Peru - Machu Picchu Honeymoon

Good evening,

My wife and I are planning our honeymoon for June or July 2013. We currently live in Florida so we wanted something besides the ordinary. We decided on something closer to home but with a little adventure. Machu Pichu came to the front of our list.

I have 150k AA and 115k Ultimate Reward points if that helps.

We would be interested in hiking the trail, but lack the equipment (boots/pack, etc) as we aren't typical hikers. We like the idea, but not sure if the 2 or 4 day hike is better. Once there, we would like to stay at a recommended hotel that would be great for a honeymoon.

Does this seem like a good idea? It sounds great on the surface, but is it something you recommend for a 7-10 day honeymoon? If we spent a couple days getting acclimated to the altitude, did the 2 day hike, would we have enough to do and would the hotels be memorable for a honeymoon?

I realize this is a bit scattered, but I am hoping you could help guide me.

Cheers.

The so-called two-day hike is really a few hours of moderate walking on Day 1. You arrive at MP at the end of the day, stay at a hotel in Aguas Calientes, the nearby town, that night, and come back and visit MP on Day 2. Your choice of tour operator (and you have to go with a tour operator if you want to hike the trail) would depend in part on what lodging they use for that night.

The four-day hike is very rough in sectors. (Day 2 is a real bear.)

June and July are the highest of the high season. Make trail reservations months in advance.

The other option is not to do the hike at all. Stay in Cusco or in Ollantaytambo out in the Sacred Valley and take the train to MP. Spend the night there.

Machu Picchu would make a great destination for your honeymoon! There is plenty to do and see in this area. As for hiking, the Inca Trail as mentioned above books months in advance, if you are serious about trekking I would suggest booking your trek as soon as possible. Keep in mind the Inca Trail is strenuous, and you would need the two extra days in Cusco prior to acclimatize. So far this puts you at 6 days, leaving you with a few extra to explore the area, which allows you to focus in on what you really want to see and do outside of the trail. There are plenty of Inca ruins to visit, as well as markets, and many other outdoor activities (more hiking, biking, and whitewater rafting) in the area.
As for great hotels for a honeymoon, it all depends on your budget and style, but there are plenty of great places to stay in Aguas Calientes (town at the foot of Machu Picchu) and in Cusco, that are sure to be special for your stay. Here are some options to look into, Boutique Casa San Blas (Cusco), Andean Wings Boutique Hotel (Cusco), Inkaterra La Casona (Cusco), Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel (Aguas), and El MaPi Hotel (Aguas).
A honeymoon in Peru is sure to be out of this world.
Happy travel planning!
Katherine
Peru For Less

Look at the MP sanctuary Lodge Run by Orient Express Hotels. Only Lodge at the MP Site, Aguas Calientes Would Not really be my Place of Choice for a Honeymoon.

Several nice hotels in the sacred valley. Tambo del Inka, Aranwa Sacred Valley, and quite a few in Cusco.

Look at the MP sanctuary Lodge Run by Orient Express Hotels. Only Lodge at the MP Site, Aguas Calientes Would Not really be my Place of Choice for a Honeymoon.

Unless you are doing Inca trail, you will want to spend the night in Sacred Valley as accommodation&dining options are very limited in Aguas Calientes If going to Cusco, I would recommend to also visiting Puno (4-5 hours by bus) to see the Lake Titicaca. Especially the floating islands and indigenous island towns are worth seeing during the honeymoon. If visiting Puno, you might want to book a return flight from Juliaca (40 minutes from Puno).

I lived in Peru for a couple years, so don't hesitate to ask for ideas.

The four-day hike is very rough in sectors. (Day 2 is a real bear.)
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The 4-days inca trail is a beautiful unforgettable experience, but yes it's very rough, you won't see a shower in 3 days, you won't sleep comfortably, I think it's not suitable for a typical honeymoon, but of course it depends on each one decision.

I support the idea of staying at Sacred Valley, there are several hotels ideal for a honeymoon (Tambo del Inka, Sonesta Posada del Inka, San Agustin Monasterio). And you can go 2 days to Machu Picchu, climb to the Huayna Picchu, do short hikes around the ruins (look for the inca bridge, the actual bridge is not big deal but the road is beautiful).

The MP sanctuary Lodge within Machu Picchu is also an option, though I have heard some comments about it is not that worth it for the price. For example they offer rooms with view to the ruins, but that view is a partial one, you won't see the ruins like in a postcard, the lodge is not on the top of the mountain. However it was chosen as a honeymoon destiny, so it should have its nice features. Check this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/peru/1348317-machu-picchu-honeymoon-destiny.html

I have stayed at the hotel at the top of Macchu Picchu (the Sanctuary Lodge), and it is worth the price you pay for the exclusivity of having the park to yourself for sunset and sunrise. The rooms are just fine, the food reasonably good. It is, however, one of the most memorable hotel stays I have ever had from the memories of the empty Macchu Picchu by moonlight and with the sun rising. I would try very hard to get a reservation if you can.

An incredible travel agency for arranging travel in Peru is galapagosholidays.com. My agent there put me on the waiting list for the Macchu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge and got me in, as well as seamlessly arranging flights, trains, transfers, tours, etc. in Ecuador, the Galapagos, and all around Peru. (The agent, by the way, runs the Sleeping in Airports website.) Best travel agents I have ever dealt with.

If you are in Peru, I also recommend Lake Titicaca.

Edit: Holy $hit! I just checked out the current prices for the Sanctuary Lodge, and they are insane. I stayed there about 10 years ago, and the price was under $200, now they quote $800+.

I have stayed at the hotel at the top of Macchu Picchu (the Sanctuary Lodge), and it is worth the price you pay for the exclusivity of having the park to yourself for sunset and sunrise.......
It is, however, one of the most memorable hotel stays I have ever had from the memories of the empty Macchu Picchu by moonlight and with the sun rising. ......

Edit: Holy $hit! I just checked out the current prices for the Sanctuary Lodge, and they are insane. I stayed there about 10 years ago, and the price was under $200, now they quote $800+.

I forgot to add about the "not worth the price" point, that I heard that they don't let you enter the ruins after hours, by night, but I've not confirmed it yet, it was just a friend whol told me that. If it's true, then definitely it's not worth it!

It's a great experience but it's a reasonably hard hike. If you do hike, you will arrive early in the morning (before the train from AC is running) so I don't think you need to stay at the hotel (YMMV of course). Cusco makes a nice base for acclimatizing and visiting the area.

Double rooms at the Sanctuary Lodge start at about $900. It's not worth that to me. At one time, guests of the Sanctuary Lodge used to be able to tour the ruins after dark in the nights around the full moon. That ended years ago.

I second many of the other tips here: stay in the Sacred Valley where the hotels are fantastic, the prices are good, and you can do lots of interesting day hikes in the area. Much more romantic. Then take the train to Machu Pichu and if you want to spend the night, do it at Machu Picchu Pueblo in Aguas Calientes as the rooms are far better and the grounds are gorgeous. As others have said, Sanctuary Lodge is now an "if you have to ask how much it is..." place. Click through these reviews for details on the options: Best hotels in Peru (http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/lux_peru.html)

One missing from there is Valle Sagrado in the Sacred Valley - also run by Orient-Express, but with much lower rates than Sanctuary or Monasterio.