Peru - Peru / Machu Picchu Question

I'm heading to Peru in May for 6 days and was wondering would I be better off doing a short 2 day trek to Machu Picchu, or catching the train up and spending the 2 days at Machu Picchu itself? Im just not sure with the 2 day trek if the time allocated at Machu Picchu before you have to jump on the train back in the afternoon is enough time there.

Also would I be better off spending 2 days in Cusco and 1 day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, or 1 day in Cusco and 2 days in the Sacred Valley of the Incas?

Will be flying back into Lima from Cusco on the day I fly out of Peru, will spend the day looking round Lima, is the luggage storage at the aiport safe?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mal

Welcome to Flyertalk.

I wasn't really aware of luggage storage in the Lima airport - although if there are lockers they should be pretty secure - but then again. If you are flying out the same day perhaps you can check with the airline and see if you can check your baggage early.

How do you fly from Melbourne to Lima? Thru LAX?

Hi Russell745,

Peru is only a small part of a 11 week honeymoon that includes California, Peru, Italy, France, Thailand and Hong Kong. If it was just Peru, you can fly from Melbourne to Santiago with LAN then up to Lima.

Tried checking the Lima airport website but couldnt see anything about luggage storage, so maybe they haven't, but maybe my spanish isnt up to scratch either. Would of thought an airport would of had luggage storage though.

Mal

If you run across a Lonely Planet episode in Peru, the host does the 2-day trek and mentions the train option. It sounds like the trek is more of a hiking challenge and nature viewing option. (I haven't been myself)

Sounds like a fantastic honeymoon!! We went to Peru last February. I would spend at least one full day at Machu Picchu, 2 days is nice (we spent two) but you can see pretty much everything in one full day AS LONG AS you staying at MP or Aguas Calientes. We didn't do the hike but if you are a serious hiker I have heard it is fabulous. I would spend the two nights in Cuzco and one in the Sacred Valley. I highly recommend overnighting in the town of Ollantaytambo. There is a very good hotel there, Pakaritampu, and it's a short walk to the train that will take you to MP. The town of Ollantaytambo has excellent ruins, a charming town square and the old town is set up on an ancient Incan plan so it's very interesting to walk around in. We stayed at the Monasterio in Cuzco and that place is absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend it. We also stayed one night at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge and one night at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Lodge. Both are fantastic, but if I had to choose only one I would pick the Machu Picchu Pueblo Lodge. Have a great time and feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions. We had a fantastic time in Peru, my husband even went surfing a couple of time south of Lima in area called Punta Rocas, great beach clubs and ceviche...I want to go back!

I am not sure that LIM has a luggage storage area any more. They used to, but I don't remember seeing it on my last few trips, although they may just moved it. I used it a couple of times several years ago, but have have had no reason to do so in the past few years. When I last used it, it was a manned location where the bags were kept in a back room out of sight and as far as I know was a safe place.

When I was in LIM about 1 year ago they did have storage upstairs near the lost luggage section (Whish I spent some time at as LAN lost my luggage for 24 hours).

With the amount of time you have I would catch the train and spend two days in Machu Picchu. I would also spend two days in Cuzco and one day in the Sacred Valley. At Cuzco airport there are several travel agents who can arrange really good tours for you. Remember the air is very thin up their and you should give yourself a day to adjust. I had trouble sleeping the first night because I felt out of breath.

Enjoy your trip and enjoy what is a very special part of the world!

If things haven't changed from 4 years ago, day trippers are only allowed into MP after 9 am. Those who do the 4 day Inca trail get to see the sunrise in MP because we began in the dark around 5 am and went into MP around 630am. We had about 2 hours to ourselves with other trekker exploring MP before they opened the doors to day trippers. The morning sunrise indeed was special. The lighting is soft, the clouds hang very low and create a mystical feeling. If you can find time, do the full trek, it completes the MP experience. I wouldn't have appreciated MP as much as I did if I had only come up on a bus for a day. There is a peak called Hyuana (sp?) Pichu, you can climb it, very steep though. But you get to look down onto MP. Sacred valley is worthy of 2 full days. Be careful of altitude sickness as others mentioned. Give yourself a full day in Cuzco to adjust before treking out. Drink some mate de coca, coca tea, not sure if it helps but I sure liked it. If you really want adventure go to Bolivia. You will never forget Bolivia. An overnight bus from Cuzco gets you into La Paz, highest capital in the world. Or better yet, take a bus to lake titicaca and spend a night on an island, isla del sol, it seems like the world is so far away when you are there watching the sunset behind the lake. It is a special part of the world that I will never forget for the scenery and the people.

Thanks everyone for the replys, have decided to spend the 2 days at Machu Picchu and leave the Inca trail for when I can come back and do the 4 day hike.

Have also decided to spend the 2 days in the Sacred Valley and was wondering if we should stay at Ollantaytambo or Urubamba? Which one is better for catching the train to machu Pichu and also for the sites in the Sacred Valley?

Thanks again.

Mal

Hi, all. Can anyone give a definitive word on luggage storage at LIM?

Hi, all. Can anyone give a definitive word on luggage storage at LIM?

It is downstairs on the right as you arrive.

Muchas gracias.