Or must you?
I was living in Peru from November to January when my little sister decided to come visit me on the tail end of my time there. We decided we were going to Machu Picchu, and she coordinated it all in one week.
You heard right. Train tickets, plane tickets, Machu Picchu tickets, hotel and travel plans - one week. Albeit, January is the rainy season in the Peruvian mountains and therefore not the most idyllic time to travel there in theory... In reality, it was the bomb.
If you want to plan a quick trip to Machu Picchu and don't plan on hiking the Inca Trail, here's how we did it all in four (to six, if you include days in Lima) days:
Abridged version:
Day 1: Fly to Lima.
Day 2: Fly to Cusco. Descend from Cusco into the Sacred Valley. Explore Ollantaytambo. Take the late train (7:00 PM) from Ollantaytambo down to Aguas Calientes, the town that's 20 minutes from Machu Picchu (MP). Stay overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Day 3: Wake up stupid early, eat the free and tasty hotel breakfast, and go and buy bus tickets to MP (they have buses leaving every 5 minutes - you'll be fine). Hike Huayna Picchu at 7 AM. Explore MP all day until 2:00 to catch a bus back down and your 3:30 train back to Cusco. Stay overnight in Cusco.
Day 4: Explore Cusco. Take your time, and drink tons of water. Fly back to Lima in the late afternoon. Stay the night in Lima.
Day 5: Spend more time exploring Lima, or fly home! Or both. Hit up the Indian Market (Mercado Indio) for all of your souvenir purchases.
Great! You've got it down! Now, here is the not-so-abridged version.
Day 1: Lima
Fly into Lima. Hang out in Lima.What to do:
Go see the fountains at night if it's a Wed-Sun night and after 7 pm. They're FANTASTIC. Perks of being there in January-February time? It's summer. Hanging out on the Malecon (Miraflores neighborhood) or over in Barranco is where it's at.
Things to see in Lima:
- The Malecon - The Malecon is a series of parks along cliffs in Miraflores. I highly recommend the Parque del Amor for the statue of two giants making out and mosaic love quotes (translation needed). There's also a park near there where paragliders take off. You can walk down to the beach from there on the street that ends in a bridge. If you cross the road on either side of the bridge, going towards the city (away from the water), there are stairs that go down to the beach.
- Larco Mar (mall on a cliff)
- Barranco - hipster part of town. (if you like beers, go to the Barranco Brewery - their lager is incredible!)
- El Parque de Las Fuentes (Fountains)
- Parque Kennedy - go to La Lucha Sangucheria for a life-changing sandwich. Just do it. You can walk there form the Malecon/Larco Mar...
Day 2: Explore the Sacred Valley a little
Fly to Cusco.Cusco is at 11,000 feet. You just went from sea level to 11,000 feet. Get out of 11,000 feet as soon as you can. We hung out in Cusco for a few hours to plot our descent into the Sacred Valley and grab food.
Taxi business:
When leaving the airport, your taxi to the Plaza de Armas should cost no more than 10 soles. 15 soles max. If they offer it to your for 40 soles, they're lying. Don't buy it. Don't feel guilty either. Go outside and find a cheaper taxi.
(Yes, we took a taxi to the PdA for 40 soles... the shame is real.)
What to do:
After arriving in the morning, my sister and I hung out at the Plaza de Armas at this cute little cafe called Cappuchino. It was a second story cafe overlooking the Plaza de Armas. Great, cheap sandwiches. OKish coffee. Totally recommend it.
Whilst there, we met some friendly Americans living in Cusco who advised us on what to do next:
- Take a convey from Cusco to Ollantaytambo for 10 soles each (that's $3 American, folks). If you have to pee, do it before getting on the convey. Ask a local friendly American how to get to the convey station (it's not really a station so much as a spot where conveys sit before leaving). Someone who lives there will know.
- It's a 2-hour drive with beautiful views. Enjoy the fact that your convey has some excellent musical choices, a la "Africa" by Toto. Jam out freely.
- When you get to Ollantaytambo, if you have luggage you want to drop off at the train tickets station, do it. The convey will take you to the part of town right by the train station.
