exc3ll

Hi! I have been reading quite a lot of info from this forum and want to thank everyone who contributed.
I came up with this itinerary:

Monday: arrive early in CUZ, have a full day to explore cuzco. Spending the night in cuzco.
Tuesday: Thinking of taking the sacred valley tour from cuzco.
Wed: Early afternoon train to Aquas Calientes to spend the night.
Thurs: Machu Picchu and afternoon train to Cuzco.
Fri: Early morning flight to LIM.

Tuesday is when I need some suggestions. Should I take the tour and have the tour drop me off at Ollantaytambo and spend the night there before heading to aguas calientes the next day? I am aware this means I will be skipping Chinchero which is on the way back to Cuzco. Or should I just go back to cuzco to spend the night and take the train to aquas calientes on Wed? I figured since Ollanta is closer to Aquas Calientes so there's no point to head back to Cuzco.

Any expert help will be deeply appreciated. Thank you!

gotofly

My suggestion do not miss Chinchero it is amazing though more travel time required

Villavic

It's a good option. I spent the night at Ollantaytambo once, it's a very nice little and quiet town, and walking thru the narrow streets (specially the section with stone walls) is a unforgettable experience. I do recommend it.

But yes you would miss Chincheros if you include Pisac and Ollantaytambo in your sacred valley tour. Chincheros is beautiful and the road from Cusco to Chincheros let you enter the sacred valley from a different point than the Cusco-Sacred Valley direct road.

Now, if I had to choose, I'll do the first option, I mean just the SV, and don't miss Pisac, not because of the town but the walk to the ruins on the hilltop. The cubic stones are perfect, it's like giant Lego buildings. And the view from the hilltop is breathtaking.

exc3ll

Thank you for the help! Decision..decision!

JDiver

With the altitude variations, I might suggest going to the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes for the night first, so soon after arriving in Cusco from sea level / Lima. "Exploring the Cusco area in a full day after arrival will tax most of us, due to the sudden change from sea level to 11,200 ft / 3,400 m above Mean Sea Level. It's quite possible one wil lfeel quite fatigued, lack of appetite, sleepless and have a splitting headache with such an itinerary.

OTOH, go to the Sacred Valley to tour, on to Aguas Calientes (6,690 ft/ 2,040 m) for Machu Picchu (7,970 Ft / 2,430 m) starting up on the bus before the tourist trains arrive, then on the return to Ollantaytambo (9,160 ft / 2,792 m) and on to Cusco - you will have adjusted to the higher altitude at Cusco a bit more easily than hitting the streets for a full day on arrival.

I do agree heartily with seeing Ollantaytambo - the archaeological zone to see how these things were done by the Inca, the town if possible for a look-see at how people have loved for centuries - and don't forget to look UP, as Andean condors are frequently seen soaring from the cliff-tops nearby.

CO FF

Agree w/JDiver that you're shorting the whole Sacred Valley & Pisac too. You may not want to hike much on your arrival day, so my suggestion is as follows:

Monday - arrive CUZ; xfer to Ollantaytambo, see the ruins there.

Tuesday - early train (we took a 7:05am, but there were earlier) from Olly to AC/MP; return that evening.

Wednesday - see some or all of Maray, Salinerias and (maybe) Chinchero, on your way in to Cuzco. See Cuzco museums/churches in afternoon/evening.

Thursday - start with an early trip to Pisac; drive up to the very top, hike down (1 hr +/-) to the village; lunch in Pisac; taxi back to Cuzco (S/50). See more museums/churches/etc in afternoon/evening.

Friday - where are you going after LIM? Don't worry so much about an early flight if you're just leaving LIM for the US at night...a mid-day departure is probably ok too.

awardticket

I am working on my Peru trip thanks to all you guys, with a shout out to Villavic!

Sunday: Arrive at CUZ at 2:30 pm from Lima. (thinking about using Peruvian air for that leg, is that a bad idea? Lan has no mileage availability now with BA). Leave Cusco right away for Pisac as it is Sunday, and I want to see the market. Then go to Urubamba I am staying all 3 nights at the Tambo del Inka.

Monday: ? not sure yet what I should do. Any ideas?

Tues: 12:36 train from Olly to Machu Picchu so tour Olly in am then MP. 7:15 pm train back to Olly and cab to Urubamba.

Wed: Get to Cusco in the am to see the sights (taxi maybe?) then have 4:30 pm flight to Lima. Is this a good time to do Chincero on way to Cusco or better a different time? Thanks all for the help!!

