Peru - Whirlwind Tour of Peru, Chile and Easter Island in 9 days - Please help!

Yes, we are crazy (or, my husband is crazy because he booked it and I'm crazy because i let him). We are taking my mom along for her 60th birthday and this is the first trip to South America for all of us.

Coming up next month (I'll post a trip report when we get back). Right now the flights are booked and hotels are partially finalized (using Tamba del Inka as base in Sacred Valley once we we arrive in Cusco).

Still need suggestions for activities/accomodations in Lake Titcaca (we will have only 1 day from 4:30pm arrival till 5pm flight the next day (insane!). Right now we are deliberating between a homestay in Llachon upon arrival and half day tour of Uros/Tacquille the next day of departure or just staying in Puno and then doing Uros/Tacquille. Hate to miss out on Sillustani though.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to look and offering us your suggestions - it may be the saving grace for this hectic trip!

day 1: fly from lax to lima (arriving around midnight)
day 2: 7am flight from lima to cusco (arriving around 8am)
full-day tour in cusco
transfer to spg hotel in sacred valley
day 3: full-day tour in sacred valley
day 4: 6am train from sacred valley to MP, arriving around 7:40am
full-day in MP
21:30pm train back to sacred valley
day 5: 3pm flight from cusco to juliaca, arriving around 4:10pm
tour pick-up, overnight stay at a local family
day 6: tour to islands in lake titicaca
flight from juliaca to lima at 5:30pm, arriving around 7:10pm
day 7: one day in lima
evening (1am on day 8) flight to easter island
day 8: arriving in easter island around 6am
full day in easter island
day 9: flight at 1pm from easter island to santiago (arriving around 8pm)
day 10: full day in santiago
day 11: leaving santiago at 7am for lax via lima

that is crazy ! :D

I would drop Titicaca/Juliaca,
and take the extra time in CUZ or IPC.

*gulp* i know! and as it gets closer and closer, i find myself getting more and more nervous. unfortunately tickets have already been booked so can't drop titicaca...also, i heard it's amazing and have been wanting to go for a while.

should make for an interesting trip report, right? :)

that is crazy ! :D

I would drop Titicaca/Juliaca,
and take the extra time in CUZ or IPC.

You are not crazy. It's your first time in South America and it's like an (south or north)american who wants to know the whole Europe in 21 days.
It will be exhausting. And unhealthy for a 60yo lady. Actually for anybody.

This is your biggest mistake:
day 6: tour to islands in lake titicaca
flight from juliaca to lima at 5:30pm, arriving around 7:10pm


I've done the Titicaca full day tour and it's impossible to get the airport by 4:30pm. Impossible unless you drop Taquile. I mean take a tour to just the Uros island. They are closer to the city, and involves less effort.

Let me explain you:
I did the Uros-Taquile full day tour. They pick you at 6am to the docks. Arrive at 7:30, 8am aprox to Uros and visit 2 or 3 floating islands. Then you go to Taquile, arriving by 11:30am or noon aprox. The town is in the top of a hill, and you must hike to reach it cause the lunch is at the town. A beautiful experience, wonderful landscapes, I'd do it again!! But nobody told me (previously at the agency) that I had to hike a trail at 4000 meters over the sea. I'm in good shape, but I went with my father who was 75 at that moment. He really suffered and I was very worried. Fortunately he made it and enjoyed, though we walk very, very slow. So slow that our group left us and we were reached by the group who arrived to the island after us.
Can't remember how long was the trail, probably 2 or 3km, but the altitude was like 150mt. from the lake.

I said you must hike to the town, because you can't stay at the island shores, there is nothing there. Everything is in the top where the town is located. The boat leaves the dock and go to a dock at the other side of the island when they will receive you after going down from the town, walking thru a different trail.

I don't remember the exact hour we got back at Puno city, but it should be around 5pm because I remember I still saw the sun. Note that from Puno you must go back to Juliaca airport, 51km far from Puno. You won't make it.

So if your flights are already booked, try to get a tour just to Uros islands, not Taquile. The Uros floating islands are closer to Puno and you would be returning between noon and 2pm.

Besides I'm telling you because you should take care of your mom. Your itinerary is very, very hard for a 60yo lady. It is very rushy for anybody. Cusco is 3400mt. over the sea. So going to different places, sleeping at different rooms, packing and unpacking, it will be exhausting.

Hi, Villavic:

I cannot begin to thank you for taking the time to post such a thoughtful answer to my query. You write with great compassion and I am touched by your concern for my mom's well-being.

We plan to take a personal guide as opposed to join a tour given our time constraints, but at the back of my mind I too worry about whether the travel agent's asssurance that we would get to the airport on time is overly optimistic.

After hearing from you, we are inclined to 1) scratch the idea of attempting Huayna Picchu during our MP visit and 2) exploring the idea of finding a lake side hotel at Titicaca and hang out there and then doing a visit to Sillustani prior to our evening flight.

Thanks again, Villavic. We hope to share with you our trip highlights once we return!

Best,
Lotuspad

You are not crazy. It's your first time in South America and it's like an (south or north)american who wants to know the whole Europe in 21 days.
It will be exhausting. And unhealthy for a 60yo lady. Actually for anybody.

