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Peru - itinerary help, please

Peru - itinerary help, please

Old Jan 19, 2012, 11:39 am
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Peru - itinerary help, please

Edited 1/23/12: [SEE POST 18 FOR UPDATED ITINERARY BASED ON COMMENTS IN POSTS 2-17!]

I've got a 13 day Peru trip coming up in late June-early July. The JFK-LIM-CUZ and PEM-CUZ-LIM-JFK-LAX flights are ticketed (AA award); I would appreciate input, esp. answers to the questions listed below:

Day 1 - arrive LIM from JFK; LIM-CUZ. Stay at Tambo del Inka (SPG award)
Day 2 - nothing major planned, to acclimate to altitude. If doing ok, see Sacred Valley sites.
Day 3 (Sunday) - Pisac Market; Inti Raymi (sun festival); other local (non-MP) sites
Day 4 - Macchu Pichu
Day 5 - Other Cusco-area sites
Day 6 - to Lake Titicaca [3:15pm nonstop flight]
Day 7 - at Lake Titicaca
Day 8 - to Arequipa [9am nonstop flight]
Day 9 - Arequipa
Day 10 - Valley of the Condors (AM); possibly fly to LIM on return from condor spotting
Day 11 - to Puerto Maldonado [either from AQP or LIM]
Day 12 - Lodge experience
Day 13 - leave P.Maldonado on mid-day flight to Lima (check luggage thru to LAX if possible); on arrival in LIM, leave airport for a rushed tour thru Lima, including nice dinner, before returning to LIM for 12:20am(+1) flight to US.

So, here are my questions:

1) Am I spending too much time in Urubamba and the whole Cusco area? I know I need a full day for MP (we're in our late 40s, so a 3-4 day hike of the Inca Trail is not really our thing), but do we need 3+ days for the rest of the Cusco area?

2) Suggestions are welcome for a place to stay at Lake Titicaca.

3) Suggestions are welcome for a lodge near Puerto Maldonado. We don't want to go "over the top" on the eco-stuff, and only have 2 nights there.

4) For Arequipa, we want to stay in a (nice - US 3.5-4 star level) hotel that is within walking distance of all the historical sites in the center of the city. In some of my reading, I saw a comment that the walk from Casa Arequipa to the Plaza de Armas/Santa Catalina area might not be the safest at night. Any feedback?

Thanks in advance...

Last edited by CO FF; Jan 23, 2012 at 10:33 am Reason: ETA info re updates to itinerary in post 18
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Old Jan 19, 2012, 12:30 pm
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I don't think 4 days Cuzco, including MP, is too much. You need at least 1 day for the city of Cuzco, which is best to be seen walking. Don't forget that at this altitude, you need more time to walk around and don't forget that after your day tour to MP you will certainly be tired the next day. If you do this from Cuzco, be prepared to leave around 05:00 am and come back around 09:00 pm. You also need time to get your MP tickets, best to do so in Cuzco while you are there.

Pisac market is very colorful and once there, I suggest to visit Pisac ruins. By the way there is a good hotel in Pisac (Royal Inca) at little bit ouside the village, but within walking distance to market and ruins. Calculate a full day for Pisac (market and ruins). There is also a good hotel just beside the train station in Ollantaytambo from where the trains to MP leave, this saves you the 60-120 minutes ride Cuzco-Ollanta in early morning or late evening. I would consider going to Ollanta after Pisac, instead of going back to Cuzco.

If you are worried about altitude sickness, start out with sacred valley, this is at lower altitudes than Cuzco itself.
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Old Jan 19, 2012, 2:19 pm
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Do you have the ability to rearrange the order here? I'd place Puerto Maldonado immediately before or after Cusco. Any flight to and from PEM stops at CUZ anyway, and it's just a 45-minute flight between the two. Backtracking to CUZ or LIM from somewhere else adds a lot of extra travel time that wouldn't be necessary if you make that change.

Now, if you visit Cusco before Puerto Maldonado, does the return from PEM get you to CUZ in time to connect elsewhere? That I don't know. If it doesn't, that would mean another night in Cusco.
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Old Jan 19, 2012, 3:36 pm
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MarLim - We're staying at Tambo del Inka for 2 reasons: it is in the Sacred Valley (Urubamba), and it's free (well, it's 50,000 SPG points for 6 nights, which is the next best thing). At that price, I will be glad to pay for taxis from the hotel to Cuzco, Pisac, etc., each day, and keep a single (very nice) address while in that area.

SJOGuy - Since the only options to/from Juliaca/Lake Titicaca are LIM, CUZ and AQP, the only more efficient option would be CUZ-PEM-CUZ-JUL-AQP-LIM. One friend who's been to Peru twice said that he learned to save his trips to the rain forest (P.Maldonado once, Iquitos the other time) until the end of his trip, so that he didn't have to worry about his stuff getting humid, wet, etc. That's why I booked CUZ-JUL-AQP-[LIM-]CUZ-PEM-CUZ-LIM, which (if we don't go back to LIM for the night) is only 1 extra segment. (Of course, since PEM-CUZ-LIM is on an AA award, I can probably shift the dates of those segments without charge...)