- Next, get a mototaxi to take you to the ruins for 3-5 soles (we paid 3 soles for 2 people).
- Buy tickets for the ruins ($15-20 each, I think), and explore the heck out of em.
- Grab dinner in town. We went to a pizzeria. It was super cute and tasty.
- Make sure you get back to the station in time to grab your luggage and get on the train. I think we got back around 6:20 pm to grab our luggage and get in line by 6:30 before our 7 pm leave time.
- Enjoy the train ride. Get to the hotel in Aguas Calientes. Go to bed early. You're waking up early tomorrow, so seriously... Do it.
Day 3: MACHU. FREAKING. PICCHU.
5:30 AM: Wake up. Eat breakfast. Pack light (maybe pack a swimsuit and towel for Aguas Calientes if you want to go there after MP). Make sure you have your passport, tickets, and soles on you. Leave your bags at the hotel reception desk. Your hotel might have the option to take your bags to the train station for you. That might be desirable.
6:00 AM: Walk to the bus booth (ask your hotel if you need directions). Buy the next available bus tickets. These cost about $20 per person, and you can't buy them in advance. The buses leave every 5 minutes, though, so I wouldn't worry about them selling out. Just might want to get there early to allow some extra time.
6:30 ish AM: Arrive at Machu Picchu. Check a bag for 3 soles if you didn't pack light (you'll want to for the Huayna Picchu hike - it's nuts! But bring a camera, your passport, at least one water bottle, and maybe a granola bar for each person in your party.). There are some tight rock spaces at the top of Huayna Picchu that are less manageable with a big backpack on you. A small bag should be fine. Bask in the glory whilst hiking across Machu Picchu to the other side where lies the entrance of Huayna Picchu. You'll need your passport number to enter the hike.
7:00 AM: Begin your 2.5-3 hour hike of Huayna Picchu. It's tough, but it is uhhhmazing! It wasn't that bad to hike in the rainy season either, FYI (January). Just a wee bit slippery. But they have a rope to hold onto for the hard parts.
10 AM: You did! You hiked it! Well done, you over-accomplished son of a gun! Now, you get to walk all around Machu Picchu for several hours. Which you will love.
12 PM: You can take a break and go get lunch outside, so long as you keep your passport and ticket on you! You'll need both to get back in through the park gate.
1:30 PM: Leave Machu Picchu. You'll want some time to get back to your hotel and get your bags (if they're still there) and maybe go see the Aguas Calientes while you're at it! If you go, they do have beer. Hot springs + beer. Think about it.
3 PM: Be at the train station. You may have to walk through the entire market to get there. It's a bit hectic. We asked for directions multiple times whilst in the market.
3:30 PM: last train out for Cusco.
7:30 PM: Arrive in Cusco. Get a cheap taxi back to your hotel (probably no more than 10 soles). Get some food. Stay the night.
Day 4: Cuscotopia
For the last day, we decided to hang out in Cusco for a few hours before flying out. The altitude was still a little rough, even though we had spent the last two days at at least 7-8,000 ft. We recommend drinking the Mate de Coca and lots of water to help with altitude adjustment.
Things to explore:
- Markets - Their stuff is cheaper here than in Lima (sweaters for 30 soles in lieu of 45 soles). Ask the hotel where the best market is and bargain like it's your job.
- The monastery - I don't remember the name of it, but it was sweet.
- Plaza de Armas
- Cathedrals in the Plaza de Armas
There are probably many other things to explore in Cusco, but we only had a few hours. So, we spent them at a Starbucks in the Plaza de Armas (I was feeling the altitude sickness), a market, and the monastery. Then, we had the hotel call a taxi for us for 10 soles from the Plaza de Armas back to the airport. It's always a good idea to have a Peruvian bargain for a taxi because they'll charge more if they know you're a foreigner (flashback: the 40 soles from the airport situation).
Day 5: Lima (again)
Rinse and repeat Day 1 except this time I'd recommend going to the Indian Market for anything you didn't already buy in Cusco. Plus, they have some cool and different stuff there. It's sweet, and it's walkable from Miraflores/Larco Mar. Or, you can take a taxi there for maybe 5 soles.