This is your biggest mistake:


I've done the Titicaca full day tour and it's impossible to get the airport by 4:30pm. Impossible unless you drop Taquile. I mean take a tour to just the Uros island. They are closer to the city, and involves less effort.

Let me explain you:

Besides I'm telling you because you should take care of your mom. Your itinerary is very, very hard for a 60yo lady. It is very rushy for anybody. Cusco is 3400mt. over the sea. So going to different places, sleeping at different rooms, packing and unpacking, it will be exhausting.

Always a pleasure to help people planning to come to Peru

day 4: 6am train from sacred valley to MP, arriving around 7:40am
full-day in MP
21:30pm train back to sacred valley


One day is enough to get a good overview of Machu Picchu. But that can't include hiking to Huayna Picchu. Anyone who wants to climb to the top must stay 2 days in AC. Reaching the top of Huanya Picchu takes almost a whole morning. Besides if you arrive to Aguas calientes by 10 or 11am, probably the Huayna Picchu section is already full and they won't let you enter. It is very controled. Your decision of scratch HP is good. And even in just one day you will be more than amazed with Machu Picchu.

Sillustani is beatiful and yes you can do it during the morning. It's near Umayo lagoon, far less popular than Titicaca lake but beautiful too. You will not be dissapointed. An advantage is that it is near the road from Puno to Juliaca airport, so if you get a private guide with transport, you wouldn't need to return to Puno city.


However I still suggest you to look for a Uros islands short tour during the morning. Uros is a unique place in the world, and missing that is like going to Paris and not see the Eiffel tower. Sailing on Titicaca lake is also an experience far better than any view from the shore.

Yes, we are crazy (or, my husband is crazy because he booked it and I'm crazy because i let him). We are taking my mom along for her 60th birthday and this is the first trip to South America for all of us.

Coming up next month (I'll post a trip report when we get back). Right now the flights are booked and hotels are partially finalized (using Tamba del Inka as base in Sacred Valley once we we arrive in Cusco).

Still need suggestions for activities/accomodations in Lake Titcaca (we will have only 1 day from 4:30pm arrival till 5pm flight the next day (insane!). Right now we are deliberating between a homestay in Llachon upon arrival and half day tour of Uros/Tacquille the next day of departure or just staying in Puno and then doing Uros/Tacquille. Hate to miss out on Sillustani though.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to look and offering us your suggestions - it may be the saving grace for this hectic trip!

day 1: fly from lax to lima (arriving around midnight)
day 2: 7am flight from lima to cusco (arriving around 8am)
full-day tour in cusco
transfer to spg hotel in sacred valley
day 3: full-day tour in sacred valley
day 4: 6am train from sacred valley to MP, arriving around 7:40am
full-day in MP
21:30pm train back to sacred valley
day 5: 3pm flight from cusco to juliaca, arriving around 4:10pm
tour pick-up, overnight stay at a local family
day 6: tour to islands in lake titicaca
flight from juliaca to lima at 5:30pm, arriving around 7:10pm
day 7: one day in lima
evening (1am on day 8) flight to easter island
day 8: arriving in easter island around 6am
full day in easter island
day 9: flight at 1pm from easter island to santiago (arriving around 8pm)
day 10: full day in santiago
day 11: leaving santiago at 7am for lax via lima

Lotuspad,

Apart from everything else that Villavic has already mentioned, please consider the following (especially in the shoes of your 60-yr old mum).

You are coming off a 24 hour travel day (probably driving LV to LAX? so add another 3-5 hours), having spend the night I assume on benches at LIM, from a low elevation to high elevation and finally arriving in Cusco and wanting to plunge into a full day tour. I would counsel against that as a firm plan unless you know how well everyone in your group reacts to altitude and its effects.

If everything is already fixed, then best bet may be to nix the Cusco. At least give everyone a chance to catch their breath at the Tambo (spg hotel in sacred valley). With altitude sickness, if you start off wrong, it can affect you for days and days.

Cheers,
SF

i'm doing a similar trip in June just in a different order

Since other's have commented on your post how but this one:...think it should be ok?

Day 1: Arrive Lima 11PM
Day 2: Full day Lima
Day 3: LIM-IPC(Flight arrives at 6AM)
Day 3,4,5- IPC
Day 6-IPC-SCL(Departs Early AM)- Half Day in Santiago
Day 7- Full Day Santiago
Day 8- Fly to Cuzco via Lima- Half day in Cuzco
Day 9- Cuzco to Macchu Picchu- Overnight aguas calientes
Day 10- Macchu Picchu back down to Cuzco
Day 11- Late afternoon flight to LIM with a connection back home.

Any tips or suggestions on optimizing my time would be helpful.

i'm doing a similar trip in June just in a different order

Since other's have commented on your post how but this one:...think it should be ok?

