It might be as much of a challenge as climbing Machu Picchu to plan a trip there. Trains, tickets, altitude, it is a lot to calculate. This guide simplifies it all to clear cut actions to take. Putting the most significant choice you will make which is when to go. Each other component of your experience will be defined by your response.
It is selecting your travel dates; should you go when the weather is sure to be sunny and there are people around or get to a less popular beach with a risk of an errant shower? Peru dry season, during April- October, is the best opportunity to get the post card perfect blue skies. It also presupposes a maximum number of tourists and increased ticket and hotel demands. The other, the wet season, which happens between November and March. Will present brightly green landscapes and less people at the price of a rain jacket and morning mist.
The best seasonal tips to many longtime travellers is the so-called shoulder season. The months of April, May, September, and October are usually a perfect combination. You get the advantage of nice Machu Picchu weather, and green landscape leftovers of the rains. Significantly fewer people than you would get in June or July. It is generally believed to be the happy medium in terms of a more casual and aesthetically more pleasing experience.
Knowing which aspect of a destination is important to you, i.e. nonstop sightseeing or a more relaxed location. Enable you to determine the best time to visit Machu Picchu and move on to the next stage in your planning.
Gone are the times when one can walk around Machu Picchu freely. In order to preserve and control the crowds, Peru has come up with a compulsory circuit system. Imagine that these circuits are well-marked, one-way paths in the citadel. After purchasing a ticket to a given circuit and time, you are obliged to follow the same path. It may sound limiting, but it makes the process a lot more pleasant.
The greatest choice you will make is the correct circuit which is what you will see. Although there are a couple of alternatives, one is particularly impressive to the first-time visitors.
Circuit 2: Photo and Full Tour Classic. This is the one you want. It also offers access to the higher terraces and that classic. Postcard-perfect Machu Picchu views of the entire citadel, and then a detailed tour of the principal ruins down below.
Circuit 1, 3 and 4: These are the shorter circuits. Circuit 1, and 3 and 4 cover various areas of the lower half of the ruins. They are also good options in case Circuit 2 is sold out.
This is because you should seek to reserve your flights 3-4 months beforehand and during the season of favour (dry season, April-October). They can be purchased on the Ministry of Culture office or on the website of a licensed tour agency only. Note that separate tickets to the more difficult hikes to Huayna Picchu.
Although you have booked your tickets, your body is not fully prepared to have the adventure. Both Cusco. Your access city and Machu Picchu are at high elevation and the air is less oxygenated. This may cause altitude sickness which is a common but avoidable condition that is marked by headaches, fatigue and nausea. The answer is easy: acclimatization. Consider it a few days to allow your body to adjust to the thin air gracefully before you can demand that. It perform any task requiring considerable effort such as sightseeing in ancient ruins. It is an indisputable component of the effective Peru trip itinerary.
The primary activity you will be doing during your first two days in Cusco is to relax. This is the ideal reason to work at a slow pace. Your time would be better as you explore the historic city center in a slow, relaxed way, have a long lunch, or seek the local medicine, mate de coca (coca tea), at a local cafe instead of planning an uphill hike. Do not be tempted to plan too much on when to arrive your body will pay you later when you are standing upright and in your right wits at the Sun Gate. It is an imperative investment in personal comfort.
Acclimatizing properly does not only mean preventing a headache but is also making sure that you are able to give yourself up to the magic of Machu Picchu. You did not come this long way to get uncomfortable or short of breath. With these hassle-free days on your itinerary, you will have a leeway that will see the journey. Cusco to Aguas Calientes and up to the citadel, as comfortable and wondrous as it can be.
In addition to relaxing, there are a few basic practices that can help you settle in Cusco even faster. The best one thing you can do is to keep hydrated. Altitude makes you thirsty in no time and it is recommended that you drink water in large quantities. Drink at least three liters a day- makes your blood carry oxygen more easily. It is a little sacrifice that has a massive reward on your energy and general comfort.
The choice of what not to eat is equally as crucial, at least in the first 48 hours at altitude. Do not use alcohol and fatty food, heavy.
You will soon find locals and other traveling people enjoying a specific kind of tea and you ought to as well. It is mate de coca, or coca tea, some Andean medicine which is produced using the leaves of the coca plant.
Last but not least is to listen to your own body. When you experience a slight headache, light-headedness or unexplainable fatigue, do not attempt to soldier on. These are some mild cues that tell you to sleep, rehydrate and decelerate. With these cues, you are able to control the symptoms before they occur as a problem.
