Peru - Help with Peru itinerary (2 adults, 3 kids)

Hi,

Have read other itinerary threads and learned a lot. Here is my preliminary itinerary.

Key constraints:
- We have only one week.
- My husband and I will be traveling with our kids aged 14, 12, and 9.
- We are aware we will miss many wonderful parts of Peru, but traveling with the kids, we'd rather have a relaxed pace. Machu Picchu and the Amazon basin will thrill them; city sights and markets may be less appealing.

Day 1 (Sat): Arrive Lima late evening (10pm). Overnight at Ramada near Lima airport.

Day 2 (Sun): Fly to Puerto Maldonado early am. Afternoon and overnight PM. (Lodge tbd).

Day 3 (Mon): Full day at Puerto Maldonado (lodge tbd).

Day 4 (Tues): PM am; fly to Cuzco at 2pm and transfer to Tambo del Inka in Urabamba

Day 5 (Wed): Sacred Valley

Day 6 (Thur) Machu Picchu

Day 7 (Fri) MP again or Sacred Valley

Day 8 (Sat) am ???; fly Cuzco - Lima mid day and depart Lima 11:45 pm

Would love feedback. I really like the idea of using Tambo del Inka as our base in the Sacred Valley instead of moving around since we're traveling with the kids. It also has the train station at the resort for easy access to M.P.

I'd love any criticisms or feedback. My main question is whether we should we stay at Puerto Maldonado another full day and steal a day from the Sacred Valley time?

Anita

PS - Travel will be late May 2013.

Late may is good weather, rainy season is already over.

2 days in Machu Picchu or 2 days in Sacred Valley? Hard to answer.
You can visit entire Machu Picchu in one day. But if you want to climb the Huayna Picchu, you need 2 days. Now, since your kids are 14, 12, and 9, Huayna Picchu would be hard for the youngests.
so I would spend 2 days in Sacred Valley. I assume you will go to Machu Picchu on day 6 from Ollantaytambo. So a 2nd day in Sacred Valley would be good to visit Chincheros, Moray and mayba Maras (these places are not within the valley but very close).

Pisac is another town in the valley that is a must. The market probably will not be interesting for your kids but the ruins on the top of the mountain are. The views from there are breathtaking aAnd the road is not so hard. At the sacred valley there are rafting tours, too. Though again maybe not for the youngest kids.

About the last question, thinking in the kids.. probably the jungle will be more exciting than Sacred valley. I'd suggest you do more research of the activities available thru or near your lodge. I've not been there so I can't recommend any.

Villavic, thanks for your comments. I revised because my gut is that we'll want more time in the jungle as well. We won't attempt strenuous hikes with the kids so one day at Machu Picchu should do it.

Day 1 (Sat): Arrive Lima late evening (10pm). Overnight at Ramada near Lima airport.

Day 2 (Sun): Fly to Puerto Maldonado early am. Afternoon and overnight PM. (Lodge tbd).

Day 3 (Mon): Full day at Puerto Maldonado (lodge tbd).

Day 4 (Tues): Full day at Puerto Maldonado

Day 5 (Wed) fly to Cuzco 9am; transfer to Tambo del Inka in Urubamba; Valley activities afternoon.

Day 6 (Thur): Machu Picchu (from train station at Tambo del Inka)

Day 7 (Fri) Sacred Valley or surrounding towns

Day 8 (Sat) am ???; fly Cuzco - Lima mid day and depart Lima 11:45 pm

I can't find the train schedule from Tambo del Inka easily right now, but since the whole point of the station was day trips to MP, I'm assuming early am departures and late afternoon / evening returns.

As much as the kids are dying to go to MP, I also know that after one long day there, they'll be done.

Thanks for any input.

Anita

I really like the idea of using Tambo del Inka as our base in the Sacred Valley instead of moving around since we're traveling with the kids. It also has the train station at the resort for easy access to M.P.


I didn't know there was a train stop at that hotel or Urubamba town. As I know it is in Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley but 20km from Urubamba. You must confirm if one of the train stops at the hotel, or probably they arrange your transportation to that station, that is a time saving cause from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (MP) is like 2 hours (far shorter than Cusco - Aguas Calientes).

It is probably a private train or exclusive autowagon cause the hotel website mention it (no schedule detailed); the Urubamba stop doesn't appear on the formal trains websites:

https://www.perurail.com/en/guide_train_machupicchu.php

http://www.machupicchutrain.com/services.html

I suggest you email the hotel for its train schedule.

If you select the tambo del inka resort mainly for train access, then you may also consider the Pakaritampu hotel just beside the train station in Ollantaytambo. Very good hotel, 2 min walk to train station from where you probably have much greater flexibility in terms of train schedule. I stayed there about 2 years ago and it was an excellent choice to get a (verly) early train to MP and back late in the evening.