Day 1: Arrive Lima 11PM
Day 2: Full day Lima
Day 3: LIM-IPC(Flight arrives at 6AM)
Day 3,4,5- IPC
Day 6-IPC-SCL(Departs Early AM)- Half Day in Santiago
Day 7- Full Day Santiago
Day 8- Fly to Cuzco via Lima- Half day in Cuzco
Day 9- Cuzco to Macchu Picchu- Overnight aguas calientes
Day 10- Macchu Picchu back down to Cuzco
Day 11- Late afternoon flight to LIM with a connection back home.

Any tips or suggestions on optimizing my time would be helpful.

It's also a rushy tour but enough to know Machu Picchu and probably Cusco at a glance. I mean, if you arrive at Cusco by noon, you could do the city tour in the afternoon including the ruins of the short circuit (Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puka Pukará and Tambomachay). But that will depend on how you feel arriving, because of the altitude. The most recommendable is to take a rest the first day. You may sacrifice the short circuit so you'll be on good shape the next day for MP. That varies on each person. Some people suffer more than others with altitude (blood pressure, nausa, dizziness).

Fortunately I never sufferd of those "soroche" symptoms, but my mother did, and very bad. So you will know that on your arrive.

That short circuit could be possible also on day 11, but it depends on how late your flight to Lima is scheduled

i'm doing a similar trip in June just in a different order

Since other's have commented on your post how but this one:...think it should be ok?

Day 1: Arrive Lima 11PM
Day 2: Full day Lima
Day 3: LIM-IPC(Flight arrives at 6AM)
Day 3,4,5- IPC
Day 6-IPC-SCL(Departs Early AM)- Half Day in Santiago
Day 7- Full Day Santiago
Day 8- Fly to Cuzco via Lima- Half day in Cuzco
Day 9- Cuzco to Macchu Picchu- Overnight aguas calientes
Day 10- Macchu Picchu back down to Cuzco
Day 11- Late afternoon flight to LIM with a connection back home.

Any tips or suggestions on optimizing my time would be helpful.

Only other comment would be to give yourself a window for the connection at LIM on Day 11. Late afternoon flights out of Cuzco can sometimes get delayed because of weather. Take a look at the recent thread on the forum for additional details. I would not cut it too close.

Thanks for the input, SometimesFlyer! My mom is really touched that you and Villavic took the time to chime in with respect to her. We will keep your advice in mind once we arrive in Cusco and if we are too tired we'll just hightail it to the Tamba del Inka.

We still haven't made plans yet for Lake Titicaca - keep going back and forth between doing the Llachon homestay and Uros next day vs Puno and Uros Daytrip. What do you think about the homestay vs Puno?

Thanks again for all your great replies! Much appreciated.
Lotuspad,

Apart from everything else that Villavic has already mentioned, please consider the following (especially in the shoes of your 60-yr old mum).

You are coming off a 24 hour travel day (probably driving LV to LAX? so add another 3-5 hours), having spend the night I assume on benches at LIM, from a low elevation to high elevation and finally arriving in Cusco and wanting to plunge into a full day tour. I would counsel against that as a firm plan unless you know how well everyone in your group reacts to altitude and its effects.

If everything is already fixed, then best bet may be to nix the Cusco. At least give everyone a chance to catch their breath at the Tambo (spg hotel in sacred valley). With altitude sickness, if you start off wrong, it can affect you for days and days.

Cheers,
SF

Thanks for the input, SometimesFlyer! My mom is really touched that you and Villavic took the time to chime in with respect to her. We will keep your advice in mind once we arrive in Cusco and if we are too tired we'll just hightail it to the Tamba del Inka.

We still haven't made plans yet for Lake Titicaca - keep going back and forth between doing the Llachon homestay and Uros next day vs Puno and Uros Daytrip. What do you think about the homestay vs Puno?

Thanks again for all your great replies! Much appreciated.

Hi Lotuspad,

I think we both just want you to have a good trip. The area is very beautiful and you should take you time to "smell the roses" if you know what I mean.

I have not actually done the island homestays myself but have seen them. They are pretty rustic, some with no electricity and water. However, the cruise on the lake is pretty special and if I had to pick, I would find a day tour of the lake where they take you out to the floating islands. Puno city itself is not that attractive and frankly, looks a little "dusty" to me.

Another thing. If you do decide to take it easy and hightail it to Tambo, check out the spa. They have a great water circuit and all sorts of treatments. No free entry but well worth the $30 or so bucks just to relax after a long travel day.

Let me know if there is anything other info we can help provide.

Have a good trip,
SF

bring your altitude sickness pills. :D

bring your altitude sickness pills. :D

Diamox (Acetazolamide) works pretty well but can make you pee like a racehorse! The dehydration does not add up well, especially if you are on a trek like to MP. Usually taken a couple days before you head up and while you are there.

There are other stronger meds like Dex (Dexamethasone) or EPO but stay away unless you absolutely know what you are doing! :eek:

I already have qualms about a small bladder as it is...will likely stay away from meds unless absolutely necessary.

Diamox (Acetazolamide) works pretty well but can make you pee like a racehorse! The dehydration does not add up well, especially if you are on a trek like to MP. Usually taken a couple days before you head up and while you are there.

There are other stronger meds like Dex (Dexamethasone) or EPO but stay away unless you absolutely know what you are doing! :eek: