Visiting Machu Piccho
 

Hello Villagers! My wife and I are planning a trip to Machu Piccho next year and am wondering if you had a travel experience, company, or resort you prefer or recommend? Any advice good or otherwise is appreciated. Thanks!

I'm going this 'September. Will let you know.

We went many years ago, everything was easy to navigate, and had a home base hotel, probably no longer there.

One of our son’s travels extensively for work all over Mexico..fluent language, he suggested using a travel company to any major sites. They get you there, usually have better insight, some areas now only allow so many visitors.

Contact Affordable Tours and ask for Trena. Used them for years. First class and best pricing we ever found. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=f6e6b...zLmNvbS8&ntb=1

It has been a while since our trip so will not offer a specific recommendation on tour organizer. I would suggest that you book with someone who uses local guides who take their time going through the site. Since you are at much higher altitudes, you will need time to catch your breath as you climb up the steps. It is beautiful but crowded.

It's been ten years, but we used Tauck; 1st class all the way. Hotels, food, transportation, and guides top notch. We combined it with a cruise (small ship) around the Galapagos Islands.

Experience of a lifetime, BUT:
 

I enjoyed a remarkable trip to MachuPicchu several years ago. Two very important points I would like to stress:
Be sure to arrange your trip to include a local, reputable organizer/guide. Besides the complicated logistics of getting there, my understanding is that the authorities now have limited admission reservations to control crowds. You want to be guaranteed you have a spot!
No matter what, allow time in your schedule to acclimate to the altitude. We were a small group that flew in together the day before our visit. Those first 24 hours were BRUTAL for me and several others. I barely got thru the night and finally felt human again the next day. Two of our group had to be hospitalized and never made it to the site! Allow your body the time to adapt and take advantage of oxygen if needed and the green leaves/tea whenever offered (you’ll find out…😉!)
Be safe and enjoy!

Gate 1 travel

We did this a few short years ago. Normally, we would have planned this ourselves, but after discussing with a few experienced friends, we booked with Truck, and so glad we did.

Well organized, and small groups. Planes, trains, buses, and boats, as it also included Lima, Peru, Lake Titicaca, and Bolivia.

A+++

We used Gate 1 and have been very happy with them. They have many tours that include Machu Piccho from walking to a train.

I was just there in May. Have been to South America a few times and use Adventure Life
They will customize a tour for you depending on what you want to see in Peru. They will arrange all Hotels, Guides, Transportation with there suppliers in Peru. They do an excellent job

I did Machu Piccho 5 or 6 years ago and had a great trip with Road Scholar. Started in Lima. Tour of Peru and of course enough time at MP. Peru has a great food culture if you didn’t know. This particular tour co rubies on to Ecuador and The Galápagos Islands.

We just got back this summer. We visited the Galapagos, Amazon and Machu Picchu. Great guides, hotels and food. Lots of hiking. Bucket list trip.

Andean Discovery | 1.800.893.0916
Personalized Adventures to South America

Machu Picchu
 

Good Morning,
I am a travel advisor for over 40 years and have sold many trips as well as have been myself to Machu Picchu. I would be happy to assist you with arrangements to this area. You can reach me at laraine@odysseytravel with an introduction of what you are interested in and we can go from there. Hope to speak with you soon,

A few years ago we went with Gate1 & it included Lake Titicaca which I highly recommend! Lake Titicaca Your was fabulous! BTW Altitude adjustment is no joke & needs to be taken seriously, especially for Lake Titicaca. One our most memorable trips!

I am planning to go in March. I have flights and hotels booked, but I too am looking for a local Peruvian guide/transfer company (we don't do group tours). I was just planning on relying on the hotel concierge to assist me with the local guides and transfers but haven't gotten to it yet. We are using this hotel in the Sacred Valley as a home base to explore both the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu and our hotel has a train station stop for the train into Machu Picchu. The Sacred Valley is about 2 hours and couple thousand feet lower then Cusco. We are headed straight (down) there from the airport as soon as we land to acclimate for 3 nights before the Machu Picchu tour day, and taking altitude medication before arrival in Peru. We will do a few nights in Cusco at the end after our bodies are used to the altitude of Sacred Valley. We have already done the Galapogos, and experienced the elevation of Quito so I know what to expect for my body in the Sacred Valley which is at a very similar elevation. Take the altitude medication even though it has some side effects, and don't think that you are going to be able to do too much hiking unless you plan to acclimate for several days prior. If anyone has a local tour company they used in Cusco or Sacred Valley please pass it along.

Went with a tour company, Gate1. Go online and register for their specials then wait till that trip comes up, you can save up to $1,500 total on a good sale. Excellent hotels, excellent guides and air and many meals are included. We loved it. Check with your Dr for high altitude pills and if your heart can handle it.

Trek operator
 

If hiking, ‘Adventure Journeys’. All companies observed on trail looked great. Guide qualification and limits on trekkers per day keep safety standard high. Don’t forget to arrive a few days early to adjust to altitude. Cusco is fascinating.

Book a trip that overnights in the hotel by the park entrance. It will give you much more time actually on site, a lot of it without the crowds of day-trippers.

This is good advice. When we went several years ago, our friend purchased a "Lonely Planet" and designed a 3-1/2-week trip to Peru. We two couples were living on our sailboats which we docked at Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. This vacation took place during November and into December. Every cost was negotiated in person. For instance, a hotel room started with an asking price, say $30, and was bargained down to an agreeable price, say $20. Such was the room in Aguas Calientes, at the bottom of the mountain at the entrance to Machu Picchu,

Tourists arrive en masse around 11 am to early afternoon. We found it more of a benefit to come back a second day early in the morning before the crowds arrived. Here is a photo taken that morning:

Acetazolamide is what I have used for high altitudes. Check with your doctor.

WebMD... click here.

Arrived there and greeted by strikes which left no access. Ruined vacation. Turns out to be a frequent event. Good luck