3cfd325c!8m2!3d-12.1943849!4d-77.0191491 Last time I went (40 years ago),  the train was the best optionto get to Machu Picchu and it took a couple of hours. That does not appear to be the case today and I would recommend a driver with pvt car.

The site can be done in less than 1 day so you can return back to Lima the same day. Plan to spend the night before flying home. So ...2 nights in Lima.

Edited March 6, 2019 by pmacher61
spelling

[OzCanuck]

19 hours ago, pmacher61 said:

If you want to fly out of Santiago on the day you disembark, be prepared to spend the night in Lima, then next day take a bus or train to Machu Picchu or better yet, hire a car and driver/guide for the approx 1 hour trip. See:

https://www.google.com.ar/maps/place/"Machu+Picchu"+Park/@-12.1201972,-77.1154591,12z/data=!4m22!1m16!4m15!1m6!1m2!1s0x9105b767aa465ac7:0xe10b99cc3cfd325c!2s"Machu+Picchu"+Park,+Chorrillos,+Peru!2m2!1d-77.0191491!2d-12.1943849!1m6!1m2!1s0x9105c5f619ee3ec7:0x14206cb9cc452e4a!2sLima,+Peru!2m2!1d-77.042754!2d-12.0463731!3e0!3m4!1s0x9105b767aa465ac7:0xe10b99cc3cfd325c!8m2!3d-12.1943849!4d-77.0191491 Last time I went (40 years ago),  the train was the best optionto get to Machu Picchu and it took a couple of hours. That does not appear to be the case today and I would recommend a driver with pvt car.

The site can be done in less than 1 day so you can return back to Lima the same day. Plan to spend the night before flying home. So ...2 nights in Lima.

 

There is a lot wrong with this post.

 

I think the OP was talking about the "real" Machu Picchu, not the little park in Lima.

 

OP - you'll need to get to Cusco which is usually a one stop to change planes (in Lima).  There is a non-stop on the odd day from SCL-CUZ but you'll need to check which days.   Once you're in CUZ you'll probably want to stay 1-2 days to acclimatize before taking the train up (or rather, down) to the site.

 

[loeb]

I would also add that there is much more to see in the area than just Machu Picchu.  I was really impressed by the church built over an "Inca" temple

 

 

Sacsayhuaman

 

 

Plus the other sited in the Scared Valley -

[aqua2]

I agree with the last couple of posters - you will need to get to Cuzco, either a direct flight there if possible, or via Lima. Cuzco is worth a couple of days at least, then another day for Sacred Valley sites (Pisac, Ollantaytambo), and the train to Machu Picchu takes a while.  When we were in Peru 3 years ago, it was possible to spend the entire day at the Machu Picchu site, but I think now visits might be limited to either morning or afternoon.  You have lots of research to do to figure out how much you want to see, how much time all the travel will take, etc.  

[Langoustine]

You also need to be aware that Cusco is at 11,152 feet. Altitude sickness generally starts affecting people at 8,000 feet or higher, so Machu Picchu isn’t really the potential problem since it's significantly lower, but Cusco can knock people for a loop (some of the hotels actually pump oxygen into their rooms to help travelers).

[NeverStopLearning]

We visited Machu Picchu as a pre-cruise excursion to our Lima to BA cruise last November. It was well worth it, and I suggest that you consider booking a formal tour as it can be amazing. I believe it is against board rules to mention specific tour companies, but Peruvian tour guides take a 3 year college course to get their license.

 

You will need a tour guide to visit Machu Picchu regardless.

 

It was a six day tour broken down as follows.

 

First day was really meeting everyone at the Lima Airport hotel and we had a group dinner where we were introduced to the guides.

 

Next day, we flew to Cusco where we immediately were taken by bus to the Sacred Valley. Cusco is at 11,000 feet and the Sacred Valley is at 9,000 feet. It makes a big difference in acclimatizing. We toured a pottery studio and an Andean weaving cooperative. Hotel was fabulous!

 

Third day, we toured a famous hat maker (milliner?), some salt mines, and a famous geological dig (round circles). Tour company organized a catered lunch by a lake. Spent a second night at the hotel.

 

Fourth day, we toured the Incan Sun Gate in the Sacred Valley. Took the Bingham Hiram train to Machu Picchu. Train staff had a band playing in the bar car. 60 and 70's rock classics are very popular in Peru. Spent the afternoon spending 4 hours visiting Machu Picchu as allowed. Hotel at the base of the mountain.

 

Fifth day, morning spent visiting the second half of Machu Picchu. It is a big place. Late lunch (tea service) at the hotel at the top of the mountain. Took the return train to Cuzco. This time spent most of the time in the bar car listening to music. Arrived in the evening in Cusco. Hotel was an old Incan Palace.

 

Sixth day, toured the Cusco market outside the hotel followed by a tour of the town square.[trivia, town square was featured in Blindspot this season]. Visited some churches and a museum. Back to the airport for flight to Lima where we were driven to the ship.

 

Prior to this adventure, we spent two days touring Lima. Highly recommend a tour of the old city. Bridge of Sighs in the Barranco district is a famous tourist stop.

 

Final suggestion, see your doctor about altitude sickness pills. We had them. No problems. If issues develop, most hotels have oxygen on hand. The altitude pills are really blood thinners.

[Spree75]

We tacked on Lima and Machu Picchu to the end of our Galapagos cruise last year.  We did 2 nights in Lima, 2 nights in the Scared Valley, 1 night in Machu Picchu, and 2 nights in Cusco.  As others have mentioned I would highly recommend the 2 nights in the Sacred Valley to get acclimatized to the elevation.

 

If you don't want to climb Huayna Pichu or to the Sun Gate, it's possible to do MP in a single day since you're only allowed a 4 hr timed slot in the site.  Take the train from Ollantaytambo, tour MP in the afternoon, and then take the train back to Cusco or Ollanyaytambo in the evening.

 

Here was our itinerary if you are curious:

Day 0 - Fly in from Baltra, Galapagos via Guayquil.  Arrive Lima at 11:30 PM

Day 1 - Lima - Old Town, Larco Museum

Day 2 - Drive to Pisco - Nazca Lines, Paracas - Drive back to and stay in Lima

Day 3 - Fly to Cusco - Pisac, Ollantaytambo - Stay in Urubamba

Day 4 - Chinchero, Maras, Moray - Stay in Urubamba

Day 5 - MP - Stay in MP (we were lucky and stayed in the Sanctuary Lodge)

Day 6 - MP - travel to Cusco

Day 7 - Saqsaywaman, Old Town, Market - Stay in Cusco

Day 8 - Fly to Lima - Barranco and La Punta Districts - Fly back to the US