Around the Horn plus Machu Pichu

[carol7353]

We're looking at doing a SA cruise around the horn winter 2008 and would like to visit Machu Pichu before or after depending on whether we depart or end on the west coast. Has anyone done Machu Pichu in conjunction with this cruise itinerary? If so, I'd appreciate hearing your advice, experiences, suggestions.

[GAJE]

DH and I visited Machu Picchu in January as a pre-tour package offered by HAL before boarding the Rotterdam for a SA/Antarctica cruise. Everything was arranged for us and the local tour company did a good job. We spent the first night in Lima, flew to Cusco, spent the night there, toured Machu Picchu, spent that night back in Cusco, and then flew back to Lima. Late that day we flew to Santiago, spent the night, and then went by bus to Valpariaso to board the ship the next day. There were a several EARLY morning wake-up calls and we did not get to our hotel in Santiago until 4 am. However, I think part of that was the airline schedules. There were 48 of us who did the pretour and we all enjoyed it immensely!! A couple were seriously affected by the altitude sickness (but temporarily), and a number of us had pretty bad cases of "travellers' diarrhea". If you go, make sure to take Cipro with you as well as Immodium. We got our Cipro prescription from our local travel clinic. In fact, they suggested it. Would we do it again? Emphatically, YES!!

Betty

[greatam]

We're looking at doing a SA cruise around the horn winter 2008 and would like to visit Machu Pichu before or after depending on whether we depart or end on the west coast. Has anyone done Machu Pichu in conjunction with this cruise itinerary? If so, I'd appreciate hearing your advice, experiences, suggestions.

 

You can do it independently and save quite a lot. Flights to/from Lima are easy to arrange. And by allowing a couple extra days, you most likely will not get altitude sickness and be able to see some of the Sacred Valley as well.

 

Give me a rough idea of what you want to do (before/after cruise-fly from USA to Lima, then go on cruise or fly from end of cruise to Cusco) and I will try to help point you in the right direction.

[CastroValley1]

My friend and I want to take a cruise to SA early 2008. She wants to go to Machu Pichu and I want to go to Igassu Falls and the Amazon River. Anyway we can go on a cruise together and hit the other places too?

 

What are our options? Thanks.

[greatam]

My friend and I want to take a cruise to SA early 2008. She wants to go to Machu Pichu and I want to go to Igassu Falls and the Amazon River. Anyway we can go on a cruise together and hit the other places too?

 

What are our options? Thanks.

 

Very easy to do if you have the time (and money, although if you do it yourself, it is not that expensive)

 

Example: Cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. Fly USA to Lima, go to MP, return to Lima, fly to Santiago and board cruise. Enjoy cruise. When you arrive in Buenos Aires, you can make arrangments to fly to Igaussu Falls, back to BA. Then to the Amazon, back to BA, fly home. Very doable, you don't need a tour company to do it.

 

Post what you want to do, when you want to do it. I will try to post flights, hotels, etc. to help you plan.

[xpcdoojk]

Greatam is right, we booked all of the same hotels that HAL offered us and we made our own air arrangements with LAN and we booked the train to MP. We did all of this for less than one person booking with the cruiseline. We literally were next door to someone on the ships tour at all of the different hotels! If you take the time to do a tiny bit of research it is a piece of cake. My wife did make the mistake of eating a salad at the Pizza Hut at the Lima airport before we flew home and her system was a bit upset until she took Cipro a few days after returning. I told her at the time that a pizza was safer, but that is what happens when you are health conscious! :D

 

jc

[Aussie Gal]

We too booked our own precruise and post cruise trips on our own. Before we boarded our ship in Rio, we took a sidetrip to Iguazzu and spent two nights up there.