You could leave your luggage in the hotel you stayed in on the front end (most will hold it for you), or rent a room for cheap at a hostel/hotel (we used the Lima Wasi hotel - it's two blocks from Larcomar and a great spot/good price).
The taxi from Miraflores to the airport should cost you about 40 soles. You can ask the hotel to coordinate that one for you, too.
TICKETS TO BUY BEFORE YOUR TRIP:
- Round trip tickets from wherever you are to Lima from Day 1- Day 5/last day. I love stalking Kayak for good flight deals (you can set a flight alert that they'll periodically send to your inbox).
- RT plane tickets from Lima to Cusco from Day 2-Day 4 (arriving in the morning on Day 2, leaving in the afternoon on Day 4)
- Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Route Sacred Valley > M. Picchu), leaving at 7 PM (I think that's the last time out) on Day 2
- Train tickets from Aguas Calientes to Cusco (Route M. Picchu > Cusco), leaving at 3:30 PM on Day 3.
- Tickets for the entrance to Machu Picchu
- Tickets for Huayna Picchu, if you want to hike it (that'll be a combo pack deal with Machu Picchu. You have to select the time you'd like to hike). We recommend the 7 AM hike, but they also have a 10 AM hike option.
Where to stay:
- Lima - Lima Wasi hotel - awesome open-air rooftop spot for breakfast/hanging out. Great location and breakfast!
- Cusco - Tierra Viva hotel - a few blocks off the Plaza de Armas. Very pretty hotel. Great breakfast.
- Aguas Calientes - Tierra Viva hotel - a bit of a walk from the train station, very close to the bus station, great breakfast! And pretty morning views of the river and mountains.
Good things to know:
- Don't drink the water/open your mouth in the shower/brush your teeth with it. Use and drink bottled water.
- They throw their toilet paper in the trashcan next to the toilet. It takes a little getting used to.
- You can negotiate your taxis and your market purchases. If you look like a foreigner, they will try to charge you more. Time to bust out those negotiation skills!
- You don't have to have someone with you who speaks Spanish, but it will be tremendously helpful if someone does. There are plenty of people who speak English in Lima and Cusco, buuuttt still.
- Make sure your passport is in a safe place and that you have copies of your passport and credit card info that is stored in a place other than where the actual versions are.
- Don't flaunt your valuables. Keep them hidden unless you're using them (cameras, iPhones, passports, etc). I've known a few people who've had these items snatched right out of their hands.
- Only take taxis that are very well-marked. Ones with checkerboard patterns on the side, a taxi license number painted on the side, and their driver ID tag showing somewhere on the visor or rear-view mirror.
- Use soles (cash) to pay for things. You can use the ATM down there to pull soles out of your account. If you have Bank of America, you shouldn't get a transaction fee at ScotiaBank ATMs (may want to check with them first). There are also good exchange points - there's one in Lima right to the left of the Saga (giant department store). The airport usually has a decent exchange rate as well.
- Much like any big city, there are certain parts of town that are safer than others. Miraflores in Lima tends to be safe at all times, Barranco is getting more safe these days, and there are some other parts of town like San Isidro that are beautiful and safe. Just be aware of your surroundings, act like you know where you're going (not like a tourist), and don't get into an unmarked taxi! If you have someone who speaks Spanish or even looks remotely Peruvian with you, it will help.
Welp... that's all, folks. If I left anything out or if you have any questions/suggestions, feel free to leave them below!
Bon voyage, buen viaje, and hope you have a fun time :)
From the second floor of Cappuchino in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco
Atop the ruins in Ollantaytambo
Before climbing Huayna Picchu (that's the peak in behind us)
After climbing Huayna Picchu, overlooking Machu Picchu below
This view you can achieve from Machu Picchu itself - just hike up the left side
... but beware of the llamas. They can be aggressive. And fun. They are aggressively fun.
The view from Tierra Viva in Cusco
Breakfast at Tierra Viva in Cusco
That monastery we talked about...
The Parque del Amor in Lima
The Malecon
The Malecon, close to Lima Wasi Hotel