It is one of the most conflicting spots of confusion during the planning when you realize that you can not drive between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The old castelle is well into the mountains, reached only by a small, busy gateway town known as Aguas Calientes. Thus, getting Cusco to Aguas Calientes is your golden ticket to the journey before heading to the ruins as it is the obligatory last destination.
There are three different modes of accessing this very important town, and all these are suited to a different style of travelling. The train to Machu Picchu is quite scenic and comfortable and is chosen by the vast majority of the visitors. A hike through old Inca trails is a memorable experience to the adventurous in a multi-day trek. Lastly, the least popular budgetary variant is a long bus ride and a hike.
Trekking is another classic option in place of the train in case you are adventure bound. These multi-day increases make you plunge into the stunning landscape of the area and the history of the place well in advance of your first sight of the citadel. Although the traditional Inca Trail is known globally, there are other unbelievable paths with various difficulties and views.
Making the decision to walk to Machu Picchu is exciting and it leaves a significant question to consider; what is the route you should take? Only one hike allows to walk on the original stone paths and enter Machu Picchu with the help of the ancient Sun Gate. This is the world-famous classic Inca Trail. The government is very strict with entry due to its unbelievable popularity and to maintain the old path. This entails obtaining an Inca Trail Permit by a licensed tour operator.
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is an alternative that is dramatic in terms of mountain view, and could not obtain a permit. Therefore, it is a great option among the travelers. The road is also known to have exquisite and varied sceneries in that it traverses. High alpine mountain passes close to the holy and snow-covered mountain of Salkantay as well as descending into cloud forest. Although there is no special permit needed and more options in terms of booking. Salkantay Trek is typically viewed as more strenuous in terms of elevation and more difficult ascents.In any case, it is up to you what matters most.
Select the Inca Trail when: You fantasize about hiking a historical pilgrimage trail and you can make plans well in advance. The prize will be to arrive in Machu Picchu by foot as the Inca did.
Select the Salkantay Trek when: You are seeking epic mountain views, a variety of ecosystems and require greater booking options. It is a more difficult physical task whose scenic rewards are breathtaking.
Figuring out a budget for a trip to Peru doesn’t have to be complicated. After your international flights, the total cost largely comes down to three key purchases: your Machu Picchu entrance ticket, the round-trip train ticket to get there, and your daily expenses for lodging and food. Tackling these big items first will give you a clear picture of your overall spending and prevent any major surprises down the road.
For the non-negotiable costs, a standard Machu Picchu ticket is priced at around $45-$60 USD. The train journey to Aguas Calientes, the town below the ruins, is often a bigger expense, with round-trip fares typically ranging from $140 to over $300 depending on the train class. Because these prices are relatively fixed, booking them a few months in advance helps lock in a major part of your Machu Picchu cost and ensures you get the time slots you want.
Beyond those big tickets, your daily spending will depend on your travel style. Peru uses the Sol (PEN) as its currency, and you’ll find everything from budget-friendly hostels to more comfortable hotels. A good baseline for daily food costs is around $20-$30 per person, but a fantastic local tip can cut that down significantly, especially during lunchtime.
Should a guided Machu Picchu tour be required then? The formal response may be a deceiver. Although this has been a constant rule, regulations have sometimes enforced it to first time visitors to hire a licensed guide. The first thing you should do is to verify the current requirements in the official government ticket site prior to travelling. This small test can ensure that there is nothing to be surprised at the gate. There is more to it than any formal regulation, though, the real question is whether or not a guide will enhance your visit.
Machu Picchu is a striking cluster of ruins of the ancient world, without a guide. It is a living city with a guide. Like a breath of life, a good tour guide narrates the history of the Inca Empire to the visitors in a manner that makes you relate to the purpose of the site. They are able to highlight things that you would not have noticed otherwise, discuss the brilliance of the water fountains, and navigate the one-way circuits like you are a genius in order to get the best photo spots in Machu Picchu. They actually make sightseeing a storytelling process.
Luckily, you do not need to devote yourself to a big tour that is often a pre-packaged one to reap this advantage. To have more room, you can consider hiring a licensed-guide just outside the entrance gates. It is an excellent alternative and gives you an opportunity to go at your own speed, pose certain questions, and customize the tour according to your preferences.
This guide has turned this complicated logistics of a trip to Peru into a sequence of easy manageable steps and has provided a straight forward way. This last timeline is the one that you will use to convert your dream into a real tour program.
And to make it even easier here is your countdown to booking your trip with confidence:
When you are traveling using this time line, you need to keep in mind two golden rules of making your journey a success, which are: you need to book your much needed tickets early enough and you should take it easy with the altitude. You have began with a picture, and you have a plan. The enigmatic city of the Incas is not only a far-fetched dream, but it is your next destination and you can make a reservation.