 

At the end of our cruise in Valpariso, we spent a night in Santiago and then flew via Lima with Lan Chile and went to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We spent 3 nights in Cusco and one in Machu Picchu staying at the beautiful Monasterio Hotel and the Sanctuary which is the only hotel up amongst the ruins. After our time in Peru we went on to Quito and the Galapagos Islands which again I booked independently. Everything worked for us, we were away from home for 7 weeks and in that time we did not suffer from any sickness and everything went like clockwork.

 

We saved literally thousands of dollars by doing this on our own.

 

Jennie

[Juliadlf]

We too booked our own precruise and post cruise trips on our own. Before we boarded our ship in Rio, we took a sidetrip to Iguazzu and spent two nights up there.

 

At the end of our cruise in Valpariso, we spent a night in Santiago and then flew via Lima with Lan Chile and went to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We spent 3 nights in Cusco and one in Machu Picchu staying at the beautiful Monasterio Hotel and the Sanctuary which is the only hotel up amongst the ruins. After our time in Peru we went on to Quito and the Galapagos Islands which again I booked independently. Everything worked for us, we were away from home for 7 weeks and in that time we did not suffer from any sickness and everything went like clockwork.

 

We saved literally thousands of dollars by doing this on our own.

 

Jennie

 

What tour company did you use?

Thanks

 

Julia

[greatam]

What tour company did you use?

Thanks

 

Julia

 

To MP, you DO NOT need a tour company. That adds greatly to the cost and reduces the experience, IMHO. Hotels are easy to book in South America, the only airline worth flying in Chile and Peru is LanChile/LanPeru, you can purchase train tickets to MP online at PeruRail.com and pick them up when you get to Cusco. If you want a guide IN MP, they are easily hired in Cusco. You want a day trip to Pisac or the Sacred Valley-easily arranged in Cusco. Otherwise, a good guide book will allow you to enjoy the ruins at YOUR pace, not a tour. The only thing that is the least bit difficult to book is The Sanctuary-the hotel at the ruins in MP.

 

Orient Express now owns the hotel. Often, to get a night at the Sanctuary, you must book the Monasterio in Cusco. These are the two most expensive hotels in the Cusco area. There are a couple of travel agents IN CUSCO who can get the Sanctuary WITHOUT the Monasterio. If the hotels interest you, you may email me for the TA's names. greatam@earthlink.net

[Aussie Gal]

We did not spend a fortune in going to Cusco and Machu Picchu for the week. I used a Peruvian Travel Agency which were fantastic. We chose to stay at both the Monasterio and the The Sanctuary and we were upgraded on both our stays at the Monasterio to a suite. The Orient Express Company owned those hotels when we were there and originally I had booked them directly with the company but discovered that I would save quite a lot of money by booking them with the Peruvian Travel Company so cancelled that direct booking.

 

We were met at the airport and taken to the Monasterio when we arrived in Cusco. An organized tour of the Sacred Valley one day was included when we were in Cusco. When we went up to Machu Picchu we were taken to the train early in the morning - 5am I think -by our guide and we were met when we left the train to go up to Machu Picchu. They had booked the train and our lovely window seats. The best part was we shared a wonderful guide up at Machu Picchu with only one other couple. That was well worth everything else! When we returned back to Cusco in the evening a day later we were met once again at the train and taken to our hotel and next morning when we left Cusco we were taken to the airport and they made sure we were booked on to the plane.

 

I had booked all the internal flights in South America before we left home. We had 13 internal flights so it was a big undertaking.

 

All this for not much more than the cost of the hotels. The transfers alone were worth it as we cannot speak Spanish and we were in good hands. They were most professional and I would go with them again if we were returning to Peru.

 

 

I dealt with Carmen and here is all the infomation.

carmen@peru-travel.info

carmen@manu-wildlife-center.com

Mobil : ++ 51 1 9849 0334 (24 horas)

Telephone ++ 51 1 440 2022

Fax ++ 51 1 422 9225

http://www.peru-travel.info

http://www.manu-wildlife-center.com

 

The best part was we did not have to pay a deposit and we only paid in full about 6 weeks before we left home.