All - please, keep critiquing, suggesting, etc.!
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Old Jan 19, 2012, 4:35 pm
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There's lots to see and do in Cusco and the main site at Urubamba (Ollantaytambo?) is especially impressive. Besides touring the Incan ruins, there are other fun activities such as horseback riding and white water rafting. Having said that, if I were putting the trip together, I'd probably add a day on the Amazon. I took a very similar trip last summer and the Amazon was an amazing experience.

I recommend that on Day 3, you spend the night in Aguas Calientes. Macchu Pichu often looks completely different first thing in the morning. Being on that first bus is totally worth the effort.

I want to reiterate SJOGuy's suggestion regarding the order of the trip. It would make more sense to place Puerto Maldonado immediately before or after Cusco.

One final recommendation - If you can get a reservation, I highly recommend dining at Astrid y Gastn in Lima. It's ranked as one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. Try the Peking cuy!
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Old Jan 19, 2012, 11:18 pm
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OP, taxis back and forth may be doable but it is a fairly long trip and I'm not sure "ANY" taxi you hail on the streets will take you. May need to make arrangements before hand. When I was there, it seemed most were local only. Don't get me wrong, I like the Tambo too. It is a great place ... just not the convenient for visiting Cusco. For the sacred valley sites, its great. You can consider getting a driver to take you to 2 or 3 sites (salt mines, etc) in a day. I found a pretty good contact here on FT in an older post. If you want it, I can go dig it up.

For Lake Titicaca, I highly recommend Isla Suasi. It is on a private island on the east side of the lake. Not many places come close. It is consistently rated on Trip Advisor as the top hotel in the area. If you choose not to stay on an island, then there are a whole bunch of hotels in Puno.
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 6:25 am
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I think 4 days in the Cusco area is about right, I don't much care for the city itself but the Sacred Valley is nice.

I second Pisac, probably cooler when the market is not in full swing as they bus tourists in from Cusco. If I remember rightly you could do the market in the morning then the ruins in the afternoon and that should avoid the crowds.

The ruins you probably only want to do one way, so there are profiteering taxi drivers at the end to return you to Pisac. Expensive but unless you are a weathered trekker it's your best option.

Also near Pisac, we borrowed someone's scooter and went to Huanca, a creepy place worth a look, everything is centred around the church of El Seor de Huanca.

A dining tip, not that all Peruvian food isn't amazing but the Cuchara de Palo at The Pisac Inn in the Plaza is brilliant value for money and their Alpaca brochetas with chaufa de quinoa was delicious. They also have a nice fire so you can put your feet up and dry your socks after las ruinas.

http://www.pisacinn.com/restaurant.htm

You will see houses and alleyways with a basket or a carrier bag on a stick. Baskets = good, well worth sticking your nose in there because they make delicious Andean bread in big open log ovens. Carrier bag = not so good, they make hot chicha and serve it out of a bucket. Depends how involved you want to get with the culture but it's a mistake I won't make again burp.
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 6:42 am
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Originally Posted by CO FF
Day 8 - to Arequipa [9am nonstop flight]
Day 9 - Arequipa
Day 10 - Valley of the Condors (AM); possibly fly to LIM on return from condor spotting
Day 11 - to Puerto Maldonado [either from AQP or LIM]
I don't get this. If they are offering the condors watch at Colca valley, you must sleep at Colca town, Chivay on day 9. In that case you would be travelling (by bus) from Arequipa city to Chivay on day 9. It's a 4 to 5 hours trip (a beautiful one). Then they'd wake up at 6am on day 10 to go by bus thru the valley and reach the condor spotting at 10am aprox. Condors appear mostly along the morning. And the whole valley is a beautiful experience. And yes, there is enough time on day 10 to go back to Arequipa city during afternoon and take a night flight to Lima.

So ask for details about the day 9 - day 10.

Last edited by Villavic; Jan 20, 2012 at 8:57 am
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 8:30 am
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For a hotel in Arequipa, the Sonesta Posadas del Incas is right on the Plaza de Armas and has a fab view from the trerrace bar - as do some of the rooms, which are a bit old-fashioned but perfectly acceptable.
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 9:03 am
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Originally Posted by CO FF
For Arequipa, we want to stay in a (nice - US 3.5-4 star level) hotel that is within walking distance of all the historical sites in the center of the city. In some of my reading, I saw a comment that the walk from Casa Arequipa to the Plaza de Armas/Santa Catalina area might not be the safest at night. Any feedback? ...
Not sure if it's unsafe, never stayed at the Casa Arequipa area but there are several hotels closer to Plaza de Armas, within downtown area and it's very safe. Arequipa nightlife is very active sou you won't feel alone.

Yes, Sonesta is a good option. Casa Andina is a very good one too, the Classic, cause the Private Collection is far more expensive. And Classic Casa Andina is not far from Plaza de Armas, and streets around there are beautiful.