Tambo del Inka does have its own train station. However, not every train going back and forth MP stops there. In fact, very few do. They are scheduled for a daytrip with outbound in morning and return in evening.

From the hotel website :

Private Resort Train
Hours:Hours of operation
About:Onsite;
Travelers on their way to Machu Picchu delight in the direct train service offered by Tambo del Inka's private train station.

Railcar Train 601 leaves the hotel at 7am, arriving at Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) at 10:06am.
Vistadome Train 304 departs Aguas Calientes at 3:20pm and arrives at the hotel at 6:45pm.
Tickets are available for advance purchase at the station. Please contact the hotel at valle@tikariy.com.pe for further details.

If you select the tambo del inka resort mainly for train access, then you may also consider the Pakaritampu hotel just beside the train station in Ollantaytambo. Very good hotel, 2 min walk to train station from where you probably have much greater flexibility in terms of train schedule. I stayed there about 2 years ago and it was an excellent choice to get a (verly) early train to MP and back late in the evening.

I will check this hotel also.

My main reason for picking Tambo Del Inka is that it I can use Starwood points to book it. It is well reviewed and seems well located for a base. That said, the train schedule posted by Sometimes flyer (thank you!) gives me pause. That's a lot of train travel for 5 hours at machu picchu...which is our primary reason for visiting Peru in the first place.

I need to look at staying a night in Agua Calientes (sp?) so we can get a nice full day at MP without the long train ride on both ends...

Anita

I will check this hotel also.

That's a lot of train travel for 5 hours at machu picchu...which is our primary reason for visiting Peru in the first place.

I need to look at staying a night in Agua Calientes (sp?) so we can get a nice full day at MP without the long train ride on both ends...

Anita

... and you have to deduct about 1h for bus ride/wait to get up to and down from the ruins. Train travel time from Ollantaytambo is only about 2h per way, so no problem to do a return the same day. Aguas Calientes is a quite boring place catering mainly to backpackers. There are (a few) decent hotels there, but do you want to take all your luggage with you on the train?

Another point you should consider is altitude. Sacred valley is your first day in altitude and you may want to keep it as low as possible to avoid soroche (altitude sickness). Ollantaytambo is about 200m lower than Urubamba and about 600m lower than Cuzco.

I will check this hotel also.

My main reason for picking Tambo Del Inka is that it I can use Starwood points to book it. It is well reviewed and seems well located for a base. That said, the train schedule posted by Sometimes flyer (thank you!) gives me pause. That's a lot of train travel for 5 hours at machu picchu...which is our primary reason for visiting Peru in the first place.

I need to look at staying a night in Agua Calientes (sp?) so we can get a nice full day at MP without the long train ride on both ends...

Anita

Hmm, here's another angle. I think the train ride in itself may be quite an experience for your kids. If you get the vistadome train, the views are pretty cool. Along the way, it travels along a river valley and you get great views. It can also get a little touristy and on a trip last year, there was a little "fashion show" put on by the crew as part of a merchandising exercise. On top of that, its a pretty comfortable ride. I miss the old days of train travel ...

In the sacred valley, I think the salt ponds and the Inca amphitheater will rank #1 and #2 for your kids in terms of educational and getting their interest. Both of them can be part of a day trip you do out of Tambo del Inka.

The Tambo del Inka is one of my all time favorite hotel so I'm a little biased. I would still recommend staying there as a base, and just doing the day trip to MP and back. Long day, but doable. I think you will find that even if you stay in AC, given the need to go back/forth to Cusco/Sacred valley, your net "exploring" time in MP and sacred valley will be the same.

Have a good trip.

Hmm, here's another angle. I think the train ride in itself may be quite an experience for your kids. If you get the vistadome train, the views are pretty cool. Along the way, it travels along a river valley and you get great views. It can also get a little touristy and on a trip last year, there was a little "fashion show" put on by the crew as part of a merchandising exercise. On top of that, its a pretty comfortable ride. I miss the old days of train travel ...

In the sacred valley, I think the salt ponds and the Inca amphitheater will rank #1 and #2 for your kids in terms of educational and getting their interest. Both of them can be part of a day trip you do out of Tambo del Inka.

The Tambo del Inka is one of my all time favorite hotel so I'm a little biased. I would still recommend staying there as a base, and just doing the day trip to MP and back. Long day, but doable. I think you will find that even if you stay in AC, given the need to go back/forth to Cusco/Sacred valley, your net "exploring" time in MP and sacred valley will be the same.

Have a good trip.

Thanks! I really appreciate this because I'm dying to stay at Tambo del Inka based on the pictures, the reviews, and the great value I'll get from my SPG points!

One of the benefits of free or nearly free travel is that I am mostly unburdened by that pressure to do / see everything for the maximum amount of time.

I appreciate all the feedback.

Anita