 

Jennie

[greatam]

ALL hotels in Cusco (except maybe some youth hostels) have pick service at the airport. All hotels also either have car service available 24/7 or will call their favorite taxi driver. And almost all hotels have either a tour desk or will point you to a tour for anything you want.

 

The BEST tour agency for a day trip to the Sacred Valley and Pisac Market (a must visit, but only open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and some Sundays) is next door upstairs to the Andes Grill on the north side of the Plaza.

 

Best hamburger in all of South America/best rock and roll (60's style) and best bar with the best views is at Norton's Rat Tavern-upstairs on the south side of the Plaza. Owned by an American expat who rode his motorcycle to Cusco MANY years ago.

[Aussie Gal]

greatam,

 

What you don't seem to understand is that we received practically everything including our guide up at Machu Picchu plus our train trip, for what we were going to pay the Orient Express Hotels for our 4 nights stay if we had booked with them directly. Plus we did not have to do any running around of picking up train tickets when we arrived into Cusco etc.

 

I did comparisions of the two ways of going about this trip, doing everything ourselves or booking through a Peruvian agency and we saved money by going with the agency.

 

This was a huge trip which involved lots of side trips besides a 21 day cruise to Antartica and this particular part of our trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu was effortless plus we were not out of pocket because we did not do everything ourselves.

 

Perhaps if we were staying in cheaper accommodation, it would have been a different scenario but we wanted to stay in the very best available. Also, when you first arrive into Cusco, you do not know how the altitude is going to affect you and you may not be up to collecting train tickets etc.

 

Jennie

[greatam]

greatam,

 

What you don't seem to understand is that we received practically everything including our guide up at Machu Picchu plus our train trip, for what we were going to pay the Orient Express Hotels for our 4 nights stay if we had booked with them directly. Plus we did not have to do any running around of picking up train tickets when we arrived into Cusco etc.

 

I did comparisions of the two ways of going about this trip, doing everything ourselves or booking through a Peruvian agency and we saved money by going with the agency.

 

This was a huge trip which involved lots of side trips besides a 21 day cruise to Antartica and this particular part of our trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu was effortless plus we were not out of pocket because we did not do everything ourselves.

 

Perhaps if we were staying in cheaper accommodation, it would have been a different scenario but we wanted to stay in the very best available. Also, when you first arrive into Cusco, you do not know how the altitude is going to affect you and you may not be up to collecting train tickets etc.

 

Jennie

 

Jennie,

 

I am in Cusco 3/4 times a year for business. I am very familiar with Cusco and the entire area. There really is no need to book any kind of tour. And yes, I will agree that staying at the Monasterio/Sanctuary is cheaper booked through a Peruvian travel agent than directly through Orient (I even posted to email if they want the names of the agents), but 85% of the visitors to Cusco will not stay at that hotel combination either because it is prohibitively expensive or for lack of availability. We are comparing $400+++ per night hotels against $150.00 per night hotels, so your tour was almost a freebie.

 

And going to the train station gets you away from the "packaged tour" kind of experience. You get to see how the Peruvians do it-the quaint chairs to sit on, the disorganization, etc. And travel agents in Cusco are charging $10-15 dollars per ticket over the Peru Rail price. Peru Rail does not pay any commission.

 

The altitude affects quite a few. The first thing to do-at the airport-drink the coca tea. I RUN every time I get off the plane to the little stand by the parking lot to purchase it. Helps tremendously, as does chewing coca leaves.

 

Most people going to Cusco are going for two reasons-MP and the Sacred Valley. Other than the day trip to the Sacred Valley, no one needs the services of a travel agent or tour guide. You had a very special, very private, upscale trip. Most don't.

 

PS-I posted the BEST tour company in Cusco is upstairs next door to the ANDES GRILL. It is the INKA GRILL. Sorry!!