Casa Andina has a Private Collection hotel at Isla Suasi too. Yes it's the best option, but expensive, though the experience is really worth it! There's a Casa Andina Classic at Puno City too. You can check prices at http://www.casa-andina.com/
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 10:26 am
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Again, I do appreciate everyone's input & ideas!

JohnnyColombia -- so, if I understand you, you're saying eat the bread before drinking the chicha, right?

Villavic, this is not an organized tour -- this is my DIY itinerary, based on (a) where I could find 2 award seats in J using my AA miles, for the times we will be free this summer, and (b) as much research as I could squeeze in to the 4+ days when these tix were on hold with AA.

I will have to pass on the alpaca & guy -- we eat "pesca-tarian" (fish, but no shellfish, and vegetarian (w/lacto-ovo) only).

Re going condor spotting: it's 200km from Arequipa to the Mirador Cruz del Condor. Is that more than a 3-hour drive? My thinking initially was to hire someone to pick us up at 4am, arrive at Cabanaconde around 7:30 (Google Maps says it's a 3h15m drive via the PanAmerica Sur/1SE), and see the condors that morning. In doing more websurfing, I've seen the comment that the roads there are not safe at night (as roads - not for any other reason).

FrogProf - the "Aguas Calientes" debate has been among the more even split arguments of those who've been to Peru...given the low cost of lodging in A.C., if we decide to overnight there, we'll probably just take a daypack of stuff (rather than move our larger duffel from the Tambo).
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 10:30 am
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Originally Posted by FrogProf
One final recommendation - If you can get a reservation, I highly recommend dining at Astrid y Gastn in Lima. It's ranked as one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. Try the Peking cuy!
Just be aware that "cuy" = guinea pig.
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Old Jan 20, 2012, 8:34 pm
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Originally Posted by CO FF
Re going condor spotting: it's 200km from Arequipa to the Mirador Cruz del Condor. Is that more than a 3-hour drive? My thinking initially was to hire someone to pick us up at 4am, arrive at Cabanaconde around 7:30 (Google Maps says it's a 3h15m drive via the PanAmerica Sur/1SE), and see the condors that morning. In doing more websurfing, I've seen the comment that the roads there are not safe at night (as roads - not for any other reason).
The road from Arequipa city to Chivay is good, pavement, but there are many curves and the road is uphill, so it doesn't go too fast. But then from Chivay to Cabanaconde, it's kind of dirt road. Cars go even slower. Definitely you can't go directly from Arequipa to Cabanaconde, it's too much, and it is impossible to do in 4 hours. It's far more, day or night. Don't trust in Google this time.

Besides the trip from Arequipa to Chivay is an experience itself. You will surround the main volcanos, see free vicuas, llamas farms, ponds, lagoons, snowy mountains from the highest view point (almost 5000mt over the sea), and the entrance to Colca valley is another spectacle.

Though I usually travel independent, I went to Colca with friends on an organized tour in 2011. We departed 7am aprox from Arequipa and arrived to Chivay at 1pm (but we did like 4 stops to watch what I mentioned). Next day they picked us at 6am, did 3 stops along the valley and arrived to Cabanaconde at 10:30am aprox.

I think you must do the trips by day. I suggest you do more research about it. All organized tours do this trip staying one night in Chivay, you should do similar time even if you hire a private car/driver.

Last edited by Villavic; Jan 20, 2012 at 8:42 pm
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Old Jan 21, 2012, 8:09 pm
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Big Picture Questions as I ponder the feedback

I've done more reading and thinking.

- Are we trying to do too many sites?

- Do I need more time in the Cusco area?

- Is it worth 3 days at Lake Titicaca just to stay at Isla Suasi? You board their boat at 730am in Puno, which means arriving in Puno the night before. Are the floating islands all that great?

- Is Colca Canyon worth 2 of our 13 days?

- Are we shortchanging the rain forest/jungle areas?

thoughts?
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Old Jan 22, 2012, 4:55 am
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If you start with Cuzco and surroundings, it makes sense to continue to Lake Titicaca, as well as Colca Canyon, as you are already aclimatized to the altitude. If you have to do either of the 2 other areas during another trip you have to get yourself again aclimatized and will loose a couple of days starting slowly. You will rest in Puno at 3,800m altitude; coming from Cuzco, you should not be affected by that, but coming from Lima, you won't enjoy the first 2-3 days. I think 4 days for Cuzco/MP is about right, it will not allow you to see everything, but you'll see the major sites and it allows you to aclimatize to the altitude, but I'm not sure if I would spend 3 days at Lake Titicaca. Puno is not that great a city, but a good place to base yourself, the islands are unique, but be aware that you may have heavy winds with a very moving boat ride. Colca Canyon is certainly another highlight of Peru after MP. If you have to skip something from your trip, I'd skip Puerto Maldonado. It would be a very different experience, but as I said before I'd take advantage of being in high altitude and do as many sites up there as possible.

And as others have said, calculate more time for driving than you would in the US. In my experience you always need more time than you think. The road can be closed for a couple of hours due to to maintenace works or for any other reason or you may be behind a slow moving truck for some miles with no visibility to pass.
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