Villavic

Sunday: Arrive at CUZ at 2:30 pm from Lima. (thinking about using Peruvian air for that leg, is that a bad idea? Lan has no mileage availability now with BA). Leave Cusco right away for Pisac as it is Sunday, and I want to see the market. Then go to Urubamba I am staying all 3 nights at the Tambo del Inka.
I think the market will be open when you arrive at the town, but a bit late to go up to the ruins (it's in the top of a mountain, the car goes up to a parking but then you walk by an upward path). It's ok to skip the ruins cause your first day in alttitude, you must keep calm and not strain your physical.

Monday: ? not sure yet what I should do. Any ideas?
Chinchero is just 18km from Urubamba. You could get a tour to Chinchero with a stop in Maras or Moray with its unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several enormous terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is about 30 m, not far from the way to Chincheros. Or you can go back to Pisac to visit the ruins. There are several things to do in the valley also: Ollantaytambo, Yucay, rafting in the Urubamba river, etc.

Tues: 12:36 train from Olly to Machu Picchu so tour Olly in am then MP. 7:15 pm train back to Olly and cab to Urubamba.

Wed: Get to Cusco in the am to see the sights (taxi maybe?) then have 4:30 pm flight to Lima. Is this a good time to do Chincero on way to Cusco or better a different time? Thanks all for the help!!
It's possible to visit Chinchero on the way to Cusco but then you would skip the Cusco ruins, cathedral, etc. I think on monday you could see Chincheros in the morning and Ollantaytambo in the afternoon, or viceversa.

awardticket

Thanks for the ideas!

On Tuesday I will be taking a train at 12:36 to Machu P, so would I have enough time in the morning to see the town and ruins of Olly or is it better to spend half a day there Monday as you mentioned, half in Olly and half in Chincero, Moray and Maras?

On a side note will I have enough time in MP? I arrive at 2pm and am on a 715pm train back. I had booked these tickets before I got more time for Peru, and was wondering if it is so bad to just keep them.

JDiver

I'd say in Machu Picchu it depends on where you are stating the overnight - if in Aguas Calientes, you need to take the bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu and you won't have too much time on site unless you have tickets to a nocturnal tour - iirc the site closes at 1700 / 5 PM.

In the morning it opens at 0600 / 6PM again iirc, so it pays to take as early a shuttle / bus as you can to be there - Machu Picchu is, IMO, particularly stunning in the early morning and without the hordes that arrive on the trains.

An early morning in Ollantaytambo allows you to get some touring in; I'd probably prefer that to splitting the day with Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, Moray and Maras, though I imagine it can be done with a vehicle.

awardticket

I think I will do that then. Sunday will be Pisac then I go to Urubamba. Monday Chinceros is am with moray and Maras. What would you say for afternoon?

Tues will be Olly then Machu Picchu, again stay at the Tambo hotel, and Wed I will tour Cuzco before my 5pm flight, which better not get messed over because I have a 10pm connection on a different airline to Rio.

Also how should I get around, hail local cabs?

JDiver

The distances are a bit longer (in terms of time) than they might appear on Chinchero - Moray - Maras day. Leave some slack in case you really enjoy one or wish to do something later. Take twice as many photo memory cards and money, half the clothes.

The best way for local cabs IMO is to ask at your hotel or a restaurant. They know who is reliable, and you can ask for an approximation of the price it will cost before you climb in.

And I can't recall whether this thread or another, I can think of a lot worse things to spend money on than a membership in South American Explorers, a nonprofit, lots of online info, a clubhouse in Cusco (as well as Buenos Aires, Lima and Quito) to make contacts, get current information, leave luggage, use the Internet and Skype or MagicJack to call home, etc. $60 a year, and I must disclose I am an avid lifetime member.

exc3ll

Thank you for all the suggestions, I am going to change my itinerary!
Is it better to get an arranged transportation from a hotel in ollantaytambo from cuzco airport or just take go on your own? Is the public transportation pretty easy vs taxi?

Villavic

I have not taken public buses in Cusco since 1999, just taxis. I guess they have not changed so much. Si IMHO if you don't speak spanish I suggest to coordinate with your hotel

Villavic

I think Pisaq market is open every day nowadays. I've read it was only sunday and thursday, and maybe tuesday. But today (saturday) I arrived at 4pm after trekking around the ruins and there were lot of sellers in the square and the streets around it.