 

Gina

[Juliadlf]

Gina and Jennie - thanks so much for the information. We plan to do this trip in 2008 and I'm still in the research stage.

 

Gina(greatam), I will send you an email.

 

Julia

[dabear]

We took the Hiram Bingham train from Cusco to/from MP and it was a great but costly xperience and included the guide. That train left Cusco at a more reasonable hour (8am) and returned later than the others which permitted more time At MP w/o the crowds. We stayed @ the MP Pueblo at the bottom of the hill which includes 2 nature santuaries and permitted us to walk the town and be on the early bus to MP before the train arriving crowds. Friends of ours stayed at the Santuary (we did have lunch there) and there was nothing to do there other being at the entrance to MP w/o going up the hill. The cost savings was significant and the Pueblo was a nice hotel.

[xpcdoojk]

We stayed in Cusco and stayed at the other hotel the Libertador Palacio Del Inka, both nights in Cusco. It was a very nice hotel. They picked us up at the airport. They arranged a taxi to take us to and from the train station before going to MP. The cab driver found us as we got off the train after a very long day to and from MP. So, while we didn't have a tour guide, definitely didn't feel like we missed out. The cab was inexpensive. There was no way I could justify the Hiram Bingham train. We arrived on a National holiday and the next day was our train to MP and the train office was closed. We had to do a direct bank transfer before we left the US which is always a bit concerning. The person at Peru rail took our train tickets to our hotel and they were waiting there for us when we checked in. They took care of everything in a great way.

 

jc

[Aussie Gal]

Staying at the Sanctuary enabled us to be able to stay in the ruins until closing time and return again next morning before the crowds. Also our lunch was not in the big room that is used by the crowds but in a lovely smaller dining room.

 

If I were to ever return to Machu Picchu which is highly unlikely, I would once again stay at the Sanctuary. There is nothing to compare waking up to that magnificent view first thing in the morning.

 

We had had a very busy time right up until we arrived at the Sanctuary and we were able to recharge our batteries before moving on to another busy period. To us it was well worth the money.

 

Jennie

[Juliadlf]

We took the Hiram Bingham train from Cusco to/from MP and it was a great but costly xperience and included the guide. That train left Cusco at a more reasonable hour (8am) and returned later than the others which permitted more time At MP w/o the crowds. We stayed @ the MP Pueblo at the bottom of the hill which includes 2 nature santuaries and permitted us to walk the town and be on the early bus to MP before the train arriving crowds. Friends of ours stayed at the Santuary (we did have lunch there) and there was nothing to do there other being at the entrance to MP w/o going up the hill. The cost savings was significant and the Pueblo was a nice hotel.

 

Did you feel that one day was enough to spend in MP? Did you also stay in Cusco?

 

We stayed in Cusco and stayed at the other hotel the Libertador Palacio Del Inka, both nights in Cusco. It was a very nice hotel. They picked us up at the airport. They arranged a taxi to take us to and from the train station before going to MP. The cab driver found us as we got off the train after a very long day to and from MP. So, while we didn't have a tour guide, definitely didn't feel like we missed out. The cab was inexpensive. There was no way I could justify the Hiram Bingham train. We arrived on a National holiday and the next day was our train to MP and the train office was closed. We had to do a direct bank transfer before we left the US which is always a bit concerning. The person at Peru rail took our train tickets to our hotel and they were waiting there for us when we checked in. They took care of everything in a great way.

jc

 

Which train did you take to MP (vista or backpacker)? Since you stayed in Cusco for the 2 nights, did you only visit MP once? Did you go to the Sacred Valley?

 

Thanks

Julia

[greatam]

Julia,

 

You don't want the backpacker train, believe me!!!

 

The Vistadome includes snacks and drinks, Peruvian music and most of the time, a narrated semi-tour.

 

And one really important thing-at least I think it is important. The "zig zag" out of Cusco is one of the great experiences on a train anyplace in the world. The Hiram Bingham and the cruise packages leave from Poroy, NOT Cusco. They bus you over the hill from Cusco.

 

The hill is sooo steep coming out of Cusco (almost 14,000 feet at the top-the train has oxygen), the train cannot make it in one straight pull up the hill. So you go up, then you go in reverse, while the train builds momentum to get over the hill. Going in reverse on the train at 35-40MPH is a great experience. And the early (6AM) train allows you to watch Cusco wake up in the morning.

 

On my first trip to Cusco (2001), I was astounded at the poverty I saw from the train (you don't see it downtown and you don't see it on the cruise excursion or the Hiram Bingham). I have spent quite a bit of time in South America and Mexico for business and pleasure, but when I saw people actually taking their animals out of their HOUSES so they didn't get stolen, I realized just how poor it really is. An eye opener for sure.

[Aussie Gal]

I agree wholeheartedly with Greatam. It was an unforgettable experience so early in the morning doing the switchback on the train and seeing how most of the Peruvians live.

 

On our return trip from Aquas Calientes, we had a fashion parade put on by the girls and boys who looked after us on the train. They were modelling Peruvian fashions made out of the beautiful soft lama wool. It certainly made the trip back entertaining.

 

It is certainly one of the world's best train trips.

 

Jennie

[xpcdoojk]

We were going to go to the sacred valley, but our flight time got changed and moved up several hours back to Lima, so we didn't have a chance to go. We were pretty tired and this lead to a very long wait at the Lima airport, and a day of utter boredom, but things happen when you travel.

 

We took the vista train. It is reasonably comfortable. The switchbacks up the mountains leaving Cusco is a very unique experience. The poverty of many people in Peru is very apparent. There is no way I could justify the Hiram Bingham price. On the return to Cusco just about everyone was dead asleep it is a very exhausting long day. So, staying at the Sanctuary might be well worth it if you have the time and money.

 

We ate lunch in the cafeteria at the Sanctuary, it was nice, lots of interesting choices, and if I remember it was about $25 a person.

 

jc

[Juliadlf]

Thank you all for the great information.

 

Julia

[Juliadlf]

Jennie,

 

I am in Cusco 3/4 times a year for business. I am very familiar with Cusco and the entire area.

Gina

 

Just thought of another question. From reading all the information on the boards, it seems like alot of people go during the January - March timeframe since it is,I assume, the summer months in South America.

We are looking at doing a Oct or Nov 2008 trip. Is the weather not so good during this timeframe to do Cusco/MP/Sacred Valley?

 

Thanks

Julia

[Aussie Gal]

Julia,

 

The only reason we went at the end of January, was that we were combining our trip with our cruise to Antarctica and you can only visit that area in our summer which is December to February.

 

I have read that the best time for Machu Picchu is later on in the year when it doesn't rain. We were so fortunate in that we had the only sunny day in Machu Picchu for 3 months. Before that, it had rained every day and started at lunchtime the next day. We were just so lucky!

 

Jennie

[greatam]

Just thought of another question. From reading all the information on the boards, it seems like alot of people go during the January - March timeframe since it is,I assume, the summer months in South America.

We are looking at doing a Oct or Nov 2008 trip. Is the weather not so good during this timeframe to do Cusco/MP/Sacred Valley?

 

Thanks

Julia

 

Not much difference in temperature-a little cooler at night. You may miss some of the rainy season, but not much. Rainy season starts in November usually (think late spring rains in the US). Continues through about March.

 

I have been to Cusco many times at all different times of the year and I know you will find this hard to believe but I have never seen it rain except once. And then it REALLY rained. Seen a lot of mist, but hardly any rain.

 

One thing you may miss going so early is the penguins. It will just barely be the start of the birthing season in mid October.

 

Just curious-what cruise leaves so early??? Most do the repo to SA in early/mid November, then around the horn until about early March, then homeward bound to Europe or Alaska.